Watching TV is a common method to wind down and loosen up on the finish of the day—and if it’s TV sequence, you possibly can find yourself being glued to it for hours straight.
Korean TV sequence have taken the world by storm these previous a number of years, from entertaining romantic comedies to crime thrillers and historic dramas with lush visuals.
Beneath are 30 thrilling Korean TV reveals that span a wide range of genres. Whether or not you’re into drama, humor or motion, you may discover your subsequent favourite watch right here!
Contents
Obtain:
This weblog submit is on the market as a handy and transportable PDF that you simply
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
1. “Squid Sport”
Watch on: Netflix
“Squid Sport” ranks impressively as the most well-liked Netflix present of all time. Be warned, although, that it’s not precisely mild watching!
Within the present, folks in debt are invited to play a seemingly innocent sequence of video games, with a money prize that quantities to hundreds of thousands of {dollars}. Nonetheless, it takes a darkish flip as a result of when you lose a recreation, you die—and each time somebody dies, the money prize will get bigger.
2. “What’s Flawed with Secretary Kim?”
Watch on: Hulu | Netflix | Viki
In “What’s Flawed with Secretary Kim?”, the vice-president of an enormous firm tries to get his long-time secretary to rethink resigning–and sparks begin to fly between them. Lots of Korean learners are literally followers, particularly because the present will help you decide up a variety of slang and on a regular basis phrases associated to Korean work tradition.
Having to lookup phrases each time can disrupt your viewing pleasure, although. To repair this for Korean learners, FluentU makes use of interactive subtitles to elucidate clips of “What’s Flawed with Secretary Kim?”:
Aside from Kdramas, you too can discover different genuine Korean content material, corresponding to film trailers and Kpop music movies.
As a language studying program, it additionally features a video dictionary and personalised quizzes that check your talking, listening and different abilities.
FluentU is on the market on the internet in addition to cell (Android and iOS).
3. “Boys over Flowers”
Watch on: Hulu | Netflix | Viki
That is the present that basically might be credited with beginning the Korean Wave outdoors of Asia. An adaptation of the Japanese manga “Hana Yori Dango,” “Boys Over Flowers” tells the story of Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun), a poor lady who finds herself attending Korea’s most unique school.
This college is dominated by the iron fist of F4, the college’s 4 wealthiest and most good-looking boys. Geum Jan-di’s uncrushable spunk melts the guts of F4’s boastful chief Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho), permitting him to atone for his years of bullying.
4. “Working Man”
Watch on: Netflix
At present one of many longest-running and hottest selection reveals in Korean TV historical past, “Working Man” is a Korean selection present you don’t wish to miss.
Initially, “Working Man” contestants carried out varied duties at well-known Korean landmarks to win a race. The forged is made up of normal contestants and friends, lots of whom take part recurrently. Over time, the fashion of the present has tailored to a extra commonplace reality-variety present, the place contestants full one lengthy race by enjoying steady video games. Some episodes now happen world wide.
5. “Crash Touchdown on You”
Watch on: Netflix
For a romantic sequence that balances drama and comedy, “Crash Touchdown on You” is a must-watch.
Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a rich entrepreneur from South Korea, will get her life modified fully when she goes paragliding and by accident leads to North Korea. She’s found by Captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) a North Korean military captain. As he tries to get her again residence, they develop emotions for one another.
6. “Vincenzo”
Watch on: Netflix
“Vincenzo” has an fascinating predominant character: a Korean man who’s a part of the Italian mafia. The present begins with him going again to Korea for typical gangster causes: to get gold hidden in a constructing.
Alongside the way in which, he will get concerned with the constructing’s tenants and finally ends up becoming a member of them of their struggle for justice. “Vincenzo” is stuffed with plot twists as villains struggle in opposition to villains, combined with a variety of comedic strikes.
7. “Goblin”
Watch on: Amazon Prime | Viki
Should you’re a fan of Korean dramas, you then’ve most likely already heard of “Goblin.” The sequence weaves modern-day romance with mythology and fantasy because it portrays a 900-year-old goblin who’s on the lookout for his bride as a result of she’s the one one who can finish his curse and let him die. Nonetheless, when he does discover her, he’s torn between accepting demise and desirous to dwell so he can keep along with her.
8. “Sky Fort”
“Sky Fort” takes an enchanting take a look at well-off households who would do virtually something to get their youngsters into the very best colleges. All the characters dwell in a top-tier neighborhood known as Sky Fort. Though the households look good from afar, there’s a variety of drama occurring beneath the floor, with dad and mom going to excessive measures to maintain up appearances and stay on the prime of the social ladder.
9. “The Uncanny Counter”
Watch on: Netflix
“The Uncanny Counter” is predicated on a Korean webtoon or comedian, and it reveals as a result of there are a variety of action-packed scenes right here. So Mun (Jo Byeong-Kyu) lives a daily life as a excessive schooler when he turns into recruited right into a group of demon-hunters (additionally known as “counters”). The counters work at a noodle store, and all of them have particular talents, like therapeutic, tremendous velocity and sensing reminiscences.
10. “2 Days and 1 Evening”
Watch on: Viki
Working since 2010, “2 Days and 1 Evening” is among the most well-known humorous selection reveals in Korea. Each season, it brings collectively forged members who go round Korea, normally to extra rural locations corresponding to islands and mountains. In these locations, they need to tackle sure missions and challenges, like passing a paper with their mouth or taking off a face masks with out utilizing their fingers.
11. “Twenty 5 Twenty One”
Watch on: Netflix
“Twenty 5 Twenty One” takes you again to Korea within the ’90s with a nostalgic coming-of-age story. Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) is an 18-year-old highschool scholar who’s decided to be a profitable fencer. She finally meets Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk), who’s a bit of older at 22. It’s a really life like portrayal of rising up, and there’s a variety of intrigue concerned too as a result of the story is advised via flashbacks.
12. “Mr. Sunshine”
Watch on: Netflix
“Mr. Sunshine” takes place in one of the essential intervals of Korea’s historical past: within the 1900s, when Korea was nonetheless turning into established as a rustic whereas preventing off being colonized by Japan. Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun), a former Korean slave who turns into an American military officer, returns to Joseon (the previous Korean kingdom). However he leads to a forbidden romance with a nobleman’s daughter whereas getting twisted up in politics.
13. “Itaewon Class”
Watch on: Netflix
It doesn’t matter what life throws at you, don’t surrender in your dream—that’s one of many predominant messages behind “Itaewon Class.” Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Search engine marketing-joon) places up a small pub in Itaewon with revenge on his thoughts. His purpose is to overhaul the Jangga Group, Korea’s prime meals firm. He assembles a likable crew of fellow misfits, and so they work collectively to assist him get nearer to his dream.
14. “100 Days My Prince”
Watch on: Amazon Prime | Netflix | Viki
Amnesia, plotted murders and long-lost sweethearts—“100 Days My Prince” is a interval sequence with the entire traditional parts. As a substitute of getting assassinated, Lee Yul, the Crown Prince of Joseon, slips off a cliff and loses his reminiscence. He’s tricked into believing that he’s a commoner, so he marries Yeon Hong-shim (Nam Ji-hyun). However then after 100 days, he will get his reminiscences again.
15. “Figuring out Bros”
Watch on: Viki
“Figuring out Bros” (also called “Males on a Mission”) is a prime selection present the place the forged members act as highschool college students in a classroom. For every episode, a star visitor is launched as a switch scholar. The present contains loads of joking and bantering, together with weird challenges and improvised skits. There are additionally quizzes concerning the movie star visitor that the forged has to reply (which ends up in humorous reactions).
16. “Hospital Playlist”
Watch on: Netflix
In comparison with your typical medical drama, “Hospital Playlist” has a extra lighthearted take, that includes 5 surgeons who’ve been good mates since medical college. Though they’ve totally different personalities, what they bond over is a love for music—they play in a band collectively! The sequence focuses on their medical instances and their friendships with one another, and it’s simple to love every character as a result of all of them care about their sufferers.
17. “Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”
Watch on: Netflix
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” is a calming, slice-of-life sequence with gorgeous visuals that showcase the charming seaside village of Gongjin. Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) is a dentist who strikes from Seoul to Gongjin. As she units up a clinic there, she turns into nearer to Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), who tries arduous to assist out everybody within the village. Past the romance, the sequence additionally explores the tales of the opposite residents of Gongjin.
18. “The Return of Superman”
Watch on: Amazon Prime | Viki
Since 2013, “The Return of Superman” has been that includes movie star dads who need to maintain their children on their very own for 48 hours. It has a variety of hilarious and candy moments, and so they normally need to do particular actions with their children or perform duties selected by their wives. Many movie star children in Korea truly turned well-known due to this sequence.
19. “Resort del Luna”
“Resort del Luna” is a few lodge that welcomes spirits earlier than they’ll cross on to the afterlife. The CEO is Jang Man-wol (IU), who’s cursed to run it due to the crimes that she dedicated again when she was nonetheless alive. She finally ends up recruiting a brand new normal supervisor, Goo Chan-sung (Yeo Jin-goo), and she or he begins to develop into much less cold-hearted as she will get to know him.
20. “World of the Married”
Watch on: Disney Plus
If you’d like a break from romantic comedies, “World of the Married” is a extra emotionally intense sequence that’s about extramarital affairs. Ji Solar-woo (Kim Hee-ae) and her husband Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon) appear to be match, however Solar-woo slowly finds out that Tae-oh has been dishonest on her. From there, it will get messy (and engrossing) as their relationship spirals down and so they plot revenge in opposition to one another.
21. “Roommate”
Watch on: Amazon Prime
That is the present that basically obtained me into Korean TV. “Roommate” had a easy premise: a good looking home in Seoul, stuffed with Korean celebrities who dwell collectively.
The characters in “Roommate” wait up for one another to return residence from their loopy work schedules and make one another late-night meals. All people appears to genuinely take pleasure in one another’s firm, and the absence of clearly scripted conversations and conflicts makes the motion and dialogue seem splendidly pure.
22. “Pachinko”
Watch on: Apple TV
Based mostly on a bestselling e-book, “Pachinko” portrays 4 generations of a Korean household that migrates to Japan. Ranging from 1915 all the way in which to fashionable occasions, it may be an intense watch as a result of it covers many life like themes—illness, suicide, pure disasters and discrimination. Tying the story collectively is Sunja, who goes from a younger lady about to depart Korea to a grandmother who has stayed in Japan for many of her life.
23. “Romance is a Bonus E book”
Watch on: Netflix
For a love story the place the feminine lead is older, “Romance is a Bonus E book” is perhaps your subsequent watch. Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-young) is a single mother who’s struggling to discover a job. She applies for an entry-level function on the publishing firm the place her pal Cha Heun-ho (Lee Jong-suk) can be her boss. Their relationship begins to vary as they see one another an increasing number of.
24. “Kingdom”
Watch on: Netflix
A zombie virus that’s spreading all through medieval Korea—that’s the principle premise of “Kingdom,” a fast-paced sequence that may preserve you in your toes. Ranging from the King creating a mysterious illness, an increasing number of villages get overrun by zombies, and folks begin to panic and switch in opposition to one another. In the course of all of it, Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) tries to get to the supply of the outbreak and cease it.
25. “Sign”
Watch on: Amazon Prime | Netflix | Viki
“Sign” is a detective sequence with an uncommon plot twist: two detectives from totally different time intervals discuss to one another via a walkie-talkie and use what they learn about their timelines to unravel sophisticated instances. Particularly, Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) is from the current time, whereas Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong) is from 1989. What they didn’t count on was their actions would trigger penalties that they won’t be able to face.
26. “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay”
Watch on: Netflix
“It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” is a drama that takes an sincere take a look at psychological well being points and the consequences of trauma. Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun) is a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital who’s taking care of his traumatized brother. He runs into Ko Moon-young, an achieved youngsters’s e-book author who has delinquent persona dysfunction. She turns into obsessive about him, and so they slowly begin to confront their previous collectively and discover therapeutic.
27. “Now on My Approach to Meet You”
Watch on: Youtube (for highlights)
This one is a really distinctive present: feminine North Korean defectors (known as “beauties”) exhibit skills, shed tears and inform tales of their lives and escape. Heartbreaking tales of hardship distinction with comedy sketches and flirtations with a panel of male South Korean comedians. The present was extremely fashionable and singular in its try to melt attitudes in South Korea about defectors from the North.
28. “Descendants of the Solar”
Watch on: Amazon Prime | Hulu | Viki
“Descendants of the Solar” is a desperately romantic, shockingly addictive sequence. A success all through Asia and past, the sequence tells the love story between Yoo Si-jin (Music Joong-ki), a soldier within the Particular Forces, and Dr. Kang Mo-yeon (Music Hye-kyo) who’re each assigned to work within the fictional nation of Urk in Northern Africa.
29. “Unpretty Rapstar”
Watch on: Youtube (for highlights)
“Unpretty Rapstar” is a music competitors actuality present with a deal with feminine rappers.
Contestants need to improvise a self-introduction over the identical beat at first. Episodes are then organized as “missions,” the place every contestant should write and organize an authentic rap tune and direct a music video or dwell stage efficiency of the tune. There’s additionally a “diss battle,” during which contestants battle one-on-one in a closed occasion with no MC.
30. “My Mister”
Watch on: Amazon Prime | Netflix | Viki
This award-winning sequence has a extra uncommon setup as a result of it revolves across the platonic bond between an engineer in his 40’s (Park Dong-hoon) and a younger lady who’s combating poverty (Lee Ji-an). Each of them work in the identical firm, and each of them have their very own life issues that they’re having a tough time determining. By way of one another, they study that the world might be kinder than they anticipated.
Why Watch TV to Be taught Korean?
Let’s begin with the obvious purpose:
- It’s enjoyable! You’re naturally extra engaged when doing actions that you simply take pleasure in, so you need to discover which you can focus longer when watching an fascinating present. Personally, I’ve by no means been in a position to apply flashcards for greater than half an hour in a single go, however I’ve been identified to spend a whole day watching Korean TV!
Whether or not you want dramas, fantasy reveals, comedies or reveals set in fascinating places like Korean hospitals, there’s positive to be a Korean present that meets your tastes. Moreover, you don’t even have to decide on only one: you possibly can determine to maintain up with a number of Korean reveals directly. That manner, you possibly can study Korean from the varied matters explored in every present and have a variety of enjoyable alongside the way in which.
- It immerses you within the language. Nothing results in success in language examine like immersion. To listen to the language spoken round you, and to have the ability to use it in your day by day life accelerates your studying considerably. This fascinating examine confirmed that even after months of no publicity, members who discovered a language implicitly (via immersion) nonetheless had surprisingly excessive charges of language retention—as a result of they’d discovered to suppose like native audio system. My favourite method to immerse myself in Korean is by watching tv.
- It’s assorted in matter and stage. Watching TV can be useful as a examine assist as a result of it’s really easy to maintain your examine assorted sufficient to be fascinating. You possibly can watch totally different genres to fit your style or temper, so you’ll by no means get bored. You can too change the problem stage very simply, once more, just by altering what you watch. Absolute learners can watch extra passively with subtitles simply to get used to the sound of the language, and engagement can construct from there.
- It’s stuffed with language classes. The language itself might be extraordinarily totally different between genres of reveals. For instance, selection reveals have a tendency to make use of easy, conversational language, whereas dramas can cowl a variety of matters with various formality and tone (influenced by the characters and their conditions). Documentary and information reveals shall be extra formal, and the vocab fairly thematically particular.
Learn how to Actively Watch Korean TV to Maximize Studying
There are a lot of totally different ideas on methods to examine the language whereas watching TV. What you select can rely in your most popular studying fashion, however undoubtedly transcend simply watching! Discover and check out some new lively studying methods every time you watch. Listed below are some concepts to get you began:
- Take notes. Some learners love note-taking—writing down vocab or grammar patterns that they don’t acknowledge whereas they watch, to evaluate later. Selection reveals specifically are nice for this (for learners particularly), as they’re typically plastered with Korean subtitles which you’ll be able to simply copy down.
- Repeat aloud. You possibly can apply pronunciation rather well by mimicking what you hear on TV. Simply pay attention to how honorifics and social context have an effect on how the characters are talking.
- Use subtitles. I’m a giant fan of utilizing subtitles to my benefit whereas watching Korean TV reveals. Watching one thing with and with out subtitles adjustments the problem significantly.
Should you’re nonetheless at an early stage, you possibly can placed on English subtitles the primary time you watch one thing in Korean. Sit again and luxuriate in it to know the plot. The following day, watch that episode once more—this time concentrating on the phrases and grammar. Press pause and take notes typically, repeating the episode many occasions till you already know the story and phrases rather well.
Then watch it with Korean subtitles (or start with Korean subtitles from the beginning if you happen to’re at an intermediate stage). This makes the note-taking suggestion far simpler as a result of you possibly can examine your spelling and use the subtitles to navigate your manner via the extra sophisticated sentences. Pull the episode aside scene by scene, press pause typically, and dig out language classes. You may spend a full week or extra on a single episode.
Lastly, you’re prepared to look at the episode with out subtitles. It might really feel a bit overwhelming at first, particularly for learners. However if you happen to’ve spent sufficient time rewatching the episode with subtitles and taking it aside, you’ll most likely perceive most of it. As your potential to focus on what you hear improves, you will see that that it is advisable to watch with subtitles much less and fewer.
- Create associations. One more reason to look at your favourite episodes again and again is which you can create picture associations between what occurs on the display and what’s stated, to set off the phrase in your reminiscence. Comedy is admittedly helpful for this, as many comedians who seem on selection reveals are inclined to have catchphrases or inside jokes that run all through a sequence. You can too develop a form of “relationship” with characters all through a sequence, as you start to know their explicit scenario and the way it impacts their language.
Language studying should be one of many few endeavors that permit us to name watching TV “examine.” So sit again, loosen up and immerse your self in some Korean TV reveals!
Obtain:
This weblog submit is on the market as a handy and transportable PDF that you simply
can take wherever.
Click on right here to get a replica. (Obtain)
