If you want to experience Korea’s history and culture in a fun way, why not watch some of these Korean Historical Dramas? Packed with action, romance, and more, here are 22 different historical K-Dramas that may feature your favourite actors, actresses, or even idols!
Korean Historical Dramas Featuring Different Eras of Korea
The Murky Stream
Starring Rowoon, Shin Ye Eun, and Park Seo Ham, The Murky Stream is an intense historical show set in the corrupt Joseon era.
The show explores their struggles as commoners and how they fight for survival around the once clear Gyeonggang River (Han River) that has since turned lawless.
You can watch it on Disney+ here.
Kingdom
Set in Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, this series features actor Ju Ji Hoon as Crown Prince Lee Chang in this Korean horror-thriller series. Stumbling upon an unnatural plague, the Crown Prince finds out that the dead can be resurrected.
In order to prevent the plague from spreading further into the province, he started an investigation mission about the spread of a mysterious undead plague that has hounded their current emperor.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
Afraid of surrendering her throne, Queen Jiso (Kim Ji-soo) created an elite group of professional warriors called Hwarang to protect her throne and son from powerful nobles.
Starring Park Seo-joon as Moo-myung/Kim Sun-woo, Park Hyung-sik from ZE:A as Sam Maek Jong/Kim Ji-dwi, the King of Silla, Lee Min-ho from Shinee as Suho, son of a noble, Do Ji-han as Banryu, Cho Yoon-woo as Yeoul and Kim Tae-hyung from BTS as Han Sung.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Bloody Heart
Featuring Lee Joon’s first venture into a Korean historical drama, Bloody Heart portrays the romance between his role Lee Tae, and Yoo Jung, played by Kang Han-na. The character Lee Tae is the 12th king of the Joseon dynasty and wants to rule as an absolute monarch.
You can watch the series on Disney+.
Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Hae-Soo (played by IU) finds herself time travelling back to the Goryeo dynasty when a total eclipse happened and is caught between the 8th prince (played by Kang Ha Neul) and the 4th prince (played by Lee Joon Gi).
Watch it now on Viu and YouTube.
Love in the Moonlight
Love in the Moonlight is a youth romance series starring Park Bo-gum (Crown Prince Hyo Myeong/Lee Yeong) and Kim You-Jung (Hong Ra On). Hong Ra On disguised herself as a man to give her kingdom’s men some dating advice. As she wrote a love letter for one of her clients, she met Crown Prince Hyo Myeong/Lee Yeong, both unaware of their real identities.
Watch it now on Netflix and Viu.
Queen for Seven Days
Queen for Seven Days depicts a tragic love story in Joseon era. In this period, it is said that when a noblewoman from a powerful clan marries the Crown Prince, she will be deposed after seven days of being queen.
Banned from the palace, Queen Danyeong (Park Min-young) was exiled to Mt. Inwang to spend the rest of her days. King Lee Yeok (Yeon Woo Jin) mourned after her departure and longed for his queen as he looked towards Mt. Inwang during his rule.
Watch it now on Netflix and Viu.
My Only Love Song
Song Soo-Jung (Gong Seung-Yeon) is an arrogant top star and classifies people by the amount of money they have. As she suddenly time travelled to the Goryeo era, she created an accident and was sentenced to prison where she meets On Dal (Lee Jong-Hyun).
Watch it now on Netflix.
Moon Embracing the Sun
Heo Yeon Woo (Han Ga-In) had a deadly curse cast on her and “died” from an unidentifiable illness. As she got dug out of her grave, she lost all her memories of being a crown princess and her lover King Lee Hwon (Kim Soo-Hyun). However, things started to change when she was invited to the palace as a shaman to cure the King’s “illness”.
Watch it now on Netflix and Viu.
The Emperor
Set in the 1700’s, Crown Prince Lee Sun (Yoo Seung-Ho) fights against Pyunsoo hwe, a powerful organization that privatized water all over Joseon. Crown Prince Lee Sun and Han Ga-Eun (Kim So-Hyun), a girl he loves, opposed the organization and became a light of hope for the people who were suffering.
Watch it now on Viu.
The Tale of Nokdu
Follow Jeon Nok-Du (Jang Dong-Yoon) as he chases one of the assassins that attacked his father and older brother. During the chase, Jeon Nok-Du saved Dong Dong-Ju (Kim So-Hyun) from trouble and met her again at a widowed village where the assassin was last seen entering.
Watch it now on Netflix and Viu.
My Country: The New Age
Aiming their swords against each other over a misunderstanding, it’s not easy to back down. Seo Hwi (Yang Se-Jong), a warrior, does not compromise when it comes to injustice. Meanwhile, Nam Seon-Ho (Woo Do-Hwan) lost his dream of passing the military service examination due to a corruption scandal.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Mr. Sunshine
A poor Korean boy traveled to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident, the Battle of Ganghwa, and became an American military officer. He then returned to Korea and discovered a dark scheme that plans to colonize Korea as he fell in love with an aristocrat’s daughter.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung
Goo Hae-ryung (Shin Sae-kyeong) is not your stereotypical woman of the Joseon dynasty, she is a free-spirited advocate for gender equality. Crossing paths with Prince Yi Rim (Cha Eun-woo) due to her passionate plight in the royal court. She starts to uncover his secret.
Watch it now on Netflix.
The Nokdu Flower
Two half-brothers, Baek Yi-Kang (Cho Jung-Seok) and Baek Yi-Hyun (Yoon Si-Yoon) fight against each other in the Battle of Ugeumchi in 1894’s Donghak Peasant Revolution.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Bossam: Steal The Fate
No, we’re not talking about the Korean dish, Bossam. Bossam in this drama refers to a customary remarriage procedure that takes place during the Joseon period. During that period, a widow could not remarry. Hence, during a Bossam, a single man or widower would kidnap the widow and marry her.
The King’s Affection (2021)
Twins are known to be an ominous sign. As the Crown Prince’s wife gave birth to twins, the twin daughter was supposed to be killed but was secretly sent away. A few years later, the twin son Lee Hwi was killed. Hiding the twin son’s death, the twin daughter was brought back and raised as Prince Lee Hwi (Park Eun-Bin). With the risk of her identity getting revealed, she hides her emotions and strays away from people. Until one day, she started to fall for Jung Ji-Un (Ro Woon), Lee Hwi’s teacher.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Queen: Love and War
Kang Eun Bo (Jin Se Yeon), a shaman twin sister, tries to uncover the truth behind her Queen twin sister’s death by trying to win King Lee Kyung’s (Kim Min Kyu) heart to be the new Queen, competing with other potential candidates.
Watch it now on iQiyi.
Lovers of the Red Sky
Set during the Joseon era, a genius female painter, Hong Cheon-Ki (Kim You-Jung), was picked as the first female painter of the Dohwaseo (Korean Royal Academy of Painting). After meeting Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo-Seop), she starts to fall in love with him despite his blindness.
Watch it now on Viu.
Haechi
With his mother being born in the lowest class, Prince Lee Geum struggles to become King but with the help of three others, they face it together as they try to reform Saheonbu.
Watch it now on Netflix and Viu.
Royal Secret Agent
Caught gambling, Sung Yi-Gyeom (Kim Myung-Soo) was punished to work as a secret royal inspector to catch illegal acts and corruption by public officers with the help of his younger step-brother, Sung Yi-Beom (Lee Tae-Hwan), and female inspector, Hong Da-In (Kwon Na-Ra) and her chatty servant Park Chun-Sam (Lee Yi-Kyung).
Watch it now on iQiyi.
River Where The Moon Rises
Raised as a soldier, Pyong Gang (Kim So-Hyun) is the ambitious princess of Goguryeo. She starts to fall in love with a man named On Dal (Ji Soo), and they work hand in hand on the battlefield to save the Goguryeo kingdom.
Watch it now on Viu.
Bonus: The Red Sleeve
A newly released K-Drama, The Red Sleeve stars Lee Jun Ho from 2PM. In this series, haunted by his father’s killings, Yi San (Lee Junho) is scarred emotionally and wants to reform the law once he becomes the King. He then meets an independent young woman named Sung Deok Im (Lee Se Young) and wants her to be his official concubine.
Must Watch Korean Historical Dramas
With these 22 Korean Historical dramas, you will have a peek at the different eras of South Korea. Get ready to immerse yourself in the culture of Korea with these Korean historical dramas!
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