While most people appreciate Korean crime dramas, medical K-dramas, and romantic scenes, not many talk about sports Korean dramas. These usually feature a certain type of sport and youthful companionship.
Here are 14 sports-related Korean dramas for you to binge-watch:
Korean Dramas with Sports Theme
Hot Stove League
In baseball, the term hot stove league refers to the off-season period where the team prepares for the next league.
In this Korean drama, watch Baek Seung-Soo, a newly appointed general manager of the professional baseball team ‘Dreams’ work on a bottom-ranking team in the league. Will he be able to create a championship-winning team?
Hot Stove League also won the Best Drama at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards, beating out competitions like Crash Landing on You and Kingdom 2.
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81343880
Watch on Viu here: https://www.viu.com/ott/sg/en-us/vod/233440/Hot-Stove-League
Racket Boys
This Korean drama depicts the story of a middle school boys’ badminton as they compete in a junior athletic competition. The boys are being coached by Yoon Hyeon-Jong, who was one of the best badminton players.
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81443941
Run On
A slow-paced drama that’s heartwarming, peaceful, and definitely won’t make your blood boil. The drama follows the lives of Ki Seon-Gyeom, a popular sprinter for the national team, and Oh Mi-Joo, a translator with a deep love for movies.
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81318872
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo
If you’ve never watched this drama, chances are, you’ve probably come across short clips or GIFs from this hilarious kdrama.
We see Bok Joo, a weightlifter who is pursuing her dream of winning the gold medal but finds herself in romance for the first time in her life. Will pursuing her dream of getting gold jeopardize her relationship?
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80188662
Twenty-Five, Twenty-One
With the sudden financial crisis in the 1990s, Na Hui-Do’s (Kim Tae-Ri) dream of becoming a professional fencer came crashing down as her high school shuts down the club due to the lack of funds. Pondering if she should give up on her dreams, she meets a hardworking part-timer, Baek Yi-Jin (Nam Joo-Hyuk) who wishes to rebuild his life. At the ages of 22 and 18, they finally said each other’s names for the first time and fate brought them together at the ages of 25 and 21.
Watch it now on Netflix.
Going To You At A Speed Of 493km
Image Credit: Disney+
Also known as Love All Play, this new Korean drama revolves around the sport Badminton.
Park Tae-Yang (played by Park Ju-Hyun) was once a promising badminton athlete. Due to an incident, she left the sport of badminton. 3 years later, she decides to join the badminton team Eunice. There, she meets Park Tae-Joon (Chae Jong-Hyeop, a badminton player who views the sport as nothing but a job to him.
Available on Disney+ on 27th April 2022.
Thumping Spike
This Korean drama depicts a story about a volleyball coach and her players as they aim for success during which they develop stronger bonds of friendship and teamwork.
You can expect this sports Korean drama to be filled with sportsmanship and heart-thumping romance.
Prison Playbook
Prison Playbook depicts a story about Je-Hyeok, one of the best relief pitchers in Korea who finds himself in prison overnight. With a future of going to the U.S. and signing a contract with a major league team disappearing overnight, watch how he adapts to life in prison.
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80214406
Watch on Viu here: https://www.viu.com/ott/sg/en-us/vod/281315/Prison-Playbook
Fight For My Way
This drama tells the story of Ko Dong-Man, played by the amazing Park Seo-Jun. Ko Dong-Man has made a living by working as a contract employee but now tries to go after the UFC title.
It’s a realistic story about chasing your dreams and fighting any obstacles along the way.
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/81093126
Watch on Viu here: https://www.viu.com/ott/sg/en-us/vod/48949/Fight-for-My-Way
Oh My Venus
Oh My Venus is the story of Kang Joo Eun, a lawyer in her 30s, who was once everyone’s high school crush thanks to her dashing looks. Joo Eun’s pursuit of her career leads her to neglect her personal well-being, and she soons finds herself dumped by her boyfriend of over 15 years. Her life reaches a turning point when she crosses paths with Yeong Ho, a hotshot personal trainer, who helps her to get back in shape.
This show also sheds some light on the struggles that women in society face, and reminds us that true beauty does not lie in one’s appearance.
Watch on Netflix here: https://www.netflix.com/title/80188354
Watch on Viu here: https://www.viu.com/ott/sg/en-us/vod/6023/Oh-My-Venus
Cheer Up
Cheer Up (Sassy Go Go) is a story about five high school students, whose lives are intertwined by a series of events that were suddenly cast upon them. While these students, who come from contrasting backgrounds, attempt to survive the crushing pressures of their education system, they are forced to put aside their differences and work together. The struggles and triumphs they go through eventually leads them to forge lifelong bonds with one another.
Short (2018)
Short is a tale of friendship and rivalry between two athletes. Son Seung Tae’s talent quickly propelled him to the top of his sport and he became a coach at Kangbaek University, where he would then meet Kang Ho Young, a prodigy referred to as the “King of Short Track Speed Skating”, who happens to be from a well-known family with a background in sports. They both form a special bond that is fueled by their competitive spirit, but things get tricky when they discover they have both fallen in love with the same girl.
Heading to the Ground / No Limit
Heading to the Ground follows Cha Bong Gun, a talented soccer player whose ambition is to get into the national soccer team. On his journey towards achieving his goal, he meets Kang Hae Bin, an independent sports agent who sees him through his journey. Watch Bong-gun claw his way through to success, despite having to face many obstacles along the way.
Just Dance
Just Dance is a coming-of-age drama that tells the story of a group of teenage girls in Geoje Girl’s Vocational High School. Even though the girls find it tough to excel academically, they pour their heart and soul into a cause they are passionate about, the art of dance sports. In the process, they restore life back into their hometown, which appears to be losing its charm.
Korean Sports Drama To Watch
If you’re ever curious about sports in Korea, these Korean dramas are a great way to take a look inside the world of baseball, weightlifting, and more.
These sports kdramas are great for those tired of all the betrayal and murder in other shows. They teach us about chasing our dreams and sportsmanship, a nice breather from the more intense dramas.
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