K-dramas: The Korean shows taking streaming by storm

Fans of Korean culture can’t get enough of so-called K-dramas and their tragic stories straight from the land of K-pop. Korean drama shows have been gaining popularity for a while now, a growing sector that Netflix has already identified, offering its users a wide selection of K-content to stream. From “It’s Okay To Not Be Okay” and “Love Alarm,” to “Itaewon Class,” here’s a run-down of some of the Korean shows to catch on Netflix.

Netflix users can directly access the streaming site’s page for Korean shows by adding “/browse/genre/67879” to the Netflix URL. This displays the site’s Korean shows classed by genre, from cop shows to horror to romantic series. In 2020, the American streaming giant invested heavily in these shows, which are seeing growing interest among users.

‘Love Alarm’

Launched in 2019, this show returns March 12 for a second season on Netflix. Combining all the elements of K-drama — a love triangle, a troubled past and heightened use of technology — the show is set in a world where an application notifies users whether someone within their vicinity has romantic feelings for them. And that’s the case of Kim Jojo, a young high-school student. A popular model idolized by all the girls falls in love with her, but his best friend is also interested.

‘It’s Okay to Not be Okay’

This is one of the most popular shows on the platform. Screening since June 2020, it combines drama and romance, following the story of Moon Gang-tae, who works in a psychiatric hospital. While he is full of empathy, he has little interest in love. He lives with his brother who has autism and who adores Ko Moon-yeong, a famous children’s author. This mysterious young woman seems to have a past that overlaps with Moon Gang-tae, and, over time, the two characters unravel many secrets from their past.

‘Itaewon Class’

After a stint in prison, Park Saeroyi is out for revenge on the family that caused his father’s death. He meets Jo Yi-seo, a sociopath with an IQ of 162. With their friends, they plan to open a restaurant in the busy Itaewon neighborhood in Seoul, dreaming of success in an irrational world.

‘Crash Landing On You’

Launched in 2019, this series reunites some cast members from the Oscar-winning movie “Parasite.” The show comprises a single season of 16 episodes and tells the story of Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean heiress who inadvertently finds herself in the North Korean part of the Korean Demilitarized Zone after a paragliding accident. There, she meets Ri Jeong-hyeok, an officer in the North Korean army who helps the young woman come up with a plan to get home, despite their growing feelings for each other.

‘Start-Up’

This South Korean show launched in late 2020. In the ruthless world of the Korean tech industry, young entrepreneurs dream of turning their start-up ideas into reality. Dal-mi is one of those hopefuls.

But getting into the prestigious Sand-box business incubator is no mean feat, and competition is stiff. JB

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