The 9 Best K-Dramas to Visit Korean Cities
We’re launching a new series: researching your next digital nomad and travel destination by watching K-Dramas. You can thank us later 🫶
If you want to learn about Korean culture, watch K-Dramas!
We don’t say that because we love them (although, yes, we do), but because in the background of the rags-to-riches love story, the eerie thriller or the Squid-Game-like bloodbath, you’ll glean the deepest insights into the country’s culture.
And a bonus for digital nomads who have time to explore more secluded areas of the country… They’re shot in the most beautiful places! We often organize workations to Busan and Jeju, so join us if you want to check them out while working remotely.
We chose 9 K-Dramas which will get you travelling through Korea and its history…
Plus, they’re just plain good.
Note: The streaming platforms indicated are the ones for Korea-based watching.
Seoul
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016, Watcha)
Kim Bok-joo, a weightlifting major, and Jung Joon-hyung, a swimmer, knew each other as children. They reconnect by chance at their school and reignite their old friendship - as Bok-joo develops a big crush on his cousin, the local weight clinic doctor. This coming-of-age story is still one of the best in the history of K-dramas, nearly ten years later, and you should definitely watch it.
You’ll learn about: the Korean competitive spirit, the power of fried chicken, and the many BBQs in the trendy Hongdae neighborhood (where you can also find our coliving and coworking space, Hoppin House!).
Call it Love (2023, Disney+)
When Woo-joo’s father dies, she and her sister are kicked out of the family home by his mistress. She decides to take revenge on the son of said mistress, Dong-jin… but falls in love with him in the process. Slow and poetic, this melodrama is set around Naksan Park, just north of Dongdaemun Gate in Seoul. Woo-joo and Dong-jin often meet by the old wall, with a gorgeous view over Seoul.
You’ll learn about: Korea’s passion for camping, and Naksan’s old wall hike.
Busan
Reply 1997 (2012, Disney+)
Sung Shi-won and her friends are 33 when they meet at their high school reunion. Nostalgic of the past, they reminisce about their teenage days in Busan in 1997, when K-Pop was starting with H.O.T. and Sechs Kies - and leave you to wonder about their love entanglements. Who ended up with whom?
You’ll learn about: the birth of K-Pop and K-Pop fans, the Busan dialect, and the daily lives of Koreans in the 1990s.
Train to Busan (2016, Apple TV)
Alright. It’s not a K-Drama but a movie... We’re cheating! But who can resist this masterpiece? Seok-woo is bringing back his daughter to her mom, by train, when the zombie apocalypse breaks out in Seoul. The 3 hour-ride transforms into a thrilling battle for survival for the passengers. While it doesn’t happen much in Busan - it will make the experience of taking the high-speed KTX train to the south of the country all the more memorable. And that way, you can learn all the stops on the line!
You’ll learn about: the KTX high-speed train to Busan, zombies are bad, and Ma Dong-seok is good.
Jeju
When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025, Netflix)
Prepare the tissues for this multi-generational dive into Korean culture and history. You’ll cry with happiness, grief, laughter, and all the emotions that exist in the world with Gwang-sik and Ae-sun. Their love story takes you on a journey from the 1960s to modern times. Wonderfully written, acted, and directed, their family hardships and successes couldn’t be more Korean and, yet, couldn’t be more universal.
You’ll learn about: volcanic landscapes in Jeju, (sea)food in Jeju, patriarchy in Jeju, modern history in Jeju, and IU in Jeju.
Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023, Netflix)
Cho Yong-pil and Cho Sam-dal are the childhood friends and teenage sweethearts of Samdal-ri, a little village on Jeju island. While Sam-dal dreams of fame and success on the mainland, Yong-pil wants to stay in Jeju in memory of his mom. Their relationship doesn’t survive the misunderstandings - until a scandal unravels Sam-dal’s fashion photography career, and she returns to her hometown…
You’ll learn about: the most beautiful shooting locations in Jeju, the women divers (haenyeos), the meteorology of the island, and Ji Chang-wook.
Gangneung
Goblin (2016, Netflix)
Goblin didn’t become one of the most famous K-Dramas of all time without reason. Cursed with immortality, the great general Kim Shin becomes a goblin. He’ll only find peace when the Goblin’s bride is born and removes the sword embedded in his chest. It spins magic and fate into one big epic love story - whether it’s the one between the Goblin and his Bride, or the Goblin and his Grim Reaper, we’ll let you decide!
You’ll learn about: the Gangneung seashore, the ski resort culture in the nearby mountains, Korean folklore and myths, and Gong Yoo & Lee Dong-wook’s infamous bromance.
Pohang
Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021, Netflix)
This cute bubbly romance launched a new genre of drama in Korea - the countryside healing genre. The story usually goes like this: a snarky Seoul overachiever goes to live in the countryside to hide from some personal trauma… and meet the country bumpkin love of their life! They’ll also find a new family in the village inhabitants while traveling through dreamy fields, tiny streets, and seaside sand beaches. Through hardships and wholesome neighborhood gossip, they’ll find that life is just better away from the bustling city life.
You’ll learn about: a hill that has a boat at the top (yes, you read that right), and Shin Min-ah (who you might see in every other ad across the country).
When the Camellia Blooms (2019, Netflix)
Oh Dong-baek is a single mom and bar owner in search of a fresh start. She hopes to find it in the fictional city of Ongsan where she opens her place called Camellia and meets Yong-sik, a young police officer. He falls for her at first sight - and becomes her biggest defender when a serial killer claims Dong-baek will be his next victim.
You’ll learn about: the cutest harbor alley streets (in the real neighborhood of Guryongpo), the pressure of being a single mom in Korea, and that ‘dongbaek’ means camellia in Korean.
If you want to know more about living as a Digital Nomad in Korea, you can join our Whatsapp & Discord community, and read the comprehensive guide we wrote on the topic!
The 9 Best K-Dramas to Visit Korean Cities
We’re launching a new series: researching your next digital nomad and travel destination by watching K-Dramas. You can thank us later 🫶
If you want to learn about Korean culture, watch K-Dramas!
We don’t say that because we love them (although, yes, we do), but because in the background of the rags-to-riches love story, the eerie thriller or the Squid-Game-like bloodbath, you’ll glean the deepest insights into the country’s culture.
And a bonus for digital nomads who have time to explore more secluded areas of the country… They’re shot in the most beautiful places! We often organize workations to Busan and Jeju, so join us if you want to check them out while working remotely.
We chose 9 K-Dramas which will get you travelling through Korea and its history…
Plus, they’re just plain good.
Note: The streaming platforms indicated are the ones for Korea-based watching.
Seoul
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016, Watcha)
Kim Bok-joo, a weightlifting major, and Jung Joon-hyung, a swimmer, knew each other as children. They reconnect by chance at their school and reignite their old friendship - as Bok-joo develops a big crush on his cousin, the local weight clinic doctor. This coming-of-age story is still one of the best in the history of K-dramas, nearly ten years later, and you should definitely watch it.
You’ll learn about: the Korean competitive spirit, the power of fried chicken, and the many BBQs in the trendy Hongdae neighborhood (where you can also find our coliving and coworking space, Hoppin House!).
Call it Love (2023, Disney+)
When Woo-joo’s father dies, she and her sister are kicked out of the family home by his mistress. She decides to take revenge on the son of said mistress, Dong-jin… but falls in love with him in the process. Slow and poetic, this melodrama is set around Naksan Park, just north of Dongdaemun Gate in Seoul. Woo-joo and Dong-jin often meet by the old wall, with a gorgeous view over Seoul.
You’ll learn about: Korea’s passion for camping, and Naksan’s old wall hike.
Busan
Reply 1997 (2012, Disney+)
Sung Shi-won and her friends are 33 when they meet at their high school reunion. Nostalgic of the past, they reminisce about their teenage days in Busan in 1997, when K-Pop was starting with H.O.T. and Sechs Kies - and leave you to wonder about their love entanglements. Who ended up with whom?
You’ll learn about: the birth of K-Pop and K-Pop fans, the Busan dialect, and the daily lives of Koreans in the 1990s.
Train to Busan (2016, Apple TV)
Alright. It’s not a K-Drama but a movie... We’re cheating! But who can resist this masterpiece? Seok-woo is bringing back his daughter to her mom, by train, when the zombie apocalypse breaks out in Seoul. The 3 hour-ride transforms into a thrilling battle for survival for the passengers. While it doesn’t happen much in Busan - it will make the experience of taking the high-speed KTX train to the south of the country all the more memorable. And that way, you can learn all the stops on the line!
You’ll learn about: the KTX high-speed train to Busan, zombies are bad, and Ma Dong-seok is good.
Jeju
When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025, Netflix)
Prepare the tissues for this multi-generational dive into Korean culture and history. You’ll cry with happiness, grief, laughter, and all the emotions that exist in the world with Gwang-sik and Ae-sun. Their love story takes you on a journey from the 1960s to modern times. Wonderfully written, acted, and directed, their family hardships and successes couldn’t be more Korean and, yet, couldn’t be more universal.
You’ll learn about: volcanic landscapes in Jeju, (sea)food in Jeju, patriarchy in Jeju, modern history in Jeju, and IU in Jeju.
Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023, Netflix)
Cho Yong-pil and Cho Sam-dal are the childhood friends and teenage sweethearts of Samdal-ri, a little village on Jeju island. While Sam-dal dreams of fame and success on the mainland, Yong-pil wants to stay in Jeju in memory of his mom. Their relationship doesn’t survive the misunderstandings - until a scandal unravels Sam-dal’s fashion photography career, and she returns to her hometown…
You’ll learn about: the most beautiful shooting locations in Jeju, the women divers (haenyeos), the meteorology of the island, and Ji Chang-wook.
Gangneung
Goblin (2016, Netflix)
Goblin didn’t become one of the most famous K-Dramas of all time without reason. Cursed with immortality, the great general Kim Shin becomes a goblin. He’ll only find peace when the Goblin’s bride is born and removes the sword embedded in his chest. It spins magic and fate into one big epic love story - whether it’s the one between the Goblin and his Bride, or the Goblin and his Grim Reaper, we’ll let you decide!
You’ll learn about: the Gangneung seashore, the ski resort culture in the nearby mountains, Korean folklore and myths, and Gong Yoo & Lee Dong-wook’s infamous bromance.
Pohang
Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021, Netflix)
This cute bubbly romance launched a new genre of drama in Korea - the countryside healing genre. The story usually goes like this: a snarky Seoul overachiever goes to live in the countryside to hide from some personal trauma… and meet the country bumpkin love of their life! They’ll also find a new family in the village inhabitants while traveling through dreamy fields, tiny streets, and seaside sand beaches. Through hardships and wholesome neighborhood gossip, they’ll find that life is just better away from the bustling city life.
You’ll learn about: a hill that has a boat at the top (yes, you read that right), and Shin Min-ah (who you might see in every other ad across the country).
When the Camellia Blooms (2019, Netflix)
Oh Dong-baek is a single mom and bar owner in search of a fresh start. She hopes to find it in the fictional city of Ongsan where she opens her place called Camellia and meets Yong-sik, a young police officer. He falls for her at first sight - and becomes her biggest defender when a serial killer claims Dong-baek will be his next victim.
You’ll learn about: the cutest harbor alley streets (in the real neighborhood of Guryongpo), the pressure of being a single mom in Korea, and that ‘dongbaek’ means camellia in Korean.
If you want to know more about living as a Digital Nomad in Korea, you can join our Whatsapp & Discord community, and read the comprehensive guide we wrote on the topic!
The 9 Best K-Dramas to Visit Korean Cities
We’re launching a new series: researching your next digital nomad and travel destination by watching K-Dramas. You can thank us later 🫶
If you want to learn about Korean culture, watch K-Dramas!
We don’t say that because we love them (although, yes, we do), but because in the background of the rags-to-riches love story, the eerie thriller or the Squid-Game-like bloodbath, you’ll glean the deepest insights into the country’s culture.
And a bonus for digital nomads who have time to explore more secluded areas of the country… They’re shot in the most beautiful places! We often organize workations to Busan and Jeju, so join us if you want to check them out while working remotely.
We chose 9 K-Dramas which will get you travelling through Korea and its history…
Plus, they’re just plain good.
Note: The streaming platforms indicated are the ones for Korea-based watching.
Seoul
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016, Watcha)
Kim Bok-joo, a weightlifting major, and Jung Joon-hyung, a swimmer, knew each other as children. They reconnect by chance at their school and reignite their old friendship - as Bok-joo develops a big crush on his cousin, the local weight clinic doctor. This coming-of-age story is still one of the best in the history of K-dramas, nearly ten years later, and you should definitely watch it.
You’ll learn about: the Korean competitive spirit, the power of fried chicken, and the many BBQs in the trendy Hongdae neighborhood (where you can also find our coliving and coworking space, Hoppin House!).
Call it Love (2023, Disney+)
When Woo-joo’s father dies, she and her sister are kicked out of the family home by his mistress. She decides to take revenge on the son of said mistress, Dong-jin… but falls in love with him in the process. Slow and poetic, this melodrama is set around Naksan Park, just north of Dongdaemun Gate in Seoul. Woo-joo and Dong-jin often meet by the old wall, with a gorgeous view over Seoul.
You’ll learn about: Korea’s passion for camping, and Naksan’s old wall hike.
Busan
Reply 1997 (2012, Disney+)
Sung Shi-won and her friends are 33 when they meet at their high school reunion. Nostalgic of the past, they reminisce about their teenage days in Busan in 1997, when K-Pop was starting with H.O.T. and Sechs Kies - and leave you to wonder about their love entanglements. Who ended up with whom?
You’ll learn about: the birth of K-Pop and K-Pop fans, the Busan dialect, and the daily lives of Koreans in the 1990s.
Train to Busan (2016, Apple TV)
Alright. It’s not a K-Drama but a movie... We’re cheating! But who can resist this masterpiece? Seok-woo is bringing back his daughter to her mom, by train, when the zombie apocalypse breaks out in Seoul. The 3 hour-ride transforms into a thrilling battle for survival for the passengers. While it doesn’t happen much in Busan - it will make the experience of taking the high-speed KTX train to the south of the country all the more memorable. And that way, you can learn all the stops on the line!
You’ll learn about: the KTX high-speed train to Busan, zombies are bad, and Ma Dong-seok is good.
Jeju
When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025, Netflix)
Prepare the tissues for this multi-generational dive into Korean culture and history. You’ll cry with happiness, grief, laughter, and all the emotions that exist in the world with Gwang-sik and Ae-sun. Their love story takes you on a journey from the 1960s to modern times. Wonderfully written, acted, and directed, their family hardships and successes couldn’t be more Korean and, yet, couldn’t be more universal.
You’ll learn about: volcanic landscapes in Jeju, (sea)food in Jeju, patriarchy in Jeju, modern history in Jeju, and IU in Jeju.
Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023, Netflix)
Cho Yong-pil and Cho Sam-dal are the childhood friends and teenage sweethearts of Samdal-ri, a little village on Jeju island. While Sam-dal dreams of fame and success on the mainland, Yong-pil wants to stay in Jeju in memory of his mom. Their relationship doesn’t survive the misunderstandings - until a scandal unravels Sam-dal’s fashion photography career, and she returns to her hometown…
You’ll learn about: the most beautiful shooting locations in Jeju, the women divers (haenyeos), the meteorology of the island, and Ji Chang-wook.
Gangneung
Goblin (2016, Netflix)
Goblin didn’t become one of the most famous K-Dramas of all time without reason. Cursed with immortality, the great general Kim Shin becomes a goblin. He’ll only find peace when the Goblin’s bride is born and removes the sword embedded in his chest. It spins magic and fate into one big epic love story - whether it’s the one between the Goblin and his Bride, or the Goblin and his Grim Reaper, we’ll let you decide!
You’ll learn about: the Gangneung seashore, the ski resort culture in the nearby mountains, Korean folklore and myths, and Gong Yoo & Lee Dong-wook’s infamous bromance.
Pohang
Hometown Cha Cha Cha (2021, Netflix)
This cute bubbly romance launched a new genre of drama in Korea - the countryside healing genre. The story usually goes like this: a snarky Seoul overachiever goes to live in the countryside to hide from some personal trauma… and meet the country bumpkin love of their life! They’ll also find a new family in the village inhabitants while traveling through dreamy fields, tiny streets, and seaside sand beaches. Through hardships and wholesome neighborhood gossip, they’ll find that life is just better away from the bustling city life.
You’ll learn about: a hill that has a boat at the top (yes, you read that right), and Shin Min-ah (who you might see in every other ad across the country).
When the Camellia Blooms (2019, Netflix)
Oh Dong-baek is a single mom and bar owner in search of a fresh start. She hopes to find it in the fictional city of Ongsan where she opens her place called Camellia and meets Yong-sik, a young police officer. He falls for her at first sight - and becomes her biggest defender when a serial killer claims Dong-baek will be his next victim.
You’ll learn about: the cutest harbor alley streets (in the real neighborhood of Guryongpo), the pressure of being a single mom in Korea, and that ‘dongbaek’ means camellia in Korean.
If you want to know more about living as a Digital Nomad in Korea, you can join our Whatsapp & Discord community, and read the comprehensive guide we wrote on the topic!
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