Korean dramas, also known as K-dramas, have become increasingly popular in recent years. Hulu is one of the streaming services that offers a wide selection of K-dramas, so keep reading to know the most popular Korean dramas on Hulu.
These dramas are known for their complex characters, gripping storylines, and beautiful cinematography. In this blog post, I will share a list of the 8 best K-dramas on Hulu. I will provide a brief overview of each drama, including the plot, characters, and themes. I will also explain why I believe each drama is one of the best on Hulu.
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The Most Popular Korean Dramas on Hulu
1. Crash Landing on You
Crash Landing on You is a romantic comedy-drama about a South Korean heiress who crash-lands in North Korea after a paragliding accident.
She is rescued by a North Korean soldier, and the two of them fall in love. The drama is all about love, loss, and the power of hope. It tops the list of most popular Korean dramas on Hulu.
Yoon Se-ri is a South Korean chaebol heiress who, while paragliding near Seoul, South Korea, is swept up in a sudden storm and crash-lands in the North Korean portion of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). She is rescued by Ri Jeong-hook, a North Korean army captain who decides to help her hide.
Se-ri and Jeong-hyeok begin to fall in love, but their relationship is forbidden due to the political divide between their two countries. They must overcome many obstacles to be together, including the North Korean government, Se-ri’s family, and Jeong-hyeok’s demons. But they can find a way to be together, even though it means living in exile.
2. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is a heartwarming romantic comedy-drama about a man who works in a psychiatric ward and a woman who has a personality disorder. The drama centers on how love and acceptance can help people to heal.
The South Korean television series stars Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji, Oh Jung-se, and Park Gyu-young. It tells the story of Moon Gang-tape, a man who works as a night attendant at a psychiatric ward, and Ko Moon-young, a children’s book author with an antisocial personality disorder. The two meet and form an unlikely bond as they help each other heal from their trauma.
Gang-tae is the sole caretaker of his older brother, Moon Sang-tae, who has an autism spectrum disorder. Sang-tae is a sweet and gentle soul, but he can also be unpredictable and violent. Gang-tae has dedicated his life to protecting Sang-tae, and he is determined to give him a happy and fulfilling life.
Despite being a successful children’s book author, Moon-young is also a deeply troubled woman. She has a sharp tongue and a violent temper, and she is often cruel to those around her. However, she also has a deep empathy for others, and she is drawn to Gang-tae because she sees a kindred spirit in him.
As Gang-tae and Moon-young spend more time together, they begin to heal each other’s wounds. Gang-tae helps Moon-young to open up and connect with others, and Moon-young helps Gang-tae to let go of his fear and anger. Together, they learn to embrace their flaws and to love themselves for who they are.
3. Mr. Sunshine
This 2018 South Korean historical drama television series was set in the late 19th century during the Joseon Dynasty and the early 20th century during the Japanese occupation of Korea. Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-ri, Yoo Yeon-seok, Kim Min-jung, and Byun Yo-han were all part of the cast. It aired on tvN from July 7 to September 26, 2018.
Eugene Choi, a Korean-American, returns to Joseon after 13 years in the United States. He becomes a teacher at a girls’ school and falls in love with Go Ae-shin, a Joseon aristocrat who is secretly a member of the independence movement.
Eugene Choi was born into slavery in Joseon, but he escaped to the United States at the time of the 1871 Shinmiyangyo. He became a Marine Corps officer and fought in the Spanish-American War. After the war, he returned to Joseon for a mission.
In Joseon, Eugene meets Go Ae-shin, a young woman who is part of the Righteous Army, a group of rebels who are fighting for Joseon’s independence from foreign powers. Eugene and Ae-shin fall in love, but their love is challenged by their different classes and the presence of Kim Hui-seong, a nobleman who has been Ae-shin’s betrothed since childhood.
So now they find themselves caught up in the political turmoil of the time. As Japan begins to exert its influence over Joseon, Eugene, and Ae-shin must decide whether to fight for Joseon’s independence or to flee to the United States.
It was a tough decision for both of them as they chose to join the Righteous Army and fight for Joseon’s independence. The Battle of Namdaemun was decisive in the Japanese occupation of Korea.
Unfortunately, Eugene is killed in the battle, but Ae-shin survives and continues to fight for Joseon’s independence.
4. Reply 1988
Reply 1988 is a slice-of-life drama about a group of friends growing up in Seoul in the 1980s. It’s another one of the popular Korean dramas on Hulu about friendship, family, and the power of nostalgia.
The drama follows five friends: Sung Deok-sun (Lee Hyeri), Kim Jung-hwan (Ryu Jun-yeol), Choi Taek (Park Bo-gum), Sung Sun-woo (Go Kyung-pyo), and Hwang Dong-ryong (Lee Dong-hwi). The friends grow up together and experience the joys and sorrows of life.
The friends are all in their early teens. They are all excited about the future, and eager to experience all that life has to offer. They spend their days skateboarding, playing video games, and listening to music. They also have their first crushes, and they start to explore their sexuality.
But as the friends grow older, more and more challenges start to surface. They deal with the deaths of loved ones, the breakup of relationships, and the pressure of college applications. They also start to question their own identities, and they try to figure out who they want to be as adults.
Through it all, the friends remain close. They support each other through thick and thin, and they help each other to grow and to mature. Towards the movie’s ending, you’ll get to see that the friends are almost becoming adults and ready to face whatever the future holds for them.
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5. Hospital Playlist
This is another popular Korean drama you’ll enjoy very well especially if you’re in the medical field. Hospital Playlist is a medical drama about five doctors who are also best friends. The drama centers on their lives as they work together in a hospital and deal with the challenges of both their personal and professional lives.
The five doctors are: Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk), Ahn Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok), Kim Jun-wan (Jung Kyung-ho), Yang Seok-hyung (Kim Dae-myung), and Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do). They all work at the Yulje Medical Centre, where they juggle their demanding careers with their personal lives.
Despite being talented in their respective fields, they are also kind and compassionate. They work together to save lives and support each other through difficult times.
At the beginning of the movie, the five doctors graduate from medical school and start their careers at Yulje Medical Centre. They quickly become friends, bonding over their shared love of music and their dedication to their patients. As they work together, they experience the joys and sorrows of life, both in the hospital and outside of it.
Through it all, they remain supportive of each other, providing comfort and strength when needed. It took a shared effort for them to learn to balance their professional responsibilities with their personal lives, finding time for their families, friends, and hobbies.
Eventually, all five doctors became seasoned professionals at Yulje Medical Centre. They have seen a lot in their years of practice but have also seen the best in humanity.
6. Vincenzo
No doubt, Kdrama fans are all in love with this mafia drama about a Korean-Italian lawyer who returns to Korea after 20 years. It’s a thrilling story about revenge, justice, and the power of the law. It’s one of the most popular on Hulu that you should watch it right away if you haven’t done so.
The 2021 South Korean series revolves around a man named Vincenzo Cassano. He is a Korean-Italian mafia consigliere who returns to South Korea after his boss is killed. He teams up with a lawyer named Hong Cha-young to take down a corrupt conglomerate called Babel Group. Babel Group is led by Jang Jun-woo, a ruthless businessman who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Vincenzo and Cha-young use their respective skills to fight against the Babel Group. Vincenzo uses his knowledge of the mafia to outsmart Jang Jun-woo, while Cha-young uses her legal skills to expose Babel Group’s corruption. Along the way, they also help the residents of Geumga Plaza, a rundown apartment complex that is being targeted by Babel Group.
The residents of Geumga Plaza are a diverse group of people from all walks of life. They are united by their common goal of protecting their homes from the Babel Group. Vincenzo and Cha-young help the residents to fight back against Babel Group, and they eventually succeed in driving the conglomerate out of Geauga Plaza.
Finally, they succeeded in bringing down Babel Group and helped the residents of Geumga Plaza to win their homes back. However, their victory comes at a cost. Vincenzo is forced to leave South Korea and return to Italy. Cha-young remains in South Korea, but she is now a changed person. She has learned to fight for justice, and she is determined to continue her work in helping those who are being wronged.
If you watch Vincenzo, you will learn a lot about concepts like the power of justice, the importance of family, and the dangers of organized crime.
7. My Name
My Name is a South Korean action thriller television series starring Han So-hee as Yoon Ji-woo, a young woman who joins a drug cartel to avenge her father’s death. The series was filmed in Seoul and it makes the list of most popular Korean dramas on Hulu. One unique fact about My Name is that it is a fast-paced, action-packed thriller with a strong female lead.
The series begins with Ji-woo’s father, Yoon Dong-hoon, being murdered by a group of drug traffickers. Ji-woo is devastated by her father’s death and vows to avenge him. She joins the Dongcheon Drug Cartel, posing as a high school student, to get close to the traffickers who killed her father.
It doesn’t take long before she quickly proves herself to be a capable and ruthless assassin. She rises through the ranks of the Dongcheon Drug Cartel and eventually becomes one of their top enforcers. However, Ji-woo’s loyalty to the cartel is tested when she learns that they were responsible for her father’s death.
Ji-woo eventually betrays the Dongcheon Drug Cartel and joins the National Police Agency. She uses her knowledge of the cartel to help the police bring them down. However, the cartel is not going to let Ji-woo go easily. They send their top assassins after her, and Ji-woo must use all of her skills to stay alive.
Despite the odds, Ji-woo manages to bring down the Dongcheon Drug Cartel and avenge her father’s death. However, she is also forced to make some difficult choices that have lasting consequences.
8. Squid Game
And I think the most popular Korean drama you should watch on Hulu right now is the survival thriller, Squid Game. With just 9 episodes, it’s a gripping drama about greed, survival, and the dark side of human nature. The shocking twists and turns are also praiseworthy.
The series follows a group of people who are invited to participate in a series of children’s games for a chance to win a large sum of money. However, they soon realize that the stakes are much higher than they thought and that the only way to win is to survive.
Seong Gi-hun, a down-on-his-luck gambler who is struggling to make ends meet, is invited to participate in a mysterious competition that promises to pay a large sum of money. Gi-hun initially refuses, but he is eventually convinced to join when he learns that his daughter’s life is in danger.
He arrives at the competition along with 455 other contestants, all of whom are also desperate for money. They are told that they will be playing a series of children’s games and that the winner will take home 45.6 billion won (about USD 38 million). However, the contestants soon realize that the games are not as simple as they seem. If they lose, they are killed.
As the games progress, the contestants are forced to make increasingly difficult choices. They must decide whether to risk their lives for the chance to win the money or to give up and save themselves. The games become increasingly violent, and the contestants are forced to fight for their survival.
All this continues till only one contestant remains. Gi-hun is the winner, but he is left traumatized by the experience. He learns that the games are run by a group of wealthy elites who enjoy watching people kill each other for their amusement. Gi-hun vows to bring down the games and prevent them from happening again
Conclusion
That’s all on the most popular Korean dramas on Hulu. These K-dramas are a good way to escape into another world and experience new cultures.
Additionally, Hulu has a great selection of dramas to choose from, and you are sure to find something that you will enjoy.
