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Some of the most notable korean Films that have come out in the past two decades are known for their subtle violence. In movies like Park Chan-wook’s The revenge trilogyViolence is a strategic device for the characters, something that tells a larger story in a way that felt more meaningful. This does not justify its use, but it is still a prominent feature of Korean films, although the films of the early and late 2000s may have been the pinnacle of the genre. The TV counterparts to these films usually don’t go as far as the directors do, but they’re still there.
From lawyers wanting to shake their fists to find out information about their cases to boxers trying to get out of a situation, an act It has become a prominent genre in K-drama as well. Squid game It has made waves for its way of being when it comes to its depiction of capitalism, violence, and poverty, but its subject matter is something that Korean entertainment has been trotting for decades. This Korean action series is one that integrates action into the main story, making the average Tuesday for the characters a step above the rest.
12 kingdom
released in 2019, kingdom Different from the stereotype of what K-dramas can be. Starring Bae Donna, Ryu Sung-ryong, Kim Sang-ho, Kim Sung-kyu, Jo Ji-hoon, and Kim Hye-joon. kingdom It is a period horror show set in 1500’s Korea. In the midst of the Joseon era, the king falls ill. The prince, his son, is trying to find out what is wrong with his father, but when the entire kingdom is stricken with this new disease, he needs to figure out what to do to save his people.
11 Lawyer outlaw
in Lawyer outlaw, Lee Joon-gi and Seo Ye-ji team up to portray two lawyers who go against what is expected of them. Lee portrays the character of Sang-pil, a gangster who changes his ways somewhat to become a lawyer. However, he is not afraid to use his fists whenever he thinks he needs to. After Lawyer Seo catches up with a judge verbally in court, Sang-pil decides to offer her a job and ends up agreeing to do so. Together, they plan to go after all the corrupt individuals in the Korean court system.
10 Healer
Park Min-young and Ji Chang-wook star in the 2014 TV series Healer. Three individuals are brought together in order to find out the truth about an incident that occurred in 1992. At the time, five friends were running a radio station preaching democracy at a time when South Korea was ruled by a dictatorship. Those in the present day are trying to uncover the truth of what happened, which will force them to confront the people involved in suppressing the voices of others, as well as challenging their beliefs and how they were taught about history and the way to go. Things.
9 city Hunter
city Hunter Based on a popular Japanese manga of the same name, it was one of the dramas that went on to launch Hallyu star Lee Min-ho into the spotlight internationally. Co-starring with Park Min-young, the drama begins in 1983. The dictator at the time, Chun Doo-hwan, is visiting a foreign country when a bombing goes off, killing many in his party. But when a team is sent to North Korea to fight back, their government betrays them. Years later, the son of one of the men who died on that mission decides he wants revenge, and will do whatever it takes to get it.
8 K2
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2016 K2 It sees Ji Chang Wook playing an elite bodyguard named Je-ha. A former mercenary, he’s hired to become the bodyguard for the daughter of a security firm CEO, but there’s a catch: no one is technically supposed to know of her existence. Jiha only accepts the job because he believes it can help him avenge his ex-lover’s death in Iraq, but Jiha and her daughter begin to fall in love, further complicating things. With the advent of family politics, things are going to get pretty ugly soon.
7 Mr. Sunshine
Mr. Sunshine It is one of the most popular Korean dramas released so far, and for many, it is available to stream on platforms such as Netflix. Lee Byung-hun leads the drama as a character who, in the early 1870s, is freed from his position as a slave in Joseon and emigrates to America. Years later, as an adult, he returns to Joseon as a soldier in the US Army, and ends up falling in love with the daughter of an aristocrat (Kim Tae-ri). But as the Japanese continue their efforts to colonize the peninsula, conflict is imminent.
6 w
Webtoons from South Korea have become very popular in recent years, and many Korean dramas have already been adapted from webtoons. w is one of those series that isn’t specifically adapted from one, but creates one in its plot. Surgeon (Han Hyo-joo) is the daughter of the famous webtoon creator, but one day her father goes missing. She is drawn into his webtoon world and rescues the main character, Kang Chul (Lee Jong-suk), but this has dire consequences. Now forced to confront two different worlds, things will become more dangerous as the two fall in love and their worlds continue to increasingly merge.
5 my name
Netflix series my name It only ran for eight episodes, but it packs plenty of punch throughout. Released in 2021, Han So-hee portrays Yoon Ji-woo, who after the sudden death of her father, has a taste for revenge. She is brought into the folds of a criminal organization and its leader takes her in and trains her himself. Her biggest job has just been assigned – she must infiltrate the narcotics unit of the local police department and be a spy. But when she bonds with her co-workers, it can spell the end for them all.
4 dp
running six rings, dp It is a Korean drama that provides an insight into the lives of recruits in the Korean Army. Men are required to enlist in the army due to conflicts on the peninsula, and Jung Hae-in and Ko Kyu-hwan portray two people tasked with bringing back those who have left the army. Many have their causes, including depression and other mental health issues, but the series explores the journeys these two men must go through to bring these men back alive and intact.
3 Squid game
Squid game One of the biggest Korean TV shows in the world, it became a sleeper hit when it was launched in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. The show imagines what might happen when a group of low-income people are lured into a reality game show that’s sort of the same — except for a major twist. Those who lose the game are systematically killed off one by one, and the main characters of the show desperately want to win the cash prize at the end. A consistent look at a wide range of issues in contemporary Korean society, Squid game It is an incredible watch.
2 Police dogs
Police dogs It comes out in the year 2023, and it’s only eight episodes long, but its main characters make up for it in their energy. Woo Doo-hwan and Lee Sang-yi portray two young boxers who fall into a world of crime and loan sharks after Woo’s character’s mother is convinced to sign a loan she can never repay. The two use their boxing skills after being assigned to protect Hyeon-ju (Kim Saeron), but when they end up getting tangled up in the wrong guy’s radar, they all have targets on their backs, driving them further into a situation where they must fight for their lives.
1 the homeless
2019’s the homeless It stars Lee Seung-gi as Cha Dal-gun, a resourceful guy with a huge responsibility on his shoulders. After his nephew was left an orphan, he decided to take him in. But when his nephew goes on a trip to Morocco, Dal Gon is horrified to hear that there has been a plane crash, the flight his nephew was on. In order to get closure, he travels to Morocco, but when he realizes it may not have been an accident, he makes him partner an agent from the National Intelligence Service (Bae Susie) to find out the truth.
