21 Chego K-dramas to Fuel Your K-pop Fandom
More drama, juseyo.
If you watched Love and Leashes, the blush-inducing Korean rom-com about two co-workers who enter into an eye-opening BDSM relationship, you may have recognized the two charismatic leads as the popular K-pop idols Seohyun of Girls’ Generation and Jun from boy band U-KISS. South Korea is known for having plenty of crossover talent, with countless K-pop musicians taking on acting roles and launching successful careers in film and television. After all, being able to emote in front of a camera is central to the work of an idol.
Whether you’re curious what other titles your favorite stage performers have starred in or are looking for new multi-hyphenate artists to stan, this thorough (but definitely not exhaustive) collection has suggestions for every K-pop fan. So order some chimaek and settle in.
Shin Ha-ri reluctantly agrees to go on a blind date in her friend’s place. Things start to go awry, however, when her date turns out to be Kang Tae-moo, the handsome young CEO of her company. Tired of his grandfather pestering him about marriage, Tae-moo announces his plans to marry Ha-ri, unaware that she is actually his employee. How long will Ha-ri be able to keep up her act?
The idols / actors: Kim Se-jeong, who stars as Ha-ri, was a member of former idol groups I.O.I and Gugudan. Ahn Hyo-seop from the project boy band One O One plays Tae-moo, while Choi Byung-chan from Victon plays Shin Ha-min, Ha-ri’s younger brother. Bae Woo-hee of Dal Shabet also stars as Yoo-ra, the ex-girlfriend of Ha-ri’s longtime crush, Min-woo.
Unable to find a job despite his many qualifications, Choi Jun-woong runs into a pair of grim reapers as he tries to save a man’s life. When the incident lands him in a coma, Jun-woong is taken to the underworld, where he finds employment as a member of a suicide prevention team.
The idols / actors: Rowoon from SF9 stars as Jun-woong.
Five women college students in their 20s become housemates at a shared residence called Belle Epoque. Despite their different backgrounds and personalities, they bond over their struggles with dating, relationships, work and other challenges often faced by young adults living in South Korea.
The idols / actors: Han Seung-yeon from Kara stars as Jung Ye-eun, a culinary student in a toxic relationship with her boyfriend. Ryu Hwa-young from T-ara plays popular girl Kang Yi-na, who dates men for their money.
When the heir to a conglomerate meets a smart working-class girl, he gains the courage to fight back against his family’s corrupt business practices.
The idols / actors: Choi Si-won from Super Junior plays the carefree chaebol son Byun Hyuk.
After committing a crime that she can no longer remember, Jang Man-wol is cursed to run Hotel Del Luna — a quaint hotel that caters exclusively to ghosts — until she is able to change her spiteful personality. Her only hope may be a young and talented hotelier whom she hires to manage her hotel.
The idols / actors: Superstar soloist IU stars as the mysterious and temperamental Jang Man-wol. The late Sulli from girl group f(x) makes a cameo appearance as a character named Ji-eun (which is also IU’s real name).
Two women who are both named Oh Hae-young become entangled in each other’s lives — from attending the same school, to working at the same company, to even becoming involved with the same man.
The idols / actors: Eric Mun from first-generation K-pop boy band Shinhwa plays Park Do-kyung, a sound engineer whose fate becomes intertwined with those of both Oh Hae-youngs. Seo Hyun-jin from M.I.L.K, another first-generation K-pop group, plays one of the Oh Hae-youngs.
If you ever wanted to know what South Korea was like in the 1980s, look no further. Set during a time when South Korea was still in the throes of political and economic development, this critically acclaimed series follows the everyday lives of five friends and their families who live in a small Seoul neighborhood.
The idols / actors: Hyeri from Girl’s Day plays Sung Deok-sun, one of the lead characters and the sole woman in the group of five neighborhood friends.
After nearly losing his life in an assassination attempt, Crown Prince Yul loses his memory and finds himself betrothed to a peasant girl named Hong-shim. However, Hong-shim is not exactly who she seems.
The idols / actors: D.O. of EXO stars as Lee Yul, the crown prince.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung
Set in 19th century Korea during the Joseon dynasty, this drama centers on Goo Hae-ryung, a smart and fiercely independent woman who defies traditional gender roles and decides to become a palace historian instead of a wife. She attracts the attention of Prince Yi Rim, a lonely and sheltered prince who secretly writes romance novels.
The idols / actors: Cha Eun-woo of Astro plays the handsome Prince Yi Rim.
As a child, Lee Kang prepares a meal for Moon Cha-young, inspiring her to become a chef. Years later, Cha-young is now a world-renowned chef, while Lee Kang has become a neurosurgeon after being forced to give up his true passion. The two meet again at a hospice, where Kang rediscovers his love for cooking thanks to Cha-young and they start to fall for each other.
The idols / actors: Yoon Kye-sang from first-generation boy band g.o.d plays Lee Kang. Yubin from Wonder Girls also appears in a few episodes as the character Oh Jeong-bok.
Aspiring to be like Steve Jobs, Seo Dal-mi drops out of college to save enough money to launch her own business. Nam Do-san, a math whiz and founder of a tech start-up, struggles to keep his company afloat. He is about to give up when he meets Dal-mi, who inspires him to turn his vision into reality.
The idols / actors: Bae Suzy from Miss A stars as the bold and ambitious Seo Dal-mi.
When the crown prince is killed, his twin sister, Dam-yi, is persuaded by their mother to take his place. Fearful of revealing her true identity, Dam-yi distances herself from everyone, but she gradually develops feelings for Jung Ji-un, the crown prince’s tutor.
The idols / actors: This drama is brimming with idols, including Rowoon from SF9, who stars as the male lead and Dam-yi’s love interest Jung Ji-un; Byungchan of Victon, who plays the crown prince’s bodyguard Kim Ga-on; and Jung Chae-yeon of DIA and former idol group I.O.I, who plays Noh Ha-kyung, the minister of war’s daughter.
After discovering a secret surveillance program run by the government and a powerful corporation, a group of skilled con artists fight to expose the truth by relying on their cunning.
The idols / actors: Love and Leashes star and Girls’ Generation singer Seohyun plays lead character Cha Joo-eun, a seemingly innocent but experienced con artist.
This romance drama follows the lives of two couples. Former track star Ki Seon-gyeom learns to take control of his destiny after meeting Oh Mi-joo, a film subtitler. Seo Dan-ah, a young woman CEO who constantly battles gender expectations imposed on her by society and her family, begins to open up when the art student Lee Yeong-hwa walks into her life.
The idols / actors: Three of the four main roles are played by K-pop idols: Siwan from ZE:A, as Ki Seon-gyeom; Kang Tae-oh of 5urprise, as Lee Yeong-hwa; and Sooyoung from Girls’ Generation, as Seo Dan-ah.
When several of Yun Tae-o’s friends suddenly decide to move into his house for various reasons, the motley group must learn to live together while navigating love and friendships and following their dreams.
The idols / actors: This is another K-drama where K-pop idols abound: Jung Chae-yeon from DIA and I.O.I plays Tae-o’s best friend Han Song-i, while Jung Jin-young from B1A4 and Kang Tae-oh from 5urprise also star, as Tae-o’s friends Seo Do-hyeon and Choe Hun, respectively.
Cinderella and the Four Knights
When her evil stepmother steals her savings, Ha-won is forced to take on odd jobs to pay for college. One day she meets the chairman of a large corporation who asks her to move into his mansion and instill some discipline into his three spoiled grandsons. Ha-won gets more than she bargained for when the three immature but handsome young men all vie for her affection.
The idols / actors: Lee Jung-shin from CNBLUE plays Kang Seo-woo, one of the three grandsons. Son Na-eun from Apink plays Park Hye-ji, a college student who harbors a crush on one of Ha-won’s charges.
Just days before his scheduled US major league debut, star baseball player Kim Je-hyeok is convicted of assault and sent to prison after defending his sister from an attempted rape. As he struggles to adjust to his new reality, he gets to know his fellow inmates, who help him overcome the daily challenges of prison life.
The idols / actors: Krystal Jung from f(x) plays Je-hyeok’s girlfriend, Kim Ji-ho.
When a new teacher arrives at a school, students start mysteriously disappearing. Class president Kang Ye-rim sets out to solve the mystery before it’s too late.
The idols / actors: Lee Min-hyuk from BtoB plays Seo Sang-woo, Ye-rim’s classmate.
After losing her parents in a tragic accident, Son Ha-neul works odd jobs to make ends meet. Yoon Ga-ohn is a musical prodigy and the leader of the (fictional) K-pop idol group Dexter. While on the set of Dexter’s new music video, both of them are struck by the same falling star. Shortly afterwards, Ga-ohn begins experiencing some curious side effects.
The idols / actors: Yeo One from Pentagon makes his acting debut, as Dexter member Ji-seung, while his bandmates make cameo appearances, as the other members of the K-pop group.
Skilled gambler and con artist Oh Soo attempts to deceive a blind heiress by posing as her long-lost brother, but his plans change as he finds himself falling for her.
The idols / actors: Eunji from Apink plays Hee-sun, the younger sister of Soo’s first love Hee-joo.
While serving in the military, private An Jun-ho is transferred to the Deserter Pursuit unit, a team of military police officers tasked with capturing deserters. (Upon its release, D.P. received an overwhelmingly enthusiastic response in South Korea for its in-depth and realistic portrayal of the horrors endured by Korean men during their mandatory military service).
The idols / actors: Love and Leashes star Jun of U-KISS plays Jeong Hyeon-min, one of the army deserters.
This article originally appeared on Netflix Tudum.