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Korean dramas have been gaining momentum for a while now and there are some must-watch K-dramas based on real-life stories that are bound to catch a viewer's attention. These dramas leave people wondering how the industry has managed to create not just entertaining but meaningful content over the years.
K-dramas have been gaining popularity for their exceptional storylines, mesmerizing visuals, unforgettable punch lines, and incredible actors. From fantasy to history to romance, every genre of K-dramas is well-loved and has a loyal fan base across the globe.
However, there are some must-watch K-dramas based on real-life stories that shine differently. These dramas explore certain untouched aspects of life and even introduce lesser-known professions like the Trauma Cleaners from Move To Heaven.
Trauma Cleaners are the people who look after the belongings of those who have died, and this is what makes Move To Heaven one of the many must-watch K-dramas.
From Deserter Pursuit to Signal, five evocative and must-watch K-dramas on real-life stories
1) Deserter Pursuit (D.P.)
Where to watch: Netflix
Slated to premiere with season two in 2023, Deserter Pursuit (D.P.)talks about the life of soldiers in the Korean military force.
The drama revolves around the life of a private soldier, Ahn Jun Ho, who is appointed to capture runaway soldiers aka deserters from the military. However, he finds himself wondering why the soldiers took the extreme step to run away from their duties, and the reasons behind it, leave him surprised. He finds that surprise, bullying, and discrimination are some of the reasons soldiers desert their jobs.
In a video uploaded by the English YouTube channel Korea Now, several Korean men agreed that the bullying and harassment depicted on the show were true. They claimed that what people saw on the show happened to them. Some even said that some of the scenes from D.P. triggered their PTSD as it reminded them of the events that traumatized them.
The show's director Han Jun-hee also disclosed that the constant news about soldiers being bullied in the military is proof that the drama is based on true stories. If anyone wants to dig deeper into the darker side of the Korean military, Deserter Pursuit should be on their must-watch K-dramas list.
Jung Hae-in chronicled the role of private soldier Ahn Joon-ho and was joined by actor Koo Kyu-hwan, who played the role of Han Ho-yul.
2) Empress Ki
Where to watch: Viki, Netflix, Apple TV, and Prime Video
A woman from a small kingdom in the Far East was forcibly abducted by Mongols as a palace woman. She was neither of Mongol descent nor Han Chinese but as time passed she overcame her social status and became the last empress of the land known as Empress Ki.
The historical drama is interestingly one of those must-watch K-dramas on real-life stories as it inspires people to do anything if they have the will and determination to do it. The drama is about the life of a woman named Seung-nyang who hailed from the Goryeo dynasty but was transported to the Yuan dynasty in China. With her unbreakable determination, she climbed the ladders of authority and married Toghon Temur, the king of Yuan, and became Empress Ki.
Empress Ki gained everything, including power, and fulfilled her political ambitions by invading her homeland Goryeo with her husband’s military force. The show is an interesting watch as it showcases the major historical changes that took place in Goryeo. It will help viewers understand the history of South Korea (previously known as Goryeo) much better.
Ha Ji-won chronicled the character of Empress Ki while Ji Chang-wook played the role of Yuan Emperor Hui Zhong.
3) Move to Heaven
Where to watch: Netflix
As mentioned earlier, Move to Heaven is one of those series that deals with a lesser-known profession of Trauma Cleaners. Their primary job is to collect the belongings of deceased people, preserve them and deliver them to the right place. The drama revolves around an autistic person, Han Geo-roo, who along with his uncle Cho Sang-gu keeps their business Move To Heaven active after his father's sudden death.
The show is inspired by Things Left Behind, a non-fiction essay penned by South Korean trauma cleaner Kim Sae-byul.
In an interview with the Korean Times, Kim Sae-byul narrated one of his experiences when he cleaned the house of a man who lead an isolated life. The man, who was in his 70s, had died but his body was discovered after several weeks. This is one of those incidents that was featured in one of the episodes of the series.
Many fans state that Move to Heaven is one of the must-watch K-dramas that can help understand the difficulties Trauma Cleaners face while carrying out their job.
Move to Heaven chronicles the darkest part of human life where one has to live alone and has no family to rely upon. K-drama fans are of the opinion that it is the drama that needs to be on every list of must-watch K-dramas.
Tang Jun-sang played the role of an autistic person, Han Geu-roo, while Lee Je-hoon plays the role of his uncle Cho Sang-gu.
4) Taxi Driver
Where to watch: SBS World, Prime Video, Viki, and Netflix
Taxi Driver is one of the must-watch K-dramas that has a very interesting plot. It revolves around a secret organization, Rainbow Taxi, that works on avenging the victims on their behalf.
Mastermind Jang Sung-chul hired Kim Do-ki to carry out revenge plans for people who have been wronged by others and have not been provided justice. They are joined by a smart hacker and two other people who helped them carry out their method of justice.
Many of the crime cases depicted in the series were inspired by real-life stories, including the case of Cho Doo-soon. He is a s*x offender imprisoned for 12 years on the grounds of brutally s*xually assaulting an 8-year-old girl in 2008. The series tackled this case with the character Cho Do-chul in the case depicted in the first episode.
The show received praise from viewers for bringing these cases to light and gave them a definite reason to add the show to their must-watch K-dramas list. The episodes, where office workers were bullied and disabled people were forced to work unlimited hours without proper sleep and food, are also inspired by the real-life incidents that took place in South Korea.
The character of Kim Do-ki was played by the actor Lee Je-hoon and Kim Eui-sung played the role of Jang Sung-chul.
5) Signal
Where to watch: Disney+, Tubi, Prime Video, Viki, iQIYI, and Netflix
The fantasy and sci-fi series Signal highlighted by the title must-watch K-dramas on real-life stories that revolved around the friendship between the two detectives. Through a supernatural walkie-talkie, two detectives named Park Hae-young and Lee Jae-han came into contact. They then embarked on a unique mission to solve cold cases living in different timelines, the former in the 20s and the latter in the 80-90s.
Even though the genre of the series is fantasy, it is one of those must-watch K-dramas in which the criminal cases depicted in the show were inspired by a true incident.
It is based on a case that happened in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea, over the course of six years between 1986 and 1991. Over ten women were r*ped and murdered brutally, according to the article published by the South Korean media outlet Korean Herald.
The serial murders occurred within a 2 km radius, and the victims ranged from a 71-year-old woman to a 13-year-old schoolgirl. The case shook the entire nation to its core when it came to light.
More than two million police officials were reported to be involved in solving the heinous case, according to the publication. The show, fused with both fantasy and reality, gives a significant reason for the viewers to add it to their must-watch K-dramas list.
Lee Je-hoon played the role of Park Hae-young and Kim Hye-soo chronicled the role of a cop named Cha Soo-hyun who always followed her team leader's advice. Jo Jin-woong played the role of Lee Jae-han.
Although Signal, Move to Heaven, Empress Ki and others are some of the must-watch K-dramas that are based on real-life stories, they are solely created for entertainment purposes. However, they do manage to provide new insights into different parts of life.
