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It’s almost Chuseok time in South Korea and we are really excited about it. For the unversed, Chuseok, also known as the “Korean Thanksgiving day,” is one of the biggest annual holidays in South Korea. The autumn harvest festival is celebrated on the 15th day of the 8th month of the Lunar calendar on the full moon for a period of three days. This special day is also known as Hangawi, which means the 15th day of August, according to the lunar calendar.
This year Chuseok has marked its day 10 days earlier and will be celebrated from September 9 to September 12, marking a long weekend for Koreans celebrating the day with their friends and family with great gusto and enthusiasm.
Most K-pop fans know it is Chuseok time as Korean celebrities start posting gorgeous pictures and greetings of themselves in Hanbok (traditional Korean wear).
Since most of us will be at home celebrating this day with our family, why not watch some family-oriented K-dramas on such a joyous occasion?
We have curated our top five favourite family oriented K-dramas which will help you reignite the bond of love, togetherness and happiness with your near and dear ones on Chuseok.
Chuseok Special K-dramas: Reply 1988, Once Again and more
Chuseok is the biggest and most important festival for Koreans, so much so, it leads to an increase in demand for air travel spikes almost ten times. That is because most Koreans fly home to be with their family on this special holiday.
Koreans celebrate Chuseok by paying respect to their ancestors for giving them a bountiful harvest and feasting on delicious meals Songpyeon (a Chuseok special preparation) and rice wine among other delicacies.
It is important to binge-watch some wonderful and heart-warming K-dramas for this wholesome holiday to bring back fond childhood memories, heartfelt banter, lovable bickering and some warm and comforting moments of love and belonginess that only one’s family can provide.
We dish our top five long-format K-dramas filled with a wholesome dose of laughter, happy tears and as relishing as a Chuseok special Songpyeon.
1) Reply 1988
As you guessed, our top favourite choice is one of the best K-dramas ever - Reply 1988.
The last one in the Reply trilogy, the drama stars Girl’s Day’s Hyeri as Sung Duk-soon, a bright and compassionate young girl who harbours many dreams and is the object of affection of two of her closest friends - Choi Taek, played by Park Bo-gum and Kim Jung-hwan played by Ryu Jun-yeol.
Go Kyung-pyo as Sung Sun-woo and Lee Dong-hwi as Ryu Dong-ryong complete their adorable best friends circle as these young, impressionable teenagers experience love, friendship, heartbreaks, family bond and the nostalgia of growing up.
While Koreans celebrate Chuseok with friends and family by visiting their ancestral hometowns, we recommend that you include this must-watch K-drama in your Chuseok holiday celebrations and yes, keep tissues handy.
2) Young Lady and Gentleman
A breakout hit drama of last year, Young Lady and Gentleman is a heartwarming family rom-com drama filled with beautiful moments.
The drama revolves around Lee Yong-gook, Ji Hyun-woo, a handsome and lonely man who is a single parent to his three children.
He hires a live-in tutor for his children named Park Dan-dan, played by Lee Se-hee so that the kids can focus better on their studies and ends up falling for her.
Chuseok celebrations also include playing traditional folk games to spend more time and bond with family and loved ones. So, this lovely and heartwarming drama about family bonding, parent-child bond, and giving love a second chance makes for a perfect family watch.
3) Once Again
Just like its name suggests, Once Again is all about second chances in love, in marriage, family, feelings and restarting their lives.
Starring a talented ensemble of actors featuring Lee Sang-yeob, Lee Min-jung and Cheon Ho-jin among others, the story revolves around the Song couple who find themselves caught in a difficult situation when their adult children return home after facing problems in their respective marriages.
It is an emotional and touching drama which showcases how family is an individual’s greatest strength during times of distress and thus one of our top picks for this year’s Korean Thanksgiving.
4) My Father is Strange
Imagine being in a situation when a famous celebrity comes knocking at your door claiming to be a member of our family? Now, who wouldn’t want to be in a fancy situation like this?
One of the greatest family K-dramas ever, My Father is Strange is graced by a talented bunch of actors - Jung So-min, Kim Hae-sook, Kim Yeong-cheol and Ahn Hyo-seop amongst others.
A funny and charming family drama delivering the laughs and tears in equal measure and the perfect drama to watch this holiday.
5) My Unfamiliar Family
What happens when one begins to drift away from their family? This is exactly what happens with Kim Eun-hee (Han Ye-ri) in My Unfamiliar Family who begins to drift apart from her family and siblings, and begins seeking solace in her male colleague who becomes family for her.
But when the going gets tough, its after all family who comes to one's rescue and bails them out of the most difficult situations.
My Unfamiliar Family is the perfect K-drama that showcases how important family is and that no matter what blood is always thicker than water and thus makes it for the most ideal K-drama to watch on this joyous occasion.
Which is your favourite pick for this festive season? Share your recommendations in the comments below.
