8 Best Chaebol Dramas You Have to Watch
For those often fascinated with the lives of the extremely rich and wealthy, here are a few dramas you'll love!
It’s hard not to fall in love with a charming and attractive chaebol as they don their most stylish outfits with a seamless kind of confidence as they’re off to run the largest conglomerates in Korea. It’s no secret that it’s been a popular and recurring theme in a ton of popular K-dramas that captivated the hearts of many.
Hyun Bin in 'Secret Garden' | SBS
If you don’t know where to start on this chaebol drama binge, here’s a list of the best (and must-watch) ones!
8 Best Chaebol Dramas You Have to Watch
8 Best Chaebol Dramas You Have to Watch
The Heirs (2013)
When it comes to original chaebol dramas, The Heirs takes the crown as it tells the story of friendship, romance, and family in the lives of the rich and wealthy. Starring Lee Min Ho as Kim Tan, the heir to a large conglomeration alongside Park Shin Hye as Cha Eun-Sang, the less fortunate daughter of a mute housekeeper of Kim tan’s household. They first cross paths as strangers in the U.S. while they both go through the most difficult periods in their lives—Kim Tan is in America as a form of exile and punishment while Cha Eun-Sang searches for an older sister who has long abandoned their family.
Photo Credit: SBS
The Heirs (2013)
With immediate chemistry, the two find themselves seeking comfort and solace in each other’s company. As they return to their lives in Korea, their relationship is faced with nothing but challenges.
Photo Credit: SBS
W: Two Worlds Apart (2016)
A drama that crosses the boundaries of reality and fantasy—this series involves the fictional world of chaebol Kang Chul (Lee Jong-Suk) and the real life of surgeon Oh Yeon-Joo (Han Hyo-Joo). Oh Yeon-Joo searches for her father who mysteriously went missing while writing his webtoon series.
Photo Credit: MBC
W: Two Worlds Apart (2016)
As she continues to investigate her dad’s disappearance, she gets pulled into the fantasy world that he has built where she meets Kang-Chul, the webtoon’s protagonist.
Photo Credit: MBC
Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)
No one can resist a good and modern Cinderella-esque story. This drama is centered on three young and rich cousins who aren’t particularly fond of each other. Ji Woon (Jung Il-woo) is a rebel and a bad boy, Hyun Min (Ahn Jae Hyun) is a playboy, and lastly Seo Woo (Lee Jung Shin of CNBlue) is a talented musician.
Photo Credit: tvN
Cinderella and the Four Knights (2016)
In an attempt to rebel against his family during his grandfather’s party, Hyun Min hires Eun Ha Won (Park So Dam), who is a young student living with her evil stepmother, to be his date. While Ha Won agreed to this arrangement, her strong personality and tough attitude won against Hyun Min which their grandfather was ultimately fascinated by. As they all live in the same house in their grandfather’s Sky House, Ha Won was hired to be a live-in butler to hopefully change the attitudes of all three grandsons.
Photo Credit: tvN
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
The drama where most people first fell in love with Lee Min Ho—Boys Over Flowers is the Korean adaptation of the story of F4. Following the original storyline, the drama features the prestigious and powerful group of boys at school as they follow and bully Geum Jan Di (Gu Hye-Seon), a female student coming from a poor family background who’s attending school on a swimming scholarship.
Photo Credit: KBS
Boys Over Flowers (2009)
The story unfolds as she gets more and more entangled with the matters of F4.
Photo Credit: KBS
Strong Girl Bong-Soon (2017)
Do Bong Soon (played by Park Bo Young) is an honest and kind-hearted young woman who happens to have superhuman strength, which she uses for the greater good. In the middle of her fight with gang members, childish and innocent CEO Ahn Min Hyuk (played by Park Hyung Shik) witnesses the scene and immediately attempts to hire her as her bodyguard after receiving death threats from a mystery enemy.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Strong Girl Bong-Soon (2017)
As the story continues to unfold, Min Hyuk begins catching feelings for her while Bong Soon hasn’t moved on from her childhood crush In Guk Doo (played by Ji Soo). As their love triangle gets more and more complicated, Bong Soon is suddenly faced with the ultimate test of her strength.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Revolutionary Love (2017)
Choi Si-Won plays a wealthy heir with a naive, honest, and carefree personality. While being born into an extremely rich family, Byun Hyuk (Choi Si-Won) seems to lack any direction or goal in life. When he meets Baek Joon (Kang So-Ra) in a chance encounter, he sets out to win her heart and leaves behind his wealth to temporarily live with his best friend who’s also the son of their family’s driver, Kwon Je Hoon (Gong Myung).
Photo Credit: tvN
Revolutionary Love (2017)
Their lives become more tangled when Byun Hyuk discovers Kwon Je Hoon and Baek Joon’s true relationship.
Photo Credit: tvN
Secret Garden (2010)
For those who find themselves in need of more Hyun-Bin dramas, you’re going to want to watch him as a chaebol! Kim Joo Won (Hyun-Bin) is a conceited CEO who is obsessed with appearing and seeming perfect. Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji-Won) is a less fortunate stunt woman whose beauty and body is the envy of celebrities.
Photo Credit: SBS
Secret Garden (2010)
As Joo Won mistakes her for a top actress, their complicated and bickering relationship begins.
Photo Credit: SBS
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)
One of the more recent favorites of many, this incredibly funny and captivating drama features Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young. As the drama title hints, Kim Mi-So (Park Min Young) has been working for Lee Young-Joon (Park Seo Joon), a notoriously difficult and handsome boss, for years.
Photo Credit: tvN
What's Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018)
One day, perfectionist secretary Mi-So decides to resign and Young-Joon begins to realize how important she actually is to him, especially beyond their professional relationship.
Photo Credit: tvN
Have you seen them all? Let us know which ones are your favorites!
Park Seo-joon in 'What's Wrong with Secretary Kim' | Netflix
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