5 Romance K-Dramas That Feature Great Architecture and Set Design

Our Beloved Summer, Netflix, 2021

Our Beloved Summer takes us on a rollercoaster ride of emotions through the complicated relationship between exes Choi Ung (played by Choi Woo-sik) and Kook Yeon-su (played by Kim Da-mi) who meet again to shoot a follow-up documentary to one that they filmed ten years before while they were in high school. As the two maneuver their relationship amidst hidden and unsaid feelings, we are introduced to a lot of beautiful architecture that captivates us further into the story.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Our Beloved Summer, Netflix, 2021

Firstly, the home of Ung is simply stunning to look at. From his studio alone, where he usually secludes himself to spend hours and hours drawing, you can tell how much thought was put into designing his house and making it reflective of Ung’s personality.

Photo Credit: Still from Our Beloved Summer, 2021, Netflix

Our Beloved Summer, Netflix, 2021

My favorite element of his house is the big windows in the living room and in Ung’s studio.

Photo Credit: Still from Our Beloved Summer, 2021, Netflix

Our Beloved Summer, Netflix, 2021

A lot of the scenes in the drama, as well as some locations, were filmed at the Jeonju Hanok Village. The restaurant owned by Ung’s parents and the hardware store owned by Chang-sik, a friend of Ung’s parents, are both actual locations in real life, the former being a restaurant called Maedang and the latter being a hardware store called Seoul Gongupsa. A few museums were also featured in the drama, such as Siheung Oido Museum and Soda Museum. Other notable architecture seen in the drama is the high school of Ung, Yeon-su, and Kim Ji-ung (played by Kim Sung-cheol), and the vacation house they went to when Ji-ung needed to get Ung and Yeon-su on a trip together for the documentary. The actual locations of these places are Choongang High School and the Onbit Natural Recreation Forest.

Photo Credit: Still from Our Beloved Summer, 2021, Netflix

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

True Beauty narrates the story of Im Ju-gyeong (played by Moon Ga-young) who is bullied because of her appearance and decides, then, to learn how to put on make-up so that she wouldn’t be bullied anymore. The drama takes us through the triumphs and trials of Ju-gyeong as she enters a new school (with her new look) and winds up in a love triangle between Lee Su-ho (played by Cha Eun-woo) and Han Seo-jun (played by Hwang In-youp). In this drama’s case, the architecture and set design complement the cute and sometimes dramatic plotline very well.

Photo Credit: TVN

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

Let’s begin with the school, Saebom High School. The Gothic-inspired architecture, which actually is a campus of Yonsei University, is absolutely gorgeous and the red flowers on vines growing around the exterior of the school add a great touch, as it matches well with the school’s uniform.

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

Going into the interior of the school, the rustic, floral wallpaper is my favorite design element, as it complements and blends in well with the other elements yet it also stands out.

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

While watching the drama, I couldn’t help but always notice the floral walls; they’re just so pretty to look at!

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

The color palette of the school’s interior is also very satisfying to look at because the colors work so well together.

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

Similar to Our Beloved Summer, True Beauty was filmed in a historical village: Bukchon Hanok Village. My favorite location from the Bukchon Hanok Village would have to be the Prince Comic Rental Shop, which is actually an accessory shop with a small café in real life. The exterior resembles a traditional hanok building, which gives the place its charms, and the green on the roof and the actual greens surrounding the roof give the building a pop of color.

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

The interior, on the other hand, was more on the eccentric side, with the skulls and the drawings on the wall behind the couch, yet it’s what makes the whole building a lot more interesting.

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

Another location at Bukchon Hanok Village that you can see while watching True Beauty is the exterior of Im Ju-gyeong’s house, which is called Sosho Gallery in real life.

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

True Beauty, 2020-2021,TVN

Photo Credit: Still from True Beauty, tVN, 2020-21

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

Hotel del Luna, as its name suggests, tells the story of a hotel that only accepts ghosts, and is run by staff who are ghosts with unfinished business in the mortal world, except for the hotel’s general manager who acts as a gateway between the mortal and supernatural world to deal with the hotel’s more worldly business (e.g. paying bills). The CEO of the hotel is named Jang Man-wol (played by Lee Ji-eun or IU) whose soul is bound to the hotel because of a crime she has committed during her life, and it is through Gu Chan-sung (played by Yeo Jin-goo) that the hotel’s many stories and mysteries are discovered.

Photo Credit: TVN

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

Within Hotel del Luna’s many interesting stories and characters lies a beautiful set design that further immerses us into the plot, and it only seems fitting that we first talk about the hotel. The exterior of the hotel was filmed at Mokpo Modern History Museum No.1.

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

During the day, the hotel looks more of a rustic version of the Grand Budapest Hotel, with its bold pinkish walls and the ivy vines growing from the bottom.

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

But, during the night, when the hotel is lit up, it looks very luxurious and mysterious. Once you go inside, the hotel’s interior reflects that of what the hotel looks like: rustic and classy yet mysterious and looming.

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

The set design for the hotel interior is remarkable and is suited for the drama.

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

There were also two libraries featured briefly in the show: the ghost library in Episode 2, which is a secondhand bookstore called Seoul Book Bogo in real life, and a library where Chan-sung met up with Kim Yu-na (played by Kang Mi-na) in Episode 16, which is called the Forest of Wisdom in real life.

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

The ghost library stands out for its circular arches, as they make the library look like you’re entering a tunnel filled with books. The circular arches also give the illusion that you’re surrounded by books, and it gives off such a phenomenal look

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Hotel De Luna, 2019, TVN

On the other hand, what makes the Forest of Wisdom look so impressive is its tall shelves filled with books, which create such a beautiful visual for the eyes.

Photo Credit: Still from Hotel De Luna, 2019

Angel’s Last Mission: Love, 2019, KBS2

The premise of Angel’s Last Mission: Love goes exactly as the title says: a troublemaker angel named Dan (played by Kim Myung-soo) must find true love for ballerina Lee Yeon-seo (played by Shin Hye-sun) in order for him to return to heaven. Yeon-seo is a very talented ballerina who, due to a stage accident, has become blind. Seemingly hopeless, Yeon-seo is bitter towards the people around her. In the process of fulfilling his mission, Dan becomes Yeon-seo’s secretary, but the more he spends time with her, the more he falls in love with her.

Photo Credit: KBS2

Angel’s Last Mission: Love, 2019, KBS2

The most stunning piece of architecture in this drama is Yeon-seo’s mansion, which is known as the Jade Garden in real life. The exterior looks so sleek and classy, as it takes on a more European-style architecture.

Photo Credit: Still from Angel's Last Mission, 2019, KBS2

Angel’s Last Mission: Love, 2019, KBS2

The interior reflects the sleekness of the exterior, and it really shows off how classy Yeon-seo is as a person. The interior seems inspired by modern or contemporary design, and you can see a few modern design elements incorporated with the furniture.

Photo Credit: Still from Angel's Last Mission, 2019, KBS2

Angel’s Last Mission: Love, 2019, KBS2

My favorite parts of the house are the living room, Yeon-seo’s room, and Dan’s room.

Photo Credit: Still from Angel's Last Mission, 2019, KBS2

Angel’s Last Mission: Love, 2019, KBS2

I especially like Dan’s room because of the big circular window, which adds a lot of depth to his room and makes it stand out compared to the other rooms.

Photo Credit: Still from Angel's Last Mission, 2019, KBS2

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One takes us back to South Korea during the IMF crisis in the late 90s as we follow Na Hee-do (played by Kim Tae-ri) in her journey to follow her ambitions and become a great fencer. At eighteen, she meets twenty-two-year-old Baek Yi-jin (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), a young man with a desire to rebuild his life, and at twenty-one, she falls in love with twenty-five-year-old Yi-jin. A touching coming-of-age drama that tells the story of successes, failures, good friends, and a great romance is not without its great architecture and set designs to elevate its plot.

Photo Credit: Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

As compared to the previous dramas, the architecture and set design in this drama feel simpler yet more nostalgic. My favorite architecture in this drama would have to be Hee-do’s house, which is called the Crossing Guest House in real life.

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

There’s really nothing special about the exterior.

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

It’s quaint and looks like any other normal house, but thanks to the greens surrounding it, as well as the flight of stairs that leads you to the white gate, the house stands out and feels very nostalgic.

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Other nostalgic places in this drama are the comic book store (called Sori Mill in real life) and the supermarket (called Ahyeon Supermarket in real life).

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Ahyeon Supermarket

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

The drama also gives you a glimpse of some historical locations with notable architecture. The horseshoe-shaped Hanbyeokgul Tunnel is an iconic place in the drama where many important scenes have taken place. This tunnel was built during the Japanese colonial period.

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Another location would be the Seoul City Wall which runs 18.6 kilometers long

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

And, finally, the Suwon Hwaseong Fortress, which is a UNESCO Cultural Heritage Site, makes an appearance several times in the drama. This fortress was built during the Joseon Dynasty.

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix

Photo Credit: Still from Twenty-Five Twenty-One, 2022, Netflix