During the pandemic, business Kdramas such as Itaewon Class and Start-Up made it big on Netflix. These showcased the relentless spirit of young adults to pursue their dreams throughout all odds and gave them a sense of accomplishment. Such stories were further amplified by the K-drama classics – a romantic story with heart fluttering moments here, a blissful, vengeful journey destroying the antagonist, and a happy ending.
Some business Kdramas were especially loved because of their underdog story. In Itaewon Class, Park Seo-joon’s Park Sae-royi plans a years-long revenge by overthrowing the villain in his own professional industry and taking over the conglomerate. If you’re searching for Korean series with an entrepreneurship storyline, check out our recommendations below for the best business Korean dramas.
Top 7 Business Korean dramas to watch out for
Start-Up (2020)
Directed by: Oh Choong-hwan, Bae Hyun-jin
Cast: Bae Suzy, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Seon-ho, Kang Han-na
Episodes: 16
Synopsis: Seo Dal-mi (Bae Suzy) dreams of becoming Korea’s Steve Jobs. Her ambition takes her to Sandbox, a popular tech hub, where she meets another bright entrepreneur named Nam Do-san (Nam) who pretends to be her first love. Meanwhile, her actual first love, Han Ji-pyeong (Kim) tries to help her but gets caught up in a love triangle.
About the show: As one of the most popular business K-dramas to release during the pandemic, Start-Up skyrocketed Kim Seon-ho’s population. It also earned Bae Suzy Best Actress awards at the Korea First Brand Awards and Seoul International Drama Awards.
Watch here
Itaewon Class (2020)
Directed by: Kim Sung-yoon
Cast: Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Kwon Na-ra, Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-young
Episodes: 16
Synopsis: Park Sae-royi (Park) goes through a traumatic experience and ends up in jail. After being discharged, he vows to avenge his father’s death by destroying the people who led him to that stage, the CEO of a restaurant conglomerate, by setting up his own restaurant and taking over the food industry.
About the show: Itaewon Class is one of the top recommendations for business K-dramas with a triumphant underdog story. The show continues to be the fifth highest-rated show in JTBC’s history as it raked in 16.5% viewership ratings in its finale episode.
Watch here
Strongest Deliveryman (2017)
Directed by: Jeon Woo-sung
Cast: Go Kyung-pyo, Chae Soo-bin, Kim Seon-ho
Episodes: 16
Synopsis: Deliveryman Choi Kang-soo (Go) dreams of developing his own delivery app company. He meets a gutsy and ambitious woman, Lee Dan-ah (Chae). They work together to turn their dreams into reality and while doing so, end up falling in love.
About the show: Another business K-drama on our recommendation list is Strongest Deliveryman. The lead couple, Go Kyung-pyo and Chae Soo-bin, also lent their voice for the show’s official songs titled LaLaLa and Way To You respectively.
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Hotel Del Luna (2019)
Directed by: Oh Choong-hwan
Cast: IU, Yeo Jin-goo, Lee Do-hyun, Kim Soo-hyun
Episodes: 16
Synopsis: Jang Man-wol, a strange but greedy soul, has been managing a peculiar hotel called Hotel Del Luna in Seoul for thousands of years. Her curse will only end when she finds love and gives up on her hatred. Perfectionist Goo Chan-young ends up working for her due to a deal his father made with Man-wol in the past. Will Man-wol’s curse finally end?
About the show: Although Hotel Del Luna includes only some of the aspects of a business Kdrama, it is still counted as one because of the show’s premise. The series became the highest-viewed tvN drama of 2019, as per Nielsen Korea.
Watch here
Coffee Prince (2007)
Directed by: Lee Yoon-jung
Cast: Yoo Eun-hye, Gong Yoo, Chase Jung-ah, Kim Jae-wook
Episodes: 17
Synopsis: To prove his capability to his rich family and one-sided love, Choi Han-gyeol (Gong Yoo) takes over an old coffee shop. He meets Go Eun-chan (Yoo) (a woman who dresses up like a tomboy and is confused for a man) when she gets hired as a handsome male staff member. Choi begins questioning his sexuality as love blooms between them.
About the show: Taking the classic chaebol-trying-to-prove-himself-route, this business Kdrama is based on the original webtoon titled The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince by artist Lee Sun-mi.
Watch here
Best Chicken (2019)
Directed by: Lee Seung-hoon
Cast: Na In-woo, Park Sun-ho, Lee Seung-hyub, Kim So-hye
Episodes: 12
Synopsis: Park Choi-go (Park) quits his job to open up his own chicken restaurant. He comes across the perfect location but is binded by the owner’s discount deal only if he lets his granddaughter, Bo-A (Kim) work with him. Meanwhile, Bo-A dreams of becoming a webtoon writer. With each other’s support, the duo grow closer to their goals.
Watch here
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)
Directed by: Yoo Je-won
Cast: Shin Min-ah, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi
Episodes: 16
Synopsis: Dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin) takes a break from her big city job and moves to the seaside village of Gongjin. She sets up her own practice when she discovers that the village doesn’t have a dentist. However, big-city behavior makes her unfavorable till Hong Do-shik (Kim), a jack-of-all-trades, helps her navigate life.
About the show: This business K-drama achieved impressive results by increasing tourism. News outlet BreakNews reported Yangju city officials seeing increased attraction for the Chang Ucchin Museum of Art, which was one of the filming locations in the show.
Watch here
Frequently Answered Questions (FAQs)
– What is the Korean drama about running a business?
There are several Korean dramas about the protagonist running a business. Some of the most popular series are Business Proposal, Itaewon Class, Start-Up, Coffee Prince and Hotel Del Luna.
– Which drama is Business Proposal?
Business Proposal is a 2022 romcom drama starring Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-kyu, and Seol In-ah. It was the first Korean drama by a local production company to top Netflix’s viewing chart and maintain the position for three weeks, raking 32.5 million hours of viewing in just seven days.
– What is the Korean series about startups?
Start-Up starring Nam Joo-hyuk, Bae Suzy, and Kim So-heon is the Korean series that accurately attempts to reflect the startup industry. It opens up the entreprenuership world by showing the various process of pitching, sourcing employees, and the busy lifestyle, among other things.
– Which kdrama is similar to Business Proposal?
Business Proposal is a Korean drama revolving around business which has romance and comedy genres blended smoothly. A K-drama similar to it is Start-Up, which also talks about business and has several elements that will make you swoon and laugh.
– Is Business Proposal K-drama good?
Kakao Entertainment, the company that published the original webtoon that Business Proposal was adapted from, reported that it became the second highest-ranked romantic comic ever released on the platform. It also received several awards such as Best Couple and the Best Actor/Actress in Miniseries for rom com dramas at the SBS Drama Awards 2022, among other awards.
Hero and Featured Images: Courtesy IMDb
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia.
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