South Korean Remakes of Western TV Shows That Are Worth Watching

South Korean TV shows have gained a lot of attention since hits like “Train To Busan” and the mega-popular “Parasite” were praised by the public and critics.

South Korean movies and TV series have become popular around the world for their unique style of storytelling, filming, etc. However, famous for its local flavour, the South Korean TV industry has also entwined with TV shows popular overseas, with its remakes becoming successful. Here is a list of those worth watching.

• Criminal Minds (2017)

Based on the American TV show by the same name, the series focuses on the profilers of National Criminal Investigation (NCI). They are professional in everything and solve cases and track down suspects and criminals. One of the main roles is given to the face of the Hallyu wave - Lee Joon-gi, who has already attracted a huge global fandom with his films “The King and the Clown” and “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo”.

• Suits (2018)

The South Korean version of the long-running series by the same name stars Park Hyung-sik, another beloved actor. He played the South Korean counterpart of Mike Ross from the original series. The plot is based on a skilled professional lawyer played by Jang Dong-gun, along with a young aspiring lawyer who has photographic memory and dreams of starting his own career as a legal practitioner. The K-drama received a warm response for the charismatic “bromance” between Park Hyung-sik and Jang Dong-gun.

• The Good Wife (2016)

The first US series to be remade in South Korea gathered audiences in front of their TVs, since legal and political drama is the most common genre among South Korean series. Starring Jeon Do-yeon, Yoo Ji-tae, and Yoon Kye-sang, it was successful, combining Western ideas with South Korean reality. The story is about a woman who returns to her career as a lawyer after a 15-year gap because her husband was imprisoned amid a political scandal.

• The World of the Married (2020)

Based on the BBC One series “Doctor Foster”, “The World of the Married” received praise both domestically and globally for its cast, screenplay adaptation, and acting skills, but also criticism for its portrayal of sex and violence. Thus it became the highest-rated drama in South Korean cable television history, and brought a lot of nominations and awards to the crew, such as the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards’ Daesang (the main prize) for actress Kim Hee-ae, who played the main role as Ji Sun-woo. The drama tells the story of a married couple whose perfect life begins to show signs of strain when the husband of the successful doctor Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae), played by Park Hae-joon, becomes involved in a love affair.