6 K-Dramas Released During COVID That Kept Viewers Happy!

The COVID pandemic was deemed a worldwide threat starting in 2019, even though the first case reported in South Korea was in 2020. SK started easing the social distancing restrictions in the 1st quarter of 2022. Even so, there were several Korean dramas released between 2019 to 2022 that kept the global audience entertained.

• It’s 2024 and here is a list of series BY YEAR OF RELEASE that are still popular and still making K-drama lovers happy. If you are a K-drama newbie, these should make you a convert.

♦ Year of Release: 2019

(1) Crash Landing on You

• My Drama List: 9 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a pubic rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

STORYLINE: Reunification of South and North Korea is a popular theme in Korean dramas. But if the countries don’t unite, at least two people can fall in love. That’s more believable and everybody loves a good love story. This K-drama is a romantic comedy (rom-com). Yoon Se-Ri (played by Son Ye-Jin, “Spellbound”) is a successful South Korean businesswoman and heiress. While paragliding in Seoul, she got caught in a sudden tornado and crash-lands in the North Korean portion of the DMZ. Ri Jeong-Hyeok (played by Hyun-Bin, “Memories of the Alhambra”, “The Fatal Encounter”) is a North Korean army officer who discovers her and tries to help her get back home. In the process, they fall in love. Uuuuhhh … how is this relationship going to work?

• It’s So Hard to Say Good-bye: Crash Landing On You | The KDrama Playbook

This Korean drama had lots of reviews and many viewers shared a rating. It’s 2024 and it still shows up on various lists.

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Asia, Netflix. “Crash Landing on You | Official Trailer | Netflix.” YouTube Video. YouTube, November 29, 2019. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVQGWgeVc4k.‌

♦ Year of Release: 2020

(2) It’s Okay Not to Be Okay

• My Drama List: 8.9 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a pubic rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

STORYLINE: This K-drama is a romance with elements of comedy. Go Moon-young (played by Seo Yea-Ji, “Eve”, “Moorim School”), a successful children’s book author, but has a personality disorder. Moon Gang-tae (played by Kim Soo-Hyun, “Queen Of Tears”, “Secretly Greatly”) is a caregiver at a psychiatric ward. He has a brother who is autistic and suffering from trauma after witnessing the murder of their mother. For most of his life, Moon Gang-tae has cared for his older brother. Dealing with a sibling who has special needs and mourning the death of a parent with nobody to comfort you can take an emotional toll. When Gang-tae and Moon-young meet, they connect and begin to bond with each other, and this starts a healing process for both of them.

• ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ review: K-drama revels in its nuanced writing and strong performances | The Hindu

The series enjoys immense popularity because the plot seems to be so relatable for many viewers. Many have mental health conditions but obtaining proper medical treatment is a challenge. Most medical practitioners emphasize the importance of support from those we love to be cured. This series is a beautiful and touching exploration of healing and the power of love and understanding.

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Asia, Netflix. “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay | Official Trailer | Netflix.” YouTube Video. YouTube, June 10, 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1H__LNPCc80.‌

♦ Year of Release: 2021

(3) Vincenzo (2021)

• My Drama List: 8.9 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a pubic rating: 4.9 out of 5 stars

STORYLINE: This series is an Action, Thriller, Romance and Dark Comedy. Vincenzo Cassano (played by Song Joong-Ki, “My Name is Loh Kiwan”, “Space Sweepers”, “Arthdal Chronicles S1”, “Descendants of the Sun”, “Sungkyunkwan Scandal”) is a Korean who was adopted by an Italian family. He grew up to be a lawyer in Italy and also a Mafia consigliere. His Korean name is Park Joo-Hyeong. He returns to South Korea because members of his adoptive family betrayed him. They were only “brothers” until the father died and then they showed their true colors and started “war”. In Korea he meets a group of quirky tenants who refuse to leave a building. He knows that there are gold bars are stashed underneath the building. Babel is a corrupt conglomerate, trying to use any means legal or illegal to take ownership of the building. Since Vincenzo is a lawyer, he partners with the tenants and uses his legal expertise to help them.

He meets a determined lawyer named Hong Cha-young (played by Jeon Yeo-Bin, “Glitch”). At first she works as an attorney for Babel. But her father is a lawyer who was representing the tenants and he is murdered. So she switches sides, take over her father’s law firm, and begins to work with Vincenzo. Not only is there gold in that thar building but there is also a USB drive called the “Guillotine file”. It has information about corruption and crime that can be used against Babel and anyone associated with that conglomerate. WHOA! That’s even better than gold when you’re in a war with nasty ruthless villains.

• Review: Netflix K-Drama “Vincenzo,” From an Italian Perspective | Cinema Escapist

• Vincenzo Is The Best K-Drama Of 2021 And That’s On Period. | hallyureviews

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Netflix K-Content. “Vincenzo | Official Trailer | Netflix [ENG SUB].” YouTube Video. YouTube, February 9, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S12-4mXCNj4.‌

♦ Year of Release: 2022

PopGeeks has already published reviews for the three (3) K-dramas released in 2022.

(4) Business Proposal | Netflix K-Drama Series Based on Webtoon

(5) Juvenile Justice ~ Don’t Mess With Judge Max

(6) Tracer ~ Committing Financial Fraud is Super Easy!