Historical K-Dramas That Slipped Under the Radar (Pt 1 of 5)

Historical K-dramas are very popular and many people are fans for various reasons. These are my reasons.

• EDUCATIONAL: Learn the history of Korea. The Korean movies and TV shows are a retelling of actual historical events and people, or a creation of fictional stories weaved from ancient Korea’s history, culture, folklore, and traditions.
• ENTERTAINING: The gripping storylines incorporate intense palace intrigue and treacherous political power struggles. Heartbreaking relationships include serious love triangle romances or forbidden love (such as love between a noble person and a commoner or a slave).
• GENRE VARIETY: There are various genres such as delightful rom-coms, suspenseful crime, and mystery, time travel, supernatural or fantasy K-dramas ~ all in historical settings of one of the three kingdoms.
• COSTUMES AND SCENERY: Many fans appreciate the Hanbok costumes or other traditional attire of the different historical periods, plus the beautiful scenery. South Korea’s filming locations include historical sites, temples, palaces, etc., as well as breathtaking natural wonders (waterfalls, flower fields, mountains, etc.) that are popular tourist destinations.

Historical K-Dramas Released Before 2024

No doubt devoted K-drama fans are looking forward to historical dramas that will be released in 2024 such as “Love Song for Illusion” and “Knight Flower“. But there are some K-drama movies and series that were released in previous years that might have slipped under your radar.

Most of these K-dramas (not all) are streaming on Rakuten Viki; and viewers gave them high marks, i.e. better than 9 out of 10 stars. Others you may have to scour the web to find them on YouTube or another streaming platform, but they are also binge-worthy.

A total of 25 recommended historical Korean dramas will be published in a 5-part article series. They are “gems” and here are the first five (5):

• (1) Chuno (The Slave Hunters) (2010), 24 episodes
• (2) Diary of a Night Watchman (2014), 24 episodes
• (3) The Fugitive of Joseon (2013); 20 episodes
• (4) Gunman in Joseon (2014); 12 episodes
• (5) Jung Yi, Goddess of Fire (2013); 32 episodes

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(1) Chuno (The Slave Hunters) (2010), 24 episodes 

In this historical K-drama, Lee Dae-gil (played by Jang Hyuk) is the son of a noble family, who fell in love with Kim Hye-Won (played by Lee Da-Hae), a slave. Her brother destroyed his master and everything he owned. He thought he had killed Lee Dae-gil. The brother destroyed the slave ownership papers and created a new life for himself and his sister.

Since Lee Dae-gil had lost his family’s wealth, he became a slave hunter. Mainly, because he was searching for the woman he loved, assuming that she was still a slave on the run. He would capture slaves, collect the reward, and then help them escape again but this time to freedom.

Lee Dae-gil is also hunting for Song Tae-Ha (played by Oh Ji-Ho). He has been labeled as a slave but in fact, he is a brave and noble warrior who will one day reclaim his honor.

To continue establishing his reputation and wealth, Hye-Won’s brother arranges a marriage for her. On the day of the wedding, she runs away. She is about to be attacked by bandits but Tae-Ha rescues her. Their relationship grows into romance, and all the while she believes her first love, Lee Dae-gil, has died.

Eventually, Lee Dae-gil finds her but realizes that she is now in a loving relationship with the man, the slave, he has been hunting. From there …. (Sorry. NO SPOILERS!)

(2) Diary of a Night Watchman (2014), 24 episodes

This historical K-drama is a supernatural/fantasy that introduces the Night Watchman, a soldier who has a special ability to see ghosts and other supernatural beings. They must keep the king, his family, and the rest of the kingdom safe from hostile ghosts and other supernatural beings. One day the kingdom is attacked by a swarm of evil ghosts.

The king goes to find a woman who has special powers to help him fight powerful evil creatures. Instead, she cast a spell on him to make him fall in love with her. When he returned home, he accused his wife, the queen, of being unfaithful, and said that his son, Prince Lee Rin (played by Jung Il-Woo), was born from her adulterous union. He murdered his wife and committed suicide. The son was sent away and another prince, the son of a concubine, was allowed to take his place.

Years later, Prince Lee Rin, returns because he must use his special abilities to get rid of Psychic Sadam (played by Kim Sung-Oh). He is the head of the Yongshin tribe, has incredible powers, and wants to resurrect the dragon god his people worship. If he succeeds, it’s bad news for everybody!

Do-Ha (played by Ko Sung-Hee) is the sister of the woman who cast her love spell on the king. She uses her powers to help Prince Lee Rin fight and falls in love with him. Unlike her sister, she knows that the women of her people from Mount Baekdu, who have this special gift are not allowed to fall in love. So she controls her desires and stays focused on performing her spiritual duties.

It’s called the Diary of the Night Watchman or The Night Watchman’s Journal because these special soldiers kept detailed notes and journals that explained how to fight the wicked spirits. You may not start as a believer, but once you are convinced that the evil spirits are real, the Night Watchman’s journal comes in handy.

(3) The Fugitive of Joseon (2013); 20 episodes

This historical K-drama series is set during the reign of King Injong. The drama is known by an alternate title: “Heaven’s Order: The Story of the Fugitive from Joseon”. A royal physician, Choi Won (played by Lee Dong-Wook), does everything that he can to avoid getting drawn into the palace web of treachery and deceit. Even though he is a gifted doctor, he chooses not to become the personal physician of the royal family members.

Choi Won has an ailing daughter, Choi Rang (played by Kim Yoo-Bin) and all he wants to do is find the cure for her illness. The crown prince tells him that he has a medical book from China, that explains the medical treatments and medicines needed to cure his daughter. The crown prince promises to give him that book if he will serve as his royal physician.

He still refuses, but the thought that there was a book that could help him heal his daughter was a great temptation. There is an assassination plot to poison the king and the crown prince. Choi Won gets set up by a fellow physician to take the blame. That’s how he becomes a fugitive. He is on the run and must now fight to save both his life and his daughter’s life.

(4) Gunman in Joseon (2014); 12 episodes

This historical K-drama, also titled “The Joseon Shooter”, is set during the reign of King Gojong. Park Yoon-kang (played by Lee Joon-gi) is the son of the last great swordsman of Joseon. Sadly, his father was killed because he brought a sword to a gunfight. As if the tragic death was not bad enough, his father was framed for treason. His mother and his sister were made slaves, but he tried to escape. His father’s enemies chased after him and shot him.

His enemies thought he died, however, a group of people on a boat headed to Japan fished him out of the water. In Japan, he created a new identity, worked as a businessman, and trained himself to use Western-made guns and rifles. Now he was not only a skilled swordsman but a skilled marksman as well.

He returned to Joseon to get revenge. His enemies did not recognize him at first because they thought he was Japanese. When Jung Soo-In (played by Nam Sang-Mi), the woman he loved saw him again after all of those years believing that he was dead, she fainted.

(5) Jung Yi, Goddess of Fire (2013); 32 episodes

This historical K-drama series is based on the life of a real-life 16th-century historical figure Baek Pa-sun, famous for being the first female potter and porcelain artist in the Joseon Dynasty. The drama depicts the life and love of Yoo Jung (played by Moon Geun-Young), who dreams of becoming the top potter and porcelain artist in the Joseon Dynasty. She hones her craft, ignores those who say “she can’t”, and overcomes opposition from envious people who want to stand in the way of her success.

Jung falls in love with Prince Gwanghae (played by Lee Sang-Yoon). But theirs was a love that was never meant to be. Her legendary skills attracted the attention of the Japanese and when they invaded Joseon, she was among the Korean artisans forcibly taken to Japan and made to continue their craft there. She was also honored and respected in Japan, and there exists a shrine in the city of Arita dedicated to her.

♦ Thanks for reading.

28 Historical Korean Dramas That Withstood The Test Of Time | The Smart Local