It’s been almost a year since Lee Jun Ho and YoonA’s sizzling chemistry took over the small screen in King the Land. The workplace rom-com K-drama (You can watch it on Netflix!) tells the quirky love story between Gu Won, an uptight chaebol heir, who is running the King Hotel, and Cheon Sa Rang, an ever-smiling hotelier, who works at the VIP lounge of the luxury hotel.
King the Land also gave viewers major squad goals as Jun Ho and YoonA were joined by Ahn Se Ha, Go Won Hee, Kim Ga Eun and Kim Jae Won. The simplistic yet endearing storyline of the series led to its global success with fans continuing to rewatch the series again and again…
If you’re missing King the Land, here are 7 K-dramas starring the cast that are must-watch:
1. The Red Sleeve – Viki
Just like his main lead stint in King the Land, Lee Jun Ho’s Baeksang-winning performance in The Red Sleeve is unskippable for his fans. The romance sageuk depicts the fateful romance between the King of Jeseon for whom his duty towards his country comes above love, and a court lady, who wants to protect and live the life of her choice. The 2PM member plays the titular role of Yi San aka King Jeongjo in The Red Sleeve, which also stars Lee Se Young and Kang Hoon.
2. The K2 – MX Player
The highlight of YoonA’s K-dramas has always been her electrifying chemistry opposite her co-stars, like with Lee Jun Ho in King the Land and with Ji Chang Wook in The K2. The political action thriller K-drama chronicles the thrilling love story between K2, a former military soldier gone rogue after being framed for murder, and the illegitimate daughter of a presidential candidate whom K2 becomes the bodyguard of with the ulterior motive of revenge against another presidential candidate. The K2 also stars Song Yoon Ah, Jo Sung Ha and Kim Kap Soo, with the Girls’ Generation member portraying the lead role of Anna.
3. She Was Pretty – Netflix
Ahn Se Ha’s goofy performance as Noh Sang Sik, Gu Won’s secretary and friend, in King the Land was nothing short of hilarious. A similar comical performance by the actor can be seen in She Was Pretty. The workplace rom-com K-drama tells the love story of separated childhood best friends, who reunite as a high-strung deputy chief editor and an eccentric intern of The Most, a fashion magazine. Se Ha plays Kim Poong Ho, the features writer at The Most. She Was Pretty also stars Hwang Jung Eum, Park Seo Joon, Go Joon Hee and Super Junior member Siwon.
4. Welcome to Waikiki – Netflix
Go Won Hee as Oh Pyung Hwa, a flight attendant at King Air and Sa Rang’s best friend, in King the Land aptly depicted the struggles of women at their workplace. Similarly, we see the actress dabbling in another difficult career in Welcome to Waikiki. The slice-of-life comedy K-drama is centered on Waikiki, a failing guesthouse, run by three men. Chaos ensues when a single mother and her newborn baby surprisingly land at the guesthouse. Go Won Hee plays Kang Seo Jin aka Chewbacca, whose witty chemistry with Lee Yi Kyung’s Lee Joon Ki was a highlight of the funny series. Welcome to Waikiki also stars Kim Jung Hyun, Son Seung Won, Jung In Sun and Lee Joo Woo.
5. Under the Queen’s Umbrella – Netflix
Kim Ga Eun’s performance as Kang Da Eul, a working mother staffed at King Group’s duty-free store and Sa Rang’s best friend, in King the Land showed the difficulties of women balancing between their work and family lives. In Under the Queen’s Umbrella, Ga Eun delivers another striking supporting performance as Royal Consort So Yong Tae. The black comedy sageuk chronicles the story of a hot-tempered queen, who transforms her mischievous troublemaker sons into proper crown princes, through education and personal growth. Under the Queen’s Umbrella also stars Kim Hye Soo, Kim Hae Sook, Choi Won Young and Moon Sang Min.
6. Our Blues – Netflix
Kim Jae Won left hearts fluttering as Lee Ro Woon, a flight attendant at King Air who harbours a crush on Pyung Hwa, in King the Land. Another K-drama in which Jae Won had a short yet swoon-worthy appearance is Our Blues where he played the younger version of Choi Han Soo (Cha Seung Won). The anthology family drama tackles the bittersweet lives of struggling individuals amidst the backdrop of Jeju Island. One of the heartbreaking chapters, co-starring Jae Won, is the unrequited romance between the owner of a fish store and her first love, who reunites with her and reignites lost feelings due to an ulterior motive. Our Blues also stars Lee Byung Hun, Shin Min Ah, Lee Jung Eun, Uhm Jung Hwa, Han Ji Min and Kim Woo Bin.
7. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha – Netflix
King the Land was made more heartwarming with the supporting act of Kim Young Ok aka South Korea’s ‘National Grandmother’ as Cha Soon Hee, Sa Rang’s grandma. Another hit K-drama that has Young Ok playing a lovable grandma is Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. The rom-com is set in Gongjin, a seaside village, and tells the love story between a ‘perfectionist’ dentist, who has an affinity for the luxurious life, and an equipped jack-of-all-trades handyman, who prefers the ultra-simple life. The drama also explores the interesting lives of the other Gongjin residents. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is headlined by Shin Min Ah, Kim Seon Ho and Lee Sang Yi.
