Top 22 Historical Korean Dramas To Watch (Period Kdramas)

Do you like watching Korean dramas? If not, you are missing something really great. Kdramas are as good as other international shows & series. Just take a look at Squid game & D.P.

Kdramas comes in a variety of genres such as action, romance, thriller, slice of life, comedy, mystery, sad, and many more. There are tons of excellent dramas in all of these genres.

Dramas have a great plot, acting, romance, comedy & suspense. They are quite good to watch with family too. If you are looking for some good Kdrama recommendations, read on.

Best Historical Kdramas

Sometimes you just want to leave yourself from the present and immerse in the past, taking a break from all of your everyday stresses and problems. Don’t worry, Kdramas are here.

If you want to watch some historical dramas whether it be a romance between king & maid, political drama, revenge of a man or exchange of bodies, here are some good historical dramas you can watch.

These Kdramas are set in history period like Joseon period & the clothes are attractive. Though this list is made by looking through the storyline, ratings & reviews by the audience, don’t fear to try other dramas.

1. Mr. Queen

Bong Hwan works as a chef at the Blue House in the present day. He has a free spirit, but his spirit ends up in Queen So Yong’s body in the Joseon period. So Yong will find out that her husband has some secrets and is not as kind as he seems.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Shin Hye Sun as Kim So Yong
• Kim Jung Hyun as King Cheoljong
• Bae Jong Ok as Dowager Sunwon
• Kim Tae Woo as Kim Jwa Geun

No. Of Episodes: 20 (75 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

2. Kingdom

During the Joseon period, the spirit of a recently dead king comes back, and a mysterious illness starts to spread across the country. To find out what is going on and save his people, the crown prince must deal with a new kind of enemy.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Joo Ji Hoon as Lee Chang
• Ryu Seung Ryong as Jo Hak Joo
• Bae Doo Na as Seo Bi
• Kim Sung Gyu as Young Shin

No. Of Episodes: 6+6 (50 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

3. Mr. Sunshine

A young boy born into a house servant’s family and travels to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo. He returns to his homeland later as a U.S. marine officer. He falls in love with an aristocrat’s daughter. At the same time, he discovers a plot by foreign forces to colonize Korea.

Cast –

• Lee Byung Hun as Choi Yoo Jin
• Kim Tae Ri as Go Ae Shin
• Kim Min Jung as Kudo Hina / Lee Yang Hwa
• Yoo Yeon Seok as Gu Dong Mae / Ishida Sho

No. Of Episodes – 24

Watch On – Netflix

4. Six Flying Dragons

A historical drama that takes place in Korea during the troubled Joseon dynasty. In the drama, six different people, each with their own talents and personalities, work together to fight for justice and change in their country.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Yoo Ah In as Lee Bang Won
• Kim Myung Min as Jung Do Jeon
• Shin Se Kyung as Boon Yi
• Byun Yo Han as Ddang Sae

No. Of Episodes: 50 (60 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

5. The Rebel

Set during the reign of King Yeonsangun, it tells the story of Hong Gil Dong, the son of a servant who stole from the rich and gave to the poor, and his journey in becoming Joseon’s first revolutionist & dissident activist.

Cast –

• Yoon Kyun Sang as Hong Gil Dong
• Chae Soo Bin as Song Ga Ryung
• Kim Ji Suk as Lee Yoong
• Lee Ha Nee as Jang Nok Soo

No. Of Episodes – 30

Watch On – Viki

6. Empress Ki

The drama revolves around Ki Seungnyang, a Goryeo-born woman who had to be a servant at the Mongol Yuan court. She rises to power despite the restrictions of the era’s class system, and later marries the emperor of the Mongol empire to become an empress of the Yuan dynasty.

Cast –

• Ha Ji Won as Ki Yang
• Ji Chang Wook as Toghon Temur
• Joo Jin Mo as Wang Yoo
• Baek Jin Hee as Tanashili

No. Of Episodes – 51

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

7. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

When a total eclipse of the sun takes place, Ha Jin is transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty. She soon befriends several of the princes and meets the 4th Prince, Wang So. She finds herself caught up in palace politics and the rivalry among the princes as they fight for the throne.

Cast –

• Lee Joon Gi as Wang So
• IU as Go Ha Jin / Hae Soo
• Kang Ha Neul as Wang Wook
• Hong Jong Hyun as Wang Yo

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Viu

8. The Bridal Mask

In the 1930s, Lee Kang To lives in Korea, which is oppressed by Japanese Imperial rule. Even though he is Korean, he works with the Japanese police to catch “Bridal Mask,” an unknown rebel fighting for Korean independence.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Joo Won as Lee Kang To
• Jin Se Yeon as Oh Mok Dan
• Park Ki Woong as Kimura Shunji
• Han Chae Ah as Ueno Rie

No. Of Episodes: 28 (65 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

9. Jewel in The Palace

The story is about a legendary girl, Jang Geum, who became the first woman to be the royal physician. Despite being a low-class girl in the male-dominated society, she landed herself as a royal cook, later becoming the royal physician, then ultimately the physician in charge of the king.

Cast –

• Lee Young Ae as Seo Jang Geum
• Ji Jin Hee as Min Jung Ho
• Hong Ri Na as Choi Geum Yeong
• Im Ho as King Jung Jong

No. Of Episodes – 54

Watch On – Viki

10. Moon Embracing The Sun

A love story between a king and a female shaman. She was born into an aristocratic family and rose to become the crown princess, but she was caught and sentenced to death. She returns as a shaman to reclaim her rightful place as queen.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Han Ga In as Heo Yeon Woo
• Kim Soo Hyun as Lee Hwon
• Jung Il Woo as Yang Myung
• Kim Min Seo as Yoon Bo Kyung

No. Of Episodes: 20 (65 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

11. The King’s Affection

The story of a pair of royal twins, one male, and one female. Although the sister is initially abandoned for being female, she later disguises herself as a man to become the crown prince when her brother dies & develops feelings for her teacher.

Cast –

• Park Eun Bin as Lee Hwi
• Rowoon as Jung Ji Woon
• Nam Yoon Su as Lee Hyun
• Bae Yoon Kyung as Shin So Eun

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Netflix

12. Queen For Seven Days

Based on a tragic Joseon legend, this drama tells the story of King Jung Jong and his Queen Dangyeong, the daughter of a powerful politician who was crowned and ousted within a week due to conflicting political forces controlling the king’s rule.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Park Min Young as Shin Chae Kyung
• Yeon Woo Jin as Yi Yeok
• Lee Dong Gun as Yi Yoong
• Jang Hyun Sung as Shin Soo Geun

No. Of Episodes: 20 (60 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

13. The Red Sleeve

A historical drama that tells the romance of a royal court between Sung Deok Im, a court lady who wants to protect the life she chose and Yi San, an emperor who believes his duty is to his country first above love.

Cast –

• Lee Jun Ho as Yi San / King Jung Jo
• Lee Se Young as Sung Deok Im
• Kang Hoon as Hong Deok Ro
• Lee Deok Hwa as King Young Jo

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Viki

14. 100 Days My Prince

Crown prince Lee Yul falls off a cliff and nearly dies in an attempted assassination. He loses his memory and wanders for 100 days under a new name and personality. During this period, he meets Hong Shim, head of the first detective agency in Joseon.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Do Kyung Soo as Lee Yul
• Nam Ji Hyun as Hong Shim
• Kim Seon Ho as Jung Jae Yoon
• Han So Hee as Kim So Hye

No. Of Episodes: 16 (70 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

15. Gu Family Book

Kang Chi is a half-human and half-mythical-creature who was adopted. Yeo Wool is a martial arts master. They meet and fall in love with each other. He discovers the truth about his origins and searches for the mystical Gu Family Book, which holds the secret to becoming fully human.

Cast –

• Lee Seung Gi as Choi Kang Chi
• Bae Suzy as Dam Yeo Wool
• Lee Sung Jae as Jo Gwan Woong
• Yoo Yeon Seok as Park Tae Seo

No. Of Episodes – 24

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

16. Tale Of Nokdu

A guy disguises himself as a woman to enter a secret women-only town in pursuit of the truth about his birth during the Joseon period. He encounters a young woman who refuses to become a gisaeng in order to exact revenge on her family.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Jang Dong Yoon as Jeon Nok Du
• Kim So Hyun as Dong Dong Joo
• Kang Tae Oh as Cha Yool Mu
• Jung Joon Ho as King Gwang Hae

No. Of Episodes: 16 (62 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

17. My Country: The New Age

Set during the end of the Goryeo period to the early Joseon period. Seo Hwi is a warrior and does not compromise when it comes to injustice. Sun Ho is smart and talented. Due to a corruption scandal, he loses his dream. Making things worse, he comes into conflict with Seo Hwi over a misunderstanding.

Cast –

• Yang Se Jong as Seo Hwi
• Woo Do Hwan as Nam Seon Ho
• Kim Seol Hyun as Han Hee Jae
• Jang Hyuk as Lee Bang Won

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix

18. Under The Queen’s Umbrella

The drama follows queen Hwa Ryung, the wife of a great king and the long-suffering mother of five troublemaking sons who cause nothing but headaches for the royal family and are about to be turned into crown princes.

Cast –

• Kim Hye Soo as Im Hwa Ryeong
• Kim Hae Sook as Queen Dowager
• Choi Won Young as King Lee Ho
• Kim Eui Sung as Hwang Won Hyeong

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix

19. Iljimae

Yong pretended to be a market thug during the day, but at night he was a criminal who robbed corrupted government officials. Eun Chae is the daughter of a government official who met him by chance and couldn’t help but admire him.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Lee Joon Gi as Yong / Iljimae
• Han Hyo Joo as Byun Eun Chae
• Lee Young Ah as Bong Soon
• Park Shi Hoo as Byun Shi Hoo

No. Of Episodes: 20 (60 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

20. Hwarang: Poet Warrior Youth

The drama tells the story of beautiful-looking young men called Hwarang in Silla, one of the three kingdoms of Korea. The warriors include a man from the lowest class of Silla and the hidden king who secretly joins. The men also fall for the maiden Ah Ro.

Cast –

• Park Seo Joon as Moo Myung
• Park Hyung Sik as Sam Maek Jong
• Go Ah Ra as Ah Ro
• Seo Yea Ji as Sook Myung

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Netflix, Viki, Kocowa

21. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung

Set in the early 19th century, Goo Hae Ryung works as a historian. Female historians are generally looked down upon because of their gender. Along with the fight of the female palace historians, the drama will tell her romance with Prince Yi Rim who has a secret of his own.

Cast –

• Shin Se Kyung as Goo Hae Ryung / Hui Yeon
• Cha Eun Woo as Prince Yi Rim / Maehwa
• Lee Ji Hoon as Min Woo Won
• Park Ki Woong as Yi Jin

No. Of Episodes – 40

Watch On – Netflix

22. Alchemy Of Souls

Set in a fictional country called Daeho, Jang Wook of the noble Jang family has a secret about his birth. He meets Mu Deok, an elite warrior trapped within a physically weak body who becomes his servant and secretly begins teaching him how to fight.

Rating:

Main Cast (Characters):

• Lee Jae Wook as Jang Wook
• Jung So Min as Mu Deok Yi
• Hwang Min Hyun as Seo Yul
• Shin Seung Ho as Go Won

No. Of Episodes: 20 (80 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

Wrapping Up

So, these were the best historical Korean dramas to watch over this weekend. These period dramas are perfect. Get ready with your snacks & let the binge-watching game begin.

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