5 Historical K-Dramas That Don’t Revolve Around Royalty
The life of commoners may be just as interesting.
Given the rich history of the Joseon Dynasty, it's not surprising that there are so many Korean dramas focusing on the empire. What people have noticed, however, is a heavy emphasis on the lives of royalty, rather than a glimpse into the more ordinary stories of the time.
If you're the kind of person who's more interested in the trials and tribulations that people from the lower classes faced in their everyday lives, rather than watching the lavish lives of emperors, here are 5 K-dramas that you might enjoy.
Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency (2019)
This show is great because it shows the whole variety of people and the lives they lived. From the king who never even thought of leading Joseon into its bright future, to his common-born first love Gae Ddong who has to go through the transformation of a lifetime to become a noblewoman worthy of a royal marriage, the show has it all and more.
Saimdang, Light’s Diary (2017)
Once a successful art history lecturer, Seo Ji Yoon loses everything she has in one fell swoop. However, the long-lost diary of Shin Saimdang, a Korean artist, writer, calligrapher, and poet, may hold some very important words of wisdom for the modern heroine. With her help, Ji Yoon is determined to get her life back.
Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010)
If you loved the story of Mulan, you will most likely enjoy Sungkyunkwan Scandal. Instead of going to war, the smart and responsible Kim Yun Hee decides to disguise herself as a man and pass the national exam to get into Sungkyunkwan University. Although she initially does this to save her family, she also finds a lot of joy in it.
Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People (2017)
The story of a struggle between two people: a king who failed to be the leader the people wanted him to be and a slave who managed to speak to the commoners in a way that their hearts and souls understood. This show perfectly captures the difference between the two classes and the conflict that this difference tends to create.
Mr. Sunshine (2018)
This is the story of love that could never be. A man, who was born enslaved, but managed to run away to the U.S. and become a soldier, comes back home in times when his country needs him the most. Instead, he finds himself in love with a young orphaned woman coming from the aristocracy.