Every country has their own legendary TV shows that every generation still loves and talks about like ‘Friends’, and ‘The Office’. Have you ever wondered what these Korean celebrities on talk shows are referencing or your favorite Korean TV show is doing a parody of? In this nostalgic article, we are going to introduce top five dramas that were so sensational that people still miss and love.
대장금 (Dae Jang Geum) – 2003
대장금 (Dae Jang Geum) is a MBC’s drama based on a life of real person called 서장금 (Seo Jang Geum), who later got given the name 대장금 (Dae Jang Geum) a.k.a. “The Great Geum” by the King Joong Jong. This TV drama that was aired from September 2003 to March 2004, was a big hit and has a total of 54 episodes. Ja Geom was originally working at the Palace’s kitchen preparing meals for the royal before she studied and became a nurse for the royals. Still nowdays, the show’s theme song is often used as a back ground music when someone is doing anything cooking-related in entertainment TV shows.
아내의 유혹 (Wife’s Temptation) – 2008
This is the legendary TV drama that made a whole new drama genre, ‘막장’ (extreme soap opera). This drama revolves around the sweet and kind wife of a man, 구은재 (Gu Eum Jae) who gets cheated on and even killed (which was not successfully done) by her own husband, 정교빈 (Jeong Gyu Bin). She later on comes back to her husband and lives as a whole different woman with a new name and, a new beauty mark under her eye to get her revenge. The drama’s theme song and beauty mark under the eye are still used as a ‘I am going to get my revenge’ symbol in other dramas.
파리의 연인 (Lovers in Paris) – 2004
If you are a fan of drama script writer 김은숙’s (Kim Eun Sook) work, you might know this one. Just like her recent hits, 태양의 후예 (Descendant’s of the Sun) and 도깨비 (Goblin), 파리의 연인 (Lovers in Paris) was the biggest hit of the year 2004. The drama is about a girl meeting a prince charming which is quite a stereotypical scenario. However, it gained its fame for brilliant lines (which sound quite cringe worthy now) such as “저 남자가 내 사람이다! 저 남자가 내 애인이다! 왜 말을 못 하냐고! (Why couldn’t you tell them that man is my man, that man is my lover!)” and “이 안에 너 있다 (in here you live)” while pointing to his own heart.
모래시계 (Hourglass) – 1995 This almost 30-year-old TV drama is so legendary, it has even been made into a musical. The show was specially made to celebrate the 50th independence year of South Korea. Although, the drama was aired a long time ago, the younger generations won’t know what it was about. However, they certainly know this one line “나 지금 떨고 있냐 (am I trembling now)”. When celebrities do the impression of an actor 최민수 (Choi Min Su) who played the main character, they always use his other famous line from the drama that goes “이렇게 하면 널 가질 수 있을 거라 생각했어! (I thought I could make you mine this way!)”.