7 K-dramas Based on True Stories

Team FC

Crash Landing On You (2019) - Netflix

The South Korean actress Jung Yang's actual experience served as a foundation for the plot of Crash Landing on You. Who was rescued after the boat slid into the maritime boundary between North and South Korea.

Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2017) - Netflix

Hwarang was based on the story of King Jin Heung, who recruited the elite warriors known as Hwarang from the Silla Kingdom, who would go on to become the greatest generals and military commanders in history.

Reply 1988 (2015) - Netflix

This drama, though fictional, portrays the everyday lives of South Koreans in the late 1980s, incorporating real historical events and cultural references.

The Empress Ki (2013) - Netflix, Viki Rakuten

While not a modern true story, it's based on the historical figure Empress Ki, who rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most powerful empresses in Korean history.

Fight For My Way (2017) - Netflix, Viki Rakuten

Yoshihiro Akiyama, better known as MMA fighter Choo Sung Hoon, and his spouse Yano Shiho served as the inspiration for the slice-of-life K-Drama. The show highlights the struggles faced by warriors' families.

Move To Heaven (2021) - Netflix

The tragic show, which was influenced by the non-fiction piece Things Left Behind, centers on trauma cleaners—those who tidy up after a death. Kim Sae Byul, founder of the trauma cleansing company Bio Hazard, wrote the essay, which assisted the K-Drama in shedding awareness on 'godoska'.

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