Travel the World by Watching These Korean Dramas

It’s been more than three months since I’m confined inside our home. To be honest, I did not imagine that this would be my life in the year 2020. In fact, I was excited to welcome this year because we had planned travel trips, we got the plane ticket, booked accommodation, and even approved visa but life is full of uncertainties.

Summer had passed and I am still stuck at home, I miss traveling and I miss going out, kahit makapaggrocery lang ko ulit, malaking achievement na for me. I don’t know when that will happen so for now, let me see the world through these Korean Drama Series. If you miss traveling or if you are looking for some travel goals, then check my list of k-drama that will take you to different places around the world.

For the last few years, I have watched 82 Korean Drama series and among my list, there are 16 series that will inspire you to travel. As of this writing, I am watching The Package and I enjoyed this series because I feel that I already visited France. It was not on my travel bucket list but now I was thinking to visit those places especially the Mont Saint Michel.

1.The Heirs or Inheritors (USA) 

Lee Min Ho is a rich heir of Jeguk Group that was exiled to the USA where he meets Park Shin Hye who went to the USA to find her sister. They reunited in an exclusive High School that is attended by wealthy and privileged kids. This is the series where I started to like Lee Min Ho so I also watched some of his series like The Legend of the Blue Sea and Boys Over Flowers.

2. Descendants of the Sun (Greece) 

This series is a major hit in South Korea, it earned a lot of awards and it so popular so some countries have their own local adaptation like Vietnam and the Philippines. The story is about the captain and doctor who met in the emergency room. But because of their job and differences, they had a hard time to continue their relationship. DOTS is one of my favorite Korean Dramas, so I was a little bit sad when Song-Song couple separated.

3. The Legend of the Blue Sea (Spain) 

I like Lee Min Ho so it is no brainer that I immediately watch The Legend of the Blue Sea. This story is all about the mermaid who explores the ocean to look for the con-artist. Little did they know that they have a connection way back to the Joseon period.

4. Love Story in Harvard (USA) 

I have watched a few episodes of Love Story in Harvard on the television but was not able to finish it so, after more than a decade, I decided to watch this again. Half of the drama was filmed at Harvard University where law student Kim Rae Won and medical student Kim Tae Hee met.

5. Goblin or Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Canada) 

Goblin is the fifth highest-rated drama in South Korea, it won several awards and became a cultural phenomenon not only in South Korea but in other countries too like the Philippines. The story is about the 900 plus-year-old military general who was cursed to stay immortal, a grim reaper, and high school student who have a tragic past.

6. Boys Over Flowers (Macau and New Caledonia) 

A series that is based on Japanese Manga, a love story between a poor high school girl and a rich kid who met in Shinhwa High School. It has 25 episodes but if you want to feel young again then watch this.

7. K2 (Spain) 

A former mercenary soldier who was hired to be a bodyguard of the hidden daughter of a presidential candidate. The first Korean Drama series of Ji Chang Wook that I watched and since then, I’m a huge fan.

8. Doctor Stranger (Hungary) 

Lee Jong Suk and his father fleed to North Korea and were denied access to go back to South Korea. Lee Jong Sook became a top surgeon just like his father who is also a famous doctor. He vows to reunite with Jin Se Yeon.

9. Black Knight: The Man Who Guards Me (Slovenia) 

This drama is about a pure executive man and a travel agent who never traveled outside her country. The businessman accepted a dangerous fate by protecting the woman he loves. A love story that spans hundreds of years.

10. Are You Human Too (Czech Republic) 

A renowned brain scientist and artificial intelligence expert who was forced to part with her son so she created an android robot that is exactly like her son to cope with her loss over the years. She sent this android robot to protect her son’s position who was in a coma.

11. Memories of Alhambra (Spain) 

The love story of the CEO of Augmented Reality game and hostel owner. They met in Spain when the executive stays at the hostel of the woman who is also part of the mysterious and unexpected twists of the story both in real and AR world.

12. Encounter (Cuba) 

A divorced woman who has everything and an ordinary young man who was still starting his life met in Cuba. Both returned to South Korea only to find out that he will work in Donghwa hotel owned by the woman he met in Cuba.

13. Shopping King Louie or Shopaholic Louis (France) 

A romantic comedy about a young chaebol who loves shopping. He was suffering memory loss when he meets a country girl who agrees to help him until he regains his memory. I was hesitant to watch this because I’m not into shopping but I ended up liking this drama and it is one of my favorites too. If you want to laugh, then watch this kdrama.

14. Terius Behind Me or My Secret Terius (Poland) 

A detached secret service agent who helped a widowed woman. He takes care of the woman's kids and discovers the mystery behind the death of the husband.

15. Crash Landing on You (Switzerland) 

A South Korean heiress who accidentally lands in North Korea due to paragliding mishaps. She met the captain who decided to hide and help her to go back to South Korea. Despite their differences, they fell in love. I love this kdrama too and after watching this, I wanted to go to Switzerland.

16. The Package (France) 

Lee Yeon Hee works as a tour guide who leads a group of tourists on a premium package tour in France. It is a story of travelers who have different personalities, stories and in the end, they become closer and involve in each other’s lives.

As I mentioned before, this Korean Drama will take you to different places in France. It is not the typical Eiffel Tower or Disneyland Paris tour. And because of this series, I discovered more fascinating and interesting places in France so it is now added to my bucket list.

17. Chocolate (Greece)

Chocolate is all about a boy who wants to be a chef but ended up to be a neurosurgeon. A girl who became a cook because of the boy. Most of the scenes were shot in South Korea but there are some scenes in Greece because Moon Cha-young went to Greece to escape. She works in a Cafe in the small town of Monemvasia Greece. 

2020 may not be a year of travel but I am hoping that soon we will be in the mood to travel again. Let us travel the world before we run out of time. Care to share other Korean Drama that was filmed in other countries.

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