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Take 5: These are the South Korean Shows to watch after Squid Game

Pierra WillixThe West Australian
Kim Sunja (Kim Min-ha) and Koh Hansu (Lee Min-ho).
Camera IconKim Sunja (Kim Min-ha) and Koh Hansu (Lee Min-ho). Credit: Supplied by Apple TV

Pachinko

Streaming on Apple TV Plus

This drama has totally slipped under the radar since being released in March, despite being critically acclaimed. It admittedly had me sobbing as the credits rolled on the finale.

Based on the 2017 novel of the same name by Min Jin Lee, the epic family saga centres on Kim Sunja, who grows up in Busan but moves to Japan as a young woman seeking a better life.

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Told throughout her life, she faces a struggle to survive firstly under Japanese occupation and then in Osaka as the Korean immigrant population faces overwhelming discrimination.

A confronting and heartbreaking portrait of displacement, but flawless and captivating TV.

Crash Landing on You.
Camera IconCrash Landing on You. Credit: Supplied by Netflix.

Crash Landing on You

Streaming on Netflix

While paragliding near Seoul, South Korean businesswoman and heiress Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin) is swept up in a sudden storm and crash-lands in the North Korean side of the demilitarised zone.

But when she meets army captain Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin) he decides to help her hide. Over time they fall in love, despite the divide and dispute between their respective countries.

The premise may seem far fetched, but the romance at the centre of the story will draw you in, while action sequences will keep you on the edge of your seat.

All of us are Dead Cr. Yang Hae-sung/Netflix © 2021
Camera IconAll of us are Dead Cr. Yang Hae-sung/Netflix © 2021 Credit: Yang Hae-sung/Netflix

All of Us Are Dead

Streaming on Netflix

If you want to dive into a K-drama zombie show after watching movies Train to Busan and Alive, this years All of Us Are Dead is the perfect choice.

It takes place at a high school as a zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out and threatens the safety of the students, before spreading around the city.

It’s a slow burn, with 10 hour-long episode, but the extensive run time allows for a thought-provoking look at human behaviour and how chaos can bring out the best or worst in us.

As with any good zombie story, there’s plenty of gore too.

Jung Jinsu
Jin Kyunghun
Camera IconJung Jinsu Jin Kyunghun Credit: Jung Jaegu | Netflix/Netflix

Hellbound

Streaming on Netflix

While three Hulk-like supernatural monsters that appear out of thin air and maul people to death before incinerating them are the stuff of nightmares when this compelling series opens, as it unfolds it becomes clear the real terror lies in how humans act in the face of these occurrences.

Summing up this show in just a few lines is near on impossible, but it follows two groups who seize on the fear associated with what is unfolding, and encourage people to turn on each other to determine who deserves to be sent to hell.

The topics it tackles — faith, mortality, sin and justice — make it clear that when it comes to mixing horror and how humanity deals with it, the Koreans do it best.

It's Okay to Not Be Okay
Camera IconIt's Okay to Not Be Okay Credit: Supplied by Netflix.

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay

Streaming on Netflix

While this series may be triggering for some struggling with their mental health, it is also a powerful meditation on healing and, as the title suggests, how we can and should reach out when we need help.

It follows two brothers, Moon Gang-tae and Moon Sang-tae, the younger of whom works as a caretaker in a psychiatric ward, while also caring for his older sibling, who has autism and has been traumatised since witnessing the murder of their mother at a young age.

When starting a new job he meets a children’s book author and they connect and find comfort in each other, and over time, all three begin the process of moving forward.

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