12 Must-Watch Historical K-Drama Series

Published Sep 25, 2026, 9:00 PM EDT

Shealyn Scott is a Senior Writer at Screen Rant. She has been writing for the site since 2024, focused on network, reality, streaming, and classic television.
A creative writer, journalist, and lover of the written word in all its forms, Shealyn enjoys deconstructing scenes from her favorite shows, using context clues and historical precedent to predict major plot points (which, due to her successful track record, has sparked rumors of clairvoyance).
As an award-winning student journalist, Shealyn spent her college years advocating for the humanities while studying English Literature. Her love of storytelling propelled her to expand her degree with minors in Writing and History, believing life to be a mere collection of stories that can be framed in as many ways as a movie scene.
As a Senior member of the TV Team, Shealyn treats the series she covers like books, analyzing every line, camera angle, and lighting choice. Thankfully, her personal mission statement lines up perfectly with Screen Rant: every creative work deserves just as much thought from the viewer as it received from its creator.

Some of the best K-dramas of all time captivate viewers with tales that take place thousands of years ago. The ever-growing genre has countless love stories that are set in the modern day and feature perfectly relatable protagonists, but sometimes the best way to ensure true immersion for the audience is to draw upon iconic periods of not-quite-ancient history.

As common as period pieces are in dramaland, however, it takes hard work to turn a historical plot into a masterpiece K-drama. Some series prize authenticity, crafting extraordinarily accurate costumes, props, and set dressing to instantly transport viewers to the Goryeo or Joseon era. Conversely, many visionary K-dramas of the 2020s have begun prioritizing unique storytelling, taking the familiar formula of a period drama and giving it an inspired narrative twist. Regardless, historical K-dramas have been taking the industry by storm for decades, and each title is its own era-defining journey.

The Scandal

Despite being such a recent release, The Scandal is already one of the best historical K-dramas on streaming. Netflix's newest Dangerous Liaisons adaptation, The Scandal follows noblewoman Lady Cho (Son Ye-jin) as she enlists notorious rake Cho Won (Ji Chang-wook) to seduce and scandalize Ahn Hui-yeon (Nana), a young widow.

As the title suggests, the period drama is filled to the brim with tension, intrigue, and enough deception to spare, making it one of the most thrilling watches of recent memory. Don't let its compact eight-episode run fool you; The Scandal is a delightfully shocking romp that will leave a lasting impression.

Moon River

Period settings alone offer the audience a sense of escapism, but weaving fantasy elements into a drama can turn a history lesson into full-blown wish fulfillment. Case in point: Moon River, a surprisingly romantic story of soul-swapping and sinister palace politics.

Crown Prince Lee Kang (Kang Tae-oh) is stoic after losing his first love, while ordinary peddler Park Dal-i (Kim Se-jeong) struggles with amnesia. Together, the pair form one of the most compatible K-drama couples of the past decade, and their love story unfolds with the spectacle of a period drama and the heart of a classic romantic comedy.

Empress Ki

Nevertheless, there's something equally alluring about historical dramas that draw upon real-life events. As the name indicates, Empress Ki chronicles the life of Ki Seung-nyang/Ki Nyang (Ha Ji-won), a woman who fought undercover as a soldier and was later forcibly wed to Emperor Toghon Temür (Ji Chang-wook).

The classic K-drama follows Empress Ki's ever-growing prominence throughout the Goryeo period, establishing her as one of the most influential women in Korean history. Alongside some true-to-life storylines of power politics and constricting gender roles, Empress Ki infuses the drama with a romantic— albeit creative— twist, focusing on the pseudo love triangle that dictates the main character's ascension to ubiquity.

The East Palace

In stark contrast, The East Palace constructs a totally fictional version of the Joseon Dynasty to spin a wicked web of supernatural curses, inheritance battles, and the many skeletons in the monarchy's closet. At the heart of the action is Gu-cheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), an orphan with the uncanny ability to travel to the Realm of Gwi and lead vengeful spirits into the afterlife.

To earn his freedom and protect the king's legacy, Gu-cheon employs the help of Saeng-gang (Roh Yoon-seo), an estranged noble who can communicate with spirits and listen in on their rumblings. With truly terrifying visuals and career-best performances from the ensemble cast, The East Palace is undoubtedly one of the best ghostly K-dramas ever made.

Under the Queen’s Umbrella

Unlike most of its contemporaries, Under the Queen's Umbrella isn't a lighthearted romance or a gritty supernatural thriller. Rather, the 2022 series lies somewhere between, centering on Queen Im Hwa-ryeong (Kim Hye-soo) and her quest to turn her troublemaker sons into respectable princes who are worthy of the throne.

Besides being led by an indomitable female K-drama lead, Under the Queen's Umbrella offers something entirely unique in the family dynamics of the core monarchy. There's real tenderness between the Queen and her children, and it makes it all the more captivating to watch them grow throughout the show's 16 episodes.

The Crowned Clown

The Crowned Clown may have a fairly absurd premise, but the melodrama still packs a serious punch. Arguably one of the best K-dramas about doppelgängers of the century, The Crowned Clown spotlights Yeo Jin-goo in a dual role as King Yi Heon and Ha-seon, the titular clown that takes his place to field assassination plots.

Unbeknownst to the King, however, the jester's creativity and general joie de vivre make him an unexpectedly capable leader, to the point where the crown's constituents— and the entire royal guard— prefer the so-called placeholder. Yet, in a time when one wrong move means total devastation, it's impossible to predict who will get the last laugh.

Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung

Split between 1810 and 1830, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung dramatizes aspects of the Veritable Records of the Joseon Dynasty to create one of the most memorable K-dramas of Cha Eun-woo's career thus far. The eponymous historian Goo Hae-ryung (Shin Se-kyung) is bold and brash, always ready to assert her independence, question undue authority, or fight to have the last word, be it in the palace or in a jail cell.

Meanwhile, Yi Rim (Cha Eun-woo) spends his days as a romance author, not knowing that he is secretly the rightful heir to the Joseon Dynasty throne. The two form a partnership that is so out-of-place, it somehow works, and together, they forge a new path to navigate the unforgiving world they were thrust into.

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty was one of the biggest K-dramas of 2025, and it's plain to see why. Based on originality alone, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty stands in a league of its own, as the basic premise follows a modern-day Michelin chef named Yeon Ji-yeong (Lim Yoona) traveling back in time to the Joseon era.

There, the talented but outspoken chef clashes with infamous tyrant Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min). To survive the palace and the winding plots of everyone within it, Ji-yeong must use the only weapon she has: her unmatched culinary expertise. Consequently, her cooking becomes the only lifeline she can rely on— but it threatens to rewrite history itself.

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

At first glance, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo feels very similar. Just like Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, the 2016 romantasy K-drama follows a 21st century woman being magically transported back in time. In place of the Netflix original's culinary genius, however, the melodrama has Go Ha-jin (IU), a listless civilian who finds herself suddenly torn between princes vying for the throne.

Without question, Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is laden with tropes that make it somewhat cliché, but that's its entire appeal. Over a decade after its premiere, the historical K-drama remains a cult favorite for its comforting familiarity and easy-to-follow story.

The Red Sleeve

The Red Sleeve has one of the most harrowing K-drama endings you'll ever see, but the one-of-a-kind love story is worth the pain. Inspired by the novel of the same name that draws upon the real lives of King Jeongjo and Consort Ui, The Red Sleeve follows their epic romance— from the King's (Lee Jun-ho) early courtship to Consort UI's (Lee Se-young) first birth.

Plenty of historical K-dramas cut the tension with levity or a character whose sole purpose is comedic relief, but The Red Sleeve leaves you to reckon with each tear-jerking decision the main characters make. It isn't the type of show you can rewatch every weekend, but it will nonetheless linger in the viewer's mind long after the credits first roll.