I’ve mentioned this on my blog before, but I love Korean dramas! No matter how many times I try to avoid them, which is not easy because my mom watches them everyday, I still go back to them. Last week, I binged-watched a Korean BL (Boys’ Love) drama titled, Unintentional Love Story (2023) for the second time, and my gosh, I forgot how good it was! One thing led to another and before I knew it, my Korean drama obsession was back in full-swing. I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole of reviewing my favorite Korean dramas on my blog, not all of them, at least, but I thought it would be fun to come up with one song that represents each of my 10 favorite Korean dramas. It’s music-related, so why not? With all that said, let’s get on with the music!
10. “Beautiful Soul” by Jesse McCartney for Oh My Venus (2015-2016)
In My Top 10 Music Videos post, I mentioned that I love makeovers because I find it fascinating how hair and makeup can change someone’s appearance. However, the best makeovers are the ones where the main characters do it for themselves, rather than to please others. Oh My Venus is about a former high school beauty named Kang Joo-eun (played by Shin Min-a), who meets and blackmails a personal trainer named Kim Young-ho (played by So Ji-sub) to help her lose weight after her boyfriend dumps her. Young-ho isn’t like other personal trainers, though, instead of emphasizing the importance of being skinny, he just wants Joo-eun to live a healthier lifestyle and do what’s best for her body. Through their training sessions together, he falls in love with her “beautiful soul,” rather than her new slim figure. The important lesson of Oh My Venus is that beauty comes from within, rather than one’s physical appearance.
9. “My Life Would Suck Without You” by Kelly Clarkson for Cunning Single Lady (2014)
Cunning Single Lady will always have a special place in my heart because it was one of the first Korean dramas I watched seriously, rather than see clips of it on TV. It’s about a beautiful, but scheming woman named Na Ae-ra (played by Lee Min-jung), who vows to win back her ex-husband Cha Jung-woo (played by the mighty handsome Joo Sang-wook) after he becomes a successful and wealthy businessman. Sounds like Ae-ra is an evil witch, but she’s really not; her tough demeanor is to hide the pain and sufferings she encountered while working multiple jobs to support Jung-woo during their four-year marriage. I originally wanted to pick “Rewrite the Stars” from The Greatest Showman (2017) because of the plotline later in the series, when Jung-woo really wants to get back together with Ae-ra, but she’s hesitant to do so because of Gook Yeo-jin (played by Kim Gyu-ri), another girl who’s after Jung-woo’s affections and happens to be the director of the company he works at. Then, I remembered the emotional roller coaster ride of Ae-ra and Jung-woo’s relationship; despite their fights and misunderstandings, they couldn’t stay away from each other. That’s when I realized Kelly Clarkson’s “My Life Would Suck Without You” suited the couple better.
8. “Falling” by Harry Styles for Once Again (2020)
Ironically enough, Once Again also stars Lee Min-jung, who still looks great, by the way! The show is about a married couple (played by Cheon Ho-jin and Cha Hwa-yeon) and their four children. Their two eldest, (played by Oh Dae-hwan and Oh Yoon-ah) are both divorcees who live with their parents, their third child (played by Lee Min-jung) is a pediatrician who’s in a difficult marriage to her husband (played by Lee Sang-yeob), and their youngest (played by Lee Cho-hee) is a struggling intern at a company. I chose “Falling” by Harry Styles for Once Again because it perfectly describes the broken first marriage of Lee Min-jung and Lee Sang-yeob’s characters, Song Na-hee and Yoon Gyu-jin. During their first marriage, Na-hee experienced a miscarriage, which drove a wedge between the two because they never talked about how it affected both of them. Listening to the lyrics, “and there’s no one to blame, but the drink in my wandering hands,” reflects Gyu-jin’s actions greatly early in the series because of his inability to comfort his wife when she needed him most. Thankfully, Gyu-jin and Na-hee have a happy ending, but it was not easy getting there.
7. “If I Die Young” by The Band Perry for Reunited Worlds (2017)
When I first watched Reunited Worlds (in the U.S., it was titled, Into the World Again) during my freshman year of college, I thought the plotline was so unique because it’s about a high school student coming back from the dead! Basically, a high school senior named Sung Hae-sung (played by Yeo Jin-goo), who tragically died on his birthday after being hit by a car, reunites with his girlfriend, Jung Jung-won (played by Lee Yeon-hee), and friends to uncover the mystery of his death and clear his name after being falsely accused of murder. Jung-won, who was planning a surprise party for him then, carried the burden of Hae-sung’s death for years because she was the one who told him to get her wallet at their school, the place where he got hit by a car and died. When Hae-sung came back to the human world briefly, he helped Jung-won get the closure she needed to move on with her life and reassured her that she didn’t cause his death. There’s a song by The Band Perry called, “If I Die Young,” and the line that always gets to me is, “funny when you’re dead how people start listening.” It describes the lasting impact Hae-sung’s death left on his friends and family, especially when society shunned his family for being associated with a “so-called” murderer.
6. “Part of Me” by Katy Perry for She Was Pretty (2015)
In a similar vein to Oh My Venus, She Was Pretty also covers the important lesson of beauty coming from within; the only difference is the latter does it better. She Was Pretty centers around two childhood friends, Kim Hye-jin (played by Hwang Jung-eum) and Ji Sung-joon (played by Park Seo-joon), who reunite after being apart for years. Hye-jin was a beautiful and popular girl who befriended the lonely and unattractive, Sung-joon. In a surprising twist of fate, however, Hye-jin struggled to make ends meet and along the way, grew curly hair and freckles, while Sung-joon became a handsome and successful editor at a fashion magazine. Hye-jin ends up interning at the magazine and while she does get a makeover, she does it for herself, rather than to please others, including Sung-joon. Initially being each other’s first love, the two found their way back to each other and best of all, Sung-joon never asked her to change for him because he liked her with and without the freckles. Katy Perry’s “Part of Me” is a breakup song that can be interpreted as Hye-jin breaking up with the misfortunes that held her back for years and those who told her she wasn’t good enough. She forges a new path for herself that allows her to follow her dreams, with Sung-joon supporting her every step of the way, of course.
5. “I’ll Stand by You” by the Pretenders for I Can Hear Your Voice (2013)
Not going to lie, I shipped Lee Jong-suk and Lee Bo-young so hard after watching this drama because their chemistry was amazing! I Can Hear Your Voice centers around a high school senior named Park Soo-ha (played by Lee Jong-suk) and a public defender named Jang Hye-sung (played by Lee Bo-young) who get tangled in each other’s lives again, following the release of the man who murdered Soo-ha’s father, Min Joon-gook (played by Jung Woong-in). When she was a high school student, Hye-sung witnessed Joon-gook murder Soo-ha’s father and testified against him in court, despite the killer’s threats. Grateful for her sacrifice, Soo-ha falls in love with Hye-sung and vows to protect her at all times. This drama highlights the importance of having a good support system because Soo-ha came very close to becoming a murderer himself, but unlike Joon-gook, Soo-ha had Hye-sung in his corner and she gave him a reason to fight the good fight. The Pretenders’ “I’ll Stand by You” beautifully captures Soo-ha and Hye-sung’s devotion to one another, through both the good and bad moments.
4. “A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri for Still 17 (2018)
Still 17 is one of those dramas that’s both hilarious and heartbreaking, at the same time. The show centers around Woo Seo-ri (played by Shin Hye-sun), an aspiring violinist whose life gets turned upside down when she falls into a coma from a bus accident that occured when she was 17. Gong Woo-jin (played by Yang Se-jong) was one of her classmates and harbored a crush on her for years, but because of a misunderstanding, he blames himself for causing her “so called” death, and as a result, he became an aloof individual who avoids getting involved with others. As fate would have it, the two help each other overcome their obstacles and fall in love. Much to Woo-jin’s surprise, his feelings for Seo-ri were reciprocated. In fact, while he was crushing on her, she was crushing on him; they just didn’t know it and I love that! Like Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years,” they were meant to be soulmates and will continue to love each other for a thousand years more.
3. “Enchanted” by Taylor Swift for Unintentional Love Story (2023)
Unintentional Love Story, my gosh, despite the lackluster kissing scenes, this drama is so good! The show centers around a recently fired office employee named Ji Won-young (played by Gongchan), who schemes to get his job back by convincing Yoon Tae-joon (played by Cha Seo-won), a wealthy pottery shop owner whose father is a famous painter, to sign a business deal with his former company. However, he ends up falling in love with Tae-joon, and is forced to question his sexuality and what his heart truly desires. Almost two years ago, I watched a really good fan made video for Unintentional Love Story using Taylor Swift’s “Enchanted” and that’s been the song I associate the show with ever since. It perfectly sums up their relationship now that I think about it, for different reasons. Won-young never got a break and spent the past two years trying to pay off his student loans, while Tae-joon was scared to open up his heart to someone else after his former lover dumped him for money. Together, they learned to enjoy and appreciate life again (refer to the scenes where they spray each other with water hoses and chase each other around Tae-joon’s pottery workshop in his house). Plus, they were obviously “enchanted” with one another; I mean look at the way they gaze into each other’s beautiful eyes!
2. “Unsaid Emily” from Julie and the Phantoms for 18 Again (2020)
If you’ve seen the movie, 17 Again (2009) with Zac Efron, 18 Again is basically a more in depth, hilarious, and emotionally heartbreaking version of the movie. Married couple Jung Da-Jung and Hong Dae-young (played by Kim Ha-neul and Yoon Sang-hyun) are unhappy with their marriage, leading Da-jung to file for a divorce. Dae-young blames Da-jung for his failures in life, including passing up a basketball scholarship when she became pregnant with their twins, and he wishes to go back in time to fix his mistakes. Back in his 18-year-old body (played by the talented Lee Do-hyun), he hopes to get the basketball scholarship he passed on years ago and get into a good university. However, he soon realizes that he needs his wife and kids more than a basketball scholarship and vows to win them back before it’s too late. I’ve mentioned in My Favorite Songs from Fall 2023 blog post that I got into 18 Again because of a fan made compilation video with the song, “Unsaid Emily,” from Julie and the Phantoms (2020) because it captures the vibe of the show really well. The lyrics bring curiosity to the concept of going back in time to fix our mistakes and the things we regret most, which unfortunately, will forever be an impossibility; Dae-young just got lucky.
1. “Fire on Fire” by Sam Smith for Light on Me (2021)
If you haven’t read my review for Light on Me, the show is about a lonely high school student named Woo Tae-kyung (played by Lee Sae-on), who joins his high school’s student council to make friends, where he gets caught in a love triangle with Shin Da-on (played by Choe Chan-yi) and Noh Shin-woo (played by Kang You-seok). Randomly, I would rewatch fan made compilation videos for Light on Me because it’s a comforting show with an innocent storyline that doesn’t appear in Korean dramas often. I’ve seen videos using Christina Perri’s “A Thousand Years,” Rosé’s “Gone,” Phil Wickham’s “It’s Always Been You,” Ayokay’s “Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend,” Sam Smith’s “Fire on Fire,” and probably more, but those are the only songs I can think of currently. I originally wanted to pick “Don’t Wanna Be Your Friend” because it showcases Shin-woo’s perspective really well, from an unrequited love point-of-view. However, the melody for Sam Smith’s “Fire on Fire” is gorgeous and I love how there are bits of Shin-woo and Tae-kyung’s relationship in the lyrics. “My mother said I’m too romantic” fits Shin-woo’s favorite movie genre (romance), “I’d like to think it’s how you lean on my shoulder” fits the scene where Tae-kyung falls asleep and Shin-woo places his head on his shoulder, “I don’t say a word, but still you take my breath and steal the things I know” fits Shin-woo’s inability to express his feelings with others, and my personal favorite, “they say that we’re out of control and some say we’re sinners” because of the homophobia the couple will experience from other classmates. Plus, let’s appreciate how Noh Shin-woo is boyfriend material to the max; Tae-kyung has a real keeper!
There you have it, people! Those are 10 songs that represent my favorite Korean dramas. This post was a lot of fun to do, but also very tiring because I watched so much Korean drama content prepping for it. Plus, I get addicted to things very easily; yeah I need to work on that. I could’ve simply picked 10 songs from each drama’s respective soundtrack, but I decided not to do that because I wanted to challenge myself. However, props to Hyolyn’s “Just Stay” from the Still 17 soundtrack because that song is a beautiful masterpiece!
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Comment below your favorite Korean dramas (if any)!
Take care and see ya real soon!
Lana
Lana Teramae | Me, Myself and Time 
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