Historical/Costume/Period K-Dramas

Orphaned at birth, Baek Dae Gil (Jang Geun Suk) has become a master gambler to survive. However, his true identity is a closely guarded secret: he's the eldest son of King Sukjong (Choi Min Soo), stolen away and presumed dead. King Sukjong’s other two sons, Yoon (Hyun Woo) and Yeoning (Yeo Jin Goo), are next in line to the throne, but they’re in constant conflict due to Yeoning’s mother’s lower-class status. Dae Gil and Yeoning’s paths intertwine when they both fall for Dam Seo (Lim Ji Yeon), a woman driven by a burning desire for revenge against the king. Dae Gil eventually proposes a wager: if he wins a bet, he becomes the king, but if he loses, he’ll pay with his life. Will he succeed, or will he come to regret his decision?

The Royal Gambler

Totally Awesome

JTBC

When Queen Sim (Jang Hee Jin) struggles with infertility, she seeks help from shaman Hong Joo (Yum Jung Ah), whose powerful black magic helps her give birth to twins Soon Hwae (Yeo Hoe Hyun) and Seo Ri (Kim Sae Ron). However, the dark sorcery curses Seo Ri, causing the Queen to abandon her. Rescued by Poong Yeon's (Kwak Si Yang) father, Seo Ri grows up in hiding, learning witchcraft with her friend Poong Yeon and helper Choi Hyun Seo (Lee Sung Jae). When she encounters royal physician Heo Jun (Yoon Shi Yoon), she hopes he can help her break the curse and reclaim her true identity. This is a 2016 South Korean historical fantasy drama directed by Jo Hyun Tak, inspired by the classic medical text "Mirror of Eastern Medicine" from the Joseon Dynasty.

Mirror of the Witch

Team Bewitched

In the tumultuous formation of the Joseon Dynasty, six powerful individuals with conflicting ideologies battle for political supremacy. Prince Lee Bang Won (Yoo Ah In) and Jeong Do Jeon (Kim Myung Min) find themselves on opposing sides of a critical power struggle, with Do Jeon helping his father Lee Seong Gye (Chun Ho Jin) establish the new kingdom as its first monarch, King Tae Jo. Boon Yi (Shin Se Kyung), Ddang Sae (Byun Yo Han), and Moo Hyul (Yoon Kyun Sang) become entangled in the complex political landscape, where the fight is between those advocating for ministerial rule and those seeking absolute power. As tensions escalate, Bang Won, who will eventually become King Tae Jong, emerges as Do Jeon's most formidable adversary. This is a 2015 South Korean historical drama series directed by Shin Kyung Soo.

Six Flying Dragons

The Flying Dragons

Jang Ok Jung (Kim Tae Hee), a woman of extraordinary beauty and talent in the Joseon Dynasty, defies her humble origins as she works her way up from working as a palace maid to becoming a royal tailor. She eventually catches the eye of King Suk Jong (Yoo Ah In), but their romance is fraught with royal politics due to their different social statuses. Suk Jong is willing to move heaven and earth for their love, growing his power enormously, while Ok Jung’s increasingly improved social standing begins to change her. Will Ok Jung and Suk Jong’s love find a way to defeat the odds, or was it an ill-fated union from the beginning? This drama was based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Choi Jung Mi.

Jang Ok Jung, Living in Love

In 14th-century Goryeo, loyal and fearless general Choi Young (Lee Min Ho) is tasked by King Gongmin (Ryu Deok Hwan) to find a legendary doctor capable of healing the dying queen. Through a mysterious portal, he travels 700 years into the future, landing in modern-day Seoul. There, he encounters Yoo Eun Soo (Kim Hee Sun), a feisty plastic surgeon who initially believes him to be a delusional cosplayer. Kidnapped and brought back to Goryeo, Eun Soo struggles to adapt to the ancient world and its primitive medical practices, all while facing political intrigue and the dangers of a warring kingdom. As she reluctantly treats the royal family and Choi Young protects her fiercely, an unlikely romance blossoms amidst their desperate attempts to find a way for her to return home.

The Great Doctor

The Faith Team

During the political turmoil of 18th-century Joseon, Baek Dong Soo (Ji Chang Wook) was adopted by a swordsmith and grew up alongside Yeo Woon (Yoo Seung Ho). However, their paths diverge dramatically in adulthood: while Dong Soo embraces justice and loyalty, eventually joining the royal guard, Woon is drawn into a clandestine assassin organization, becoming a skilled but conflicted killer. Their brotherhood is tested as they find themselves on opposing sides of a brewing war, one fighting to protect the Crown Prince and the other serving a shadowy faction aiming to overthrow the kingdom. This drama was based on the comic “Honorable Baek Dong Soo” by Lee Jae Heon.

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