Fact meets fiction: 10 K-dramas inspired by true events

Inspired by: A real-life 2006 school bullying case in South Korea that involved a curling iron 

Writer Kim Eun-sook (Descendants of the Sun, Goblin, The King: Eternal Monarch, Mr. Sunshine) was spurred to write The Glory after having a candid conversation with her daughter about school violence. The K-drama’s emotional core—and its raw, often harrowing depiction of bullying—was partly inspired by a 2006 case that shocked South Korea, in which middle school students extorted and assaulted a classmate using, among other things, a curling iron. Fans of The Glory will recognise this chilling detail, as it plays out on screen in a pivotal scene involving Song Hye-kyo’s character, Moon Dong-eun.

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Inspired by: Jeju residents and haenyeo, particularly Hong Kyung-ja

Although the award-winning K-drama is fictional, it draws plenty of inspiration from the experiences of Jeju Island’s resilient community, especially the haenyeo, who embody quiet strength and perseverance. The show paid tribute to one haenyo in particular, Hong Kyung-ja, whose name appears on a diver’s floating device in one episode.

She also caught the imagination of fans, thanks to the many parallels her life shares with that of IU’s character, Ae-sun. Like Ae-sun, Hong Kyung-ja lost her mother at a young age and grew up shouldering responsibility for her family. And also like the show’s protagonist, she married her childhood sweetheart, a man who, like Park Bo-gum’s Gwan-sik, was so devoted, he would later be honoured with the “Beautiful Husband Award” by the Jeju YWCA.

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Inspired by: Speculated parallels to the real-life marriage of Samsung heiress Lee Boo-jin and Lim Woo-jae

In Queen of Tears, chaebol heiress Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) marries Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), a man from a modest background who works within their family-owned business empire. While the show never explicitly confirms any real-life connections, many viewers and media outlets have pointed out striking similarities to the marriage of Samsung heiress Lee Boo-jin and Lim Woo-jae, sparking widespread speculation about the inspiration behind the plotline.

The ending, however, is very different for our K-drama couple, who manage to overcome estrangement, family intrigue and even a terminal illness to live happily ever after, until death do them part.

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Inspired by: The lives of King Jongjo and royal consort Seong Uibin

Adapted from the novel of the same name, The Red Sleeve offers a fictionalised account of the romance between King Jeongjo and his beloved concubine, Royal Consort Seong Uibin. While the drama takes creative liberties, historical records exist attesting to the king’s deep affection for her. After her death, Jeongjo famously composed an epitaph professing his enduring love for Seong Uibin. It is also said that her mortuary was set up at Anhyeon Palace—typically reserved for members of the royal bloodline, further underscoring the exceptional place she held in his heart.

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Inspired by: Real-life criminal cases in South Korea

Though a work of fiction, this gripping K-drama, starring the outstanding Kim Hye-soo as juvenile court judge Shim Eun-seok, draws chilling inspiration from high-profile crimes committed by minors in South Korea. From the brutal murder of a young girl to a harrowing brick-throwing incident, several storylines mirror real-life cases that shocked the nation.

Juvenile Justice doesn’t shy away from the moral and legal grey areas of youth crime, instead tackling themes of justice, accountability and the moral complexities surrounding youth offenders.

Inspired by: The true story of Yun Sim-deok and Kim Woo-jin

This tragic, two-episode historical melodrama recounts the ill-fated love between Korea’s first soprano, Yun Sim-deok (Shin Hae-sun), and playwright Kim Woo-jin (Lee Jong-suk). Set during the Japanese occupation, their romance defied societal expectations and ended in their joint suicide—an event that shocked the nation. Sim-deok’s haunting recording of “Death Song”, based on a Western aria, became a posthumous hit and remains one of Korea’s most iconic musical pieces.

Inspired by: Real-life cases in South Korea

Though the K-drama weaves supernatural elements into its core narrative, Signal, much like Juvenile Justice, draws inspiration from headline-making criminal cases that shocked the nation. Its central serial killer storyline references the infamous Hwaseong murders, one of South Korea’s most notorious cases. The drama also incorporates disturbing details that echo the Ochang manhole murder and the tragic Park Chorong Bitnari kidnapping-murder cases, grounding its time-slip thriller elements in unsettling real-world events.

Inspired by: The Hwarang, the youth warriors of the Silla dynasty

The K-drama—starring then-rising stars Park Seo-joon, Park Hyung-sik and Kim Taehyung (V of BTS), among others—may be highly stylised and fictionalised, with scenes that borrow from modern times like clubbing, K-pop moves and football. However, it’s loosely based on the real Hwarang, an elite group of youth warriors during the Silla dynasty.

Originally formed to cultivate both martial and scholarly excellence, the historical Hwarang played a significant role in unifying the Three Kingdoms of Korea. While the drama takes many creative liberties, it pays tribute to the spirit of camaraderie, loyalty and idealism that defined these legendary young knights.

Inspired by: The accounts of trauma cleaner Kim Sae-byul

This poignant K-drama is inspired by the experiences of Kim Sae-byul, South Korea’s first certified trauma cleaner, as shared in his essay collection Things Left Behind. For the sake of authenticity, screenwriter Yoon Ji-ryeon (Boys Over Flowers, Angel Eyes) shadowed Kim on the job, experiencing trauma cleaning first-hand and using those encounters to inform the show’s emotional depth and realism.

While the stories in Move to Heaven are fictional, they echo the kinds of human experiences Kim encountered—stories of loss, loneliness and love left behind—making the drama a heartfelt tribute to lives often forgotten.

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