Cover Queen of Tears (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
Queen of Tears (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
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From power-hungry heirs to vengeful siblings, these chaebol families serve up some of the most gripping, high-stakes drama on television
What’s more interesting than a family feud? Family battles rooted in old money, ruthless business empires and even more ruthless patriarchs. The term chaebol refers to South Korea’s massive family-run conglomerates, and in K-dramas, it doesn’t mean boring old businesses.
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When it comes to these dynastic empires and their squabbles, the drama is more high-stakes: think cutthroat succession wars, forbidden romances between the elites and working class and disapproving parents. Chaebol dramas take us inside boardrooms and sparkling mansions, where family rivalries can be as thrilling as corporate takeovers. And while the luxurious lifestyle is dazzling, the true entertainment lies in the dysfunction.
If you enjoy watching drama-laced power plays and revenge arcs, nothing beats these formidable chaebol families.
1. The Han Family (‘Sky Castle’)
The wealthy families of Sky Castle seem like the picture of success, but beneath the surface is a world of intense pressure, manipulation and social competition. The Han family, led by the calculating Han Seo-jin (Yum Jung-ah), exemplifies the cutthroat ambition of South Korea’s elite. With education as their battlefield, these parents resort to bribery, blackmail and psychological warfare to ensure their children maintain their chaebol legacy.
2. The Yoon Family (‘Crash Landing on You’)
Above ‘Crash Landing on You’ (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
‘Crash Landing on You’ (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
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The Yoon family isn’t just wealthy. They control a massive empire. After all, Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), the stylish yet fiercely independent heiress, proclaims she’s not just part of the one per cent. She’s part of the 0.1 per cent. When she gets stranded in North Korea, she’s forced to confront the reality that her family, particularly her greedy but incompetent brothers, see her as nothing more than an impediment to their corporate ambitions. The power play is just as gripping as the love story.
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3. The Hong Family (‘Queen of Tears’)
From malls to grocery stores to catering, the Hong family does, indeed, run the world. They have a compound the size of a small town, their meals are customised based on their health needs and they have gazillions in hidden funds.
The Hongs own the Queens Group and are the epitome of the ultra-glamourous, ultra-wealthy and also ultra dysfunctional. However, when heiress Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won) weds ‘commoner’ Baek Hyun-woo (Kim Soo-hyun), who is really a high-flying lawyer, it sets off a domino effect of betrayals and shifting alliances, proving that in the world of chaebols, love is never as important as power.
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4. The Jin Family (‘Reborn Rich’)
The Jin family, rulers of the Soonyang Group, operates more like a monarchy than a corporation. Led by patriarch Jin Yang-chul (Lee Sung-min), they dictate everything from business to politics, ensuring their family name remains untouchable. However, when betrayed employee Yoon Hyun-woo (Song Joong-ki) is reincarnated as the family’s youngest heir Jin Do-jun, the family’s tightly held power begins to unravel as corporate warfare turns personal.
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5. The Kim Family (‘The Heirs’)
Above ‘The Heirs’ (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
‘The Heirs’ (Photo: courtesy of IMDB)
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This show was patterned after Gossip Girl, which should hint at the level of betrayal and intrigue you should expect. A more contemporary analogy? If The Heirs is the high school version of Succession, then the Kim family is its Roy dynasty. Led by an iron-fisted patriarch Kim Nam-yoon (Jung Dong-hwan), the family owns the massive Jeguk Group. His son, Kim Tan (Lee Min-ho), is expected to take over one day, but his forbidden romance with a working-class girl puts him at odds with his family’s expectations. The Kims embody the struggle between duty and personal happiness.
6. The Kang Family (‘Forest’)
The Kang family may not be the flashiest chaebol dynasty, but their reach extends far beyond their corporate empire. Forest follows Kang San-hyuk (Park Hae-jin), a cold and ambitious investment company executive who lost his memories, and Jung Young-jae (Jo Bo-ah), a passionate but headstrong surgeon. Their paths cross when they both end up in a mysterious paradise. As San-hyuk and Young-jae clash, uncover hidden traumas and slowly fall for each other, they also begin to learn the forest’s strange secrets, which seem tied to San-hyuk’s lost childhood.
Ultimately this K-drama shows San-hyuk buckle under the weight of his family’s legacy and how he manages to juggle his family’s dark past and his desire for redemption.
7. The Park Family (‘Marry My Husband’)
The Parks are the classic chaebol villains. They’re ruthless, corrupt and willing to do whatever it takes to maintain their grip on power. At the heart of the drama is Kang Ji-won (Park Min-young), who, after being betrayed and murdered by those closest to her, gets a second chance to rewrite her fate. Infiltrating the powerful Park family, she carefully dismantles their empire from within, showing that even the strongest dynasties are only as mighty as their weakest point.
8. The Hyowon Group (‘Mine’)
The Hyowon Group is built on secrets, deception and rigid social structures. The family’s leading women, Seo Hee-soo (Lee Bo-young), a former actress turned chaebol wife, and Jung Seo-hyun (Kim Seo-hyung), the calculating eldest daughter-in-law, have both married into contemporary royalty. But beneath the glamourous facade of their privileged lives, they must navigate betrayals, hidden affairs and dangerous power plays to carve out their identities in a world where women are expected to remain in the shadows. As they uncover shocking truths about their family, they fight to claim what is rightfully theirs—their lives.
9. The Oh Family (‘Secret Love Affair’)
The Oh family’s vast wealth and prestige secure their place in high society. But behind closed doors, their ostensibly perfect world is crumbling. When the family’s matriarch, Oh Hye-won (Kim Hee-ae), embarks on a forbidden romance with a young pianist (Yoo Ah-in), the cracks in their veneer become impossible to ignore. In this series, love is a dangerous game, and one misstep could cost everything.
10. The Cha Family (‘What Happens to My Family?’)
Unlike most chaebol families on this list, the Cha family isn’t entirely driven by greed and power. This K-drama presents a rare glimpse into a wealthy family that values love, warmth and redemption. However, when their devoted patriarch Cha Soon-bong (Yoo Dong-geun) sues his entitled children for neglecting him, they’re forced to realise that even chaebol heirs aren’t above the consequences of their actions.
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