Cover Southeast Asian locations have become more than just a scenic backdrop; they’re a narrative partner. Here, Jisoo enjoys a romantice encounter in the Philippines for ‘Boyfriend on Demand’ (Photo: IMDB)
Southeast Asian locations have become more than just a scenic backdrop; they’re a narrative partner. Here, Jisoo enjoys a romantice encounter in the Philippines for ‘Boyfriend on Demand’ (Photo: IMDB)
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These K-dramas turned Southeast Asian locations into the Hallyu world’s most cinematic playground
For decades, K-dramas were either Seoul-bound—romances unfolding in Gangnam cafés and chaebol intrigue staged in glass towers along the Han River—or far away in some exotic, escapist European land: Switzerland in Crash Landing on You, Spain in Memories of the Alhambra, Germany in Queen of Tears. But as the Korean Wave expanded globally, so did its geography. Increasingly, productions began turning their cameras toward Southeast Asia, a region whose beaches, colonial towns, futuristic skylines and bustling markets offer a visual palette far richer than the typical studio backlot.
The result is a fascinating cross-regional exchange: Korean storytelling meeting Southeast Asian locations. A romantic getaway becomes a plot device. A business trip becomes an espionage mission. A lantern-lit river town becomes the setting for a confession scene viewers will replay for years.
From Cebu’s luxury resorts to Singapore’s gleaming skyline and Vietnam’s ancient riverfronts, these K-dramas didn’t just film abroad—they made Southeast Asian landscapes part of the story.
In case you missed it: K-drama travel: 30 everyday South Korean spots worthy of your cinematic bucket list
‘Boyfriend on Demand’ (2026) — Cebu, Philippines
Above A burned-out webtoon producer tests a high-tech virtual dating service in Cebu City and Mactan Island, where staged romantic dream dates across luxury island resorts start to feel dangerously real
Few dramas have leaned as enthusiastically into travel fantasy as Netflix’s glossy 2026 romance starring Jisoo. Boyfriend on Demand follows a wildly overworked webtoon producer who signs up for an experimental virtual dating service designed to create “perfect” romantic scenarios for clients. But when the company sends her to Cebu to test the programme in a real-world environment, the lines between simulation and reality begin to blur.
The island becomes an emotional playground. Instead of generic tropical scenery, the production deliberately highlights Cebu’s high-end hospitality scene. Dream dates unfold across sprawling beachfront properties like Shangri-La Mactan, Cebu, where sunset dinners and yacht excursions are staged like scenes from a luxury travel magazine. Elsewhere, sleek modern sequences take place at Nustar Resort and Casino, whose glowing waterfront skyline becomes shorthand for the heroine’s growing independence.
The drama also spends time at Bluewater Maribago Beach Resort, where quieter beach scenes unfold. This is where the protagonist begins to question whether the “perfect boyfriend” algorithm is hiding deeper truths about love.
‘Made in Korea’ (2025) — Thailand
Above Rival intelligence operatives navigate Cold War conspiracies across Southeast Asia, with covert missions unfolding in the shadowy military tunnels and coastal bases of Kanchanaburi Province and Chonburi Province, Thailand
A far cry from breezy romance, Made in Korea is a sweeping period thriller starring Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung. Set in the politically volatile 1970s, the drama follows rival intelligence operatives whose missions intersect across Southeast Asia during the height of Cold War tensions.
Thailand plays a crucial role in recreating the era’s rough-edged atmosphere. The production team sought locations that could evoke the clandestine ports and jungle routes used by spies, smugglers and revolutionaries.
One particularly striking set piece unfolds inside the atmospheric 3D Tunnel, where a tense interrogation scene between the two leads plays out under flickering lights and damp concrete walls. The show also uses the imposing Royal Thai Marine Naval Base as a stand-in for several fictional military installations, lending the drama a gritty authenticity rarely seen in Korean historical thrillers.
Thailand’s coastal geography—misty harbours, narrow fishing villages and tropical rainstorms—adds a cinematic texture that mirrors the story’s escalating stakes.
‘King the Land’ (2023) — Bangkok, Thailand
Above When a luxury hotel staff incentive trip sends rival colleagues to Bangkok, temple sunsets, riverfront dinners and bustling night markets turn corporate competition into unexpected romance
The glossy rom-com starring Lee Jun-ho and Im Yoon-ah is practically a luxury travel advertisement disguised as a workplace romance.
Midway through the story, the hotel employees of the fictional King Group embark on an incentive trip to Bangkok, transforming the Thai capital into a glittering playground for romance and corporate diplomacy. One unforgettable sequence unfolds at Wat Arun, where the leads watch the sunset turn the temple’s porcelain towers into glowing silhouettes along the Chao Phraya River.
Elsewhere, the drama luxuriates in the old-world elegance of Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, staging champagne-filled dinners beneath its famed riverside terraces. For lighter moments, the characters wander through the colourful Ong Ang Canal Night Market, sampling street food while their office rivalries briefly give way to playful camaraderie.
Bangkok’s vibrant energy becomes a narrative reset, an exotic interlude where relationships shift and romantic tension deepens.
‘Little Women’ (2022) — Singapore
Above A web of corruption and missing money leads three sisters into a high-stakes showdown in Singapore, where sleek skyscrapers and opulent hotels hide the secrets of the ultra-wealthy
In this stylish thriller starring Kim Go-eun, the final act moves dramatically from Korea to Singapore, whose sleek architecture amplifies the show’s themes of power, secrecy and immense wealth.
The skyline of Marina Bay Sands becomes a symbol of the global elite the protagonists are trying to outmanoeuvre. Tense meetings between shadowy financiers unfold in glass-walled penthouses overlooking the bay.
Nearby, the futuristic biodomes of Gardens by the Bay provide a surreal backdrop for a high-stakes confrontation between the show’s central antagonists. Meanwhile, the colonial grandeur of The Fullerton Hotel Singapore hosts several clandestine exchanges that drive the thriller toward its explosive climax.
The Southeast Asian location’s hyper-modern aesthetic perfectly mirrors the drama’s political intrigue and financial conspiracy.
‘Confidence Queen’ (2025) — Clark, Philippines
Above A ruthless PR strategist races to contain an international corporate scandal in Clark, where high-profile negotiations unfold against the backdrop of the region’s rapidly growing aviation hub
Starring Park Min-young, this glossy corporate drama follows a brilliant but morally flexible PR strategist who specialises in rescuing scandal-ridden companies.
Several pivotal episodes take the story overseas to Clark, where the heroine must manage an international crisis involving a multinational airline. The sleek terminals of Clark International Airport become the setting for frantic negotiations, clandestine meetings and dramatic press conferences.
Like most of the Southeast Asian locations on this list, Clark reinforces the show’s theme of globalised business warfare, where reputations can collapse as quickly as a breaking news headline.
‘The Fiery Priest 2’ (2024) — Bangkok, Thailand
Above The hot-headed priest and his unlikely allies take their crime-busting mission overseas, chasing a criminal syndicate through the chaotic streets, canals and markets of Bangkok
The chaotic sequel to the cult hit sends its unlikely crime-fighting team abroad for an undercover mission in Thailand. The story sees the hot-tempered priest, played by Kim Nam-gil, chasing an international crime syndicate through the bustling streets of Bangkok.
Unlike the glossy luxury seen in King the Land, this series embraces the Southeast Asian location’s raw energy—filming chase sequences through crowded markets, canal boats and neon-lit alleyways. Bangkok’s vibrant street life provides the perfect chaotic backdrop for the show’s mix of action, comedy and moral crusading.
‘On the Way to the Airport’ (2016) — Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Above Kuala Lumpur forms the backdrop of the separate struggles of two professionals
This contemplative melodrama starring Kim Ha-neul and Lee Sang-yoon explores the lives of professionals whose chance encounters lead to an emotionally complex relationship.
With key scenes filmed in Kuala Lumpur, the series captures the rhythms of airline life—late-night flights, lonely hotel stays and fleeting connections between strangers. The serene greenery of KLCC Park and Titiwangsa Lake Gardens provides quiet spaces where the characters reflect on their complicated lives.
Other memorable scenes unfold near the gleaming cultural complex Istana Budaya and the futuristic Wawasan Bridge, reinforcing the drama’s themes of movement and transition.
‘Can This Love Be Translated?’ (2026) — Da Nang, Vietnam
Above Amid the chaos of a globe-trotting reality show, a multilingual interpreter and a volatile celebrity share a fleeting but meaningful travel memory, wandering the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An and the beaches of Da Nang in Vietnam
This romantic dramedy starring Kim Seon-ho follows a multilingual interpreter who becomes entangled with a famously temperamental celebrity client while working on a globe-trotting reality programme called Romantic Trip. The series itself moves across several international filming locations, including Italy, Canada and Japan, but one of its emotionally resonant early sequences unfolds in Vietnam.
The Vietnamese setting appears during a brief but visually memorable montage that closes the show’s opening episode. The characters are seen wandering through the lantern-lit streets of Hoi An, where glowing paper lanterns reflect across the river and transform the historic Old Town into a dreamlike tableau. Nearby shots in Da Nang capture sweeping coastal views and quiet seaside promenades.
Rather than serving as the drama’s primary setting, Vietnam functions as a poetic travel memory within the story, a symbolic moment of possibility before the chaos of the reality show begins. The sequence establishes the series’ global scale while giving viewers a fleeting but evocative glimpse of Central Vietnam’s romantic atmosphere, a visual prologue that hints at the emotional journey ahead.
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Sasha Lim-Uy Mariposa is a lifestyle journalist who is known for her food writing. Based in Manila, she also covers entertainment and dining, as well as a broad range of topics. She was the former digital editor at Esquire Philippines and was the digital managing editor at Spot.ph, and now writes for the different Tatler Asia markets as a contributing writer for T-Labs.
