Korean drama writers have a knack for creating stories out of the strangest of scenarios. Whether it’s the latest Pachinko or Squid Game, Korean TV-series are nothing short of entertainment. Out of these, revenge melodramas have always occupied the throne when it comes to ratings and public attention. There’s something about watching cliffhanger after cliffhanger that keeps the audience on the edge of their seats, biting their nails in anticipation. From recent hits to longtime classics, here are the best revenge-themed Korean dramas:
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8 Eve (2022)
TVNTVING
Directed by Park Bong-seop, this currently airing revenge-thriller drama is Seo Yea-ji’s comeback project after It’s Okay To Not Be Okay. Featuring high-end business politics, romance, and a satisfying revenge, this drama keeps climbing up in the weekly ratings battle. Lee Ra-el’s (Seo Yea-ji) life takes a dreadful turn when her scientist father dies unexpectedly. Spending thirteen years formulating an elaborate plan for revenge, Ra-el starts targeting Kang Yoon-gyeom (Park Byung-eun), one of the primary suspects behind her father’s death, by seducing him, setting him up for the biggest divorce lawsuit in the history of Korea.
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7 Mine (2021)
tvNNetflixJS Pictures
Directed by Lee Na-jung (Fight For My Way), this revenge-thriller drama features a women-led cast and some of the best cinematography to be seen in drama land. Showcasing the highs and lows of the elite lifestyle, the drama uses a lot of literary and cultural references to drive its message across. Seo Hee-soo (Lee Bo-young) is a former top actress who gave up her career to become the daughter-in-law of the affluent Hyowon Group. Jung Seo-hyun (Kim Seo-hyung), the first daughter-in-law of Hyowon Group, is indirectly made in charge of the company due to her incompetent husband. Both women must join forces against people trying to thwart their happiness and take away what’s theirs.
6 Temptation of Wife (2008)
SBS
Directed by Oh Se-kang, comes the godfather of all revenge-themed k-dramas. Temptation of Wife paved the path for all the other dramas on this list. Not only was it the most watched revenge-melodrama during its time, it has since become a cultural icon, with the OST’s “Can’t Forgive” by Cha Soo-kyung becoming one of the most played songs during scenes of betrayal in future dramas and even Korean variety shows. Goo Eun-jae (Jang Seo-hee) is getting ready to go to France when she gets sexually assaulted by Jung Gyo-bin (Byun Woo-min). Discovering that she’s pregnant, Eun-jae agrees to leave her career behind for the sake of her child and get married to him. However, he has his eyes set on Shin Ae-ri (Kim Seo-hyung), and together, the two go to great lengths to get Eun-jae out of the picture, leaving her to drown during an accident. Surviving the drowning but having lost her baby, Eun-jae vows to seek revenge on the entire Jung family, changing her identity to that of Min So-hee, a dead woman.
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5 The Penthouse: War In Life (2020-2021)
SBS TV
Directed by Joo Dong-min (The Last Empress) comes a revenge-themed k-drama that takes greed, ambition, murder, and secrets to Greek tragedy heights. Featuring an ensemble of characters that the audience will love to hate, The Penthouse is every modern man’s gilded nightmare. Three women: Shim Su-ryeon (Lee Ji-ah), Cheon Seo-jin (Kim So-yeon) and Oh Yoon-hee (Eugene) spiral down a path of greed, ambitions, lust, and madness as they try to reach the pinnacle of good living atop the 100th floor penthouse of the Hera Palace.
4 Glass Mask (2012)
MBC C&ItvN
Directed by Sun Do-joon, Kim Yong-min, and Shin Seung-woo, this revenge-thriller drama is another one from the era of classic Korean melodramas. A mammoth 122 episodes in length, it dares to show flawed characters that go the extra mile in their revenge-fueled insanity. Kang Yi-kyung (Seo Woo) is a poor young woman who has led a miserable life, due to the fact that her father was arrested for murder. Deciding that she has had enough of the pain and suffering, she vows to seek revenge and turn her life around. Assuming the identity of a woman called Seo Jung-ha, she infiltrates high society, the place where the real criminals lurk.
3 The World of the Married (2020)
JTBC Studios BBC Studios
Adapted from the BBC One drama series Doctor Foster by Mike Bartlett, this revenge drama is directed by Mo Wan-il (A Beautiful Mind). Critically acclaimed for its subject and performances, The World of the Married holds the record for the highest-rated k-drama in Korean TV history. To the eyes of outsiders, Dr. Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae) lives the perfect life as a career woman, wife, and mother. However, when she discovers that her husband Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon) is having an affair with someone and the couple’s closest friends are helping him hide the secret, Ji Sun-woo sets out on a revenge-fueled spree to punish everyone involved and pick up the pieces of her broken sanity.
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2 Secret (2013)
Korean Broadcasting System
Directed by Baek Sang-hoon and Lee Eung-bok (Descendants of the Sun), Secret is another oldie but a goodie. Featuring a revenge-seeking male lead whose character emulates the conflict of Wuthering Heights’ Heathcliffe, this drama is gripping, melodramatic, and unlike anything one will find in newer dramas. Wealthy businessman Jo Min-hyuk (Ji Sung) loses his girlfriend in a car accident. In a fitful rage, he swears to get revenge on whoever is responsible for her death. Kang Yoo-jung (Hwang Jung-eum) is an ordinary woman, who agrees to go to jail to protect her boyfriend, who caused the car accident. Stuck in prison with the realization that her boyfriend never loved her, along with constant threats from Min-hyuk, Yoo-jung tries her best to live her life optimistically.
1 Graceful Family (2019)
MBN Dramax
Directed by Han Cheol-soo (9 End 2 Outs), Graceful Family spares no moment to throw a revenge-fueled punch in the face of its characters. Unlike how the title suggests, the family in question is anything but graceful, yet the presence of a headstrong, no-nonsense female lead ensures that every bad guy stays in their place. Disgraced heiress Mo Seok-hee (Im Soo-hyang) returns home to South Korea after spending years in the US, to exact revenge on everyone who had a part in her mother’s death. Teaming up with humble lawyer Heo Yoon-do (Lee Jang-woo), Seok-hee will spare no one who stands in her path, even her own family.
