Traveling backward—and forward—in time has always fascinated audiences. There are multiple films about time travel out there, where characters use different kinds of time machines. It could be a necklace (the Time-Turner from Harry Potter), a car (DeLorean from Back To The Future), and even a telephone booth (the TARDIS from Doctor Who)! And while Western time travel stories mostly focus on sci-fi, Korean dramas never fail to give it a romantic twist!
(Also we love the retro vibes from time travel dramas! Take a look at this photo from Twinkling Watermelon star Ryeoun first before scrolling down below. It was a shot of his character in the said drama.)
Here are 17 Korean dramas that play around with the time travel genre:
1. Queen And I (2012)
The stars: Ji Hyun Woo and Yoo In Na
The sitch: In the year 1694, during the Joseon Dynasty, a scholar supports the reinstatement of ~deposed~ Queen In Hyun. Meanwhile, in 2012, an actress lands her big break when she was cast as Queen In Hyun in a K-drama! The scholar somehow time travels to 2012, where he crosses paths with the actress. They, of course, fall in love.
No. of episodes: 16
2. Faith (2012)
The stars: Lee Min Ho, Kim Hee Sun
The sitch: In this fantasy drama, Lee Min Ho stars as an elite Goryeo warrior who travels to the present just to look for a doctor to heal the queen. He ends up meeting a popular plastic surgeon with "godlike abilities." When she refuses to believe his story, he *kidnaps* her and brings her back to the past!
No. of episodes: 24
3. Rooftop Prince (2012)
The stars: Han Ji Min, Park Yoo Chun
The sitch: After the sudden death of the Crown Princess, Crown Prince Lee Gak of Joseon (Park Yoo Chun) and his loyal friends set out to investigate, but they end up in Park Ha's (Han Ji Min) rooftop house in the 21st century!
No. of episodes: 20
4. Marry Him If You Dare (2013)
The stars: Yoon Eun Hye, Lee Dong Gun, Jung Yong Hwa, Han Chae Ah, Choi Myung Gil
The sitch: A woman who regrets the choices she made in life travels back to meet her 32-year-old self and tries to prevent her from making the same mistakes. One of her main blunders? Marrying the wrong person!
No. of episodes: 16
5. Splash Splash Love (2015)
The stars: Kim Seul Gi, Yoon Doo Joon
The sitch: Jang Dan Bi (Kim Seul Gi), a high school student, wishes she can escape reality and run away from her responsibilities. One day, she is transported back in time to the 15th century! There, she's mistaken for a eunuch and she enters the royal court where she befriends King Sejong The Great (Yoon Doo Joon).
No. of episodes: 2
6. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (2016)
The stars: IU, Kang Ha Neul, Lee Joon Gi
The sitch: Because of a solar eclipse, an ordinary 21st-century girl gets transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty! She encounters the kingdom's MANY royal princes and initially falls in love with the gentle and warm-hearted eighth prince.
No. of episodes: 20
7. Saimdang, Light's Diary (2017)
The stars: Lee Young Ae, Song Seung Heon
The sitch: A university art history lecturer discovers the mysterious long-lost diary of a historical figure named Saimdang. Through the diary, she unravels the secret behind an ancient painting and discovers more about the renowned Joseon poet and artist.
No. of episodes: 28
8. Somehow 18 (2017)
The stars: Choi Minho, Lee Yoo Bi
The sitch: Oh Kyung Hwi (Choi Min Ho), a successful doctor, was bullied a lot in high school. Back then, a school transferee named Han Na Bi (Lee Yoo Bi) became his "rescuer", but she took her own life. Many years later, a mysterious incident gives Kyung Hwi a chance to save his first love.
No. of episodes: 10
9. Go Back Couple (2017)
The stars: Son Ho Jun, Jang Na Ra
The sitch: After almost two decades of marriage, Choi Ban Do (Son Ho Jun) and Ma Jin Joo (Jang Na Ra) realize that they just don't love each other anymore. They somehow travel to the past and find themselves as 20-year-old university students who meet for the first time.
No. of episodes: 12
10. Hit The Top (2017)
The stars: Yoon Shi Yoon, Lee Se Young, Kim Min Jae, Cha Tae Hyun
The sitch: In the year 1993, K-pop idol Yoo Hyun-Jae (Yoon Shi Yoon) travels through time to 2017. He discovers that for some reason, he mysteriously disappears in 1994 and people think he's dead! He starts to investigate while trying to adjust to life in the future.
No. of episodes: 32
11. The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)
The stars: Lee Min Ho, Kim Go Eun
The sitch: This drama doesn't just feature parallel universes, it also involves time travel. Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min Ho) from the Kingdom of Corea meets detective Jung Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun) from the Republic of Korea. He instantly recognizes her from an ID that was left behind during his father's assassination many years ago!
No. of episodes: 16
12. A Time Called You (2023)
The stars: Ahn Hyo Seop and Jeon Yeo Been
The sitch: A Time Called You might be one of the most confusing time travel dramas, but it did not fail to provide a compelling storyline for its viewers. It is a Korean drama adaptation of the hit Chinese series called Someday or One Day. The story revolves around Han Jun Hee (Jeon Yeo Been) who finds herself struggling to come to terms with the death of her fiancé, Koo Yeon Jun (Ahn Hyo Seop).
As Jun Hee tries to cope with Yeon Jun's sudden demise, the show introduces a parallel story of three high school friends from the nineties who have their own resemblance to Jun Hee and Yeon Jun. Later on, Jun Hee would receive a photo of the high school characters who looked just like them. She then would wander through time and look into her connection to the high school students.
No. of episodes: 12
13. Twinkling Watermelon (2023)
The stars: Ryeoun, Choi Hyun Wook, Shin Eun Soo, and Seol In Ah
The sitch: Ha Eun Gyeol (Ryeoun) was raised by his parents who were deaf and mute. He's the only one who can hear and talk in their family. Bringing his knack and passion for music—and his love for his parents—he mysteriously travels back to the year 1995. There he meets the younger versions of his parents and finds out that his dad can speak and hear during his younger years! Eun Gyeol then embarks on a mission to find out his parents' back stories, and probably save them from their present misery.
No. of episodes: 16
14. Reborn Rich (2022)
The stars: Song Joong Ki, Shin Hyun Been
The sitch: Song Joong Ki's character in the drama will be accused of embezzlement. While on a trip, he is murdered. However, in a mysterious turn of events, he would then wake up as the son of his employer who framed him for a crime that he didn't commit. The story follows an unpredictable revenge trail.
No. of episodes: 16
15. Blue Birthday (2021)
The stars: Kim Ye Rim, Yang Hong Seok
The sitch: Oh Ha Rin (Kim Ye Rim) travels to the past through mysterious photos from her first love Ji Seo Jun (Yang Hong Seok). They were childhood best friends until Seo Jun died ten years ago. On her 28th birthday, Ha Rin will then grab the chance to magically travel back to the past. She will unravel the reason for Seo Jun's death.
No. of episodes: 16
16. Mr. Queen (2020)
The stars: Kim Jung Hyun, Shin Hye Sun
The sitch: Kim Jung Hyun's character gets transported to the Joseon era into the body of Queen Cheorin (Shin Hye Sun). He then gets wrapped up in the political crisis at the time while trying to figure out the queen's duties, responsibilities, and even her deepest sentiments.
No. of episodes: 20
17. Lovely Runner (2024)
The stars: Kim Hye Yoon, Byeon Woo Seok
The sitch: In present times, Ryu Seon Jae (Byeon Woo Seok) is a top-tier celebrity who will shock the world with his sudden death. Im Sol (Kim Hye Yoon) who is a devoted fan of Seon Jae, would find herself traveling 15 years into the past. She then face the 19-year-old Seon Jae with the determination to protect him from any tragedy or happening that will lead to his future death.
No. of episodes: 16
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