Some of our favorite shows may be inspired by real stories, and these K-dramas - "Fight For My Way," "Signal," and more! - are seven notable ones.
1. 'Fight For My Way'
The characters for "Fight For My Way" are inspired by Choo Sung Hoon and Yano Shiho. They are mostly known as the parents of Choo Sarang, who was part of the original cast of "The Return of Superman."
The drama's writer revealed that he became interested in martial arts after seeing Choo Sung Hoon and Yano Shiho together and started paying more attention to the families of martial artists after.
After falling in love with Choo Sung Hoon and Yano Shiho's romance, the writer decided to make a drama that would get rid of the stereotypes of martial arts fighters
'The Hymn of Death'
"The Hymn of Death" is based on the life of Yun Sim Deok, South Korea's first-ever professional soprano singer, and Kim U Jin, up-and-coming playwright in an arranged marriage.
Yun Sim Deok and Kim U Jin were a couple that committed suicide while on a ship taking them from the Japanese city of Shimonoseki to Busan.
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The drama follows the lives of the two prior to their death. The name of the drama refers to Yun Sim Deok's most famous song, "In Praise of Death."
'Taxi Driver'
This Lee Je Hoon and Esom-led drama tackled cases that occurred in real life.
One is the infamous Cho Do Soon case, where a child rapist was released from prison in 2021. This caused uproar and massive protest in South Korea, demanding for a change in the legal system.
'Signal'
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While "Signal" as a whole is not based on a true story, the crimes mentioned in the drama are. The drama is based on numerous crime tales, such as the 1997 kidnap-murder case of Park Chorong, which is often dubbed the "Park Chorong Bitnari Kindaping Murder Case," as well as the story of the most famous serial killers in South Korean history, the "Hwaseong Serial Murders."
'Queen for Seven Days'
"Queen for Seven Days" is based on the life of Queen Dangyeon. She is the daughter of the father-in-law of King Jungjong.
While once the Queen Consort of the Joseon Dynasty, she was deposed from the position of queen and was ultimately exiled from the palace after opposing King Jungjong's dethronement and leading a coup against him, leading to the king's death.
'My Wife's Having an Affair This Week'
"My Wife's Having an Affair This Week," which is also called "Listen to Love," is based on a real-life incident.
A man posted the question "My wife is having an affair this week. What should I do?" to an online community forum. The post ended up going viral, with numerous anonymous netizens commenting on advice on how to save the marriage.
This drama is a remake of the Japanese drama of the same name.
'Gap Dong'
"Gap Dong" is another drama based on the case of the infamous "Hwaseong Serial Murders."
The story talks about a succession of serial killings and a police unit trying to find the murderer. Seventeen years after the incident, a series of incidents happen in the town again, sparking interest in the case.
Did you know these K-dramas were based on true stories? Do you know any other K-dramas based on actual events? Tell us in the comments!
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Written by Alexa Lewis