Location: Olympic Park in Bangi-dong, Sonpa District, Seoul
1988. Seoul is getting ready to welcome the 24th edition of the Summer Olympics. To allow all athletes and sports to be at the same place, the South Korean government decides to build a ‘village’ dedicated to the occasion: The Olympic Park with about 5 huge facilities (Stadium, Gymnastics Arena, Swimming Pool, Velodrome and Tennis Courts).
On top of this enormous setting, the architect Kim Chung Up designed a huge structure called the World Peace Gate between 1986 and 1988. This monument is the visual epitome of these 1988 Games: Peace and Harmony.
Apart from this Gate and its well-known pillars, other spots of the Olympic Park are quite famous such as the Lone Tree, the ‘Bridge of the Dream Village’ aka the Gommaldari Bridge, and the Sculpture Park. So whether you want to go for a stroll, wish to reminisce the good old days, or want to light up a whole new world; here are some dramas that explored this amazing location through and through. Do you have a favorite or any other you would add to the list?
Shooting Stars (2022)
Cast: Lee Sung Kyung, Kim Young Dae, Yoon Jong Hoon, Kim Yoon Hye, Sojin and Lee Jung Shin
Plot: Oh Han Byeol (Lee Sung Kyung) is the head of the PR team for an entertainment company. Gong Tae Sung (Kim Young Dae) is the top star of the company where Han Byeol works. They become involved romantically.
Episodes: 16
Sunbae, Don’t Wear that Lipstick (2021)
Cast: Won Jin Ah and Rowoon
Plot: Yoon Song Ah (Won Jin Ah) and Chae Hyun Seung (Rowoon) work together for a cosmetic brand. Hyun Seung is secretly in love with his sunbae but she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings.
Episodes: 16
Love Alarm (2019)
Cast: Kim So Hyun, Song Kang and Jung Ga Ram
Plot: A new app called Love Alarm has recently been released. It enables its users to know if someone is in love with them in a 10-meter radius. Kim Jo Jo (Kim So Hyun) is a high school student and didn’t download the app. A boy at her school, Lee Hye Young (Jung Ga Ram), has a crush on her but never confessed his feelings. Meanwhile, his best friend Hwang Sun Oh (Song Kang) learns about it and kisses Jo Jo.
Episodes: 8 (Season 1) + 6 (Season 2)
A Piece of Your Mind (2020)
Cast: Jung Hae In, Chae Soo Bin and Park Ju Hyun
Plot: Moon Ha Won (Jung Hae In) has been in love for years with Kim Ji Soo (Park Ju Hyun). However, she never reciprocated his love and got married to another man. Over the years, they grew apart. Ha Won became a brilliant AI engineer, who created his company currently working on a communication device for patients that uses someone’s voice and recreates his/her personality. In order to test his device, he recruits Han Seo Woo (Chae Soo Bin), a sound engineer to record Ji Soo’s voice. Han Seo Woo becomes close friends with Ji Soo and Ha Won without knowing their relationship.
Episodes: 12
Beautiful Days (2001)
Cast: Lee Byung Hun, Choi Ji Woo, Shin Min Ah, Lee Jung Hyun and Ryu Si Won
Plot: The complicated love relationships and friendships of 2 step-brothers, Lee Min Chul (Lee Byung Hun) and Lee Sun Jae (Ryu Si Won), as they get involved with 2 female orphans Kim Yeon Soo (Choi Ji Woo) and Kim Se Na (Lee Jung Hyun).
Episodes: 24
The Witch’s Diner (2021)
Cast: Song Ji Hyo, Nam Ji Hyun and Chae Jong Hyeop
Plot: Jung Jin (Nam Ji Hyun) is a 28-year-old woman who goes through difficult times. She loses her job, her boyfriend dumps her and she and her mother are scammed into buying a restaurant. Hitting rock bottom, Jin meets Jo Hae Ra (Song Ji Hyo). Hae Ra is a witch, who decides to take over Jin’s restaurant in order to grant her customers’ wishes through a good meal. Meanwhile, Lee Gil Yong (Chae Jong Hyeop) meets Jung Jin and starts working part-time at the restaurant.
Episodes: 8
The Last Empress (2019)
Cast: Choi Jin Hyuk, Jang Na Ra, Shin Sung Rok and Lee Elijah
Plot: Set in the present days when South Korea is ruled by a constitutional monarchy, Oh Sunny (Jang Na Ra) is a bright musical actress. One day, she unexpectedly gets married to the King Lee Hyuk (Shin Sung Rok). But once in the palace, she realizes her happy marriage is not what it seems. There, she meets Na Wang Sik (Choi Jin Hyuk) an imperial bodyguard who entered the palace to get revenge on the royal family for his mother’s death.
Episodes: 52
That Fool (2009)
Cast: Hwang Jung Min, Kim Ah Joong and Joo Sang Wook
Plot: Han Ji Soo (Kim Ah Joong) is a top actress who gets into a car accident with her boyfriend. As he is the son of a politician, Ji Soo asks postman Gu Dong Baek (Hwang Jung Min) to pretend that he was driving and that he’s her boyfriend. Dong Baek accepts as an avid fan of Ji Soo. They enter a 6-month marriage contract and start developing feelings for each other.
Episodes: 16
Romance (2002)
Cast: Kim Ha Neul and Kim Jae Won
Plot: Kim Chae Won (Kim Ha Neul) and Choi Kwan Woo (Kim Jae Won) meet for the first time in a seaside village and immediately fall in love. When they meet again, they are both shocked to discover that Chae Won is none other than Kwan Woo’s teacher.
Episodes: 16
The Miracle We Met (2018)
Cast: Kim Myung Min, Kim Hyun Joo and Ra Mi Ran
Plot: Song Hyun Cheol Ah (Kim Myung Min) suddenly dies in a car accident. When he wakes up, his spirit has entered another man’s body. He now has to support 2 families and is stuck in-between.
Episodes: 18
Once Upon a Drama 