If you’ve got a soft corner for time travel Korean drama, you’re in the right place. Today, we’re gonna delve into the mesmerizing world of Time Travel Korean Dramas, and I promise it’s gonna be ‘ek dum jhakaas’!
So, tighten your seatbelts as we embark on a whirlwind journey through history, romance, and riveting suspense. Let’s find out which ones have truly mastered the ‘samay ka jaadu’.
Stay tuned, and let the time travel begin!
Best Time Travel Korean Drama (Upd 2023)
1. Mr Queen
Airing on tvN from December 12, 2020, to February 14, 2021, Mr Queen is a Korean drama inspired by the Chinese web series “Go Princess Go.”
Jang Bong-hwan, a modern womanizing chef, lands in Queen Cheorin’s body in the Joseon period after a near-death experience. King Cheoljong, a figurehead under Queen Sunwon’s power, reveals a dark side.
Bong-hwan, seeking Sunwon’s favor through his culinary skills, aims to return to his own body while uncovering Queen Cheorin’s secret.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video Viki, HiTV
Shin Hye-sun as Kim So-yong, Queen Cheorin
Kim Jung-hyun as Yi Won-beom, King Cheoljong
Release Year: 2021
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 20
Genre: Historical, Romantic comedy, Fantasy, Body swap
Running Time: 70–90 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.7
2. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, which is based on the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin, aired on SBS from August 29 to November 1, 2016.
During a solar eclipse, Go Ha-jin, a 21st-century woman, is transported to the Goryeo Dynasty in 941. She, as Hae Soo, navigates palace politics among King Taejo’s sons.
Initially in love with the kind 8th Prince Wang Wook, she eventually aligns with the feared 4th Prince, Wang So, becoming entangled in the battle for the throne.
Where to Watch: Viu, HiTV
- Lee Joon-gi as 4th Prince Wang So
- Lee Ji-eun as Go Ha-jin / Hae Soo
- Kang Ha-neul as 8th Prince Wang Wook
Release Year: 2021
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 20 + 2 special episodes
Genre: Historical, Romance, Fantasy, Melodrama, Time travel
Running Time: 60 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.7
3. Signal
“Signal,” broadcasted on tvN between January 22 and March 12, 2016, is inspired by true criminal events in Korea. Its concept is rooted in the 2000 movie “Frequency.”
Park Hae-young, a criminal profiler, uses a mysterious walkie-talkie to solve a baffling kidnapping case, sparking the creation of a cold case team led by Det. Cha Soo-hyun.
They tackle unresolved cases with the help of Det. Lee Jae-han, who communicates from the past via the walkie-talkie, leading to unintended consequences from altering history.
Where to Watch: Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HiTV
- Lee Je-hoon as Park Hae-young
- Kim Hye-soo as Cha Soo-hyun
- Cho Jin-woong as Lee Jae-han
Release Year: 2016
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Procedural, Drama, Thriller, Fantasy
Running Time: 80 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.5
4. Chicago Typewriter
One of the best time travel Kdrama, Chicago Typewriter, portrays three 1930s Korean resistance fighters reincarnated as a struggling writer, a fan, and a ghostwriter.
Their quest to uncover their past amid Japanese occupation unravels a tale of friendship, love, and betrayal spanning 80 years. The unearthed truth threatens to alter their present lives.
Where to Watch: HiTV, WeTV
- Yoo Ah-in as Han Se-joo / Seo Hwi-young.
- Im Soo-jung as Jeon Seol / Ryu Soo-hyun / Anastasia
- Go Kyung-pyo as Yoo Jin-oh / Shin Yool
- Kwak Si-yang as Baek Tae-min / Heo Young-min
Release Year: 2017
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Comedy
Running Time: 70 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.3
5. Tunnel
“Tunnel,” which aired from March 25 to May 21, 2017, draws inspiration from the Hwaseong serial murders.
In 1986, diligent detective Park Gwang-ho is drawn into a time-travel tunnel during a serial homicide investigation, landing in 2016. Partnering with Kim Seon-jae, an exceptional, eccentric detective, they discover the murderer’s pattern matches the unresolved case from 30 years ago.
The duo collaborates with criminal psychologist Professor Shin Jae-yi, to crack the cold case and apprehend the elusive killer.
Where to Watch: Netflix, HiTV, WeTV, Viki
- Choi Jin-hyuk as Park Gwang-ho
- Yoon Hyun-min as Kim Seon-jae
- Lee Yoo-young as Shin Jae-yi
Release Year: 2017
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Thriller, Crime
Running Time: 65 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.3
6. Go Back Couple
Go Back Couple is adapted from the Naver webtoon series “Do it one more time”. It tells the tale of Choi Ban-do and Ma Jin-joo, both 38 and unhappily married with a son, who find their daily lives arduous.
Ban-do, a pharmaceutical salesman, assists his cheating boss, while Jin-joo, a lonely housewife, yearns for purpose. At their relationship’s breaking point, they inexplicably wake up as 20-year-old students.
Uncertain of their circumstances’ duration, they decide to relish this opportunity, making different life choices that inevitably affect their families and friends.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Viki
- Son Ho-jun as Choi Ban-do
- Jang Na-ra as Ma Jin-joo
Release Year: 2017
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 12
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Running Time: 70 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.2
7. My Perfect Stranger
My Perfect Stranger released in 2023, portrays the unusual yet captivating time-journey of two individuals who find themselves ensnared in the year 1987.
Yoon Hae-Joon, a trailblazing news anchor, and Baek Yoon-Young, a writer-turned-publisher under stress, unexpectedly travel back to 1987. While Hae-Joon investigates a serial murder case, Yoon-Young seeks to prevent her parents’ marriage.
Initially, their goals appear unconnected, but they soon realize an intertwined destiny. Their journey delivers shocking revelations, altering their understanding of the present and themselves.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video, Viki
- Kim Dong-wook as Yoon Hae-jun
- Jin Ki-joo as Baek Yoon-young
Release Year: 2023
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Romance
Running Time: 65 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.1
8. The King: Eternal Monarch
Lee Gon, the modern-day Emperor of the Kingdom of Corea, seeks to cross into an alternate reality where the Republic of Korea replaces his Kingdom.
Encountering detective Jeong Tae-eul, familiar from his childhood, he confronts his father’s assassination. Meanwhile, his uncle, Lee Lim, the assassin, amasses power traversing these parallel worlds.
Where to Watch: Netflix, HiTV
- Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon / Lee Ji-hun
- Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul / Luna
- Woo Do-hwan as Jo Yeong / Jo Eun-sup
- Kim Kyung-nam as Kang Shin-jae / Kang Hyeon-min
- Jung Eun-chae as Koo Seo-ryeong / Koo Eun-ah
- Lee Jung-jin as Prince Imperial Geum, Lee Lim / Lee Seong-jae
Release Year: 2020
No. of Seasons: 1
No. of Episodes: 16
Genre: Romance, Fantasy
Running Time: 70 – 79 minutes
IMDb Rating: 8.1
