8 Historical K-Dramas Set During The Japanese Occupation Of Korea

Summary

• There are many South Korean TV shows set in ancient and recent history, including Japanese occupation era K-Dramas.
• Rich narratives of resistance and resilience against Japanese rule can be found in K-Dramas like “Mr. Sunshine.”
• K-Dramas like “Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938,” offer a blend of history and mythology, bringing unique perspectives to the screen

South Korean television shows frequently explore its epic past, many setting the series in ancient times, but sometimes they draw from more recent history, setting K-Dramas during the tumultuous period of Japanese occupation in Korea. When historical K-Dramas are set in more ancient times, they often focus on the Joseon Dynasty, a period that spanned 505 years from 1392-1897. However, the era of Japanese occupation offers rich, dynamic stories of resilience and resistance in the face of immense struggles and hardship.

Modern Korean history has seen the peninsula overcome enormous challenges, with Japan’s annexation of Korea among its most traumatic. Japanese occupation began in 1905, and by 1910, Japan had annexed Korea, attempting to eradicate Korean culture entirely. After Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II in 1945, Korea was liberated, but soon after, the country was divided into North and South Korea. As the period remains in living memory, and its after-effects can still be felt, K-Dramas set during the Japanese occupation often explore heroic themes and focus on resistance fighters striving to preserve their people and culture.

8 Bridal Mask (2012)

A Korean Man In The Japanese Police Who Becomes A Resistance Fighter

Based on the 1974 Huh Young-man manhwa, Gaksital, Bridal Mask is set in Seoul (Gyeongseong) during the 1930s. The K-Drama tells the story of Lee Kang-to (Good Doctor star, Joo Won), a Korean man who works for the Japanese police, but when he’s off-duty, he becomes Bridal Mask, a secret and fearsome Korean independence fighter who wears a bridal mask for anonymity. As Bridal Mask, Kang-to helps his fellow Koreans fight against the repressive Japanese regime. However, as a police officer, Kang-to must also toe the line, which often means going against his fellow countrypeople.

Bridal Mask explores the very real but difficult situation many Korean people faced where they were torn between colluding with the Japanese authorities for survival versus risking their lives to resist. Although the K-Drama’s focus is more centered on the heroics of the titular masked protagonist, which comes across as more a superhero comic book style story than one interested in the actual history, Bridal Mask‘s setting is still important. It showed how close friendships can form between sworn enemies during a time when such relationships were frowned upon.

7 Inspiring Generation (2014)

A Korean Man Accused Of His Father’s Murder Becomes A Top Fighter In Shanghai

Inspiring Generation doesn’t focus so much on Japan’s occupation of Korea, but rather its wider impact on neighboring regions where many Koreans fled. The K-Drama centers on Korean people in 1930s Japanese-occupied Shanghai and the resistance movements that emerged from the large Korean population there. It stars Kim Hyun-joong (Boys Over Flowers) as Shin Jung-tae, whose father was killed by a Japanese soldier. In his fight for justice, Jung-tae is accused of the murder, and, in the back alleys of Shanghai, he quickly learns to become a great fighter.

The action thriller aspects of Inspiring Generation capture some of the more exciting moments of the historical period. As the K-Drama is mostly set outside of Korea, it provides a broader view of East Asian history during this time and Japanese expansionism. The show’s focus on violence with minimal romantic interludes may make it difficult to watch for some viewers, but it’s an exciting perspective on the time in history.

6 The Hymn of Death (2018)

A Tragic Love Story Of Star-Crossed Lovers In 1920s Korea

TheHymn of Death is only a short K-Drama with just three episodes, and stars Lee Jong-suk (Pinocchio) and Shin Hye-sun (Welcome to Samdal-ri). The narrative is based on the real-life story of Kim Woo-jin (Lee), a married playwright, and Yun Sim-deok (Shin), Korea’s first professional soprano singer, who meet and fall in love. It follows the couples romance amid 1920s Japanese rule, until their tragic deaths in 1926.

Yun Sim-deok is known for recording the song titled “Hymn of Death,” in 1926, which is understood to be the country’s first popular song. It’s also often regarded as the first yuhaeng changga, or Trot (a popular music genre in Korea), song ever recorded.

In many ways, The Hymn of Death is a K-Drama take on a Romeo and Juliet-style story of star-crossed lovers whose destiny is not fated for a happily-ever-after. Its setting during an earlier period of Japanese occupation gives viewers a different perspective of what the time in history was like and how some of the more talented Korean people were allowed wider freedoms. The short yet poignant series encapsulates the intense emotions and societal constraints of the era, offering a compelling view of love and sacrifice against the backdrop of Korea’s struggle for identity and autonomy.

5 Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 (2023)

A Gumiho Goes Back In Time To Fight Real And Supernatural Foes

In a follow-up to the popular 2020 Lee Dong-wook (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) K-Drama, Tale of the Nine Tailed, the prequel series takes the titular gumiho (nine-tailed fox), Lee Yeon, back to the year 1938 during Japanese occupation. Given its foundation in Korean folklore, Tale of the Nine Tailed season 2 contains more fantasy elements than other K-Dramas set in this period, and Yeon also gets embroiled in the issues of the time. This blend of ideas brings a fresh take to the era, as rebels fight for their nation’s independence and against the supernatural beings roaming the country.

A
gumiho
is a figure in Korean folklore similar to the Japanese
kitsune
or the Chinese
huli jing
. The
gumiho
is said to have lived for thousands of years and has powers of shapeshifting, and unlike its Chinese and Japanese counterparts, it was usually seen as malevolent in Korean myths.

Tale of the Nine Tailed 1938 not only provides a unique and fun mix of history and mythology, it also explores cultural conflicts and personal struggles of its characters against the backdrop of the era. As Yeon navigates the historical period facing both human and otherworldly challenges, the series offers a compelling commentary on resistance and resilience that sets it apart from other historical K-Dramas. The show’s rich storytelling and intricate character development make it a standout within the genre, blending fantastical elements with poignant historical insights.

4 Mr Sunshine (2018)

A Korean-Born American Returns Home And Falls In Love With A Freedom Fighter

Mr Sunshine is one of the highest rating K-Dramas in South Korea, with critics praising its awareness of history, strong story, stunning cinematography, and standout performances from its stars Lee Byung-hun (Iris) and Kim Tae-ri (Twenty-Five Twenty-One). Although the K-Drama is set in a period just before the Japanese occupation, Mr Sunshine focuses on an important time in Korea’s history leading up to its colonization and annexation. Through this setting, the show depicts numerous real-life events, battles, and people that shaped this critical point in history, showing the Korean heroes fighting hard for their country’s independence and self-governance.

The K-Drama follows Eugene Choi, a Korean man born in Joseon but raised in the United States. Eugene returns to his homeland as a US soldier where he falls in love with Go Ae-shin, an orphaned aristocrat’s daughter who’s also secretly a revolutionary and sharpshooter fighting for Korea’s freedom in the Righteous Army. Where Mr Sunshine lacks in romantic scenes, it makes up for in developing strong characters who imbue the tumultuous period with emotional depth that really brings Korea’s history to life.

3 Capital Scandal (2007)

A Korean Playboy Falls For A Revolutionary And Joins The Fight For Independence

Set in Korea’s capital in the 1930s, Capital Scandal tells the story of Seon Woo-wan (Kang Ji-hwan), a cocky Korean playboy who tries to seduce Na Yeo-kyung (Han Ji-min, One Spring Night), an educated independence fighter who’s resistant to the modern changes occurring in her country. Genuine feelings soon form between the two as Yeo-kyung reveals the social injustices prevalent in their country, and Woo-wan joins the revolutionary fight against the Japanese occupation. The K-Drama captures the tension and romance of the era, with Woo-wan’s transformation from carefree playboy to activist adding depth to the narrative.

…with the show’s belief that love is an effective strategy to achieve revolution, this K-Drama still delivers a different perspective to understand the era.

Although Capital Scandal uses 1930s Korea and its revolutionaries as its backdrop, the romantic K-Drama doesn’t quite explore these themes as strongly as other shows on this list. Instead, there’s more focus on the romance and looking at the lighter elements from the period. Regardless, with the show’s belief that love is an effective strategy to achieve revolution, this K-Drama still delivers a different perspective to understand the era.

2 Chicago Typewriter (2017)

A Writer Connects With Historic Freedom Fighters Through A Haunted Typewriter

Chicago Typewriter is set both in present-day Korea and during Japan’s occupation of Korea in the 1930s. The K-Drama centers on a best-selling writer, Han Se-joo (Yoo Ah-in, Hellbound) who’s struggling to write his latest book. He comes into possession of a famous typewriter that he discovers appears to be haunted by the ghost of its previous owner, Shin Yool (Go Kyung-pyo, Reply 1988), a writer and underground organizer for resistance against Japanese occupation. The ghost of Shin Yool, which only Se-joo can see, also inhabits other things, including a very funny scene where he’s a shaggy-haired Korean Sapsali dog.

Chicago Typewriter is steeped in cool jazz-era esthetics and historical details, and its jumping between present-day Korea and the past further highlights the liberation efforts of the 1930s. By using the structure of the dual timelines, the K-Drama weaves themes of historical memory and the enduring spirit of resistance. This works well for the series as it further reinforces the themes and shows how the past carries into the present, and how those struggles aren’t easily cast off.

1 Gyeongseong Creature, Season 1 (2023)

A Search For Missing People Uncovers A Horrific Discovery

Although Gyeongseong Creature season 2 will be set in the present day, season 1 is centered on the end of Japanese occupation in Korea in 1945. Similar to the British Netflix series, Supacell, Gyeongseong Creature draws from the real and tragic history of secret medical experimentation conducted on people considered as undesirables. In Gyeongseong Creature, it’s the Japanese who create monstrous creatures in a Korean hospital where people go in but don’t come out. Like Sweet Home, this series asks who the real monsters are and what it means to be human.

The K-Drama follows Park Seo-joon (Itaewon Class) as Jang Tae-sang and Han So-hee (Nevertheless) as Yoon Chae-ok tracking down missing people. The duo soon come across a creature born of human greed and must fight for survival. The narrative intertwines personal vendettas with broader societal issues, making their struggle against the creature symbolic of Korea’s fight for autonomy. With intense action and deep emotional beats, Gyeongseong Creature provides a gripping look at the horrors of occupation and its lasting traumas.