Slice-of-life Korean dramas to watch
Quietly mesmerising and as soothing as a warm hug: that’s the charm of slice-of-life Korean dramas.
While these dramas are captivating enough in the way they explore the mundane, they are made better when set in the heart of a seaside town where buildings are weathered, the beach is always mere steps away, and the locals greet each other by names.
If you find solace in these things, here are 8 slice-of-life K-dramas set in serene seaside towns that you can stream in Malaysia.
Table of Contents
What are slice-of-life Korean dramas?
The trend of viral K-dramas in recent years typically boasts high-concept genres such as time travel, parallel universes, and apocalyptic occurrences. A slice-of-life K-drama, on the other hand, is painted with the palette of simplicity. You’ll find that the magic of these dramas lies in the ordinary conversations, the raw and unrefined emotions of regular characters, and the calm ebb of daily life.
1. When Life Gives You Tangerines
Image credit: Netflix via website
Life’s unexpected gifts are much like a tangerine – sometimes sweet, sometimes sour, but it’s all always part of the journey. Such is the sentiment of watching Netflix’s newest top-charting Korean series, When Life Gives You Tangerines – a Jeju dialect phrase meaning “you’ve worked hard”.
It has a story unfurling across several generations, from the 1950s onwards. From childhood friends to runaway sweethearts to struggling young parents, the endearing main leads Oh Ae Sun and Yang Gwan Shik showcase the immense endeavour of being alive, with all the joys that come and all the labours they endure.
Wistful and heartwarming in the way it explores the themes of love, sacrifice, generational gaps, gender roles, and familial relationships, the series will bring out as much tears as it does the chuckles – and that is life, after all.
Main cast: IU (Lee Ji Eun) as Ae Sun, Park Bo Gum as Gwan Sik
How many episodes: 16
Release year: 2025
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch the trailer:
2. Our Blues
Image credit: Netflix via website
Star-studded cast, heartwarming stories, and the insanely gorgeous backdrop of Jeju Island – Our Blues shows that life on the coastal island is beautiful, but it is also filled with its own rough edges and battles.
Each emotionally-charged episode is a blend of multiple storylines between various characters who are ordinary people in the face or ordinary struggles – a woman trying to outrun the storm in her head, a truck merchant and his complex relationship with his estranged mother, and an orphaned hanyeo burdened with guilt.
The drama feels like home but also heartache, and reminds us that while every person carries the weight of their untold stories, it is these very emotions – the blues of life – that connects us all.
Main cast: Lee Byung Hun as Lee Dong Seok, Shin Min Ah as Lee Seon Ah, Cha Seung Won as Choi Han Soo, Han Ji Min as Lee Young Ok, Kim Woo Bin as Park Jeong Joon
How many episodes: 20
Release year: 2022
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch the trailer:
3. Welcome To Samdal-ri
Image credit: Netflix via website
You can bet that any K-drama that’s set in Jeju will be comforting, and that is exactly what you can say about the K-drama Welcome To Samdal-ri.
A successful fashion photographer in Seoul, Cho Sam Dal returns to her hometown in Jeju when a scandal derails her career and reconnects her with Cho Yong Pil, a dedicated weather forecaster in Jeju, who was Sam Dal’s childhood friend and former sweetheart.
And as the sun rises and sets over the clear horizons of Samdal-ri, old wounds reopen, memories resurface, and love finds its way back to shore.
Main cast: Shin Hye Sun as Cho Sam Dal/Cho Eun Hye, Ji Chang Wook as Cho Yong Pil
How many episodes: 16
Release year: 2023
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch the trailer:
4. Summer Strike
Image credit: Netflix via website
Summer Strike is a love letter to the introverts who dream of a healing solitude and the weary souls craving an unhurried life.
Caught in a relentless cycle of work disappointments, heartbreaks, and personal tribulations, Lee Yeoreum escapes the burdens of modern society by quitting her job and moving to a quiet seaside village named Angok.
There, she meets librarian Ahn Dae Beom, and the two find comfort in each other’s quiet company and gentle conversations. The series reminds us that sometimes it is okay to take a break, to search for a new path, to not have a scripted future, or to do absolutely nothing – it is okay to just be.
Main cast: Kim Seolhyun as Lee Yeoreum, Im Siwan as Ahn Dae Beom
How many episodes: 12
Release year: 2022
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch the trailer:
5. When The Camellia Blooms
Image credit: Netflix via website
In the sleepy town of Ongsan, single mother Oh Dong Baek blooms enduringly amidst the judgmental whispers of the townspeople in the award-winning series When The Camellia Blooms.
Hwang Yong Sik – goofy, pure-hearted, and unapologetically devoted – falls in love with Dong Baek at first sight upon visiting the bar that she runs. Despite societal judgements, Yong Sik gradually chips down Dong Baek’s walls with his unshakable loyalty and earnest love.
Main cast: Gong Hyo Jin as Oh Dong Baek, Kang Haneul as Hwang Yong Sik
How many episodes: 20
Release year: 2019
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch the trailer:
6. Hometown Cha Cha Cha
Image credit: @tvn_drama via Instagram
K-drama fan or not, you must have heard of the hit Netflix series Hometown Cha Cha Cha, a breezy comedy rom-com series set in the picturesque seaside town of Gongjin.
Fate – and stubborn pride – leads the ambitious Yoon Hye Jin to open her dentistry clinic at the seaside village, where her polished city-girl ways and sharp tongue make her a bit of an object of ridicule amongst the close-knit residents. She meets Hong Du Sik – affectionately known as “Chief Hong” by the folks of Gongjin – who becomes anything the townspeople need, be it a fisherman, a handyman, or a barista.
What started from hilarious misunderstandings and petty bickerings eventually turns into something deeper that’s filled with stolen glances, heart-to-heart talks by the beach, and plenty of dimpled smiles.
Main cast: Shin Min Ah as Yoon Hye Jin, Kim Seon Ho as Hong Du Sik
How many episodes: 16
Release year: 2021
Where to watch: Netflix
Watch the trailer:
7. Family By Choice
Adapted from the Chinese drama Go Ahead, Family By Choice is a Korean remake set by the coastal beauty of Haedong, and delivers big on the wholesome and bingeable scale.
Kim San Ha, Yoon Ju Won, and Kang Hae Jun may lack biological ties, but have forged a familial bond so sturdy throughout their adolescence, when they were failed by their own families as kids.
But life always has plans that’ll disrupt “forever”, and the once inseparable trio finds themselves estranged from one another a decade later, nursing wounds and unresolved feelings. When they are reunited, they do their best to navigate the blurred lines between love, friendship, and family.
Main cast: Hwang In Yeop as Kim San Ha, Jung Chae Yeon as Yoon Ju Won, Bae Hyun Seung as Kang Hae Jun
How many episodes: 16
Release year: 2024
Where to watch: Viu
Watch the trailer:
8. Warm and Cozy
Image credit: IMDb via website
Trust Jeju Island to heal all our hearts again. Set in the coastal island is yet another Korean drama titled Warm and Cozy that’ll have you feeling exactly as it is named.
Having worked tirelessly in a clothing company for years only to be fired unfairly, Lee Jung Joo finds herself in Jeju, hoping to start afresh and rebuild her life. On the complete opposite end of the spectrum is Baek Gun Woo, a privileged owner of a restaurant on the island who lives off his parents’ wealth.
There’s a whole lot of bickering and clashing, but gradually, they find themselves drawn to each other.
Main cast: Kang Sora as Lee Jung Joo, Yoo Yeon Suk as Baek Gun Woo
How many episodes: 16
Release year: 2015
Where to watch: Rakuten Viki
Watch the trailer:
Slice-of-life Korean dramas with backdrops of the sea
No grandiose plots, over-the-top romance, or dramatic action sequences. These picks of slice-of-life K-dramas will remind you that the most meaningful stories and profound moments aren’t the loudest or the most extraordinary – they’re the intimate ones that tug at your heart even long after the final episode.
Besides, where else would you be able to heal a bruised and jaded heart if not by the vast, glimmering sea?
For more dramas and movies, read:
- Korean survival thriller dramas to watch
- OG K-dramas that blew up in Malaysia to rewatch
- New movies to catch on the big screen in 2025
Cover image adapted from: Netflix