In the world of television and film, it’s common for other countries to adapt or remake popular media. The U.S. has had plenty of successful adaptations, ranging from horror flicks likeThe Grudge(Ju-On) andThe Ring(Ringu) to dramas likeJane the Virgin(Juana la Virgen) andThe Good Doctor(The Good Doctor). However, plenty of American original shows that have been popularized have been adapted to fit other cultural mediums.
Some such countries includeSouth Korea, which, while known for its K-drama-esque style of writing, has adapted some television and film from the U.S., incorporating its own political values and commentary that does not stray too far away from the source material. This makes for interesting takes and views through the lens of a different culture, creating an interesting conversation about the success of adaptations and what elements make a film or TV show unique to its home country. Here’s to popular remakes of American TV shows and films that South Korea successfully remade into their own medium.
10’Marrying a Millionaire' (2005-2006)
Adaptation of ‘Joe Millionaire’ (2003)
Marrying a Millionairefollows Eun-young (Kim Hyun-joo) as she is invited to be a participant in a reality show called Marrying a Millionaire, which is about an average Joe kind of guy who can pull off acting and looking like a wealthy man. This man is Young-hoon (Go Soo),who is a hardworking citizen and is his family’s main provider. So upon her invitation, Eun-young is already familiar with Young-hoon, who happened to be her first love when she was younger. Being on this show reignites old feelings for her old schoolmate.
Marrying a Millionaireis a fun adaptation ofJoe Millionaire. AlthoughJoe Millionairewas a reality TV show, this Korean adaptation is partially inspired by it, and thus a creative yet fun drama is born. Though it has definitely aged and is very obviously a period piece,Marrying a Millionaire provides a nostalgic taste of romantic dramas of the early 2000s, when cheesy storylines and laughable tropes were the highlights of a K-drama.Marrying a Millionaireis worth watching, if not for its take on the American reality TV show, then for its cheesy romance.
Buy on Amazon
9’Criminal Minds: Korea' (2017)
Adaptation of ‘Criminal Minds’ (2005)
Within the National Crime Investigation (NCI) team, there is a group of profilers whose job it is to find criminals in ongoing investigations. This team consists of Ki-hyung (Son Hyun-joo), Hyun-jun (Lee Joon-gi), Min-young (Lee Sun-bin), and others, all diverse profilers working within the unit. Team leader Ki-hyung is still traumatized after a bomb goes off in a hospital, killing SWAT team members, but he resumes his role after a certain murder case catches his attention.
This TV show is a remake of the American show of the same name.Although the American version is popular in its own right, what initially drew audiences and viewers toCriminal Minds: Korea was the cast. Lee Joon-gi, having starred in popular K-dramasMoon Lovers: Scarlet Heart RyeoandScholar Who Walks the Night, plays the lead and does so successfully, being able to attain the viewer’s attention. Not to mention, for those who liked the tearjerker episodes that tugged at their hearts, this adaptation of Criminal Minds is the one. Criminal Minds: Korea ends up being a masterful and emotional adaptation.
Criminal Minds: Korea is not available to stream or buy in the U.S.
8’Entourage' (2016)
Adaptation of ‘Entourage’ (2004)
Young-bin (Seo Kang-joon) is a rising star known for his handsomely good looks. However, there are challenges that come with fame and recognition. This leads to Young-bin relying on his three close friends, Lee Ho-jin (Park Jeong-min), Turtle (Lee Dong-hwi), Cha Joon (Lee Kwang-soo), and agent Kim Eun-gab (Cho Jin-woong), and the show follows the comedic group as they spend time together.
Entourage, while hilarious and fun, features a bunch of cameos from different Korean actors, actresses, and performers, includingSong Ji-hyo,Mamamoo,Kang Ha-neul, and more.Entourageis a refreshing take on the American adaptation, combined with realistic challenges relating to Korean culture, and it makes for a unique K-drama that doesn’t focus on the cheesy romances or corny tropes that K-dramas typically do. The focus falls completely on the friendship between characters, which is a refreshing take on a K-drama, as they maneuver the life of fame and stick together.
Entourage is not available to stream or buy in the U.S.
7’Suits' (2018)
Adaptation of ‘Suits’ (2011)
Go Yeon-woo (Park Hyung-sik) is a genius with an excellent photographic memory. Desperate for quick money, Yeon-woo is set up during a drug deal gone wrong, and he is followed by detectives. Yeon-woo successfully evades the police by being mistaken for a candidate at Kang & Ham, a law-practicing firm. Fortunately, even though he doesn’t have a law degree, he has memorized the entirety of the lawyer’s manual. As a result, when given the opportunity by Kang-seok (Jang Dong-won) during an interview, Yeon-woo defends himself against the detectives and does so successfully. After successfully evading arrest, Yeon-woo is crowned as the new lawyer at Kang & Ham. With this new opportunity to flourish as a lawyer, Yeon-woo gets rid of the drugs and begins studying so that he can become a great lawyer and change his life around.
Suitsplays out similarly to the American adaptation it is based on. Both Dong-won and Hyung-sik play the lead roles convincingly, with strong chemistry to start off with. The Korean adaptation ofSuitsis gripping, enticing viewers with the familiar and popular face of Hyung-sik while also providing plot twists at every turn. Viewers interested in this show will be on the edge of their seats for each hour-long episode.
Watch on Tubi
6’Woori the Virgin' (2022)
Adaptation of ‘Jane the Virgin’ (2014)
Woori the Virginfollows Woori (Im Soo-hyang), a young woman sworn to chastity from a young age. Because of this, she has had trouble finding love and keeping it. Although she has been dating a man for two years—Kang Jae (Shin Dong Wook)—it’s hard for them both to evade the topic of sex and take the next step. However, after accidental insemination, she ends up pregnant with CEO Raphael’s (Sung Hoon) child. This creates tension within Woori’s love life as she is torn between two men she develops feelings for. It’s just a matter of who she decides to be with and marry.
Woori the Virginis a remake of the very popularJane the Virgin. Though shorter, it is still an enjoyable remake that gets to the point over a span of 14 episodes. It relies heavily on subtle humor and innuendos, and it does so successfully.Woori the Virginis the perfect remake, keeping the original’s plot devices and adapting them to Korean culture while also maintaining its own identity in subtle ways. The only larger differences are some of the subplots and the timeframe in which everything happens.
Watch on Viki
5’The Good Wife' (2016)
Adaptation of ‘The Good Wife’ (2009)
The Good Wifefollows Hye-kyung (Jeon Do-yeon), a lawyer who breaks her decade-long hiatus after her husband, prosecutor Tae-joon (Yoo Ji-tae), betrays her, having gotten caught sleeping with another woman. However, the situation is worse, as he is also being accused of accepting sexual favors and bribes, thus getting in trouble in a political scandal.
The Good Wifeis an excellent watch,a successful remake of the original American drama. It maintains similar cases from the original, with a bit of its own twists and cultural changes. However, because it is a much shorter series, the pacing is fast, and some of the characters don’t get the same limelight as they did in the American show. Still, with an interesting premise, the Korean remake has madeThe Good Wifeinto a unique experience that cannot be found in the American version, thus viewers will be satisfied with both versions.
4’Little Women' (2022)
Adaptation of ‘Little Women’ (2019)
Little Women follows three sisters—In-joo (Kim Go-eun), In-kyung (Nam Ji-hun), and In-hye (Park Ji-hu)—and the poverty that has stricken their family. However, a family friend has left money for the sisters, and it becomes a fight between these women and Korea’s richest family in order to receive the money.
Another show based on an American film,Little Women(Korea) is pretty different in terms of setting and characters. The American show is based in the 19th century; meanwhile, the Korean remake is more of a modern piece. Both adaptions of the novel focus on the central theme of poverty but under differing conditions of the cultural differences between Korea and America. Those who enjoyed the original will have an appreciation for this new adaption, as it tells its own story while being loosely connected to the original content. Korea’sLittle Womenwill hook viewers from the first episode, and its thriller-like story will keep viewers entertained. A wonderful adaption that really pulls away from its American roots and tells its own story.
Watch on Netflix
3’Designated Survivor: 60 Days' (2019)
Adaptation of ‘Designated Survivor’ (2016)
After being dismissed as the Minister of Environment in South Korea, Mu-jin (Ji Jin-hee) suddenly finds himself as acting president when the National Assembly building is bombed. Everyone who was in line for succession to the presidency was killed in the explosion, except for Mu-jin, who has been officially acting president for 60 days. During these 60 days, Mu-jin attempts to uncover the people behind the bombing, and he has to survive so that a new president can be elected. Although he lacks political ambition, Mu-jin has no choice but to continue leading South Korea.
Similarly to many of the other film and television shows adapted into South Korean media,Designated Survivor: 60 Daysfollows the American plot closely, with the most obvious differences being the culture itself. Although a political drama, the plot itself is very exciting and gripping, and viewers will be on the edge of their seats as they follow Mu-jin in his attempts to uncover the truth behind the bombing while surviving as the sole successor to the presidency. For those who enjoy political commentary, this political thriller is by far one of the best.
2'18 Again' (2020)
Adaptation of ‘17 Again’ (2009)
Most viewers will probably rememberZac Efron’shit movie17 Again. Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun or Lee Do-hyun) was once a successful high school basketball prodigy. But then one day he fell in love with Da-jung (Kim Ha-neul), and soon after, an unexpected pregnancy surprises both Dae-young and Da-jung. Dae-young decides to forsake his basketball career in favor of being a responsible parent. However, many years later, Dae-young has found himself in a miserable situation: his wife wants a divorce, his teenage children want nothing to do with him, and he has been laid off. Because life has taken a turn for the worst, Dae-young wishes to fix things with his family, and he finds himself in his 18-year-old body while also maintaining his current state of mind.
Viewers who loved17 Againwill be very happy with the Korean remake. Because each episode is almost equivalent to a film, the original story is expanded into a thoughtful and emotional masterpiece that will bring viewers to tears every time. It is a heartwarming show about family and familial love. The show18 Againis one of the best Korean adaptations of an American film, and it is one that viewers will remember.
1’Vincenzo' (2021)
Adaptation of ‘The Godfather’ (1972)
Vincenzo Cassano (Song Joong-ki), previously Park Joo-hyung, is adopted by a Mafia family after his adoptive Italian parents pass away. Trained and raised by the Cassano Mafia family, Vincenzo becomes the head’s right-hand man and a lawyer. However, after Don Fabio, the head, passes away, his biological son Paolo (Salvatore Alfano) becomes the new leader of the Mafia and aims to kill Vincenzo out of jealousy. Vincenzo then flees to Seoul, where he finds himself entangled with the Babel Group, a corporation that he cannot overpower with his own skills alone. So, recalling what he knows from his time in the mafia, Vincenzo applies his knowledge to obtain intel and ultimately destroy the Babel Group.
Although not technically a full-on remake,Vincenzovery clearly takes inspiration from the originalGodfathertrilogy. However, whileThe Godfatherfocuses on the Dons and mafia,Vincenzois a look into an outsider; more specifically, it takes on the perspective of a consigliere,played by the talented Song Joong-ki (Descendants of the Sun), whose acting really brings the character and story to life. Additionally,Vincenzo’s humor blends in with serious moments and tense scenes well, and the rich background of the main character provides an emotional ride that viewers will not expect from this crime drama.Vincenzois full of heart, and it is a proud adaptation ofThe Godfathertrilogy.
