We are back with yet another ultimate list of workplace kdrama!
With a huge number of workplace kdrama being released every year, it is evident how popular they are with the viewers. Be it workplace romance or stories of aspiring entrepreneurs or just tales about ordinary people trying to build their careers and survive in the corporate rat race, workplace kdrama have it all. So, if you are at that point in your life where you either need inspiration and motivation to develop your career or if you just want some warm office romance, we have it all! We have compiled a list of some of the best workplace kdrama with or without romance that will definitely cheer you up and brighten up your weekend. Without further ado, let us dive right in!
37. My Secret Romance
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
My Secret Romance is a typical I love you-I love you not kind of a kdrama. The workplace setting is of a company where the two leads work. The male and female lead first meet at a hotel and spend the night together and meet again after 3 years in the male lead’s father’s company. After a series of events and misunderstandings, will they finally agree to be together? Find out in My Secret Romance!
36. The Secret Life Of My Secretary
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
The Secret Life Of My Secretary is a boss and secretary romance kdrama. The story begins when a department manager loses his a ability to recognize faces. He is set up on a blind date with a chaebol heiress who sends his secretary in her place. And thus, ensues a story of mistaken and hidden identities.
35. Forecasting Love and Weather
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Forecasting Love and Weather narrates the tale of employees in the Meteorological Adminitration department of South Korea as they tackle difficult situations with the change in weather conditions. The focus is on Jin Ha kyung, a talented forecaster who is quickly climbing the social ladder. Enter Lee Shi Woo, a highly intelligent aspiring forecaster whose predictions are more or less always on point. When these two meet, what would happen? A secret love affair, red alerts and more, find out in Forecasting Love and Weather!
34. She Would Never Know
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy, Slice of Life
She Would Never Know is a perfect workplace kdrama for you if you like fashion and makeup and unrequited love! Moreover, it is a fun kdrama in which you get to see the inside of how your favourite makeup products might be produced and launched.
The story revolves around the marketing team of a cosmetic brand where both are leads work. Yoon Song Ah is a talented marketing professional for the company that she works for and through campus placements meets Chae Hyun Seung. Chae Hyun Seung eventually gets an intern position in the same company and department and they work together. However, they each have a secret. While Hyun Seung likes Song Ah, Song Ah is in a secret relationship with BM Lee Jae-shin. But wait, there is another secret to unfold that will shatter both their worlds. Will they be able to move on? Find out in She Would Never Know!
33. Rich Man
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Rich Man is a romantic comedy kdrama that revolves around an IT company’s CEO Lee Yoo chan. The set up is a complete office environment where the leads work together. The male lead Yoo Chan has a condition because of which he cannot remember and recognize people’s faces including that of his first love, Kim Bong Hong. Meanwhile, Bong Hong is a fresh job seeker with a photographic memory. She is brutally humiliated by Yoo Chan for her skill of rote memorization. However, she gets hired for a short term job opportunity by Next In. What will happen next, will Yoo Chan ever recognize her? Will Bong Hong be able to get a job? Find out in Rich Man.
32. A Poem A Day
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Slice of Life, Medical, Romance
A poem A Day is a workplace kdrama, set in a hospital scenario. It follows the lives of medical professions navigating their way around helping people who need them.
31. Idol: The Coup
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Coming of Age, Motivational
Idol: The Coup is among the heartwarming kdramas. If you like kpop, you will enjoy figuring out lives and struggles of these kpop artists and some of whom who are unable to make the cut. The workplace here is the entertainment industry.
The story revolves around a “failed” idol group who are neglected by their own company and on the verge of being disbanded. Jenna, the group’s leader, tries hard to reunite the memebers and they vow to make a comeback and become number one before disbanding.
30. Cleaning Up
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Crime, Comedy, Drama
Cleaning up is a fun kdrama to watch which also contain a workplace atmosphere although the emphasis is more on the crime and comedy aspect of it. The story revolves around cleaners working for an investment company. One day, one of the cleaners, Eo Yong Mi, accidently overhears information about insider trading. With the help of her colleagues, she plants a spying device in the office of the person involved in insider trading. Chaos ensues when her spying device is discovered by the company officials. How will she and her friends get out of this mess? Will they go to jail? Find out in this thrilling kdrama!
29. Touch Your Heart
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Touch Your Heart is a reunion kdrama of one of the most popular on-screen kdrama couple Yoo In Na and Lee Dong Wook. It revolves around the life of a popular actress, Oh Yoon Seo, who becomes jobless after a major scandal for two years until she gets an offer to star in a legal project. But in order to do so, she needs to gain experience with law and thus, she ends up becoming a workaholic Kwon Jung Rok’s secretary and let us tell you, he absolutely despises her! Can Yoon Seo survive this challenge? Find out in Touch Your Heart!
28. Crazy Love
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Crazy love is a typical CEO – secretary love kdrama and it is crazy indeed. Our make protagonist is CEO, Noh Go Jin, who is faking amnesia in order to tackle with death threats. Not very smart, is it? On the other hand, our female protagonist and secretary, Lee Shin Ah, who finds out she does not have much time to live and then, pretends to be her boss’s fiancé. Crazy and unpredictable indeed. Find out how the events of these two unravel amidst a death threat and a secret in Crazy Love!
27. Black Dog: Being A Teacher
Genre: Workplace, Comedy, Life, Drama, Motivational, Feel Good
Black Dog: Being A Teacher is another heartwarming workplace kdrama, this time the setting is not a corporate office but a high school! It is a commentary on the lives of teachers and students alike. The story follows our protagonist Go Ha Neul who finally becomes a contract teacher in a private school. Throughout the kdrama, she grows to become one of the best teachers and along with her colleagues from the career counselling department, she helps students achieve their dreams. But will she be able to become a permanent teacher in such a competitive environment? Follow Ha Neul’s journey in Black Dog: Being A Teacher!
26. Clean With Passion For Now
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Clean With Passion For Now is another classic boss-employee romance stories set in a company environment. What makes Clean With Passion For Now different is that the company is of the cleaners and not any other regular business companies.
The story revolves around a struggling Gil Oh Sol, doing all kinds of part time jobs until she is hired as a cleaner in a cleaning company. The company is owned as a cleaning freak, Jang Seon Kyul, with a severe mysophobia. He even has problems with people’s fingernails! Now, imagine this compulsive cleaning freak who comes in contact with an unapologetically chaotic and messy girl Oh Sol. Sparks fly, disorders are treated and you have a happy ever after! Follow Gil Oh Sol and Jang Seon Kyul’s journey in Clean with Passion for Now!
25. Radio Romance
Genre: Workplace, Romance, Comedy
Radio Romance is set in a Radio broadcasting environment where our female lead Song Geu Rim aspires to become a radio writer. However, due to lacking skills and talent in writing despite being extremely passionate about it, she is stuck as an assistant writer. In an attempt to save her radio show from being scrapped, she successfully hires a top star, Ji Soo Ho. Will she be able to save her job and her passion? Find out in Radio Romance!
24. Where Stars Land
Genre: Workplace, Romance, Melodrama
One of the most unique workplace settings is in Where Stars land! It revolves around the working environment of South Korea’s well known airport – Incheon International Airport. It follows the incidents that happen in the airport revolving around the work of the Passenger Services team where our male lead Lee Soo Yeon, a man with a secret, meets Han Yeo Reum, a clumsy yet bubbly perfectionist. Will they be able to provide comfort and healing to each other? Follow their journey in Where Stars Land!
23. My Shy Boss
Genre: Workplace, Romance, Comedy
My Shy Boss is one of the adorable workplace kdrama. When you come across the word CEO, what comes in your mind? A shy, passive, introverted man in a hoodie? No right? But here we are with our male protagonist and a CEO Eun Hwan Ki, hiding in his office from his own employees. And honestly, he does seem like a psychopath murderer in disguise sometimes.
The story revolves around Chae Ro Woon, who is seemingly outgoing and extroverted but is truly an introvert at heart. Resolving to take revenge on Eun Hwan Ki for her sister’s death, she joins the company. Will she be able to uncover Eun Hwan Ki’s true colors? Find out in My Shy Boss!
22. Feel Good to Die
Genre: Workplace, Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy
Feel Good to Die is one of a kind of a workplace kdrama. If you enjoy movies and shows about a time loop and character growth, you will definitely like this light hearted kdrama! The story revolves around a company boss Baek Jin Sang who is despised by everyone because of his mean and arrogant personality. Lee Roo Da is one such employee. On a fateful day, tired over Baek Jin Sang’s antics and angry over having to work under him, she wishes death to Baek Jin Sang. Through miraculous events, her boss gets hit by a truck! Drowning in guilt, she wishes everything to be a dream and the next day wakes up as the beginning of the day her boss will die!
In a quest to save her boss and turn him into a likeable personality, Lee Roo Da has to relive the day of the accident over and over to find out the cause of the time loop. Will she be able to come out of this time loop or is she stuck in what she wished for forever? Find out in Feel Good to Die and be careful what you wish for!
21. Kkondae Intern
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Business, Comedy, Life, Drama
Kkondae Intern is a hilarious turn of events kdrama revolving around a company environment. How would you feel like if you had the change to make your boss your intern and torture them as they did to you? Sweet revenge, is it not? Kkondae Intern makes your dream a reality!
The story revolves an intern who gets appointed to the worst manager ever, Lee Man Sik, known as a “terror senior”. Man Sik makes the life of our intern Ka Yeol Chan so difficult that he quits the company altogether. He joins a different company, works hard and makes a new product which becomes an instant success. Through his skills and hard work, he is able to get promoted to the position of a general manager.
Meanwhile, Man Sik’s card are not helping since his attempts at getting a promotion are quashed. He transfers to Yeol Chan’s company as an intern and is assigned under General Manager Yeol Chan. Find out more about this hilarious situation and how Yeol Chan extracts his revenge in Kkondae Intern!
20. Gaus Electronics
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Comedy
Gaus Electronics flaunts ridiculous comedy. It revolves around a practically useless marketing team 3 of a multinational company and opens with one of their employees accidently revealing the corrupt and power hunger nature of the company’s legacy. It follows the hilarious events that take place with the employees of the marketing team trying to live through mishaps over mishaps.
19. Suspicious Partner
Genre: Workplace, Legal, Crime, Romance, Comedy, Mystery
Suspicious Partner is one of the most popular kdrama due its talented and insanely popular cast. The workplace is transformed into a legal office where characters aim to solve heinous crimes and punish criminals.
The story revolves around Noh Ji Wook, a prosecutor trainee Eun Bong Hee. Their task is to catch a clever psychopath murderer and somehow Bong Hee finds herself as one of the suspects in the case. Will they be able to clear her name or is she someone who cannot be trusted? Find out in this thrilling mystery Suspicious Partner!
18. Jugglers
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Jugglers is an adorable workplace kdrama about the romance between a boss and a secretary. Their chemistry is so cute and fluffy that it will definitely make you feel satisfied.
The story revolves around our passive but competent secretary Jwa Yoon Yi. Now, over the period of her service, she has adapted to knowing everything about her bosses and fulfilling every need they might have. Until, Nam Chi Won comes under picture. As Yoon Yi gets embroiled in a cheating scandal with her previous boss, she is assigned to Chi Won, a managing director who, let’s say, is not very interested in the idea of having a secretary at all. As he keeps tormenting Yoon Yi with his seemingly cold and unsocial personality, events unfold where a drunk Yoon Yi is taken home by Chi Won.
And guess what? She lives in his old house where a traumatic fire incident changed Chi Won’s life. Adamant at curing his trauma, he decides to rent the apartment next to her! Will he be able to get over his traumatic past? Will Yoon Yi be able to assist him in his job? What will happen to these two seemingly opposite characters? Find out in Jugglers!
17. Wok of Love
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy, Drama, Revenge drama
Wok of love is a workplace kdrama revolving around a Chinese restaurant, a group of thugs, a fallen princess and a cast out talented chef. Entertaining right? The story revolves around 3 people. Seo Poong is a talented chef who is removed from his job due to a hotel conspiracy. Doo Chil Sung is a former gangster who opens a shabby Chinese restaurant across from the hotel that Seo Poong used to work at. Dan Sae Woo who is a former chaebol heiress now currently bankrupt. Seo Poong makes a deal with Chil Sung in order to beat the Hotel that unjustly fired him. Through food, these people come closer and heal each other’s wounds in order to become of the best Chinese restaurants in their area!
16. The Producers
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy, Drama
The Producers stars one of the highly regarded and extremely popular actors Lee Ji Eun (IU) and Kim Soo Hyun. It narrates the stories of people working in the entertainment industry with a focus on show producers. Baek Seung Chan is a rookie PD while Cindy is a popular singer who debuted atr 13 years of age. Ra Joon Mo is a veteran PD but has no iconic show to his name while Tak Ye Jin has been working on a music show for a while. All these characters intersect to form a kdrama of friendship, changes, healing and much more.
15. Her Private Life
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Her Private Life is brilliant with it’s depiction of the fandom culture in South Korea and absolutely hilarious and engaging at the same time. If you are a K-pop fan and have experienced the fandom culture, you will absolutely love this show. The female lead especially is a highly relatable fan trying to keep her obsession a secret from everybody else around her.
The story revolves around the office atmosphere of an art museum where our female lead Sung Deok-mi is a talented art curator. But she is also hiding a secret, a secret which she never wishes to disclose. What could it be? Is she a psychopath murderer in disguise? Well, actually no. The secret she wants to protect is her identity as a fan girl of a popular idol! Quite the contrary right?
But her life takes an adventurous turn when the current director of her museum is arrested on charges of embezzlement and there come Ryan Gold! Can our dear girl protect her secret? or the object of her obsession is about to change? Find out in Her Private Life!~
14. Oh My Ghost
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy, Drama, Thriller
Oh My Ghost revolves around the workplace that is a restaurant! It follows the story of a shy and timid assistant chef, Na Bong Sun, at a restaurant who is able to see ghost. Frequently getting scolded by her handsome boss, she is possessed by a virgin ghost who aims to seduce as many men as possible in order to move to the other world. Through her, Bong Sun becomes more confident and assertive and is able to attract the attention of the chef she has secretly has a crush on. But what about our virgin ghost? Will she be able to move on or Bong Sun will keep working under her shadow? Find out in Oh My Ghost!
13. Strong Woman Do Bong Soon
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Strong Woman Do Bong Soon is one of the most cherished workplace kdrama! With an eye candy and brilliant cast and story, you cannot possibly go wrong with this one. Moreover, the chemistry between the leads have been praised by audiences and critics alike.
The story revolves around our female lead Do Bong Soon who is born with superhuman strength inherited from the female members of her family. Due to her strength, she gets hired as a bodyguard by the CEO of a gaming company, Ahn Min Hyuk. Meanwhile, there are cases of kidnapping which Bong Soon tries to solve with the help of Min Hyuk. As they become close, trouble is brewing somewhere. Will Bong Soon be able to save people she loves? Find out in Strong Woman Do Bong Soon!
12. Record of Youth
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Youth, Romance
Record of Youth is a bubbly, cheerful kdrama where the workplace has transformed into the contemporary fashion industry! It follows the lives of our protagonists into navigating through life, love and heartbreak while trying to establish and develop their own careers and individual selves.
The story mainly focuses on Sa Hye Jun and Ahn Jeong Ha. Hye Jun is an aspiring model from a very humble background and has yet to have his major break while Jeong Ha works in a beauty salon under not so nice employees. She also happens to be Sa Hye’s major fan. What will happen when these two cross paths with each other? Will they be able to find their own calling and succeed? Find out in Record of Youth!
11. Today’s Webtoon
Genre: Workplace, Coming of Age, Comedy, Feel Good, Motivational
Today’s Webtoon is a heartwarming workplace kdrama with revolves around a webtoon department of a big company. If you are interested in reading webtoons, this is a really good kdrama to know how your favorite webtoons come into being and how a even a single chapter is the blood sweat and tears of many people in charge! Both the characters and the story is motivational and you will find yourself rooting for the webtoon team in no time!
The story features our female lead On Ma Eum, a former member of the judo national team who quit judo after a traumatic experience. Also, a great lover and avid reader of webtoons, she applies for a position in the webtoon team of a big company and, after many events, gets hired as a contract employee. Soon, she realizes that the webtoon team might be scrapped if they are unable to produce profits in a short time. Can she help in keeping her team alive? Follow Ma Eun’s self growth and commitment in Today’s Webtoon!
10. Start Up
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Business, Comedy, Romance, Youth
Start Up is literally a workplace kdrama about start-ups. It is set in the backdrop of a hypothetical Korean version of the Silicon Valley called the Sandbox and narrates the tale of people who aspire to be successful entrepreneurs. The story mainly revolves around Seo Dal Mi, a woman who aspires to be one of the greatest in the business spectrum especially after being abandoned by her sister and mother. Will she be able to achieve her dreams? Follow Dal Mi’s journey in Start Up! If you like to watch shows depicting the lives of hardworking, ambitious people, overcoming struggles and achieving success, you will definitely cherish this show!
9. Search WWW
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Business, Romance, Melodrama
Search WWW is a workplace kdrama with a strong female cast. If you life competitive corporate kdrama with strong female leads, this one is for you!
The story revolves around a competent and highly successful director Bae Ta mi of web portal. Through an internal conspiracy, she ends up being fired by the company that she gave her everything to and ends up joining the rival company, Barro. But things are not as straightforward as they look like. In order to take vengeance at her old company for unjustly firing her, she has to work with her rival, Cha Hyeon. Can Bae Ta Mi adjust to her life in the company that she worked so hard to beat? Can she take revenge for what happened to her? Will she be able to find a work-life balance and find love? Find out in Search WWW
8. Sh**ting Stars
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
Sh**ting Stars is an adorable workplace kdrama. It stars a highly competent cast who has delivered exceptionally for the drama. The story is in short friends to lovers but they both work in the same company.
Oh Han Byul is the head of the PR department of an entertainment company. She is excellent at her job and at crises management. Her life seems to be perfect except the one person she seemingly hates, her friend from college Gong Tae Sung. Gong Tae Sung is a top star at the same entertainment company and repeatedly hides his difficult and diva like personality from the public. But the one person who knows it all is Han Byul. When Gong Tae Sung returns from his charity stay in Africa, Han Byul has a new problem at hand. To conceal her true emotions!
Meanwhile the kdrama also features love triangles and another cute couple. It is your go to kdrama if you want to understand what happens when celebrity scandals break out, somewhere in a PR department of a company, there are people who do not sleep! Follow this adorable story in Sh**ting Stars!
7. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is a classic, fun workplace romance kdrama which was able to create a huge buzz when it aired for the first time. It still reigns as one of the all time favorite office romances in the kdrama world.
What would happen if your brilliant and excellently competent suddenly resigns after 9 years? This is what happens to our male lead, Lee Young Joon. Nobody could be as efficient as our female lead Kim Mi So at her job and Lee Young Joon is not ready to let her go. Along the way, they try to heal each other’s traumas and begin to experience what they had not realized before. Join Mi So and Young Joon in this adorable workplace romance kdrama!
6. A Business Proposal
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Business, Drama, Comedy, Romance
A Business Proposal has become one of the most heartwarming workplace kdrama with one of the best cast. And what’s more? The second lead syndrome is even intense in this office romance!
The story follows our female lead Shin Ha ri who goes on a blind date in place of her rich friend Jin Young seo. Interestingly, the date turns out the CEO, Kang Tae Moo, of the company Ha ri works in! Things could have never been more chaotic until a series of lies and mishaps later, he hires Ha ri as his fake fiancé in order to stop his grandfather into setting him up on blind dates.
In a parallel plot, Jin Young seo falls for Tae Moo’s secretary but things are no smooth sailing for her as well. And not to mention, Ha ri’s series of lies regarding her true identity to protect herself from being discovered by her boss! Can Ha ri pull this off? Or would Tae Moo find out the truth about her? And what about his grandfather? Drama is in the air! To find out, watch this adorable workplace kdrama, A Business Proposal!
5. Suits
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Law, Business, Action
Suits is a korean remake of the American Tv Show by the same name. It follows the story of a successful lawyer Choi Kang Seok as he recruits Go Yeon Woo, a man without a law degree but almost a photographic memory. The rest of the kdrama deals with the cases they try to solve together.
4. Hotel Del Luna
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Romance, Comedy, Dark Fantasy, Supernatural
Hotel Del Luna is no doubt one of the most popular fantasy kdramas on the market. The workplace here is no ordinary hotel but a hotel for ghosts! One of the selling points of the kdrama is Lee Ji Eun’s (IU) fashionable character Jang Man Wol.
The setting is around a ghost hotel with staff who themselves are spirits with an unfinished business. This hotel serves as a temporary safe heaven for ghosts and help them move on the afterlife. The CEO Jang Man Wol has been paying her sins by running the hotel for almost a millennium. Her life changes when she meets Gu Chan Sung who reluctantly becomes the general manager of the hotel. Together they solve mysteries behind evil spirits and unravel the secrets they hold.
3. Itaewon Class
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Business, Romance, Drama
Itaewon Class has become one of the best workplace kdrama which narrates the struggle and passion of a man wronged and his hark work to overcome an entire conglomerate in the food industry.
It narrates the tale of Park Sae ro yi whose father is murdered in an accident by his company’s heir. As revenge, Sae ro yi tries to kill the culprit behind his father’s murder but is caught and jailed instead. With the entire universe against him, he does not lose faith in himself. He saves whatever money he could and opens a restaurant called Danbam and aims to become the best in the food industry while also becoming the downfall of Jangga group, the family behind his father’s murder. This workplace kdrama is an inspiring tale of success and hard work against all odds.
2. Romance is a Bonus Book
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Business, Romance, Comedy
Although Romance is a Bonus Book is popular for being a warm romantic comedy, it is also a heartwarming workplace kdrama. With some of the best cast, it is set in a book publishing company and narrates the tale of a woman trying to restart her career from scratch. It is another kdrama which not only has romance but is also inspiring and motivating especially with its strong female characters.
The story revolves around our female lead Kang Dan I who finds herself in a pickle when her marriage falls through and she is forced to look for alternatives but to no avail. Being an ex-career woman and that too a successful advertising copywriter, she has difficulty finding work since her skills are now either outdated or she is over-qualified. Romance is a Bonus Book narrates her struggles into getting back her career and her life as an independent woman and how she makes a transition from being practically homeless to being successful at her job again through her hard work.
1. Misaeng: Incomplete Life
Genre: Workplace kdrama, Drama, Comedy, Business, Slice of Life
Misaeng: Incomplete Life is a heartwarming and inspiring workplace kdrama. It gives the message that if you fail at one path, it does not mean that you fail at life and that life has many more doors open for you. You just need to take a leap of faith and keep going forward. No wonder it is one of the most highly rated workplace kdrama.
The story revolves around our protagonist, Jang Geu Rae, a baduk player. When his dream of becoming a professional baduk player falls through, he has to find another option and fast. What do you do when life gives you lemons? You make a lemonade and that is exactly what Geu Rae tries to do. With only his GED and no skills or experience, he somehow gets an intern position at the company One International. Will he able to survive the cut throat competition? Find out in Misaeng: Incomplete Life.
This is it folks. Let us know in the comments which one are you starting next!
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