In a serendipitous encounter during Seo InGuk's record-breaking fan meet in Manila last year, a unique collaboration was born. Seo InGuk, the K-Drama sensation and multi-talented artist, expressed his desire to work with emerging Filipino talent Francine Diaz.

The catalyst for this collaboration was a casual dinner meeting between InGuk and Francine's manager, John Ling.

During the dinner, the South Korean actor was captivated by Francine's rendition of 'Pag-Ibig,' which resonated deeply with him. Despite any initial doubts Francine may have had about her singing prowess in comparison to InGuk's 'magical' voice, the seasoned singer sensed a dynamic synergy between them.

It’s a grand collaboration that nobody saw coming. Seo InGuk shared his enthusiasm for it, saying, "The song's content is about love, so I worked on it, thinking, 'Wouldn't it be fun to make it like a conversation that talks about love and goes back and forth about love?' and that process was just so much fun… I'm very thankful that I got to do that with Francine," as reported by Metro.Style.

The result of this unexpected collaboration is the upcoming single 'My Love,' released on March 2, 2024 under Universal Records. The track promises a magical blend of Seo InGuk's seasoned artistry and Francine Diaz's emerging talent, creating a melody that speaks directly to the heart.

Fans can anticipate a refreshing take on love as the song unfolds in a unique conversation-style format, offering a delightful twist to the traditional love song. It can even pass as a heartwarming and healing series OST.

In addition to his collaboration with Francine Diaz, Seo InGuk has recently achieved another milestone with his latest accolade in the K-Drama series "Death's Game," where he takes the lead alongside a stellar cast. Furthermore, InGuk showcases his versatility with his the lead role as Edmond Dantes in the Broadway musical "Monte Cristo," a production that can now be streamed on various digital platforms.

'My Love' is not just a musical collaboration but a testament to the unexpected beauty that can arise when artists from different corners of the world come together. Seo InGuk and Francine Diaz invite fans to join them on March 2 magic of 'My Love,' a melody that indeed celebrates the universal theme of love and romance.

Stream it on Spotify here:

Watch the music video here:

Are you a fan of historical dramas? Then, you don't want to miss out on the historical K-Dramas announced for 2024.

A few historical dramas were announced for 2024. We will keep updating throughout the year, so stay tuned. 

Web dramas are not included in this list and this is not a ranking.

This is not a ranking. Dramas starting in 2024 are included in this list.

 

1. "Love Song For Illusion"

When: January 2024

Cast: Park JiHoon, Hong YeJi, Ji Woo, Kim DongWon

Summary: It tells the story of a King with two opposite personalities and an assassin girl who wants to kill him but ends up falling in love with him.

Why Watch: The drama portrays a story of passionate romance and nail-biting suspense. It treads this line masterfully with an incredible performance from Park JiHoon and Hong YeJi.

This drama is based on the webtoon, "Love Song For Illusion".

 

2. "Flower That Blooms At Night"

When: January 12

Cast: Honey Lee, Lee JongWon

Summary: It is a comedy investigative historical drama that follows the story of a 15-year-long widow who is the daughter of a noble family and does not see anything of the outside world during the day, but crosses the fence at night to live a secret life.

Why watch: A mix of lightheartedness and mystery, "Flower That Blooms At Night" is a drama that will have you invested while smiling from ear to ear.

 

3. "Sejak: Charmed Deceit"

When: January 21

Cast: Cho JungSeok, Shin SaeKyeong

Summary: Depicts the cruel love story between King YiIn, who must face multiple dangers of power struggles, and Kang HeeSoo, who attempts to seduce the King in the name of revenge, but ends up falling for his charms instead.

Why Watch: A tale of romance and deceit, this drama is filled with various twists and turns that will keep audiences glued to their seats with every passing week.

 

4. "Tale Of Mrs. Ok"

When: TBA

Cast: Lim JiYeon and Choo YoungWoo (in talks)

Summary: Depicts the life of a female slave in the Joseon Dynasty and her passionate survival story.

Why Watch: -To be updated with the relase of the first teaser-

 

5. "Hong Rang"

When: TBA

Cast: Lee JaeWook, Cho BoAh, Jung GaRam, Park ByungEun

Summary: A drama that follows a long-lost son of Joseon's elite whom resurfaces carrying a load of hidden secrets. Alongside him is his persistent step-sister who looks to discover the truth.

Why Watch: -To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

Based on the novel, "Tangeum".

 

6. "Queen Woo"

When: TBA

Cast: Jun JongSeo, Kim MuYeol, Ji ChangWook, Jung YuMi, Lee SooHyuk, Park JiHwan

Summary: Set in the Goryeo era, the drama revolves around Lady Woo, the first ever woman in history to become a queen twice. She will be on the hunt for her new King within 24 hours after her previous husband, the King died.

Why Watch: -To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

 

7. "The Love Story Of Chunhwa"

When: TBA

Cast: Go Ara, Chang Ryul

Summary: The romance historical drama follows HwaRi, the youngest princess of the royal family who decides to find her husband by herself. Among her potential husbands is Choi Hwan, the wealthiest merchant with handsome good looks. He seems to hide a secret.

Why Watch: -To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

 

8. "Handwritten"

When: TBA

Cast: Seo InGuk (in talks)

Summary: The drama is set in the Joseon Dynasty and the story revolves around Kwon SooYoung, his journey to find his identity after losing his memory, and how he gets caught in a power struggle.

Why watch?: -To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

Adapted from the novel, "Jikpil".

 

9. "Haesi's Sinru"

When: TBA

Cast: Ahn BoHyun

Summary: In an extra space of the Joseon Palace, a burning triangle romance takes place between a mysterious woman and the monarchs of Korea and China.

Why Watch?: -To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

Adapted from the webtoon "Haesi's Sinru".

 

10. "Missing Crown Prince"

When: March 9, 2024 premiere

Cast: EXO's SuHo, Hong YeJi, Myung SeBin, Kim JooHeon, Kim MinKyu

Summary: A romantic comedy set in the Joseon era. Revolves around a crown prince who is kidnapped by the woman who is meant to become his wife.

Why Watch?: Enjoy the great chemistry between EXO's SuHo and Hong YeJi in this historical romance drama. Gte a chance to see more breathtaking Korean landscape, and dive into the beauty of Korean traditions.

 

11. "Won Kyung"

When: TBA

Cast: Cha JooYoung, Lee HyunWook

Summary: A story about Queen WonKyung and King TaeJeong. They work together to create a brand new regime, but eventually experience a downfall in their relationship.

Why Watch?: -To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

 

12. "Serenade"

When: TBA

Cast: Yeo JinGoo (in talk)

Summary: Follow the love story between the prince of the JoSeon dynasty, who wants to escape from the nation and find happiness, and a maiden from a poor family who wish to find happiness by becoming a successful woman in the nation.

Why watch?: - To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

 

-to be updated-

 

BONUS

36. "Dae JangGeum" 20 years later

When: 2025

Cast: Lee YoungAe (Dae JangGeum)

Summary: In the continuity of the 2003 MBC drama "Dae JangGeum" (also known as "Jewel In The Palace"), this sequel will dive into the life of Dae JangGeum as she becomes a female physician.

Why watch?: - To be updated with the release of the first teaser-

 

 

Which historical K-Drama are you looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.

In a world where many Western television series welcome multiple seasons, K-Dramas are often wrapped up in at least 16 episodes, sometimes even more. And while daily dramas often sit at the cusp of 40+ episodes, they never crest over one singular season.

The Korean film industry followed this model for a long time, however, in recent years, the landscape of K-Dramas has greatly evolved with the roaring tide of the Hallyu wave. Following the globalization of Korean entertainment, production companies and film crews are starting to take a new approach, splitting one K-Drama into two different parts.

Now, before we explore the success of this new approach, let’s take a look at the evolution of the typical K-Drama.

 

One Story, One Season

There is no doubt that the main allure of K-Dramas is the fact that many end within one season. Working with this model for so long, film crews, writers, and directors understand what it takes to create a compelling K-Drama that audiences will love.

Within the first few episodes, they introduce the main characters, the core focus of the plot, and the looming obstacle that stands in the main characters’ way. Then over the course of the series, there’s internal struggles, a multitude of disagreements, and at times, heart-fluttering romance in between. But regardless of how many things happen over the course of a drama, viewers know that by the final episode, most, if not all, questions will be answered and any loose ends will be promptly tied up.

This tried and true formula has led dramas like “My Love From The Star”, “Secret Garden”, and “Coffee Prince” become shining examples of what a classic K-Drama should be. Many viewers will fondly remember committing 16+ hours of their time to these dramas without a second thought.

 

Multiple Seasons Approach

Although a majority of K-Dramas continued forward with its usual format, there has been a recent rise in multiple season shows. Some of these include “Uncanny Counter”, “The Penthouse: War In Life”, and “Taxi Driver”.

Despite not having a definitive end, these shows reached mass success from the public both locally and abroad, and as a result, fans were more than happy to hear of their renewal. These dramas kept viewers at the edge of their seats and by the time the final credits rolled, they were understandably asking for more.

Now, not all successful dramas end up having a second season, as highlighted by the many years of K-Drama history. But the ones that do usually receive thunderous applause from viewers that makes it difficult to not have a second, or even third, season.

Despite their obvious success, not everyone is on board for these changes. On forum sites like Reddit, many argue that multiple seasons take away the initial appeal K-Dramas had in the first place and the risk of leaving behind too many unanswered questions due to cancellations or other issues. While this might be true for some, many multiple season dramas are still able to properly close the door on the series, allowing fans to move onto the next big thing.

 

The Rise Of A New K-Drama Model

Seasons aside, there seems to be a new K-Drama model coming to light: one story, split into two parts.

This can be seen through the highly successful Netflix-produced “The Glory” and TVING’s “Death Game”. These shows contain the typical flow of the classic K-Drama model, however, the main difference is that they are split into two separate parts. In the case of “The Glory”, the first 8 episodes were released on December 30, 2022, while the final 8 were released on March 10.

Now, with a number of shows split up into two separate parts, there’s more shocking cliffhangers, more mysteries waiting to unfold, and more time to ruminate and fully digest the events of a drama. And while the wait between the first and second part isn’t nearly as long as a K-Drama with multiple seasons, a bit of patience is required to fully appreciate the entirety of a drama.

Of course, dedicated fans in addition to a great storyline will keep viewers excitedly waiting for part 2, and ultimately the conclusion of the drama, however, for more casual viewers, this might cause them to lose interest and move onto something else.

This newer model of K-Dramas will not please everyone, but it seems like it’s growing in popularity as more shows adopt its structure. Now comes the question: will it work? Outside of "The Glory", looking at the success of shows like "Island", "Duty After School", and etc., K-Dramas split into two separate parts continue to retain a majority of their viewers. However, there is the danger of waiting too long or going up against a surging series with high viewership. If these conditions are met, this might mark a significant fall in viewership compared to the first part of the series.

But as seen from these previous works, the right story, cast, and amount of hype make it possible to create a drama that many people will love and continue to support worldwide. In the end, this newer model of dramas is establishing a firm foothold in the scene, and there's no doubt we will see more of it.

Which K-Drama model do you prefer the most?