12 Best K-Drama Remakes Of American Movies & TV Shows

While the American entertainment industry has remade countless foreign shows and movies for its own domestic audience, this creative tendency is not a one-way process. The South Korean entertainment industry has similarly remade or based movies and shows off of plenty of American projects. This trend has certainly extended to K-dramas, or South Korean scripted television programming of any genre. The breadth in types of American movies and shows remade for South Korean audiences is wide, ranging from crime procedurals to comedic variety shows.

In many cases, the broader premises from the American source material carries over to their K-drama counterparts, with some shows even retaining similarly phonetic names. However, even the most devoted fans of the shows and movies being remade will be surprised to see where these reimagined series take the story. In more than one instance, the endings of the remakes are completely different from the source material, keeping established fans on their toes. 

With that in mind, here are the best K-drama remakes of American movies and TV shows that you should binge next.

Comedy can be a tricky thing to translate across cultures and languages, but "Saturday Night Live" has never been like any other comedy variety show. In 2011, South Korea got its own version of the long-running series with "Saturday Night Live Korea," crediting Lorne Michaels as the show's creator and executive producer. Like its American counterpart, the show broadcast on television live featuring a popular host each episode, with a handful of pre-recorded segments. "SNL Korea," often simplified further to "SNLK," has a deep bench of comedic actors as its own not-ready-for-primetime players, rotating to various degrees each season.

Fans of Korean comedy should definitely check out "SNLK," especially episodes with bigger name hosts like Lee Byung-hun. For American "SNL" fans, seeing which familiar sketches carry over and how, like "Weekend Update," holds its own unique charm. "SNLK" went on an extended hiatus in 2017 before being revived at a different Korean television network in 2021, where it continues to air. Given differences in cultural sensitivities and the difficulty of comedy translating, it's inspiring to see how well the "SNL" format has thrived in Korea.

The long-running HBO series "Entourage" was reimagined for Korean audiences in 2016, after the original show's eight-season run and movie continuation. Retaining its title and premise, "Entourage" focuses on breakout movie star Cha Young-bin (Seo Kang-joon) and his three friends, sharing in his life of luxury. Young-bin's childhood best friend Lee Ho-jin (Park Jeong-min) works as his personal manager, leading to repeated conflicts with Kim Eun-gab (Cho Jin-woong), the CEO of Young-bin's talent agency. Things come to a head when a high-profile movie Young-bin is working on suffers a chaotic production while the pressures of fame start to get to him.

The K-drama "Entourage" was never particularly successful with Korean audiences, dipping in viewership shortly after its premiere. But even with that in mind, the show makes for a fascinating watch, especially for fans of the HBO original series. Though not as explicit in the vices that Young-bin and his friends engage in, there is a darker overall tone to the K-drama version than its American counterpart. An examination of entertainment industry fame from a Korean perspective, "Entourage" is both broadly familiar and distinctly different in its presentation.

The 2009 legal drama "The Good Wife" starred Julianna Margulies as a stay-at-home mother who resumes her legal career after her husband is convicted of a public scandal. The 2016 Korean remake maintains this premise, with Kim Hye-kyung (Jeon Do-yeon) becoming a lawyer after her prosecutor husband Lee Tae-joon (Yoo Ji-tae) is arrested for a scandal. Finally moving out of her husband's shadow, Hye-kyung finds herself as she restarts her legal career. In doing so, she comes to terms with Tae-joon's numerous inadequacies as a spouse, including his infidelities.

The Korean version of "The Good Wife" only ran for 10 episodes, as opposed to the American version's seven seasons. This makes for a much more focused interpretation of the story, though several cases from the American cases are retold here. Jeon Do-yeon delivers a more reserved performance as the lead than Margulies had in the original show, keeping within Korean cultural sensibilities. A condensed legal drama that offers a solid, streamlined remake of the original, "The Good Wife" is a K-drama you could easily binge over a lazy weekend.

Also known as "Criminal Minds: Korea," the 2017 K-drama "Criminal Minds" centers on a similarly haunted veteran profiler as the first three seasons of the American original series had. The Korean version opens with this tragedy as a bombing killing numerous police officers leaves Kang Ki-hyung (Son Hyun-joo) on lengthy respite before returning as a criminal profiler. Leading a younger team of investigators, Ki-hyung works with local police to track down a serial killer on the loose. Among the officers on Ki-kyung's team is Kim Hyun-joon (Lee Joon-gi), a hot-tempered investigator who resents Ki-hyung's handling of the bombing incident that killed several of his colleagues.

Both the cases and several of the characters in the 2017 "Criminal Minds" are Korean analogues to similar figures and storylines in the American version. Though one wishes that the Korean remake took more creative license with the source material, the transposition is interesting to watch. Given the original "Criminal Minds" ran for 17 seasons, while the Korean version ran for 20 episodes, seeing what American elements are retained and repurposed is half the fun. A solid crime procedural retrofitted for Korean audiences, "Criminal Minds" is always an engrossing watch, no matter what side of the world it's set in.

The legal drama "Suits" has seen a tremendous resurgence in popularity in recent years thanks to audiences discovering the show through streaming services. Before this second wind, "Suits" was adapted into a K-drama in 2018, with lawyer Choi Kang-seok (Jang Dong-gun) hiring Go Yeon-woo (Park Hyung-sik), despite the latter lacking a law degree. While maintaining his secret from the other lawyers at Kang-seok's firm, Yeon-woo quickly proves himself with his legal knowledge and photographic memory. Meanwhile, Kang-seok and the rest of his law firm faces increased scrutiny as they tackle several high-profile cases.

The Korean "Suits" condenses approximately the first five seasons of the American version's overarching story into 16 episodes. That means the K-drama is paced noticeably more briskly than the original, while still finding the room to spotlight a different case in virtually every episode. Despite the change in setting, the character dynamics are instantly recognizable to fans of the original, while tailored to Korean sensibilities. As slick and stylish as its American counterpart, the 2018 "Suits" remake offers a fresh perspective on the beloved legal drama.

The 2006 British fantasy crime procedural "Life on Mars" has certainly seen a surprising amount of adaptations overseas, including an American version in 2008. A full decade after the short-lived American remake's premiere, a South Korean version also titled "Life on Mars" made its debut. The K-drama retains the basic premise of police detective Han Tae-joo (Jung Kyung-ho) who is mysteriously transported back in time to 1988. Working with the local police of the era, Tae-joo investigates a serial killer case that may be the key to him returning to his own time.

Once "Life on Mars" settles into its period piece premise, it plays out like a solid crime procedural, albeit with comedic flourishes. What elevates "Life on Mars" is the buddy-cop chemistry between Jung Kyung-ho and Park Sung-woong, who plays Tae-joo's partner in the '80s. These two actors charismatically charge any scene they share, bringing a vital energy to what could have been a paint-by-numbers crime show. Of all the "Life of Mars" remakes, including the Czech and Russian versions, the K-drama adaptation is a clear standout, even over the American retelling.

The 2015 cable dramedy "Younger," adapting the 2005 novel by Pamela Redmond Satran, focuses on a single mother posing as a younger woman to completely shift her life and career. The 2019 K-drama "Romance Is a Bonus Book" loosely adapts this premise, with recent divorcee Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-young) switching to a career in publishing. Dan-i attracts the attention of her younger colleagues, including the editor-in-chief Cha Eun-ho (Lee Jong-suk), who is aware of her personal struggles. Dan-i acclimates to her career, as well as her budding romance to Eun-ho, completely reinvigorating her life.

"Romance Is a Bonus Book" moves away from the more melodramatic elements in "Younger," opting to focus more on the inherent comedy and romance of its story. The major difference is that Dan-i doesn't lie about her age, the central premise to "Younger," but instead fabricates her professional background to facilitate her career change. This alters the primary source of comedy in the K-drama, with another big change giving Dan-i and Eun-ho a shared backstory before the main events of the series. These alterations better fit the premise to Korean sensibilities while making "Romance Is a Bonus Book" a distinctly different take on "Younger."

Though the South Korean federal government is certainly different from its American counterpart, it features a similar line of succession for its central leadership. This is explored in "Designated Survivor: 60 Days," with Minister of Environment Park Mu-jin (Ji Jin-hee) named South Korean President after a bombing kills the line of succession before him. In a key change, Mu-jin only has 60 days to discover who was responsible for the assassinations, as this is his constitutionally mandated term as Acting President. What Mu-jin uncovers is a high-ranking conspiracy that also places him in danger as its next target.

Whereas the original "Designated Survivor" was prone to decompressed bloat to keep the show running, "Designated Survivor: 60 Days" runs at a tight 16 episodes. This leads to major developments in virtually every episode and cliffhanger episodic endings keeping audiences on the hook. "60 Days" is also relatively more grounded than the American version, leaning more into the moral implications of Mu-jin's suddenly heightened responsibilities. Without Kiefer Sutherland as its protagonist, "Designated Survivor: 60 Days" is more straight-laced and all the better for it.

The American "Leverage," starring Academy Award winner Timothy Hutton premiered in 2008 and ran for five seasons before receiving a revival series in 2021. The show's Korean remake premiered in 2019, retaining the core concept of a team of expert thieves targeting the affluent corrupt. The team's mastermind Lee Tae-joon (Lee Dong-gun) forms this illicit ensemble to avenge his son from the unscrupulous pharmaceutical fraudster he blames for his death. This leads Tae-joon and his team to bring justice to other figures that similarly prey on the vulnerable and impoverished.

The "Leverage" concept certainly works well in Korea, where themes of corporate malfeasance and the wealth divide are already prevalent in movie and television projects. The team that Tae-joon leads has a natural chemistry that works well for the ensemble nature of the story, with each specialist filling their respective roles terrifically. Like its American source material, there are hints of romance and certainly light comedic moments between the tightly planned heists. A relatively faithful adaptation of the original series, the K-drama "Leverage" is definitely worth a watch.

American author Louisa May Alcott's magnum opus novel "Little Women" has been adapted numerous times in a variety of media since its publication in 1868. Shortly after the award-winning 2019 film adaptation by Greta Gerwig, a modern K-drama adaptation was produced in 2022. Set in present-day Korea, this take on "Little Women" follows three financially impoverished sisters who receive a sizable inheritance from a family friend. However, a powerful and wealthy family tries to block the Oh sisters from their sudden cash relief, with a larger conspiracy gradually uncovered.

Even aside from the updated setting, it's clear that this version of "Little Women" is the loosest adaptation of Alcott's novel yet, with only the broadest narrative elements shared. Rather than a period piece drama, this "Little Women" is closer in tone to the popular crime thrillers that have come out of Korea in recent years. What remains visibly intact from the source material is the personalities of the sisters, with an analogue for the ill-fated Beth from the literary text omitted in the K-drama. More of a thematic inspiration than a genuine remake, this "Little Women" is certainly the most unique adaptation of Alcott's novel to date.

Latin American telenovelas and K-dramas have quite a bit in common, especially when they lean into their melodramatic potential. This distinction is key in "Woori the Virgin," the K-drama remake of the popular CW series "Jane the Virgin." Oh Woo-ri (Im Soo-hyang), who is saving herself for marriage, is accidentally artificially inseminated during a routine medical visit. This places her in an awkward love triangle with her boyfriend Lee Kang-jae (Shin Dong-wook) and her child's biological father, the wealthy tycoon Raphael (Sung Hoon).

Though both Woo-ri and her American counterpart worked in the television industry, "Woori the Virgin" is much more subtle in its satirical comedy. This is likely, in no small part, to "Woori the Virgin" running for the 14 episodes, standard of K-dramas, compared to "Jane the Virgin" receiving 100 episodes. But "Woori the Virgin" not only streamlines the story, but changes its handling of its core love triangle significantly, which is especially apparent by its finale. Though not as self-aware as "Jane the Virgin," "Woori the Virgin" remains an excellent remake nonetheless, repurposed for Korean audiences.

Before starring in tragic wrestling biopics, one of actor Zac Efron's biggest movies was the 2009 fantasy comedy "17 Again." This was adapted into a K-drama 11 years later, with a slightly amended premise and title, "18 Again." A 30-something father Hong Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun) faces divorce and career trouble, only to be magically transformed into his 18-year-old self (Lee Do-hyun). Attending his children's high school, Dae-young not only gets to better understand his kids, but repairs his relationship with his wife, father, and mother-in-law through his restored youthful perspective.

A lot of the story from "17 Again" is retained for "18 Again," right down to the protagonist's dreams of becoming a professional basketball player. But whereas "17 Again" was less than two hours, "18 Again" runs for 16 episodes, with each running for over an hour. That significantly increased real estate lets this version of the story go deeper with its characters and the implications of Dae-young's sudden transformation. A more ambitious take on one of Zac Efron's best movies, "18 Again" is quite faithful to the source material while making the story its own.