If You Love War Movies, Check Out This Heartbreaking & Action-Packed K-Drama

For South and North Korea, the Korean War technically never ended, with the country still divided and contentiously at odds over 70 years after the conclusion of active hostilities. Released in 2010, the K-drama series "Legend of the Patriots" revisited the war to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the conflict's outbreak. A remake of 1975 Korean series "Comrades," which was also previously remade in 1983, "Legend of the Patriots" brings a more ambitious edge to the original story. While previous versions of this tale offered more overtly jingoistic messaging, the 2010 iteration focused more on fiery wartime action and the impact of the devastating conflict on civilians.

"Legend of the Patriots" begins in late 1950, just before China's entry in the war, as South Korean and United Nations forces advance on the North Korean capital of Pyongyang. The movie primarily focuses on a squad of South Korean soldiers led by Lee Hyeon-joong (Choi Soo-jong) on the frontlines of this advance. On the opposing side is North Korean soldier Lee Soo-kyung (Lee Tae-ran), who had a romantic relationship with Hyeon-joong before the war. As the fighting intensifies in the face of the Chinese reinforcement of North Korea, the combatants struggle to retain their humanity amidst the widespread atrocities.

While "Legend of the Patriots" is currently unavailable to stream through legal means in North America, here's why this underrated K-drama should be on your radar.

For all the intense action and wartime stakes, "Legend of the Patriots" very much depicts the Korean War as a soul-searing tragedy. Both the South and North Korean armies increasingly descend into moral ambiguity as the fighting rages on, with civilians caught in the crossfire. While the show stops just short of being an outright antiwar story, it does provide its own twist on the "war is hell" narrative. This is a K-drama that dwells on the consequences of war, though it does so while avoiding direct commentary on its ongoing political implications.

The most visible consequence to this conflict is the central romance between doomed lovers Hyeon-joong and Soo-kyung. Torn apart by their opposing ideologies and now enemies because of them, it's clear that the romance between these two lead characters has survived the outbreak of the war. There are so many sad K-dramas that utilize a love story as the primary source for their tearjerker potential and "Legend of the Patriots" is no different in that regard. There is also plenty of bunker-busting action consistent with shows like "Band of Brothers" (albeit with a Korean approach), all of which inevitably has heartbreaking casualties.

Running for 20 episodes, "Legend of the Patriots" offers all the wartime spectacle one might expect from the genre, but it also brings a South Korean perspective to the conflict. But as with the Korean War itself, there are no real winners to be had in this violent division of Korea.