Far away from the bustling city, the noise, and corporate burnout, some K-drama leads often seek the quiet and calm of the country side to heal and recalibrate. More often than not, the move also mends hearts, as they encounter a long forgotten or estranged love and sometimes even meet the love of their life.
The slow pace and simplicity of country life, its people, and the lush surroundings often play key factors in the road to healing and love.
If you love these types of stories, here are five K-dramas about falling in love in the countryside that make for a perfect summer watch.
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha”
Yoon Hye Jin (Shin Min Ah) is a dentist who loves drilling fillings as much as she loves her designer shoes. After a disagreement with her boss, she quits her job, leaves Seoul behind, and retreats to Gongjin, a serene seaside town filled with special memories.
A city girl at heart, Hye Jin struggles to settle in, as country life and its people operate very differently. Her aloof and reserved attitude clashes with the easygoing rhythm of the seaside town, where the people are as laid back as the lazy waves touching its shores.
Enter Hong Du Shik (Kim Seon Ho), the town’s favorite resident and handyman, affectionately called Chief Hong. A free spirit, there is no job he cannot do and no task he cannot complete. Though their initial encounters are far from pleasant, the two slowly strike an easy friendship.
It is Du Shik who helps Hye Jin ease into country life, guiding her through rural living and its people. As friendship gradually turns into affection and love, Du Shik makes Hye Jin understand that life never comes with a DIY manual.
“Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha” feels like slipping into a favorite quilt that wraps you in comfort. The chemistry between Shin Min Ah and Kim Seon Ho, whose charming dimples are as endearing as the scenic beauty of Pohang, makes the drama both heartwarming and deeply comforting.
“Summer Strike”
Lee Yeo Reum’s (Seolhyun) life goes on a downward spiral after she loses her mother in an accident. Soon after, she is unceremoniously dumped by her boyfriend and is also bypassed at work. It is this moment of uncertainty and feeling of directionless that makes her quit the city, her old life behind, and move to a seaside village called Angok.
There, she encounters An Dae Bum (Yim Siwan), a quiet and shy librarian. Unbeknownst to Yeo Reum, Dae Bum is a brilliant mathematician but is grappling with his troubled past.
As these two world weary individuals come together, they offload their burdens and open their hearts to each other as they fall in love. And the rural life and it’s scenic backdrop is the balm to their fractured souls.
“Summer Strike” is an unhurried and calming drama, nudging us to slow down and celebrate the small wins in life. The slow burn romance between the leads, who give nuanced performances, make this one a must watch.
Start watching “Summer Strike”:
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“I’ll Go to You When the Weather is Nice”
Mok Hae Won (Park Min Young) is a cellist, but has had it with work and the petty politics at play. She decides to move away from Seoul to her hometown, a quiet village where life and everything else is slow paced.
She wants to revaluate her life, goals, and find those parts of herself that have been fragmented and lost. She reunites with her old schoolmate Eun Seob (Seo Kang Jun), a shy bookstore owner. Eun Seob is a simple guy and one at home in the village. Eun Seob had once confessed to Hae Won that he liked her, but she had made nothing out of it.
But once back, she keeps running into him; after all you cannot avoid each other in a small quaint village. As she adjusts to her new life, she also joins a book cafe at Eun Seop’s bookstore so as to meet new people. She finds herself drawn towards Eun Seob, a kind-hearted man who owns his vulnerabilities and is one of the most reliable men around.
The two grow close, and as love blossoms, they both embark on a journey of healing and self care. A show which feels like the arrival of summer after a bleak winter, it embraces you with its warmth and feel good nature. And paired with a realistic narrative, you also see natural performances by its lead pair.
Start watching “I’ll Go to You When the Weather is nice“:
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“Brewing Love”
Chae Yong Ju (Kim Se Jeong) is a sales manager at a liquor company. She is a toughie and one so adept at her job that she is the most reliable employee in the company.
But for someone who is extremely influential in making deals and handling the company’s stocks, she comes across her biggest challenge ever. She needs to convince the reclusive yet brilliant brewmaster Yun Min Ju (Lee Jong Won) to sell his recipe to her company.
Min Ju lives a life of solitude in the village and is super sensitive to the energies of those around him. Neither does he want to commercialize or mainstream his beer or craft. He’s content with brewing in limited quantities.
Yong Ju leaves no stone unturned in trying to persuade him, but he remains unrelenting. Through the course of their interactions, they discover a past connection as well as face their own bruised and traumatic pasts. Both of them have had it tough, but their coping mechanisms are different. Yong Ju is an extrovert, while Min Ju is an introvert.
Over beer, we get a frothy romance that also exposes family dynamics, societal conditioning, and fractured relationships. Kim Se Jeong is vivacious and is complimented by Lee Jong Won as the gentle Min Ju. The drama also explores loneliness, emotional wounds, and the different ways with which people cope with trauma.
Start watching “Brewing Love”:
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“Welcome to Samdalri”
Jo Yong Pil (Ji Chang Wook) and Jo Sam Dal (Shin Hye Sun) have known each other since the day they were born. With their mothers being best friends, the two grew up inseparable, sharing everything from childhood memories to dreams for the future. It was only natural that friendship blossomed into love. After all, who knows you better than your best friend? But years ago, after Sam Dal broke Yong Pil’s heart, she left for Seoul, leaving both him and their shared past behind.
Now a successful fashion photographer, Sam Dal returns to her hometown of Samdalri after her career comes crashing down following a scandal. The last person she wants to face is Yong Pil, her former boyfriend, who remains deeply rooted in the village. A weather forecaster loved by the locals for his warm and dependable nature, Yong Pil has quietly continued living in Samdalri, carrying old memories with him. With Sam Dal back, old wounds are reopened as well as best kept secrets revealed.
“Welcome to Samdalri” is a heartfelt drama that goes beyond romance. Alongside its warmth and humor, the show explores unresolved grief, trauma, guilt, and regret, while also celebrating the unbreakable bonds of family, friendship, and community. Ji Chang Wook and Shin Hye Sun are both endearing as their characters, bringing forth their quirks and strengths with ease.
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram.