By Jae-Ha Kim
KOCOWA
December 23, 2021

As the year winds down and we get ready to welcome 2022 in just over a week, it’s time to give ourselves the gift of relaxation. If you’re lucky enough to get a few days off from work or school, why not snuggle under your blanket and treat yourself to a K-drama or two (or more!)? We’ve already written about some of the hottest current K-dramas that you can watch right here on KOCOWA. Soooo here are a few series from the past few years that highlight cold winters, warm hearts, and even a bit of mystery.

“MY LOVE FROM THE STAR”

“My Love From the Star” originally ran from 2013 to 2014, but it’s a timeless classic K-drama that never feels dated. No matter how many times you’ve seen it, it will give viewers all the feels. Honestly? This entire series is so good that it is like a gift to us K-drama fans. Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun play an alien and a movie star, respectively, who are adversarial at first, before falling in love. Everything in this series is on point, from the acting, to the fashion, to the set design. (There’s also an in-home library that is to die for.) You’ll also see a very young Kim Hyun Soo portraying Ji Hyun’s character as a child. Hyun Soo, of course, is one of the stars of the popular “The Penthouse” trilogy.

“WHITE CHRISTMAS”

Make no mistake about it: “White Christmas” is not a Korean remake of the classic 1954 Bing Crosby film of the same name. This K-drama is set in an elite high school that only accepts the smartest students in South Korea. Seven students forgo their winter break — their only substantial vacation from school — to try to solve a mystery. Who is sending them threatening letters and why are they being targeted? With just one adult (a teacher) as their chaperone, the students are left pretty much in charge of themselves as they’re snowed in and trapped within their school. In just eight episodes, this 2011 series packs quite the punch.

“PRIME MINISTER AND I”

There’s lots of beautiful Christmas decor and snow in the 2013 romantic comedy, “Prime Minister and I.” This K-drama centers around a widowed father of three cute children and a tabloid journalist, who — because of wacky misunderstandings —pretend to be engaged until he becomes the Prime Minister. It’s no spoiler to say that of course this pretend romance will turn into true love between the couple. Someone who was thought to be dead will make their presence known and cause some friction between the lead characters. But that’s all I’ll say about that. Ha!

“WILL IT SNOW FOR CHRISTMAS?”

Technically, 2009’s “Will It Snow for Christmas?” isn’t about the holiday itself. Rather, the title pertains to the symbolic meaning of what a white Christmas can represent. You’ve probably heard numerous K-drama characters talk about how they want to be with someone they like (or love) when the first snow falls. The lead male character grew up poor and watched his mother bullied for being a barmaid. (Kim Soo Hyun plays the younger version of the character.) As an adult, he reunites with his first love at her engagement party, only to find that she doesn’t remember him — or is pretending not to.

“Oh My Venus”

There are so many festive holiday vignettes in 2015’s “Oh My Venus,” including this Christmas party (in Episode 12). That particular episode packs quite the dramatic punch, with one of the characters heading off to meet his birth mother, a mom learning that her child tried to die by suicide, and the protagonist trying to save the life of one of his best friends. SPOILER ALERT!!!! One of the loveliest scenes in this entire K-drama is when So Ji Sub’s character proposes amid flickering Christmas lights. This is a must-(re)watch during this holiday season.

This is my last post for 2021. And I’m curious: What do you plan on watching during your winter break? There are so many fun choices, aren’t there? I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season!