The Ultimate K-Drama Summer Watchlist You Didn’t Know You Needed

To a sleepy seaside town where time slows down. To a humid city night filled with laughter, longing, and the faint hum of a fan. These are the K-dramas that feel like summer: bright and breezy on the surface, with emotions that simmer just underneath. They capture the essence of the season—sun-drenched afternoons, chance encounters, first loves, and that bittersweet feeling of something beautiful that can’t quite last. Whether you're chasing nostalgia or just craving a dose of warmth, these K-dramas are your cinematic summer escape—no sunscreen required.

Here are a few K-dramas that carry the essence of summer—whether it’s in their setting, tone, or that unshakeable feeling of fleeting joy.

1. Our Beloved Summer (2021–22)

Let’s start with the most obvious. A slow burn romance wrapped in nostalgia, Our Beloved Summer is like flipping through an old photo album of a high school love you never quite forgot. Choi Wooshik and Kim Dami play ex-lovers brought back together for a documentary reunion, but what starts as awkward bickering unfurls into a deeply emotional tale of growth, regret, and rediscovery. The animation interludes, indie soundtrack (cue: Christmas Tree by V), and golden-summer visuals make it feel like a memory you didn’t know you had.

2. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

Set in the seaside village of Gongjin, this show is a warm hug disguised as a rom-com. It’s about community, healing, and the unexpected joy of slowing down. The chemistry between the ever-practical dentist Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a) and the multi-talented but mysterious Chief Hong (Kim Seon-ho) sparkles like sunlight on the ocean. Every episode feels like a beach day with a touch of salt air and emotional catharsis.

3. Summer Strike (2022)

A more introspective addition, Summer Strike captures the hazy, quiet days of self-discovery. After burning out in her city life, the protagonist simply stops everything and moves to a coastal town. This minimalist, emotionally meditative drama is less about plot and more about atmosphere—long silences, bookshop moments, gentle waves, and soft friendships. It’s the stillness of summer evenings personified.

4. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)

While it spans years and seasons, Twenty-Five Twenty-One captures the energy of youthful summers—the thrill of chasing dreams, falling in love for the first time, and facing heartbreaks you think will never heal. Set during the late '90s and early 2000s, it brings in a nostalgic charm with its Walkmans, beach trips, and fencing duels. The dynamic between Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk is magnetic, and the show feels like a sun-soaked scrapbook of growing up.

5. Welcome to Waikiki (2018)

If your summer is more about laughter than longing, Welcome to Waikiki is pure chaotic sunshine. This sitcom-style drama follows a group of struggling friends running a failing guesthouse. It’s slapstick, absurd, and sometimes surprisingly heartfelt. Think of it as the summer holiday where nothing goes to plan, but you come home with the best stories.

6. Run On (2020–21)

Run On is not overtly summery in setting, but its mood—airy, modern, and quietly optimistic—feels like a late-summer night with the windows open. It’s about people learning to slow down, love at their own pace, and speak in their own language. Im Si-wan and Shin Se-kyung’s relationship is as refreshing as lemonade: light, tangy, and comforting.

7. Racket Boys (2021)

There’s something unmistakably summer about sports dramas set in sleepy towns. Racket Boys follows a group of middle school boys training for badminton tournaments, but it’s also about growing up, dealing with loss, and cherishing friendship. The countryside visuals, warm teacher-student bonds, and youthful enthusiasm make it the perfect feel-good summer watch.

8. Because This Is My First Life (2017)

While not summer-themed in a traditional sense, this show feels like the mental version of lying in the sun after a long day. It’s quirky, clever, and laced with dry humour. The oddball romance between a stoic app designer and a struggling screenwriter unfolds in surprising ways, and the pastel, sun-dappled cinematography gives it that wistful, warm-weather glow.

9. When the Camellia Blooms (2019)

Set in the small town of Ongsan, this slice-of-life romance-thriller hybrid blooms with summery colours and floral metaphors. Gong Hyo-jin plays a single mother and bar owner who slowly opens her heart to a goofy but golden-hearted police officer, played by Kang Ha-neul. The show blends warmth, suspense, and quirky humour with a rich sense of place, like a sleepy summer afternoon that suddenly turns dramatic.

10. Love Alarm (2019–21)

Remember the summer flutters of a teenage crush? Love Alarm captures that in a near-futuristic setting where an app notifies you if someone nearby likes you. Starring Kim So-hyun, Song Kang, and Jung Ga-ram, this love triangle unfolds against youthful angst and cherry blossom backdrops. It’s ideal for those bittersweet summer feelings—beautiful but complicated.

11. The Package (2017)

A lesser-known gem, The Package is basically a summer Eurotrip in drama form. It follows a group of Korean tourists on a package tour through France, led by a charming guide played by Lee Yeon-hee. There’s romance, personal healing, and travel eye-candy galore. It’s perfect if your summer soul is craving a getaway without the plane ticket.

12. Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol (2020)

This drama feels like a sunbeam: quirky, bright, and surprisingly comforting. After losing everything, a cheerful pianist finds herself in a small town, where she meets a mysterious part-timer. What follows is a slow unfolding of healing, laughter, and unexpected romance. Like an ice-cream cone on a hot day—light, sweet, and gone too soon.

13. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016–17)

Nothing captures young love in its messy, joyous form quite like this one. Set on a university campus and following the life of a female weightlifter, the show radiates youth, ambition, and the giddy high of finding your people. The chemistry between Lee Sung-kyung and Nam Joo-hyuk is peak "summer crush energy"—playful, tender, and unforgettable.

14. Blue Birthday (2021)

For something moodier but still rooted in youthful nostalgia, Blue Birthday is a fantasy drama that plays with time travel and unresolved love. It’s tinged with mystery and grief, but at its heart is a story of what-ifs, second chances, and emotional growth. Think of it as a summer thunderstorm—brief, intense, and cleansing.

15. My ID is Gangnam Beauty (2018)

A campus romance with deeper commentary on self-esteem and societal beauty standards, this drama stars Im Soo-hyang and Cha Eun-woo in a story that mixes summery romance with real emotional stakes. With its bright setting and makeover moments, it captures the feeling of transformation—a classic summer theme.

16. Be Melodramatic (2019)

Equal parts funny and emotionally resonant, this show follows three 30-something women working in the media industry and navigating friendships, career struggles, and modern relationships. Its colour palette, witty writing, and offbeat characters give it a hip, sundrenched, Seoul-in-July vibe.