The South Korean television industry has produced some of the best revenge K-dramas, like The Glory, which earned several prestigious awards, including the Baeksang Arts Award for Best TV Drama and the 2023 Korea Drama Award for Best Drama. The series, starring Song Hye-Kyo in the lead, received both critical acclamation and immense viewership success.
Some other highly thrilling and absorbing revenge K-dramas similar to The Glory include Park Seo-Joon’s Itaewon Class, Han So-Hee’s The World of the Married, Lee Ji-Ah’s The Penthouse: War in Life, Woo Do-Hwan’s Tempted and more. Let’s jump right in and look at these revenge K-dramas like The Glory without further ado.
Itaewon Class
Itaewon Class, starring South Korean actors Park Seo-Joon and Kim Da-Mi, is one of the most famous revenge K-dramas ever. The series gained a lot of praise from critics and the audience due to its fascinating storyline and captivating acting performance by the lead cast since its release in 2020 on JTBC.
Itaewon Class revolves around a young man named Park Sae-Ro-Yi, who goes to jail for the attempted murder of the son of Jangga Group’s founder. He does it to avenge his father’s death. After his release, he went on to open a bar restaurant in Itaewon named DanBam. His main goal is to seek revenge on the Jangga Group by becoming extremely successful. The series is currently available on Netflix.
Tempted
Another highly gripping revenge Korean drama, similar to The Glory is Tempted starring Woo Do-Hwan, Park Soo-Young and Kim Min-Jae, among others. The series debuted on March 12 2018 on MBC TV. It gained a lot of popularity among viewers due to its suspenseful and thrilling plotlines and brilliant acting by the main cast members.
Tempted centers around a romantic revenge story, chronicling the lives of a young man named Kwon Si-Hyeon and a young woman named Eun Tae-Hee. The story unfolds a series of dangerous events when the two discover each other’s true feelings while playing the game of love. Viewers can watch the series on Viki.
The World of the Married
The World of the Married is another highly consuming and top-rated revenge K-drama. It stars Kim Hee-Ae, Han So-Hee, Park Hae-Joon, Park Sun-Young, and Kim Young-Min, among other actors. The drama has gained a lot of critical acclamation since its premiere on May 16, 2020, on JTBC. It made history by becoming the highest-rated K-drama on Korean television, with an average rating of 18.829%.
The World of the Married chronicles the vengeful story of a medicine doctor and a hospital director named Ji Seon-U, who is married to Lee Tae-Oh, an aspiring director. Ji Seon-U’s revenge saga unfolds when she discovers that her husband is having an affair with Yeo Da-Kyung, another woman. Viewers can stream the series on Netflix.
The Penthouse: War in Life
The Penthouse: War in Life is undoubtedly one of the best revenge Korean television dramas. Directed by Joo Dong-Min, the first season became the 9th most-watched series in Korean television history. Well-known South Korean actors, including Lee Ji-Ah, Eugene, Kim So-Yeon, Um Ki-Joon, and several others, starred in the series, which has three seasons.
The Penthouse: War in Life tells the revenge story surrounding wealthy families residing in Hera Palace and their children studying at the Cheong-ah Arts School. Extreme desires and ambitions fuel the story. The series is currently streaming on Viki.
Other well-known revenge K-dramas include My Name, Why Her, Taxi Driver, Rugal, Revenge of Others, Somebody, Payback, Eve, Iris, Graceful Family, Celebrity, Vincenzo, Reborn Rich, and others.
