With K-dramas evolving over the past few years to produce a variety of content, avid fans have no shortage of content. However, making a K-drama comes with many costs, and many of them have huge budgets. These include casting, set costs, filming locations, special effects, costumes, and many other elements. Many high-budget K-dramas have grown to be extensively popular, not only because of their storyline but also because of their cinematography.
With more and more people jumping on the K-drama bandwagon, creators are coming up with huge production costs behind making their drama a success. Some of these include Arthdal Chronicles, Sweet Home, Moving, and many others. Check out the list below of some of the most expensive K-dramas, as per IMDb.
Moving (65 billion KRW)
Moving is a popular K-drama that premiered on August 9, 2023. The series follows the story of three high school students, Kim Bong-Seok, Jang Hee-Soo, and Lee Gang-Hoon, who possess supernatural powers. Their quiet lives turn upside down when a mysterious organization starts to hunt them down. Meanwhile, their parents try to shield them from harm. The drama became well-known for its display of the supernatural. It is available on Disney Plus and Hulu.
Arthdal Chronicles (54 billion KRW)
Arthdal Chronicles is one of the famous historical fantasy dramas that follows the story of the people living in the mythical land of the Arth. The inhabitants of the ancient city of Arthdal struggle for power and identity as they build a new society. The drama became popular for its extensive set design, cinematography, and special effects. It spanned two seasons and starred many famous actors, including Jang Dong-Gun, Song Joong-Ki, Lee Joong-Gi, Shin Se-Kyung, and several others. Meanwhile, viewers can stream the series on Netflix.
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area (40 billion KRW)
Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area follows a group of individuals who disguise themselves under the mask’s shadow. Led by a criminal mastermind, also known as “The Professor,” these unique individuals try to pull off the biggest heist that the country has ever seen. As they trap hostages inside, the police try to catch these masked people and their leader. The drama became famous for its settings, cinematography, costumes, etc. It stars Yoo Ji-Tae, Kim Yun-Jin, Jeon Jeong-Seo, Park Hae-Soo, Kim Ji-Hoon, Lee Joo-Bin, and others. The series is available to stream on Netflix.
Sweet Home (30 billion KRW)
Sweet Home is a popular K-drama series that premiered on December 18, 2020. The drama follows the story of a troubled teenager named Cha Hyun-Soo (Song Kang), who moves into a new apartment. His life, however, turns upside down as terror occurs and humans turn into savage monsters. Hyun-Soo and other survivors try to hold on to their humanity as they battle against the monsters and try to save their lives. The K-drama became extremely popular and recently concluded its second season in December 2023. It is available to stream on Netflix.
Several other K-dramas have had a big budget, spending extensively on designs, cinematography, and casting to make their series successful. These include Kingdom (35 billion KRW), Squid Game (25 billion KRW), Reborn Rich (35 billion KRW), Alchemy of Souls (40 billion KRW), and many others.
