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(Clockwise from top left) Scenes from 'Goblin,' 'Descendants of the Sun,' 'Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo,' and 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo.' Screenshots from CJ ENM (Goblin), KBS (Descendants), MBC Drama (Weightlifting Fairy ), and SBS (Moon Lovers) via YouTube
This 2026, several K-dramas are about to hit the 10-year milestone. Some of these shows gave us unforgettable stories that many of us still revisit from time to time, while also launching their stars to greater stardom or, in some cases, earning them recognition here in the Philippines.
Whether you’re looking for a series to rewatch or one to discover for the first time, we’ve rounded up, in no particular order, the popular K-dramas that defined the memorable year of 2016.
Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na, Yook Sung-jae
Screenshot from CJ ENM Global on YouTube
This 2016 fantasy romance follows the love story between an immortal goblin, burdened with a sword in his chest, and the human bride he must find to end his curse. Writer Kim Eun-sook won the Grand Prize at the 53rd Baeksang Arts Awards for this series, while Gong Yoo took home Best Actor.
Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
Starring: IU (Lee Ji-eun), Lee Joon-gi, Kang Ha-neul
Screenshot from SBS on YouTube
Set in the Goryeo Dynasty, this drama stars IU as a modern woman transported to the past, where she becomes entangled with princes in the middle of a fierce battle for the throne.
Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo
Starring: Lee Sung-kyung, Nam Joo-hyuk
Screenshot from MBC Drama on YouTube
A coming-of-age sports drama, “Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo” features Lee Sung-kyung in the titular — and arguably her most iconic — role as a female weightlifter studying at a sports college, navigating life with her friends and a budding romance with her childhood friend, played by Nam Joo-hyuk.
Legend of the Blue Sea
Starring: Jun Ji-hyun, Lee Min-ho
Screenshot from SBS on YouTube
A fantasy romance led by two of South Korea’s biggest stars, “The Legend of the Blue Sea” tells the story of a mermaid from the Joseon era and a con artist who may be connected to her past.
Love in the Moonlight
Starring: Park Bo-gum, Kim You-jung, Jung Jin-young, Chae Soo-bin, Kwak Dong-yeon
Screenshot from KBS World TV on YouTube
Another period piece that captured K-drama audiences’ hearts, “Love in the Moonlight” tells the story of the Joseon dynasty’s crown prince and a poor woman who disguises herself as a man to make a living, ending up as a eunuch.
Descendants of the Sun
Starring: Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-won
Screenshot from KBS on YouTube
Winner of the Grand Prize in the TV category at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards, “Descendants of the Sun” revolves around a soldier and a doctor who, after parting ways over differing beliefs, are reunited in a fictional war-torn country, giving them a chance to rekindle their romance.
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
Starring: Park Seo-joon, Go Ara, Park Hyung-sik
Screenshot from KBS World TV on YouTube
This historical romance series takes its title from the name of an elite group of warriors, following their journeys of love and friendship in Silla during Korea’s Three Kingdoms period.
The K2
Starring: Ji Chang-wook, Song Yoon-ah, Lim Yoona, Jo Sung-ha
Screenshot from tvN Drama on YouTube
Known for starring action heartthrob Ji Chang-wook and Girls’ Generation’s Yoona, “The K2” follows a fugitive soldier hired as a bodyguard for a presidential candidate’s family, where politics and love intertwine.
W: Two Worlds
Starring: Lee Jong-suk, Han Hyo-joo
Screenshot from MBC Drama on YouTube
In this fantasy romance, Han Hyo-joo stars as a surgeon who is drawn into the world of a webtoon created by her missing father, where she becomes entangled in a murder mystery with the webtoon’s protagonist, played by Lee Jong-suk.
Uncontrollably Fond
Starring: Kim Woo-bin, Suzy
Screenshot from KBS on YouTube
This tragic romance stars Kim Woo-bin and Suzy as former lovers who reunite years later as a top actor and documentary producer, only to face the heartbreak of a terminal illness.