7 Popular K-Dramas That Were Filmed on Jeju Island

What is it about Jeju Island that attracts so many travellers? For tourists, it could be that they’re drawn to the serene waterfalls, lava tubes, and dramatic rock formations of this volcanic island. Maybe it’s the relaxed alternative to city life that beckons. But for honeymooners and K-drama fans, Jeju Island comes with a different allure — romance. 

Romantic declarations in the pouring rain. Sunsets near a lighthouse on the beach. Hillsides covered in flowers. Really, it’s no wonder that so many K-dramas are set on Jeju Island, where the windblown coasts and lush hiking trails create the perfect atmosphere for big gestures and swoon-worthy moments. 

From Boys Over Flowers to The Legend of the Blue Sea, these K-dramas will inspire you to add Jeju Island to your South Korea bucket list. You might also want to check out the filming locations on your next visit!

Also read: Korean Drama Bucket List: 17 K-Dramas That Will Take You Around the World

1. Boys Over Flowers

One of the most iconic K-dramas of all time, Boys Over Flowers played an important role in strengthening the global rise of Hallyu or the “Korean Wave.” For many people living outside South Korea, this was the first K-drama that they tuned into.

Adapted from the Japanese hit manga Hana Yori Dango, it follows a headstrong girl named Geum Jan-di (played by Ku Hye-sun), who finds herself entangled in the complicated lives of four wealthy highschoolers at Shinhwa High School. There, she meets Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho), Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-joong), So Yi-jung (Kim Bum), and Song Woo-bin (Kim Joon). All four boys happen to be members of a group called F4, comprising the heirs of the richest families in South Korea. 

If you’ve watched this series before, you might remember the seaside chapel where Goo Jun-Pyo (Lee Min-ho) and Ha Jae-kyung (Lee Min-jung) almost got married. While their marriage did not push through in the end, many fans still like to visit the luxurious resort of The Shore Hotel Jeju, where the group of friends checked in for the wedding ceremony in episode 21. 

Address: 114 Jungmungwangwang-ro, Saekdal-dong, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

2. Secret Garden 

Another famous series that can still give newer K-dramas a run for its money, Secret Garden was also filmed on Jeju Island. It brings together two different people: Gil Ra-im (Ha Ji-won), a spunky stuntwoman who aspires to become a martial arts director, and Kim Joo-won (Hyun Bin), the arrogant, narcissistic, and incredibly wealthy CEO of a high-end department store. 

Despite their personalities initially clashing and Joo-won’s mother’s strong objections to, well — everything — this unlikely couple eventually finds their way into a relationship. Plus, they land into many wacky scenarios that will keep viewers entertained, especially once they accidentally switch bodies. 

Also read: Watch Hyun Bin All Day: Here’s A List Of All His Netflix Shows!

In the sixth episode of Secret Garden, Gil Ra-im and Kim Joo-won wake up discovering that they’ve accidentally switched bodies. Sitting on a bench looking out to the sea, they bounce ideas on what to do next. Thinking a kiss might transfer their souls, they have their first kiss on this bench. 

Hyun Bin and Ha Ji-won filmed this scene at The Seaes Hotel & Resort Jeju in the heart of the Jungmun Tourist Complex on the island. Today, you can drop by this waterfront resort and find this exact bench still facing the ocean, where a photograph of their sweet moment is plastered on the wood. Quite romantic, isn’t it? 

Address: 196 Jungmungwangwang-ro, Seogwipo, Jeju-do, South Korea

3. Jewel in the Palace

Jewel in the Palace is a historical drama series that transports viewers to the Joseon era, in which Korean women had to overcome many challenges in order to be recognised in a strict social climate. Based on a true story, this K-drama centres on a kitchen cook apprentice named Dae Jang-geum (Lee Young-ae), and her remarkable journey to becoming the first female royal physician of the King.

The Jeju Folk Village appears as a key location in Jewel in the Palace. Situated in the city of Seogwipo, this restored village contains 117 buildings and facilities that were once traditional residences on Jeju Island during the 1890s. It also functions as a cultural museum, showcasing folk artefacts during that period. 

Truly, this folk village makes for an ideal stop to re-visit Jeju Island’s history. Here, you can visit an oriental herb medicine shop, rent a hanbok, participate in traditional crafts workshops, and attend cultural events. 

Address: 631-34, Minsokhaean-ro, Pyoseon-myeon, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

4. The Legend of the Blue Sea 

Fantasy drama The Legend of the Blue Sea is a must-watch series for any fan of Lee Min-ho. It provides an interesting premise in which a genius con artist, Heo Joon-jae (Lee Min-Ho), falls in love with a mermaid named Shim Cheong (Jun Ji-hyun), not knowing that he has already met her in a previous life. 

Moving between ancient Korea to the present day, this K-drama follows their attempts to be together in the modern era, as they try to avoid the tragic fate that has been prophesied for them. 

Also read: Lee Min Ho Shows — From Sharp (2003) to The King (2020)

Naturally, any K-drama that tackles an interspecies romance between a man and a mermaid has to be filmed near the water. And what better place for that than Jeju Island?   

Claiming to have the world’s longest stone maze, Maze Land is a sprawling theme park on Jeju Island. Here, the verdant hedges, themed labyrinthine paths, and high stone walls form the background for a chase scene with Heo Joon-jae and the mermaid Shim Cheong. 

Address: 2134-47, Bijarim-ro, Gujwa-eup, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

5. My Lovely Sam-Soon

Here’s another K-drama starring the ever-so-dreamy Hyun Bin! Declared to be the Korean version of Bridget Jones’s Diary, the rom-com series My Lovely Sam-Soon tells the story of Kim Sam-soon (Kim Sun-ah), a strong-willed and talented pastry chef with a passion for baking desserts. But she cannot stand the sight of Hyun Jin-heon (Hyun Bin), the affluent man who owns the upscale French restaurant she works in.

At one point in the series, Kim Sam-soon goes on a hike to Hallasan Mountain. Despite the strong winds and lashing rain, Kim Sam-soon climbs this trail to declare that she has given up on love and she wants nothing to do with it anymore. Only who does she find there, waiting for her? It’s Hyun Jin-heon, of course, ready to change her mind. 

Who wouldn’t want to relive this memorable scene, right? After all, this shield volcano is one of the postcard-worthy sights that Jeju Island is known for. But just know that if you plan to follow the same path as Kim Sam-soon on the Seongpanak Trail, you’ll need to set out for your hike as early as 9am or 10am.

Address: 2070-61, 1100-ro, Jeju-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

6. Warm and Cozy 

For anyone missing the seascapes and flower fields of Jeju Island, K-dramas like Warm and Cozy are bound to stir up some wanderlust. This light-hearted series follows Lee Jung-joo (Kang So-ra), a woman in her late 20s who can’t seem to catch a break in her administrative job in Seoul. 

Hoping for a fresh start in life, she decides to move to Sorang Town on Jeju Island. By coincidence, she runs into Baek Gun-woo (Yoo Yeon-seok), the owner of a charming café called “Warm and Cozy.”

Like many K-dramas, Warm and Cozy takes full advantage of the coastal scenery on Jeju Island. Situated on the northwest side of the island, you can find the laid-back and irresistibly cosy Bomnal Café in the village of Aewol, which serves as the filming location for Baek Gun-woo’s café by the sea. 

Many visitors like to stop by this café for a cup of coffee, while petting the adorable corgis running around and enjoying breathtaking views of the ocean nearby. There are so many scenic corners at this coffee shop, whose pleasant and welcoming ambience lives up to the very title of the series: Warm and Cozy. 

Address: 25 Aewollo 1(il)-gil, Aewol-eup, Cheju, Jeju-do, South Korea

Another picturesque filming location is the Sinchang Windmill Coastal Road in the village of Sinchang-ri, where you can find the white lighthouse that was used as a backdrop in episode 8. It doesn’t have an official name, but you can find it by checking out the address below: 

Address: 1481-14 Sinchang-ri, Hangyeong-myeon, Cheju, Jeju-do, South Korea

Additionally, the famous Seopjikoji Hill makes a striking sight with its gently sloping fields and dramatic cliffs kissing the sea. In the second episode of Warm and Cozy, this is the place where Lee Jung-joo and Baek Gun-woo go to see the sunrise, located on a hill carpeted in bright yellow flowers. 

Address: 107, Seopjikoji-ro, Seogwipo-si, Jeju-do, South Korea

7. Something in the Rain

Sometimes it’s hard to be a woman, especially when you’re a woman in South Korea secretly dating your best friend’s younger brother. In Something in the Rain, also known as Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food, a May-December romance starring Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in slowly develops over long, aimless walks and conversations that feel like something out of Richard Linklater’s Before Sunrise. 

It takes us into the daily ups-and-downs of Yoon Jin-ah (Crash Landing on You’s Son Ye-jin), a woman in her mid-30s who feels stuck in her career and personal life. Meanwhile, her best friend’s brother, Seo Joon-hee (Jung Hae-in), has just returned from overseas to work as a designer at a game company in Seoul. When they meet again, they begin to see each other in a different light. 

Note: For the spoiler-averse, this is the time to look away. 

Something in the Rain may not take place entirely on Jeju Island, but it’s impossible to end this list without it. When Jin-ah resigns from a toxic work environment and walks away from her oppressive family in Seoul, she packs her life into a suitcase and joins her former co-worker, Bora, on Jeju Island. There, they manage a breezy, plant-filled restaurant that is straight out of every yuppie’s dream. And so, Jeju Island becomes the place in which the characters take ownership of their lives and embrace their newfound freedom. The island offers not just an escape, but the possibility to start life afresh. 

You can visit this dreamy filming location at a café called Evening Garden, which is located in the township of Hangyeong and can be found in the address listed below. Don’t forget your umbrella! 

Address: 31 Panpojung-gil, Hangyeong-myeon, Jeju, Jeju-do, South Korea 

Not sure about you, but we’re wrestling with the strong urge to plan a beach trip after putting this list together. If the secret agenda of these K-dramas was to make us consider packing our things to Jeju Island, then we’ve got to hand it to them. It worked. 

Also read: Top 10 K-Drama Filming Locations in Asia You Have to Visit

Got any K-drama recommendations for us? We’d love to discover more! Feel free to send them in the comments! 

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Featured image credit: Something in the Rain | Netflix