Apart from delivering heart-fluttering love stories that leave butterflies in our stomachs, Korean dramas have a lot more to offer. Somehow, there’s always a life lesson to be learned after a show’s run, and it manages to stay with us throughout the rest of our binge-watching days. Take stories that tackle physical beauty for example. Be it about plastic surgery, makeup, or weight loss, there's a K-drama that's guaranteed to make you weigh in on the conversation about beauty.
Need a little help looking for good ones? Below, we list down 10 K-dramas about beauty that you'll likely resonate with:
1. True Beauty
Watch on: Viu, Netflix
A pretty face isn't everything, as you'll soon learn in the recently concluded True Beauty. After mastering the art of makeup from YouTube, Lim Ju-gyeong becomes a goddess overnight, revered by her peers for her looks. Despite her rise to popularity in school, Ju-gyeong’s greatest fear comes true when her handsome and popular classmate, Lee Su-ho, recognizes her without makeup on. Will he be able to accept the real her—flaws, pimple marks, and all?
Starring: Moon Ga Young, Cha Eun Woo, Hwang In Yeop, Park Yoo Na
2. My ID Is Gangnam Beauty
Watch on: Viu, Netflix
Bullied for her looks all her life, Kang Mi-rae decides to get plastic surgery in hopes of a fresh start in college. Unfortunately, her newfound popularity is quickly derailed when the truth about her operation is revealed. She’s taunted by her schoolmates with the nickname “Gangnam Beauty,” which leaves her just as distressed as she was back in her childhood. Despite the rumors circling around her, Mi-rae eventually finds an ally in the handsome yet seemingly aloof Do Kyung-suk, her naturally good-looking middle school classmate who chooses to stand up for her amid the whole fiasco.
Starring: Cha Eun Woo, Im Soo Hyang, Jo Woo Ri, Kwak Dong Yeon
3. Oh My Venus
Watch on: Viu, Netflix
Despite her achievements as a successful lawyer, 33-year-old Kang Joo-eun is still disrespected and ridiculed by her peers because of her weight. When she's dumped by her boyfriend of 15 years for the same reason, she enlists the help of famous Hollywood personal trainer Kim Young-ho to turn her life around.
Starring: So Ji Sub, Shin Min A, Jung Gyu Woon, Yoo In Young
4. She Was Pretty
Watch on: Netflix
When her now-handsome first love, Ji Sung-joon, asks to meet her, Hye Jin convinces her attractive roommate to take her place and pretend to be her. However, complications arise when Hye Jin, who failed to maintain her good looks from high school, finds work in Sung-joon's magazine company where he openly treats her with contempt and disdain, not knowing that she's really his childhood friend.
Starring: Hwang Jung Eum, Park Seo Joon, Go Joon Hee, Choi Si Won
5. The Beauty Inside
Watch on: Viu, Netflix
Two different worlds collide in The Beauty Inside. This drama follows Han Se-gye, a famous actress with a secret: Her appearance and identity changes to a different person once a month. She eventually develops a bond with Seo Do-jae, a seemingly perfect and wealthy man who hides the fact that he suffers from Prosopagnosia, which makes it impossible for him to remember faces. He makes up for this by telling people apart through their personalities. Will the two be able to make things work despite the complications between them?
Starring: Seo Hyun Jin, Lee Min Ki, Lee Da Hee
6. Birth of a Beauty
Watch on: Viu, Netflix
Sa Geum-ran is a kind but overweight housewife who’s treated poorly by her in-laws because of her looks. Her life is upended when her husband comes home from the United States after seven years and asks for a divorce so he can be with his mistress. Out for revenge, Geum-ran asks Han Tae-hee, a brokenhearted man with his own ulterior motives, to transform her into a beautiful woman with the intention of ruining her cheating husband’s relationship.
Starring: Joo Sang Wook, Han Ye Seul, Jung Gyu Woon
7. The Miracle
Twin sisters Kwon Shi-ah and Shi-yeon are complete opposites. Where Shi-ah is the popular, picture perfect K-pop idol, Shi-yeon is an overweight recluse who never leaves her room. Their whole worlds are thrown for a loop when they magically switch bodies and now have to live each other’s unfamiliar lives.
Starring: Hong Yoon Hwa, Kim Na Hyun
8. Perfume
Watch on: Viu
Betrayed by her husband’s affair, Min Jae-hee, a hardworking middle-aged housewife, attempts to end her life. However, before she can do so, she’s mysteriously sent a perfume that miraculously makes her look young and pretty again. Out to relive her youth, she signs on to become a top model for fashion designer Seo Yi-do, the perfect ideal man, if it weren’t for his multiple phobias and allergies.
Starring: Shin Sung Rok, Go Won Hee, Ha Jae Sook
9. Miss Korea
Badly hit by the IMF crisis in 1997 and in need of money, a company’s CEO, along with his employees, set off to transform a clumsy 25-year-old elevator operator into a beauty queen, in hopes of helping her win Miss Korea.
Starring: Lee Yeon Hee, Lee Sun Kyun, Lee Mi Sook
10. My Lovely Sam Soon
Talent trumps beauty in this classic K-drama when an insecure baker named Kim Sam-soon is hired by a haughty cook at an upscale restaurant, right after her cheating boyfriend publicly dumps her. The only problem? They’re polar opposites who absolutely cannot get along.
Starring: Hyun Bin, Kim Sun Ah, Jung Ryeo Won
11. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
This drama celebrates the beauty of strength and athleticism, as the main character pursues her dream of becoming a weightlifter. Throughout the series, the main character, Kim Bok-joo (played by Lee Sung Kyung), faces challenges and setbacks as she works to achieve her dream of becoming a weightlifter, including trying to look prettier to win over someone she's crushing on and then realizing that people who truly love her no matter what she looks like.
Starring: Lee Sung Kyung, Nam Joo Hyuk, Lee Jae Yoon
12. Mask Girl
Watch on: Netflix
Kim Mo-Mi, an ordinary office worker, leads a double life. By day, she's unremarkable, but at home, she becomes Mask Girl, live-streaming with a mask. A twist of fate draws her and her colleague, Joo Oh-Nam, closer as he discovers her secret and develops feelings for her. Meanwhile, Kim Kyung-Ja, Oh-Nam's devoted single mother, embarks on a frantic quest to locate her missing son. The series challenges conventional beauty ideals and explores the complexities of identity and relationships.
Starring: Lee Han Byeol, Go Hyun Jung, Nana
13. Shadow Beauty
Watch on: WeTV
Koo Ae Jin, never considered conventionally beautiful, endures relentless bullying. She escapes by assuming the persona of Genie, a popular social media influencer skilled in makeup and photo editing. However, her secret is threatened when she receives an unaltered photo of herself as Genie. The mystery of the sender's identity unfolds, and Ae Jin faces the dilemma of maintaining her hidden truth.
Starring: Shim Dal Gi, Choi Bo Min
14. Beautiology101
Watch on: YouTube
Welcome to K-Beauty School, where makeup makes the grade. This globally renowned institution specializes in the intricate realms of skincare and makeup, encompassing the art, science, technology, history, and marketing of beauty.
Enter Lee Bongju, a 20-year-old skincare enthusiast and a creator of her own skincare products. For Bongju, prioritizing skincare over makeup is paramount, given the potential for premature aging with heavy cosmetics. In pursuit of expanding her client base and elevating her business, she embarks on a transformative journey into the world of makeup as she enrolls at K-Beauty School, where her adventure into the realm of beauty begins.
Starring: Han Ji Eun, Kim Jae Young, Jin Hyuk
15. Shopaholic Louis
Under the watchful eye of his overprotective grandmother, Kang Ji Sung, a chaebol heir, assumes the alias Louis and resides in France, isolated and friendless. However, his life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Go Bok Sil, who extends a helping hand and might hold the key to restoring him to his rightful position.
Starring: Seo In Guk, Nam Ji Hyun, Yoon Sang Hyun, Im Se Mi
16. Hello, My Twenties
Watch on: Netflix
Five young women, all college students and housemates at the Belle Epoque, initially strangers, forge a deep connection as they navigate the challenges of adulthood. Their bond grows through shared experiences and the traumas they've endured during their formative years, helping them support each other in facing the trials of life.
Starring: Han Ye Ri, Han Seung Yeon, Park Eun Bin
17. Coffee, Do Me A Favor
After sipping a mysterious coffee at an unusual café, aspiring webtoon artist Lee Seulbi transforms into the alluring Oh Go-eun. In her newfound guise as Go-eun, she sets out to woo her boss, Im Hyunwoo, whom she secretly admires. However, despite her best attempts, Hyunwoo remains unresponsive to her charms.
Starring: Yong Junhyung, Kim Min Young, Chae Seo Jin, Lee Tae Ri
18. Queen of the Ring
Nan-hee grapples with self-esteem issues stemming from her belief that she doesn't measure up in the looks department. Her life takes an enchanting twist when she inherits a family ring harboring a hidden secret. With the magical ring in her possession, she becomes the epitome of Se-gun's ideal partner. Se-gun, typically known for his cold demeanor, now sees her through a completely different lens, leading to unforeseen changes in their lives.
Starring: Kim Seul Gi, Ahn Hyo Seop
19. Touch
Cha Jung Hyeok, a renowned makeup artist obsessed with perfection, faces an abrupt fall from grace, leading to unemployment and crippling debt. Han Soo Yeon, an idol trainee for a decade yearning for her big break, faces rejection in an audition program, leaving her questioning her life's path. Fate intervenes when their paths cross. Jung Hyeok, after securing a job, mentors Soo Yeon, recognizing her remarkable talent. As their bond deepens, they let go of shattered dreams and together step into a promising future.
Starring: Joo Sang Wook, Kim Bo Ra
20. True Ending
Watch on: YouTube
Students are in the throes of maturation, grappling with changing emotions and tumultuous relationships as they embark on a quest to uncover their true selves. Lee Yu Kyung takes on the role of Lee Jin, a former wallflower determined to transform from an "Out Girl" to an "In Girl," emphasizing the significance of self-discovery. Karin portrays Goo Jihyeon, affectionately known as Goojigooji, whose once-cheerful demeanor dims into timidity and melancholy after enduring bullying by Yeeun.
Starring: Lee Yu Kyung, Karin, Choi Kyung Hoon
Hey, Preview readers! Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Tiktok, and Twitter to stay up to speed on all things trendy and creative. We’ll curate the most stylish feed for you!
