Why K-dramas always look like dream holidays
Above 'Doctor Stranger' (2014) took us around Budapest, Hungary. (Photo: IMDB)
But it's not just for show. When characters leave Korea, something shifts. Emotional stakes rise. Time slows. Suddenly, every cobblestone street becomes a confessional. Abroad, our protagonists find themselves, sometimes literally. Whether it's Hyun Bin soul-searching in Switzerland or Kim Tae-ri riding a bike through 1990s Paris in Twenty-Five Twenty-One , international scenes often serve as narrative inflection points apart from pegs for dream holidays.
K-dramas often use overseas settings as a narrative escape hatch, allowing characters to break free from the rigid structures of Korean society. In a foreign country, they can reinvent themselves, unburdened by family expectations, workplace hierarchies or nosy neighbours. It's a clean emotional slate, one that's as liberating for the characters as it is enchanting for viewers. Korea's cultural soft power
Above 'Queen of Tears' (2024) made people's dream holidays revolve around Germany. (Photo: Netflix)
There's also the not-so-secret diplomatic agenda. The Korean Wave—Hallyu—is no longer confined to music charts and Netflix queues. International shoots act as cinematic emissaries, exporting Korean stories through global landscapes. In some cases, it's a win-win: countries like the Philippines, Spain and Thailand benefit from the tourism bump, while K-dramas expand their cachet as sophisticated global entertainment.
Filming abroad acts as a quiet flex. It's an assertion that Korean pop culture belongs on the global stage. It's not just K-dramas anymore; it's K-culture going cosmopolitan.
See more: Korean drama travel inspiration: 14 popular filming sites to visit Fantasy, but relatable
Above 'Memories of the Alhambra' (2018) was technically in some kind of simulated reality, but when it wasn't, it was set in Spain. (Photo: IMDB)
There's also the matter of emotional resonance. In a K-drama, Paris isn't just Paris—it's a symbol of first love, loneliness or a kind of aspirational sadness best expressed under grey skies and oversized scarves. These places become emotional proxies, transforming architecture into feeling. Memories of the Alhambra , set largely in Spain, used its setting not just as a backdrop but as a metaphysical extension of its video-game-inspired plot.
In The King: Eternal Monarch , the characters literally cross dimensions, which is fitting, considering the show filmed everywhere from Busan to Brandenburg. And for fans watching in São Paulo or Stockholm, these foreign settings make Korean content feel closer to home. The jet-set future
Above 'Encounter' (2018) included Havana, Cuba, as one of its filming locations (Photo: IMDB)
Of course, not every drama needs a plane ticket. But as K-content continues to dominate global screens, the trend is unlikely to slow. Overseas filming has become an emotional tool, a branding strategy and, occasionally, a plot device that justifies a random flashback in Vienna.
So the next time a character is brooding on a bridge in Budapest or sharing a gelato in Florence, remember: it's not just about where they are. It's about who they're becoming, one passport stamp at a time. And if they influence your dream holidays, then that's a bonus. In the world of K-dramas, love doesn't just transcend class, time and logic—it transcends borders.
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