Ask any K-drama fan to point out a year in which K-dramas thrived the most and they will most likely answer that it was 2016. And rightly so. With K-dramas like Goblin, The Legend of the Blue Sea, W: Two Worlds and more, 2016 saw a slew of hit, fun and romantic dramas (as well as thrillers like Silent). King the Land is reminiscent of such fun simplicity. There are cliches but they are played just right. With a few more episodes to go, we are excited to see how it pans out.

Plot Pot

Gu Won (Lee Jun-ho) is the heir to King Hotel, part of King Group and an incredibly rich chaebol. Mostly disinterested in his family business, Won ultimately gets called into handling the hotel’s premium lounge, King the Land, and gets embroiled in an inheritance battle with his older sister. To make matters more complicated, Won’s mother, who had been an employee at King Hotel, had died under mysterious circumstances, leaving Won searching for answers from his estranged father. In the meantime, he is going head-to-head with his elder sister, Gu Hwa-ran, who is reluctant to share her management of the hotel with her step-brother.

Cheon Sa-rang (Lim Yoo-na) is a prized employee at King Hotel. Although she did not have the educational qualifications, her charm and talent had led her to land a position and thrive at the hotel where she had always wanted to work. Favoured by Hwa-ran and loved by all, she is the winner of the best employee award at King Hotel for two years in a row. Sa-rang and Won absolutely do not see eye to eye as they are put to work together. The latter despises people smiling, as it is often fake, whereas Sa-rang’s job description requires her to smile at all times. No surprises, but they slowly start to warm up to each other. Won’s awkward clumsiness with Sa-rang’s delightful charms makes for great chemistry. The pair learn about each other’s worlds and meet midway for their love towards each other.

King the Land does not feature any overarching moral message, nor does it strive to stray away from its simplistic roots for any complex subplots (at least for now, there are a few more episodes to go). This makes it a fun watch that can be relaxing and perfect to be picked up at any point. Lee Jun-ho and Lim Yoona’s flawless chemistry holds much, if not all, of the series together from their shy glances towards each other to their bickering and finally, as they get together.

Other side characters worth watching are Won’s closes friend and secretary, Mr. No and Sa-rang’s roommates. They add refreshing and fun anecdotes from time to time. The drama does not subvert any cliches like Business Proposal (2022) but rather, play with them. If you are looking to wind down with a recent release, this is the perfect K-drama.