20 Greatest Time Travel K-Dramas Ever, Ranked

Updated Sep 24, 2026, 8:00 PM EDT Sign in to your ScreenRant account The so-called Hallyu wave has washed over the rest of the world twice already and it looks like we're presently in the midst of a third. In the last few years alone, Korean dramas have once again surged in popularity around the world, especially through major sensations like Squid Game, Business Proposal, True Beauty, and Sweet Home. And, a huge reason why K-dramas continue to be popular is the huge range of genres the medium offers, which include horrors, thrillers, romantic comedies, fantasies and even superhero misadventures. Even across these various genres, K-dramas are known for having certain tropes in common, and one such trope that has been quite popular is time travel. The time travel trope is not as common in K-dramas and yet what few there are tend to be underrated gems, each with their own distinct approach towards time travel and unique overarching stories. Some K-dramas involve going back in the past to save a lover or friend, while others are more revenge oriented, and still others flip things over by bringing someone from the past into the future, meaning there's a different kind of time-travel story for everyone. 20 The Legend of the Blue Sea Released In 2016 Lee Min-ho was at the height of his career and popularity as an actor in the 2010s, and, aside from The King: Eternal Monarch, one of Lee Min-ho's most distinctive K-dramas from the era is The Legend of the Blue Sea. Starring alongside Jun Ji-hyun, who plays a beautiful mermaid named Se-hwa, Lee Min-ho takes on the role of a scammer and con artist named Heo Joon-jae. The series revolves around the mermaid's tumultuous past during the Joseon Era where she fell in love with the son of a nobleman who inevitably ends up sacrificing himself to save her, leaving a time capsule to hopefully stop history from repeating itself. However, in the present day, Joon-jae and Se-hwa, who now takes on the moniker Shim Cheong, unwittingly fall in love, setting fate into motion once again. With two separate timelines, a Little Mermaid-esque romance, and a bit of reincarnation thrown into the mix, The Legend of the Blue Sea is a more fantastical take on a time travel story, which is a combination that has also proven successful in series like See You in My 19th Life and Goblin. 19 The Judge Returns Released In 2026 Courtroom dramas are always a hit among K-drama audiences, and The Judge Returns is yet another 2026 series that didn't fail to catch everyone's attention at the time of its release, especially since it brings time-travel into the mix. In the years 2035, Lee Han-young a judge played by JI-sung is framed for murder and is killed by a mysterious hit man. His death sends him ten years into the past where he uses this second chance to convict criminals that originally eluded him, all while reconnecting with his former bosses and coworkers as well as appreciating his family more this time around. And of course, at the same he must try and avoid the untimely fate that awaits him. Yet again based on a webtoon, The Judge Returns is quite a thrilling story of redemption, atonement, and a battle between the powers of good and evil. 18 The Atypical Family Released In 2024 Though it may come as a surprise to those newer to the medium, superhero stories are just as popular in South Korean entertainment as they are in Western media. Many superhero K-dramas have been met with a warm reception over the years such as The Uncanny Counter. Strong Girl Bong-soon, Behind Your Touch, The WONDERfools, and The Atypical Family. Each of these shows are as wild as they come, though The Atypical Family is perhaps a bit unique in that it also incorporates time travel through its main lead, Bok Gwi-ju whose superpower allows him to travel back in time and revisit happy memories. The series sees Gwi-ju, who is played by Jang Ki-young, lose his powers as he struggles with depression following the death of his wife. However, hope presents itself in the form of a beautiful con artist named Do Da-hae who unwittingly helps him regain his powers and heal his heart. All that said, the fun doesn't just stop there as much like The Incredibles, The Atypical Family, like its title pretty much implies, also gives Gwi-ju's family, with the exception of his father their own superpowers. 17 Marry My Husband Released In 2024 Based on a very popular webtoon of the same name, Marry My Husband offers both a time-travel plot and a revenge story all in one. As the series' very wacky title suggests, Marry My Husband sees its protagonist go back in time and try to get her husband to end up with her best friend instead. The series starts off on a very dark note as its main lead, Kang Ji-won, who is terminally ill with cancer, finds out her husband, Park Min-hwan, is cheating on her with a woman who ends up being none other than her college best friend, Jeong Su-min, and the confrontation ends with Ji-won's accidental death. However, she then wakes up ten years in the past with her memories intact and plans to get revenge by getting Su-min to marry her horrible husband and thus inherit her unfortunate previous life that was full of hardship. 16 My Royal Nemesis Released In 2026 Otome isekai and villainess stories have been a very popular trope in Korean manhwa and webtoons for quite some time, though very rarely have these stories made it into live-action form as K-dramas or movies, at least until Studio S and Netflix recently dropped My Royal Nemesis. The series follows a Joseon-era concubine and villainess named Kang Dan-shim, who is sent into the future after her death triggers a mysterious spell. Now in the 21st century, she inhabits the body of an actress named Shin Seo-ri, and also crosses paths with a chaebol heir named Cha Se-gye as she's still getting accustomed to this new world, its food, and all the newfangled technological marvels it has to offer. Despite releasing alongside a strong slew of 2026 releases like Perfect Crown, My Royal Nemesis managed to leave quite a strong impression, so much so that the series even being considered for a second season. 15 Go Back Released In 2017 Inspired by a webtoon called Do It One More Time, Go Back is a Korean miniseries where its central couple 38-year-old couple, Choi Ban-do (Son Ho-jun) and his wife, Ma Jin-joo (Jang Na-ra), have a painfully unhappy marriage and unfulfilling lives. They have both become unhappy and exhausted with their marriage and wish they could have changed their unhappiness at the seeming source of all of their problems—meeting each other. The couple soon finds that they've reverted to their 20-year-old selves, faced with trying to make decisions that will make their future selves happy and satisfied. The show features plenty of funny and heartwarming moments that will make viewers swoon, and an ending that will surely tug at the heartstrings of every long-time K-drama viewer. After its broadcast, the series was nominated for a slew of KBS Drama Awards, picking up two, one for Best Couple for the lead actors in Son Ho-jun and Jang Na-ra, and Excellence Award for Actress in a Miniseries for Jan Na-ra. 14 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo Released In 2016 Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo is inarguably one of the most talked-about time travel K-dramas (as well as being a remake). It has everything from time travel and romance to drama and political intrigue, not to mention some of the most heart-wrenching scenes. But perhaps one of its most enduring legacies is some truly wonderful music in its soundtrack, like CHEN's "For You" and the unforgettable song "Say Yes" by Loco, sure to live rent-free in viewers' memory for years to come. Be wary of total solar eclipses, as that is what is responsible for a 25-year-old Go Ha-jin (IU) living in the 21st century being transported back to the Goryeo Dynasty. Waking up in a new identity as Hae Soo, a noblewoman of the Wang family. While she initially finds herself falling for the kind-hearted Wang Wook, she is soon pulled in by the brooding and dark prince Wang So, and the dynasty's political bickering. Soo ends up right in the middle of the power struggle of the different princes. While Moon Lovers certainly sparked a polarizing response from critics, die-hard fans understandably won't let this show go, whether it's for the cast, vibes, or its legendary soundtrack. 13 Chicago Typewriter Released In 2017 Out of the most compelling and best time travel K-dramas (as well as general fantasy K-Dramas), Chicago Typewriter is one of the few that's about reincarnation rather than strictly about traveling through time. The series follows three resistance fighters from the 1930s Japanese occupation of Korea find themselves in a new time period, becoming Han Se-joo (played by Yoo Ah-in), Jeon Seol (played by Im Soo-jung), and Yoo Jin-oh (played by Go Kyung-pyo), but not because of mysterious scientific machines or magical objects. Instead, the three are reincarnated as a writer, a fan, and a ghostwriter. Switching between the 1930s and the 21st century, these three characters start to see parallels between both time periods. As they start to uncover the truth behind their pasts, they worry about how it might affect their present. K-drama fans tired of the same old romantic comedy fare will love the truly unique story elements of Chicago Typewriter. The series was also filmed on location around Seoul, South Korea, so fans will enjoy picking out the real sites. 12 Tunnel Released In 2017 Instead of traveling to the past, Tunnel is a time travel K-drama that takes the audience to the future, in a manner of speaking. The present-day of the story is actually 1986 in which a string of murders are being investigated. When the detective (Choi Jin Hyuk) pursuing a lead runs after a suspect through a tunnel, he’s hit in the head and ends up 30 years in the future. The murder mystery element of the series is inspired by a real string of serial killings in Korea, but the story is very much fictional. While the show presents itself as a murder mystery with a time-travel element, there’s also a romantic subplot and a family at the center of the story that makes it a drama that really shines. Given Choi's continuously excellent chops featuring nearly a decade later most recently with Positively Yours on Viki, it's clear for anyone this particular lead actor can blend seamlessly between tough yet affectionate traits. Incredibly popular outside of South Korea as well, Tunnel has been adapted for Thai television and an Indonesian remake is in development. 11 Bon Appétit, Your Majesty Released in 2025 Led by Lee Chae-min and the irreplaceable Lim Yoona, Bon Appétit, Your Majesty features the latter as Yeon Ji-yeong, a top-tier Michelin chef returning to Seoul after claiming a top prize for professionals of her caliber in Paris. On the return journey, though, Ji-yeong is sent back to Joseon-era Korea in an alternate history under perhaps its worst tyrant in history, King Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min). However, this king is far from the monster depicted in history books, with his trauma from losing his mother instead being turned into a layered character both guilty of the real-world purges he committed, yet bearing potential to be redeemed as Lee Heon bonds with Ji-yeong. Ji-yeong's particular edge, despite being a fish out of water in this bygone era, is her honed expertise in haute cuisine as well as an appreciation for traditional South Korean and Southeast Asian techniques. Ji-yeong wins over Lee Heon, heart, soul, and stomach, as well as his court and royal tasters with her incredible food, besting even elite chefs from the Ming Dynasty both by modern techniques such as making macarons, and feats of culinary engineering with elegant, early pressure cooker technology. It's mesmerizing to watch the Food Wars-level reaction provoked by Ji-yeong's fantastic cooking, bringing crooked Chinese nobility to tears and romancing an infamous Korean tyrant across the show's run. The ending of Bon Appétit, Your Majesty doesn't even need to truly make sense for fans of the time travel genre to enjoy this particular K-drama. It has surprisingly excellent action and lovable characters who rally behind Ji-yeong as she changes Lee Heon's court unimaginably, while the show serves as a celebration of everything from gochugaru, pajeon, to some of the most elegant-looking peking duck variations ever conceived. It's a fun show to watch, although perhaps dangerous on an empty stomach.