‘Saranghae’ to ‘Mahal kita’: Here are 10 of the most popular Pinoy remakes of K-dramas
K-dramas have always been a staple on our watch list. When Tagalog-dubbed Spanish and Mexican telenovelas dominated our TVs in the early 2000s, Korean series started out as a lowkey guilty pleasure that ultimately took over the entertainment scene by storm.
With the booming popularity of K-dramas, Pinoy adaptations have slowly become the norm in the local entertainment industry. Recently, Bea Alonzo and Alden Richards made headlines after they were announced as the leads of the Pinoy adaptation of Start-Up.
Hate it or love it, it seems that Filipino remakes of K-dramas are here to stay. As we await the local Nam Do-san and Seo Dal-mi, here are 10 of the most popular Pinoy remakes of Korean series.
Lovers in Paris
Original cast: Kim Jung-eun, Park Shin-yang, Lee Dong-gun
Pinoy cast: KC Concepcion, Piolo Pascual, Zanjoe Marudo
The Pinoy adaptation of popular rom-com Lovers in Paris marked the first Primetime Bida project for KC Concepcion and her first onscreen match-up with then-boyfriend Piolo Pascual. Just like the plot of the original K-drama, the series revolves around Vivian Vizcarra (KC Concepcion) who jets off to Paris to fulfill her dead father’s dreams. She soon gets caught up in a love triangle with brothers Carlo Aranaz (Piolo Pascual) and Martin Aranaz Barrameda (Zanjoe Marudo).
My Girl
Original cast: Lee Da-hae, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Jun-ki
Pinoy cast: Kim Chiu, Gerald Anderson, Enchong Dee
The Filipino adaptation of My Girl was a hit during its 2008 runtime and it solidified the star power of the KimErald love team. Despite following the original plot, the remake also strayed away from some of the cast’s personalities and the OTP’s forbidden love story. To recall, Joo Yoo-rin (Lee Da-hae) is a tour guide in Jeju Island who can only speak in Korean. Meanwhile, Jasmine Estocapio (Kim Chiu) effortlessly switches between English, Filipino, and Chinese when guiding tourists around Manila.
Descendants of the Sun
Original cast: Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-won
Pinoy cast: Dingdong Dantes, Jennylyn Mercado, Rocco Nacino, Jasmine Curtis-Smith
One of the most popular K-dramas to date, Descendants of the Sun gave birth to local adaptations in the Philippines and Vietnam. The Pinoy remake is a tribute to the country’s military forces and a tweak in the story’s overall setting. Since the teleserye was released during the pandemic, filming was halted in March 2020 due to the first enhanced community quarantine. Production resumed in September 2020.
My Love from the Star
Original cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Jeon Ji-hyun, Park Hae-jin, Yoo In-na
Pinoy cast: Jennylyn Mercado, Gil Cuerva, Christian Bautista, Jackie Rice
Even the highly popular K-drama My Love from the Star was adapted into a Pinoy teleserye, too. The Filipino adaptation of the fantasy rom-com is a faithful ode to the original material—with a slight change of historical context since it mentions the Spanish and American occupations and World War 2. The remake also features Mercado channeling her inner sassy girl with her role as Steffanie Elaine “Steffi” Chavez.
Only You
Original cast: Han Chae-young, Jo Hyun-jae, Lee Chun-hee
Pinoy cast: Angel Locsin, Sam Milby, Diether Ocampo
With a story revolving around familial ties and cooking, it’s no wonder why Only You was adapted into a Pinoy teleserye. The remake stars Angel Locsin, Sam Milby, and Diether Ocampo as they navigate the food industry after a fateful encounter six years ago. While the one-night stand scene in the original was filmed in Vicenza, Italy, the rendezvous in the remake was done in Seoul.
Pure Love
Original cast: Nam Gyu-ri, Lee Yo-won, Jung Il-woo, Jo Hyun-jae, Bae Soo-bin, Seo Ji-hye
Pinoy cast: Alex Gonzaga, Yen Santos, Matt Evans, Joseph Marco, Arjo Atayde, Yam Concepcion
The Pinoy remake of the melodrama Pure Love strays from the original material since Diane Santos (Alex Gonzaga) only has 40 days to gather three teardrops shed out of pure love. To recall, Shin Ji-hyun (Nam Gyu-ri) has 49 days to fulfill her fateful task in the Korean series. Compared to the source, the adaptation also dives deeper into Ysabel Espiritu (Yen Santos) and Jake Espiritu’s (Matt Evans) relationship before his death.
Stairway to Heaven
Original cast: Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo
Pinoy cast: Rhian Ramos, Dingdong Dantes
Remember when the tragedy of Cha Song-joo (Kwon Sang-woo) and Han Jung-seo’s (Choi Ji-woo) story broke Pinoy’s hearts in the early 2000s? Of course, the local entertainment industry decided to remake their love story for Pinoy fans. What separates the Filipino adaptation from the K-drama, however, is that Jodi (Rhian Ramos) passed away on her wedding day. Jung-seo died a few days after her cornea transplant in the original.
Full House
Original cast: Song Hye-kyo, Rain
Pinoy cast: Heart Evangelista, Richard Gutierrez
Since the original Full House helped propel the Hallyu wave, it’s no question why it spurned a lot of remakes during its popularity. The Korean series was adapted in the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Turkey, and Malaysia, among other countries. And of course, Heart Evangelista and Richard Gutierrez showed off their acting chops in the fluffy rom-com.
Ako si Kim Samsoon
Original cast: Kim Sun-a, Hyun Bin, Jung Ryeo-won, Daniel Henney
Pinoy cast: Regine Velasquez, Mark Anthony Fernandez, Nadine Samonte, Wendell Ramos
Another fateful ode to the original, the romantic comedy revolves around Kim Samsoon Buot (Regine Velasquez) who’s insecure about her weight and peculiar name. One of the glaring differences of the Filipino adaptation, however, is how the plot dives deeper into Kim Samsoon’s insecurities as a middle-aged and overweight woman in a misogynistic society.
Green Rose
Original cast: Go Soo, Lee Da-hae
Pinoy cast: Jericho Rosales, Anne Curtis
Perhaps, the K-drama with the closest plot to typical Filipino teleseryes—Green Rose is a story of how revenge can ruin a relationship. However, the Pinoy adaptation focuses on Jerome Delgado (Jericho Rosales) and Angela Tuazon’s (Anne Curtis) before they get together. The original series centers around revenge while Lee Jung-hyun (Go Soo) and Oh Soo-ah (Lee Da-hae) are a live-in couple in Seoul.