Landing your first job is exciting, but it can also be terrifying. From sleepless nights spent burning the candle at both ends to meet deadlines to navigating petty office politics, the workplace can feel overwhelming. Yet there is always light at the end of the tunnel in the form of unexpected mentors and unlikely friends who always have your back.
More than anything, the workplace is one of life’s biggest classrooms. K-dramas have long captured these growing pains with a mix of heart, humor, and inspiration, giving us stories that are both relatable and aspirational. Whether it’s rookie lawyers, young entrepreneurs, first-year residents, or interns struggling to survive corporate hierarchies, these dramas remind us that everyone stumbles before they soar.
Here are seven K-dramas that brilliantly portray the struggles and small victories of navigating the workplace.
“Resident Playbook”
In this “Hospital Playlist” spin-off, Go Youn Jung plays resident Oh Yi Young who struggles to survive the brutal training of one of Seoul’s busiest hospitals. Alongside her is Shin Si Ah as the upbeat Pyo Nam Kyung, Han Ye Ji as the academically gifted Kim Sa Bi, and Kang You Seok as the warmhearted resident Um Jae Il. The drama shows how rookies bond while dealing with grueling shifts, demanding mentors, and heartbreaking cases. Much like its predecessor, it blends realism with comfort, offering both medical tension and slice-of-life warmth.
“Resident Playbook” is all about friendship as much as it is about medicine. The show resonates with anyone who has been or are starting out in the medical field. It celebrates the highs as well as the lows of doctors, young, and accomplished, who are often regarded as the extended hands of God.
“Today’s Webtoon”
On Ma Eum (Kim Sejeong) is a former judo athlete who sustains a career-ending injury in a rather upsetting match. She sets out to to seek a new career and finds herself at a famous webtoon company as a rookie editor. Goo Joon Young (Nam Yoon Su) is her good-looking and ambitious peer, while Seok Ji Hyung (Choi Daniel) is her reliable mentor. Ma Eum navigates impossible deadlines, eccentric artists, and her own self-doubt, but finds her own cheering squad amongst her colleagues. The relationship between Ma Eum and Joon Young is wholesome—they both want to do well, but are always there to uplift each other. Their chemistry is cute, and their friendship even cuter.
“Today’s Webtoon” is an uplifting reminder that passion and persistence can open doors even when the odds are stacked against you.
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“Extraordinary Attorney Woo”
“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is the inspiring story of Woo Young Woo (Park Eun Bin), a rookie lawyer with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Young Woo has been recruited at one of the biggest law firms. Even though she faces prejudice, it is her sharp mind and unique perspective in turning cases around that wins her the respect of her colleagues and contemporaries. Her strongest cheerleaders are Lee Joon Ho (Kang Tae Oh) and her mentor, Jung Myung Seok (Kang Ki Young), who stand by her, helping her grow in confidence as she changes and wins hearts around her.
“Extraordinary Attorney Woo” is a moving as well as empowering workplace drama, that highlights resilience, empathy, and the power of seeing the world differently.
“Good Partner”
Divorce lawyer Cha Eun Kyung (Jang Nara) has seen it all and trusts no one until she crosses paths with rookie attorney Han Yu Ri (Nam Ji Hyun). Given their different ideologies as well as approaches, the two clash. Eun Kyung is sharp, straightforward, and handles her cases with grace. She is dedicated to making her firm succeed. Yu Ri on the other hand is overtly idealistic with a strong sense of justice, and though she has an aptitude at handling divorce cases, she personally hates it. The two tend to butt heads, and there are confrontations in and outside the courtroom.
However, over the course of time, the two learn from one another. Both women not only discover new sides to themselves but also empower each other.
“Good Partner” is a wholesome show with its strong female protagonists. It strikes the right balance between legal cases as well as heartfelt moments of mentorship and growth.
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“Incomplete Life”
Jang Geu Rae (Yim Si Wan) is a Go board player who is unable to make it professionally. Failing at the one thing he is good at compels him to seek some form of employment elsewhere, but the issue is that he has no credentials for anything else. By sheer luck and a connection, he stumbles into a corporate trading firm as an intern. But with no experience, he needs to learn, unlearn, and make several adjustments. Under the watchful eye of his gruff but kind mentor, Oh Sang Sik (Lee Sung Min), and alongside fellow rookies Ahn Young Yi (Kang So Ra) and Han Suk Yoo (Byun Yo Han), Geu Rae confronts the harsh realities of office politics and hierarchy.
“Incomplete Life” (“Misaeng”) was a huge hit in Korea for its moving portrayal of corporate life. It is an office drama but it comes with several metaphors and instances that can be applied to our daily lives. At the end of the day, everyone is leading an incomplete life, and in the race to succeed, one shouldn’t lose sight of one’s own core.
“Start-Up”
Seo Dal Mi (Suzy) is an aspiring entrepreneur chasing big dreams of making it into the world of business. She wants to fulfill the dreams and ambitions of her father, an enterprising man who thought big, but had no one believing in him.
She teams up with genius coder Nam Do San (Nam Joo Hyuk), who lacks social finesse and has this amazing knack to navigate his way through any glitch or virus. There is also the razor sharp investor Han Ji Pyeong (Kim Seon Ho), who has feelings for Dal Mi and keeps the duo and their team on their toes. Their intertwined journeys highlight ambition, sacrifice, and the courage it takes to fail and try again.
The mix of romance, rivalry, and resilience makes “Start-Up” an inspiring drama. Dream big, and even if you fall hard, brush yourself and start all over again.
“Kkondae Intern”
Ga Yeol Chan (Park Hae Jin) finally escapes the nightmare boss who tormented him as an intern, only for fate to bring them back together when that very boss, Lee Man Sik (Kim Eung Soo), returns as his intern.
Though Yeol Chan gets a kick initially, his heart melts seeing Man Sik’s struggle. On the other hand, Man Sik realizes he is now the person who knows the least. The two forge an uneasy alliance at first, but understand how to tap into the other’s core strength to win at work.
Their hilarious role reversal is a sharp commentary on generational clashes, outdated work culture, and corporate absurdities. With equal parts comedy and heart, “Kkondae Intern” is the perfect pick if you’ve ever wished you could turn the tables on a terrible boss.
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Hey Soompiers, which of these is your favorite drama? Let us know in the comments below!
Puja Talwar is a Soompi writer with a strong Yoo Yeon Seok and Lee Junho bias. A long time K-drama fan, she loves devising alternate scenarios to the narratives. She has interviewed Lee Min Ho, Gong Yoo, Cha Eun Woo, and Ji Chang Wook to name a few. You can follow her on @puja_talwar7 on Instagram
