Korean Drama Meets K-Beauty: Top 20 Korean Netflix Shows & Product Placements (Part 2)
In this blog post, we continue from our previous publication where we unveiled the 20-11th most-watched Korean dramas. Here, we present the top 10 most-watched K-dramas based on hours viewed in Q1 2024. Additionally, we will explore which K-beauty products and brands are capitalizing on the popularity of these shows and their stars.
10. Captivating the King
- IMDB rating: 7.7
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 122 million
Yi In, played by Cho Jung-Seok, is a prince with a pretty caring older brother, King Yi Sun. But things take a turn when Yi In gets taken hostage by the Qing Dynasty, and his brother starts seeing his loyalty as a betrayal, which really messes with Yi In’s head. He ends up feeling a lot of emotional pain. Then he meets this mysterious baduk player who’s all about betting on her games, and he’s totally captivated by her. Eventually, Yi In becomes king, which sounds great, but he’s actually struggling inside. Meanwhile, Kang Hee-Soo, played by Shin Se-Kyung, is an up-and-coming baduk player who falls for Yi In. But fate throws her for a loop, and she ends up becoming a spy to get back at him.
Banila Co
The partnership between Banila Co and Shin Se-Kyung significantly boosted sales for the brand, largely due to the actress’s popularity and the immense exposure from the drama “Captivating the King.” Fans of the drama were eager to emulate her looks, driving demand for the beauty products she used. Additionally, the collaboration likely included promotional events and social media campaigns that further engaged audiences, making Banila Co a go-to choice for fans seeking the beauty secrets of their favorite star. This strategic alignment with a popular drama and a beloved actress created a perfect storm for increased sales and brand visibility.
9. Parasyte: The Grey
- IMDB rating: 7.1
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 126.8 million
One day, some weird parasites drop from the sky. They start invading humans and even offing others. These parasites begin to form their own crew, and now humans have to battle to stop them from taking over the world.
Jeong Su-In (played by Jeon So-Nee) gets hit by a parasite, but it can’t take control of her brain. So, she and the parasite end up living together.
Then there’s Seol Kang-Woo (Koo Kyo-Hwan), who’s on a mission to hunt down these parasites because his little sister is missing.
And let’s not forget Choi Jun-Kyung (Lee Jung-Hyun), the head of the parasite task force. She lost her husband to these creatures and is determined to wipe them out for good.
While Jeon So-Nee has become extremely popular since the show, her brand ambassadorships are mainly involving Western fashion brands. Yet, as she’s now gained a massive 265k Instagram following, K-beauty brands are lining up to work with her.
8. Crash Landing on You
- IMDB rating: 8.7
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 131.2 million
Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Jin) is an heiress to a big conglomerate in South Korea. One day, while paragliding, strong winds force her to make an emergency landing in North Korea. There, she runs into Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun-Bin), a North Korean army officer who tries to protect and hide her. Before long, Ri Jeong-Hyeok finds himself falling for Yoon Se-Ri.
Kohonjin
The lucky brand riding the popularity wave of Crash Landing on You is Kohonjin.
7. Gyeongseong Creature
- IMDB rating: 7.3
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 134.4 million
Set in 1945 in Gyeongseong (the old name for Seoul), South Korea, we meet Jang Tae-Sang, played by Park Seo-Jun. He’s a rich guy known as the hottest dude in Bukchon and a go-to person for info in the area. With his quick reactions, sharp insights, and charm, he’s made quite a name for himself. But things shake up when he gets involved with Yoon Chae-Ok, played by Han So-Hee, and he starts to rethink what really matters in life.
Yoon Chae-Ok is a todugun, which means she’s great at finding missing people. She had a tough childhood, bouncing between Manchuria and Shanghai with her dad, which taught her how to survive. She picked up skills like shooting, knife handling, and machine operation along the way. Her mom went missing ten years ago, so she comes to Gyeongseong to search for her. There, she teams up with Jang Tae-Sang, and together they dive into a bunch of mysterious missing person cases that uncover some pretty dark truths.
Unfortunately for the beauty brands out there, Han So-Hee is taken! She’s currently brand ambassador of Dior, L’Oreal and Boucheron.
6. King the Land
- IMDB rating: 5.2
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 198.2 million
mydramalist 8.2
Gu Won (Lee Joon-Ho) is a guy from a chaebol family that runs the King Group. He ends up in an inheritance battle over the company. Gu Won is smart, stylish, and charming, but dating isn’t really his strong suit, and he can’t help but give a fake smile sometimes.
Cheon Sa-Rang (Lim Yoon-A) has a sunny personality and a bright smile. She starts working at the King Hotel, which holds some of her happiest childhood memories. While there, she faces all kinds of challenges and grows as a person. When Gu Won and Cheon Sa-Rang cross paths, a romantic connection begins to blossom.
Innisfree
Until 2020 Yoon-A was brand ambassador of Innisfree. Unfortunately, currently, she’s brand ambassador of Estee Lauder.
5. Welcome to Samdal-ri
- IMDB rating: 8
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 199.2 million
Cho Yong-Pil, a weather forecaster on Jeju Island, is known for being a bit of a loose cannon at the meteorological agency. When he believes he’s right, he doesn’t hesitate to share his thoughts, even with the higher-ups. His journey into weather forecasting began after his mother, a female diver, passed away due to an inaccurate forecast. Growing up in Samdalri on Jeju Island, he has a deep love for his hometown and still lives there, caring for the local elders.
His childhood friend, Cho Sam-Dal, who’s a well-known photographer working under the alias Jo Eun-Hye in Seoul, grew up alongside him. They were born in the same year and spent a lot of time together in Samdalri, but life eventually pulled them apart. After dedicating eight years as an assistant in fashion photography, Sam-Dal reached the top of her game, but then faced a setback that caused her to lose her career and sent her life into a tailspin. She returns to Samdalri, a place she’s always wanted to escape. After many years, Cho Yong-Pil and Cho Sam-Dal reconnect, and their friendship starts to blossom into something more.
Cell Fusion C
The brand that enjoyed a revenue bump due to the show is Cell Fusion C. Below a commercial with Shin Hye Sun:
4. Doctor Slump
- IMDB rating: 7.5
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 258.1 millon
Back in school, Yeo Jeong-Woo (Park Hyung-Sik) was at the top of his game, always acing his classes and studying at the best medical school in the country. Now, he’s a well-known plastic surgeon. Life’s been pretty smooth for him until a mysterious medical accident turns everything upside down. That’s when he runs into Nam Ha-Neul (Park Shin-Hye), a former rival from his past, right when he’s at his lowest.
Nam Ha-Neul is an anesthesiologist. Growing up, everyone called her a genius because she was super smart. She put in the effort and became a doctor, but her life has been all about work and studying; she hardly has any time for fun. One day, she realizes she’s not happy with how things are going and decides it’s time for a change. Ironically, she meets Yeo Jeong-Woo during one of her toughest moments, and as they support each other, a romantic connection starts to grow between them.
Mamonde
Fan’s are going crazy and buying Mamonde skincare to the popularity of Park Shin Hye.
3. True Beauty
- IMDB rating: 8
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 293.5 million
Im Ju-Kyung (Mun Ka-Young) is a high school student who’s dealt with a complex about her looks since she was a kid. To cover her bare face, she always rocks some make-up. With her awesome make-up skills, she looks great and keeps her bare face under wraps around others. She finds herself caught up with two guys: Lee Soo-Ho (Cha Eun-Woo) and Han Seo-Joon (Hwang In-Yeop).
2. My Demon
- IMDB rating: 7.7
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 311.2 million
Do Do-Hee (Kim Yoo-Jung) is the heir to the Future Group. She’s got a cool, confident vibe and doesn’t really trust anyone, plus she’s a bit cynical about love. Things get interesting when she crosses paths with a demon named Jeong Gu-Won (Song Kang), and they end up in a contract marriage. This leads to some major changes in her life.
Jeong Gu-Won is a demon who can live forever by making risky but tempting deals with humans facing tough lives. He doesn’t think much of humans and has been lurking around for 200 years like an apex predator. But when he gets involved with Do Do-Hee, he suddenly loses his powers. To avoid fading away, he has to protect her, who now holds all his power. As they navigate this new dynamic, their relationship starts to blossom romantically.
Laneige
A star as big as Kim Yoo-Jung should naturally be ambassador of one of the biggest K-Beauty brands: Laneige.
1. Queen of Tears
- IMDB rating: 8.2
- Netflix H1-2024 hours viewed: 682.6 million
Here’s a heartwarming love story about a married couple, Baek Hyun-Woo (played by Kim Soo-Hyun) and Hong Hae-In (played by Kim Ji-Won), who face a crisis together. Baek Hyun-Woo is the legal director at the big conglomerate, Queens Group, and he’s the pride of his hometown, Yongdu-ri, being the most successful person to come from there. His wife, Hong Hae-In, is the daughter of the family that runs Queens Group, and she’s known as the “Arrogant Queen” at Queens Department Store.
THE WHOO
With Queen of Tears topping this list, 2024 is going to be the year of K-beauty brand ‘THE WHOO’. See the commercial with KIm Ji-Won below.