8 Best Korean Novels Adapted into K-Dramas and Movies

From Lee Min-jin’s best-selling historical novel Pachinko to Kim Young-ha’s crime thriller Diary of a Murderer, many Korean novels have been beautifully adapted for the screen — either as K-dramas or movies.

Leading the list is the New York Times bestseller novel Pachinko by acclaimed South Korean author Lee Min-jin. Named the 15th best book of the 21st century by the New York Times in 2024, it was adapted into an Apple TV+ series of the same name by Soo Hugh. While season one of the show became an instant hit, Pachinko‘s season 2 aims to elevate the franchise to greater heights.

Talking about maintaining the authenticity of Lee’s Korean novel in a 2024 Forbes interview, Hugh said, “When you take on that kind of material, even in fiction form, you feel this weight of responsibility. And even though we did feel that in season one, it felt bigger in season two.”

Meanwhile, the critically acclaimed Korean movie Silenced (2011) is an adaptation of the gripping novel Dogani. Written by award-winning author Gong Ji-young, Dogani is arguably one of the best Korean novel releases of 2009. Based on the true story of the mass sexual abuse of deaf students in Gwangju Inhwa school in Korea, the title of the book is taken from American writer Arthur Miller’s 1953 play The Crucible (“Dogani” in Korean).

Not to forget, both the novel and the Gong Yoo-starrer movie led to multiple necessary reforms in child safety laws in the nation. Additionally, the National Assembly of South Korea passed the Dogani Bill to abolish the statute of limitations for sex crimes against minors and disabled people, in October 2011.

This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India

8 best Korean novels adapted into K-dramas and movies