King the Land

Romance Done Right… Until the Saudi Prince Showed Up

King the Land delivers a sweet and visually beautiful romance between Gu Won (Lee Junho) and Cheon Sa-rang (Yoona). Their chemistry is undeniable, with some truly romantic kiss scenes and a refreshing lack of miscommunication. Both leads are emotionally mature, and it’s nice to see a drama where they actually talk things out. The romance was such a treat to watch that I found myself grinning throughout, especially during their heart-fluttering and tempting kiss scenes.

Sa-rang’s friends were also a highlight — warm, genuine, and fun. Most female characters felt grounded, except for Gu Won’s sister, who felt a bit off.

But the drama has its flaws. Gu Won’s constant “Are you hurt?” in even minor situations felt a bit clichéd and repetitive. The biggest issue, though, was the Arab prince subplot — awkward, culturally tone-deaf, and often hard to watch. I know it was meant for humor and comedy, but it felt a bit too much. The prince keeps crossing boundaries, and Sa-rang just goes along with it in the name of “professionalism,” even agreeing to a fake wedding. I genuinely wish they’d skipped that entire episode; without it, this drama could have easily been a solid 9/10.

Still, if you enjoy soft, romantic K-dramas with strong leads and minimal drama, this one’s worth your time — just be ready to cringe a little during the prince episodes.

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Surprisingly Sweet

Summary: Although I was a bit hesitant to watch a Korean drama with another domineering and self-important male lead, I gave this a try anyway and was pleasantly surprised. The interaction between the two leads were so sweet and it was nice that there was very little misunderstanding nor mistrust between the two (unlike usual romcoms). I do wish there was more development of characters’ backstories, relationships, and the general storyline rather than lonnnggg, dragged out staring, kissing, travel scenery, and tourism scenes that ate up precious screen time (had to fast forward a lot), particularly dialogue between the leads that could have explained what actually led them to their love for each other. There was also a heavy focus on social disparities (including bullying, bribery, lack of boundaries, etc.) among senior and junior colleagues, addressing Korea’s excessive work culture, which I found interesting and sad at the same time. Also, the amount of blatant advertising in Korean dramas lately is sickening; I mean, how many times do I need to watch someone open up a bottle of Montbest water or work a Nespresso machine or put on Paiget jewelry or spray Sauvage cologne? But I guess they need the sponsorship money to make the film. The soundtrack was solid though.

Details: Let’s start with the leads’ relationship development. While one can piece together (or imagine) what led to Gu Won and Cheon Sa-rang confessing their love at such an early point in the show, I felt it came too soon and without much dialogue (like conversations about their backgrounds or what made them who they were) to build that level of trust; there were many long scenes of them in or around water…and that was about it. I did love the bonds created between Cheon Sa-rang’s best friends and Gu Won’s crew. Cheon Sa-rang’s halmeoni and Prince Samir were probably my favorite eccentric characters, who helped push Gu Won into realizing his deep love for Cheon Sa-rang. The actress that played Gu Hwa-ran did a great job as a villain and it’s easy to hate her in the show, and I wish her character was developed a little more towards the end.

Gu Won’s smoldering stare (uhhhh @_@), which one can get lost in and I think some characters did, was mesmerizing. I was impressed by the total night and day difference between his brooding stares and cheery smiles when his character changed. He also looked a bit like a male version of one of my friends so that was a bit awkward in the beginning. Lol. One of the things I loved about Gu Won’s character is that he had some weaknesses in front of Cheon Sa-rang, like being a scaredy cat, which I thought was refreshing for a male lead.

The level of workplace social disparities shown in Asian dramas is shocking and I had not previously seen it to the extent it was conveyed in this show, which made me look up whether that was true or not. Appears it’s not far from the truth that company management and senior colleagues can often exploit their employees, forcing them to work harder, work overtime, and spend personal time outside of working hours to go drinking/dining with coworkers. The one thing I didn’t expect was Gu Won’s more compassionate perspective toward employees.

Of course, as with many Asian dramas, there’s a twist in the last episode which I thought could have come a bit sooner so that there could be more development into the ending. For example, the big decision that Cheon Sa-rang made was awesome (deviated from the usual female lead) and I would have loved to see more to that part of the story to lift up folks from a similar background. I also love how patient Gu Won was in hearing her explanation and really showed his devotion to her after that twist, which was super sweet. Would have loved to see more of their life together after a certain event. One character I do feel bad for was No Sing-sik, who could have also had a happy ending as well.

Side Notes - I had minor issues about:
- who exactly was the guy in the beginning that called him and told him he was at the wrong building; that was never transitioned or explained
- during the interview on Jeju Island, it seemed strange why Cheon Sa-rang blindly accepted but didn’t run the new set of questions by Gu Won before that embarrassing moment
- if Cheon Sa-rang was on special assignment (or request) to watch Yoon Ji-hu, why did she return so quickly to her regular job (especially if Gu Won could have bonded with his nephew a bit more)
- how none of the employees noticed Gu Won in the elevator before they gave Cheon Sa-rang the third degree about her big, embarrassing news

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Respect Your Employee And Customer

In this K-Drama series, we can learn how to respect our colleagues, employees, and customers when we have or are working in the company. In this story, King of the Land is a VVIP business lounge, a paradise catering to wealthy hoteliers. It is owned by The King Group, with hotels, distribution companies, and an airline in its portfolio. The main character who didn't know anything had to learn from the low-level employee. On the first day, He see how his underling are playing their role. No one in there knows who is when first came into the office. After seeing his underling have a bad attitude, He shows his true identity and everyone is shocked. But in the middle of the journey, there is a backstory where He's traumatized with the fake smile which the hotel rules are they must serve everyone with a smile. Then there is a female lead who's a hard worker and has a bright smile. She has a dream of working on the King Hotel. Then She's getting hired and working at the King Hotel. Then when they meet together, that's where their journey begins.

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It had its moments

I started this drama in December 2023 and have only just finished it in November 2024. The reason it took me almost a year to finish this, is because despite its strong start, it was painfully boring in the middle and dragged on too much. I'd actually decided to drop it on ep 12 after suffering through 3-4 eps and finally giving up, but yesterday I suddenly felt like finishing it, and although the last 4 eps were nothing special, they were decent enough and I got through them.
Now as much as the story was a let down after ep 8 imo, the two leads are so, so well casted and adorable and I love them together. She is so sweet and admirable and he is brilliant and had good character development. It's a lovely story, albeit one that drags on a bit but with two leads who I was rooting for the whole time and who I loved to see interact with each other. Although I initially dropped this, I'm actually quite glad I finished it! The soundtrack was really lovely too!

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I really enjoyed this drama for its simplicity and fun. It didn't try to trick you or throw a curve ball your way it just was an enjoyable love story between two people. I was grinning pretty often while watching the two main characters interact. It was also enjoyable to see the ML's visible growth throughout the series as a person. The setting being in a hotel was also a personal favorite of mine. If you have ever worked in the service industry a few topics are covered that really hit home. Honestly there isn't very much to say. If you are looking for a lighthearted romcom with no extra frills I think this is a great choice to check out. Sometimes that's what we all need something lighthearted to make us smile.

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sweet, delight, fun…

I have to say it clearly: I constantly find myself returning to a certain series. This is my safe space. It’s classic in every way but also has its own unique charm.

We all love rom-coms. Yes, of course it's nice to watch special productions, interesting plots, and big-budget shows, but don’t we sometimes need something that relaxes us, makes us laugh, and doesn’t upset us?

Sure, we do! And this K-drama is one of those. It consistently brings a smile to my face. Ah, how I love the sweet moments!

It follows the classic story of a CEO and an employee that we all know. However, Junho really makes this story special. He fits the CEO role perfectly, and with his voice and face, he is undeniably attractive. Watching him makes the whole series incredibly appealing.

I can never understand the negative comments. The chemistry between the main characters is fantastic, and the development of their love story is realistic and beautiful. Why isn’t it liked? Is it because there aren't constant misunderstandings and fights?
Of course, it's not groundbreaking or original, but it adds a sweet twist to a familiar story. The plot isn't complex for us; there are plenty of cute and charming moments between the two leads. In fact, the sexual tension between them is quite palpable. What’s wrong with a couple that understands, supports, and loves each other unconditionally?

Episodes 1 to 5 were definitely my favorites. In most K-dramas, even when the characters are clear about their feelings, they still doubt them. I never understand that and always find it silly. In this series, you don’t have to wait for a ton of episodes to feel the love. The male lead is confident, and the woman he loves reciprocates that trust with the same assurance.

I also enjoyed the side characters’ storylines. They were always supportive and genuine, which was lovely to see. I watched it with a constant smile on my face because of its fun story, and I found it quite funny too—I laughed out loud quite a bit!

The male character is always supportive and kind. Oh, he even asked for the woman’s permission for that first little kiss! And it wasn’t one of those cringe-worthy first kisses, lol.


In short, it started beautifully, had its ups and downs, and ultimately gave us a lovely ending.


I definitely recommend you watch it!

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a romcom for the ages… or something more?

Coherently marketed as a romcom, the show definitely did its part to make sure to fulfil that aspect. The cinematography was beautifully portrayed and the romance, I feel, was very maturely shown.

I was afraid they would drop the whole she-smiles-a-lot-he-hates-fake-smiles timeline but I was glad they pulled it out as much as possible. The drama was very wholesome in the way that both Gu Won and Cheon Sarang went through so much self-realisation because of each other, and how even the side characters were able to have resolved endings. I just hoped we were shown a little bit more about Sarang and her friends, Daeul and Pyeonghwa, and how they became friends and any nostalgic memories from then.

One thing I would have to nitpick though, (even though this is a romcom, nothing else) is that even though I absolutely adore some simplicity in plot in contrary to some of the fast-paced thrillers I usually watch, the lack of pace for most of the occurrences in the drama made it almost too strenuous to wait another week to know what happens next, especially when the "plot twists" are predictable, and I almost felt 0 drive, in some weeks, to watch the episodes when they were out during the weekend. I can comfortably say that Won and Sarang definitely carried the entire show for me, personally.

The side "points of conflict", namely Gu Hwaran, Won's step-sister, felt a little underwhelming and annoying for the most part (which I get is the point as she's technically the antagonist of the show, even though she is snapped back to her senses by the end) - and the subplot about Won's mother didn't intrigue me as much as I thought it did, mainly because I predicted that was the case - I just hoped the points of conflict actually steered the plot aside for a moment so that the viewers could get a break from the rosy lifestyles they seemed to be having throughout the show, but that's just me being negative nancy about it again :)

The story focused mainly on the character and relationship development of our two leads, which is definitely nice, and is obviously the selling point of a romantic comedy. Needless to say, it was a brilliant watch nonetheless, a pretty drama with blossoming romance and just pure happiness. If you're in pursuit of a semi-laidback romcom with memorable scenes and overflowing chemistry, then this one is definitely for you!

The OST album is also one of my favourite complete albums from a k-drama, My favourites being Perhaps Love by MINSEO and Confess To You by Lim Kim!!! All the songs are memorable to the point that you find yourself humming along whenever any of them come up in the actual drama!

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This drama was a perfect rom-com which is rarely made.

Its such a fun and romantic drama and the OST is soo good too
Highly recommended!
Trust me all the people who love pure romantic comedy, this drama is for you. Its so beautiful. The leads have awesome chemistry their love almost looks real. The emotions are potrayed in such an excellent manner that you can feel them from your heart. Also their smile is so infectious it brings a smile to your face.

This drama has low ratings only because of Arab culture controversy but I believe they really did not mean to hurt the sentiments of anybody, they just wanted to add another funny scene to the drama.

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This was a quintessential and perfect romance kdrama

Coming into this show after a long drought of good romance kdrama left one apprehensive but hopeful. Yet as soon as the show found it's footing it was hard to let it go. It established it's characters strongly and from the first episode you knew who you liked and who you loved. There was hardly any acting black hole in the show and every joke was placed well, even those that were not to my humor wereat he'd well with a plethora of those that were. Overall I think this was a great kdrama and a good way to get back into the genre. Wishing the best for all the actors and crew involved.

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Delivers what it promises

This drama is the perfect rom-com for me. The story is cute and inspiring, the casting and acting are great, and most importantly it delivers plenty of funny and heart-fluttering moments as a rom-com should. The plot isn’t overly complicated, but it’s still well paced and logical, not making it boring as in some other dramas that focus only on the relationship of the two leads. Plus there’s an element of mistery to the past of the ML which keeps you intrigued.

*Spoilers ahead!

Things that I particularly enjoyed:
• despite the cliches, the relationships feel more mature, realistic and healthier than your usual kdrama
• not your stereotypical one-dimensional characters (for example the rich father doing the most to split the main couple)
• portrayal of wholesome friendships
• the FL taking her own path rather than having her destiny dictated by the ML (typical Cinderella story)

Things I particularly disliked:

• not so happy ending for some of the second leads (Sang-shik who ends up still alone and Da-eul who stays with her joke of a husband)

Overall this drama kept me engaged from start to end and managed to make me feel connected to the characters which is a must to keep my interest as a viewer.

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