Korean Dramas That Deal With Death And Grief

Move to Heaven - This drama is about people who clean the belongings and place of people who passed away. In a way it deals with deaths and grief. It's a short and sweet drama with just 10 episodes but it's so wholesome and lovely to watch. It'll surely make you cry buckets!  - u/Fatooz

Goblin - The drama's main focus is death, punishment, rewards & deities. With one of the main characters being a grim reaper it has many side stories that showcase the death aspect. This drama is one of my favorites. The cast chemistry is amazing, the bromance is so good, the second leads had such great chemistry . The cinematography, soundtrack are an add on for why one should watch the drama. Some of the moments where the Goblin bids goodbye to certain people are so wholesome to watch.  - u/Fatooz

I highly recommend Goblin, which features a Grim Reaper and a god who can't go in peace. This drama explores so many aspects of death, including: 

• Those we leave behind.
• How death unites us all and flattens inequalities. Everyone drinks the same tea and can't bring anything with them.
• The regrets we have in life and death.
• How we wait for for life, love and death.
• How we can't really stop death when our time comes.

This drama is so beautiful and so touching. The acting is superb, the music is amazing, the chemistry between the actors is wonderful, the second couple is as compelling as the first couple, and the side stories will haunt you just as much as the main storyline. - u/joannampineda  

Just Between Lovers - This drama is about grieving mostly. The four main leads are connected by an unfortunate mall collapse that made them all lose someone or the other. The two main leads especially connect with each other as they were survivors of the mall collapse. This drama had one of the best romance plots, the chemistry between the leads was one of my favorites. Lee Jun-Ho was the highlight as he portrayed his misunderstood character so beautifully!  - u/Fatooz

Hotel Del Luna - Death plays a major part in the show. The story revolves around a hotel where spirits can rest one last time before moving on. As such, we get to see many stories about untimely death, unresolved grudges, unfinished business, and grief and acceptance of loss.  - u/TotoroTheGreat

Chocolate - While it's a slow-burn romance story at heart, a major part of Chocolate also takes place in a hospice, so there are plenty of stories of death and loss.  - u/TotoroTheGreat

Hi Bye, Mama - Yu Ri, a woman who had been dead for four years suddenly comes back to life. Her husband, Cho Gang Hwa, has already remarried for the sake of their daughter, but is depressed after her passing. Yu Ri is given 49 days to return to her life as it was, and if successful, she could continue to live. Caught in the conundrum is Oh Min Jung, Gang Hwa's new wife and step-mother to their daughter. The story deals with the idea of death and loss in a pretty unique, albeit heartwrenching way.  - u/TotoroTheGreat

If You Wish Upon Me also takes place in a hospice and deals with death and grief. Rather slow paced, but it tells some lovely stories about the various characters. Ji Chang Wook is gorgeous to look at as always and plays a very tender hearted person. - u/Tall-Ad-9355

Tomorrow - the kdrama shows three grim reapers thats in charge of preventing suicides of people who have their life span still left and committing suicide means cutting of the red thread of life that binds people with their close ones, meaning even if reincarnated they cannot be reunited. by doing this, the grim reapers are saving people from eternal guilt and loneliness.

each episode focuses on a suicidal person grieving and struggling through various topics like survivors guilt, sexual abuse, war PTSD, eating disorder, bullying and the grim reapers would try to have them realize the gravity of committing suicide.

this drama focuses on depression, guilt, regret, death. afterlife and reincarnation. extremally emotional, and heartfelt acting delivered by an amazing cast. every episode relayed a very important message, left a hole in my heart but oddly satisfying endings for everybody - u/gimk_stfu1905

Mother - This gorgeous, serene, and also terrifying melodrama takes on the subject of motherhood, contrasting biological mothers and mothers by choice. It explores (and inspires) the kind of soul-deep grief that comes up related to a mother’s loss. It also depicts monstrous child abuse. Despite the terror elements, when I finished this drama I felt cleansed by my weeping and profoundly connected to my parents. - u/thiswillallpass

Should We Kiss First? - Decimated by trauma, a bitter woman inhabits the detritus of her life. Her upstairs neighbor is moving through his own disappointments. It seems impossible that these two fragile, resentful, awkward people could come together. But each has wisdom and healing that could find no better recipient than the other. Of course, when you meet them it’s hard to believe that. But this drama just keeps going deeper. - u/thiswillallpass

Chicago Typewriter - The Japanese Occupation is remembered for oppression, horrifying abuse, and for waging all-out destruction upon Korean culture and identity. The genius of Chicago Typewriter is that it mourns the destruction of human lives and the grief those humans felt as they were ripped from each other, while commenting on art, love, and karma. While the present day storyline has a lot of playful, funny scenes, it’s partly a backdrop for the tragic past life storyline of three unforgettable beings who resisted the occupation. - u/thiswillallpass

Secret Love - Though grief is not the main theme of this melodrama, it is a significant part of the main leads motivation for their behavior.  The ML looses his girlfriend in a car accident for which the FL is held responsible. His actions show various aspects of grief and as the story progresses the FL also faces major losses in her life and has to work through those painful losses.   The FLs situation was well written and well acted that the viewer is carried along with her grief.  - u/Astropuffy

Still 17 (Thirty, but Seventeen) - ML's traumatic encounter with grief has led him to a life of trying to avoid getting involved with other people. FL emerges from a 13 year long coma and had to deal with the loss of life as she knew it - her violin ability, her family and home, her closest friends. Instead of closing herself off as ML has done, she opens up to others and tries to find out who she is as an adult. Healing, sweet romance, with wisdom and humour. - u/LcLou02

Missing: The Other Side 1 & 2  - A village that houses souls of those whose bodies are missing. It can only be seen by a couple of men who team up to try and find the missing bodies so the souls can "move on". The older man has been searching for his missing daughter for many years. The younger man's mother went missing when he was young. Great bromance forms. Touching stories. - u/LcLou02

multiple seasons (2)

Choco Milk Shake - This short webdrama is about a man who lost both his dog, Choco, and cat, Milk. He is suffering from extreme loneliness and heartache. To help him get over their passing, Choco and Milk return to him as a human males but still have the personality and memories as being his pets. They help him process his grief and deal with his loneliness. - u/caninedesign