After the period when Korean dramas were covered by works on revenge, tycoons or heavy psychology, many television stations are gradually returning to everyday stories, focusing on nature and small communities.
In 2026, series of films such as "Life of Cai Thao", "Today is sold out again" or "Anh Xuan Lam" are showing the trend of healing in rural areas continuing to expand on Korean screens.
Previously, many works such as "Cha-cha-cha dance of the coastal village", "Blues on the green island" or "When tea flowers bloom", "Summer and then quit work" had created an effect thanks to the everyday atmosphere, slow pace of life and the feeling of closeness to the audience.
However, the difference of the current healing film genre is that the character carries more trauma and feeling of isolation than before.
Instead of just focusing on gentle romance, the new works explore the journey of maturity and healing through labor, nature and community connection.
Among them, "Doi cai thao" tells the story of Sung Tae Hoon (Park Sung Woong) - the company manager who was suddenly transferred to the rural area of Yeonriri after an unfair personnel decision.
Here, he and his wife Jo Mi Ryeo (Lee Soo Kyung) and three children gradually adapt to rural life with somewhat stubborn but emotional local people.
Selling Out Today Again" is more romantic when it revolves around Matthew Lee (Ahn Hyo Seop) - CEO of a production farm, and also a cosmetic ingredient researcher in Deokpung village and Dam Ye Jin (Chae Won Bin) - a TV sales MC addicted to work.
From searching for precious mushrooms for work, Ye Jin gradually becomes attached to Matthew as well as life in the countryside. The film combines farming, business and romance elements in a gentle, humorous direction.
If the two films above chose rural and farm settings, "Anh xuan lam" takes viewers to the sea space.
The work stars Kim Ye Rim (Yeri/Red Velvet) and Kang Sang Joon, telling the story of Seo Anna - a former swimmer who had to give up her dream due to injury and Yoon Deok Hyun - a former special forces member who lived in seclusion amidst many rumors.
Based on the webtoon of the same name, the film is set in the fishing village of Parangri and is filmed on islands in Tongyeong (Korea), creating a healing color imbued with the sea. In the film, the characters gradually find comfort and grow up through coastal life as well as the work of divers.
Korean media commented that instead of continuing to exploit flashy stories in urban areas, many films today are choosing rural areas, remote islands or fishing villages as spaces for characters to face hurt and regain balance in life.
This trend partly reflects the psychology of young audiences today, when work pressure, competition and feeling of exhaustion are increasingly common. From that context, they want to find stories that bring a slow pace of life and are close to nature on screen.
