Top 5 K-dramas That Teach Great Lessons About Starting a Business

Last updated on September 18th, 2025 at 12:47 pm

K-dramas are not limited to romance, friendships, or family situations, but even delve into ambition, hustling, and the entrepreneurial process. If you have dreams of becoming a business owner, there are quite a few K-dramas showcasing uplifting tales of how to build a business, fail, and find success. While these dramas can also depict financial struggles, there is also a focus on the emotional grit and ingenuity of these entrepreneurs—both skill sets are necessary as a business owner.

Let’s look at the 5 best K-dramas that will provide transformational stories about the lessons of starting a business, and talk about why you would want to watch them.

1. Start-Up (2020) – The Path of Innovation

If there is one drama that narrates the entrepreneurial journey succinctly, it is Start-Up. “Start-Up” takes place in Korea’s Silicon Valley, Sandbox, and follows the journey of Seo Dal-mi as she strives to become the Steve Jobs of Korea. Alongside Nam Do-san, a young programmer, they experience the challenges of securing funding, creating a team, and growing a start-up.

Lesson for Entrepreneurs: Success is not only about unique ideas; it is also about leadership, collaboration, and not giving up in the face of competition.

2. Itaewon Class (2020) – Business is About Vision

Park Sae-ro-yi evolves from tragedy to initial success through his own perseverance and ends up developing a restaurant chain. What began as a single pub in Itaewon ends up growing into a national brand throughout Korea, based on Sae-ro-yi’s vision, consistency, and strong morals.

Lesson for Entrepreneurs: Businesses grow based on a value-added vision rather than simply profits and money.

3. Chief Kim (2017) – Ethics in Business

Although mainly a comedy, Chief Kim provides an interesting perspective on corruption and selflessness in business and management. Kim Sung-ryong is an employee who joins a company because of selfish reasons, only to realize he can help the employees fight back for employee rights and honesty in management.

Lesson for Entrepreneurs: Ethical leadership builds trust. 

4. My Name is Kim Sam-soon (2005) – Passion Meets Business

This drama is about Kim Sam-soon, who is a passionate baker who wants to open her own shop. While it is framed as a romantic comedy, the story is really about Sam-soon raising her entrepreneurial spirit and challenges to rise above societal pressures. 

Lesson for Entrepreneurs: You can pursue your passions, even if everyone else is telling you not to. Passionate business ideas often lead to sustainable businesses. 

5. Misaeng: Incomplete Life (2014) – Learning from the Ground Up

Misaeng is not a start-up drama, but it illustrates great stories of workplace struggles, corporate politics, and the resilience needed to adapt and survive. These stories rightly show you how successful entrepreneurs all start small, having to learn from their failures, and survive to fight another day. 

Lesson for Entrepreneurs: Every job, no matter how bad or small, can lead to lessons that can help you in building your business.

K-dramas That Teach Business Lessons

K-drama Title	Year	Key Business Lesson
Start-Up	2020	Innovation, teamwork, resilience
Itaewon Class	2020	Vision, consistency, leadership
Chief Kim	2017	Ethics, transparency, trust
My Name is Kim Sam-soon	2005	Passion, persistence
Misaeng: Incomplete Life	2014	Adaptability, resilience

If you’re interested in these shows, you’ll really enjoy our comprehensive “guide to the greatest motivational K-dramas for entrepreneurs and business students” that looks at even more K-dramas that marry creativity and enterprise.

Why these dramas resonate for entrepreneurs

These K-dramas highlight that entrepreneurship is not just financial, but about passion, people, and perseverance. They illustrate the real struggles: acquiring funding from investors, establishing credibility, dealing with rejection, and being ethical while scaling a business. K-dramas can motivate aspiring entrepreneurs to learn to be comfortable with failure and not lose sight of their dreams.

FAQs