K-Dramas About Fresh Beginnings: Quitting a Job & Starting a New Life

Have you ever felt stuck, burned out, or dreamed of a complete reset? You’re not alone. The desire to reinvent ourselves is a universal human experience, and few storytelling media capture its bittersweet beauty quite like Korean dramas.

This curated list is more than just a ranking; it’s a guide to finding the right story for your moment of transition. Whether you’re navigating a career change, healing from a personal loss, or simply seeking the courage to make a change, these dramas offer comfort, validation, and a powerful reminder that it’s never too late to begin again.

As an editor and writer who analyzes narratives for a living, I’ve selected these series not just for their popularity, but for the authentic, relatable, and often unglamorous ways they portray the journey of starting over. Get ready to find your next watch and perhaps, a little inspiration for your own life.

1- Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha

Yoon Hye-jin works as a skilled dentist in Seoul. She lives a fast-paced life, focused only on her career. One day, a moral conflict with her boss changes everything. She quits her stable job and walks away from the city she knows.

Hye-jin ends up in Gongjin, a small seaside village. At first, the quiet place feels strange and slow to her. The people are friendly but curious, and the calm rhythm unsettles her. Yet, the sea breeze and the warm community begin to soften her guarded heart.

She opens her own dental clinic, learning to work at her own pace. She also meets Hong Du-sik, a free-spirited handyman who lives life by his own rules. Their bond grows naturally, built on small moments.

Through this change, Hye-jin rediscovers happiness not tied to status or competition, but to simple days, shared meals, and love she never saw coming.

Watch this if: You believe happiness is found in ambition, but secretly wonder if it’s found in community instead.

2- Itaewon Class

Park Sae-ro-yi once dreamed of an ordinary life. Everything changed when he punched a class bully—the son of a rich CEO. That act cost him his school, his father, and his future. After serving time in prison, he steps out with only one goal: to win on his own terms.

He sets his eyes on Itaewon, a vibrant district filled with people chasing dreams. He opens a small pub with almost nothing. The early days are hard, filled with debt, failure, and endless work. Yet he refuses to give up.

His quiet determination draws people to him. He builds a team of outsiders like himself—each broken in different ways, yet burning with ambition.

Together, they fight against the powerful company that crushed his father. Sae-ro-yi’s life becomes a journey of rebuilding, proving that even from ruin, a person can create a new path and choose their own worth.

Watch this if: You need a lesson in gritty, unwavering determination and building something from absolute zero.

3- When the Weather Is Fine

Mok Hae-won was once a gifted cellist in Seoul. She lived surrounded by noise, competition, and constant pressure to be perfect. Over time, the weight of it drains her. She loses her passion and leaves the city behind.

She returns to her old hometown, a quiet village wrapped in snow and silence. Life moves gently there. Days are slow. Nights are calm. She stays in her aunt’s guesthouse, away from the chaos she once called home.

Hae-won reconnects with small joys—reading, walking, and breathing in clean air. She also meets Im Eun-seob, a soft-spoken bookstore owner who has lived a lonely but peaceful life. Their friendship grows slowly, like the snow melting in spring.

In this stillness, Hae-won begins to heal. She finds that starting over does not always mean chasing big dreams. Sometimes, it means choosing peace and learning how to simply be again.

Watch this if: You’re emotionally exhausted and need a series that feels like a quiet, healing retreat.

Also Read: Escape the City: Must-Watch Small Town K-Dramas

4- Be Melodramatic

Be Melodramatic follows three women in their 30s, each stuck at a turning point. One quits her job at a production company after burnout, unsure what comes next.

Another is a screenwriter who struggles to get her work accepted and wonders if her dreams are worth the stress. The third works in marketing but quietly plans to leave after feeling invisible at work.

The drama shows them drifting, failing, and laughing through small steps toward new lives. They deal with unpaid bills, messy relationships, and late-night doubts. It doesn’t offer easy answers, only moments of quiet change.

They build new careers at their own pace, making mistakes along the way. The tone is soft and grounded, showing that change can feel ordinary yet heavy. Their friendship becomes the anchor as they slowly figure out what kind of lives they want.

Watch this if: You’re in your 30s/40s and feel behind in life, needing a realistic but comforting look at navigating change.

5- Romance Is a Bonus Book

Romance Is a Bonus Book tells the story of a woman restarting her career after years away. Once a top copywriter, she left the industry to raise her child and support her husband. After their divorce, she struggles to return to a workforce that has already moved on without her.

She hides her past titles to get an entry-level job at a publishing company. It is humbling and frustrating. Younger colleagues look down on her while she silently works harder than everyone else. Slowly, her forgotten skills resurface. She earns trust, one project at a time.

The drama quietly shows the fear of starting over while being older than your peers. It balances her emotional exhaustion with her quiet determination to rebuild. Her growth is steady and unglamorous, but it feels real. It shows that returning to work can mean finding a new version of yourself.

6- Strongest Deliveryman

Strongest Deliveryman follows young workers trying to survive unstable jobs. Most come from poor or broken families. The main lead works as a food deliveryman, riding all day with little pay. Despite this, he dreams of building his own delivery company and lifting others with him.

He starts from nothing but builds trust through grit. Friends join him. Together they face unfair bosses, safety risks, and exhausting shifts. Their journey is filled with failure yet carries small wins that push them forward.

The drama shows how leaving bad jobs can open a path to something better. It highlights how hard work alone is not enough—you also need allies.

Slowly, they build a new life, brick by brick. It’s about chasing stability when you’ve never had it. Their dream becomes bigger than just survival.

7- If You Wish Upon Me

If You Wish Upon Me follows Yoon Gyeo Rye, a man who spent much of his life in prison and juvenile centers. After serving his sentence, he struggles to find purpose and sees little reason to keep going.

A judge orders him to perform community service at a hospice care center. He expects it to be meaningless work, but the place changes him.

The hospice has a small volunteer group called Team Genie. They grant the last wishes of terminally ill patients. Some wishes are funny, others heartbreaking.

Through these moments, Gyeo Rye begins to see people, not just pain. He watches the patients find peace and, slowly, he begins to want peace too.

This drama explores how kindness can save a person. It shows how even someone broken can start over when surrounded by people who believe in second chances.

8- Summer Strike

Summer Strike tells the story of Lee Yeo Reum, a young woman who walks away from her job in the city after burning out. Tired of endless deadlines and constant pressure, she decides to move to a quiet seaside village with no clear plan. She wants to rest, read books, and let her mind breathe.

At first, she feels lost and unsure. Life in the small town moves at a slow pace. People are distant yet curious about her. Over time, she grows closer to An Dae Beom, a shy librarian with struggles of his own. They help each other heal from wounds that never fully went away.

The drama shows that life can be meaningful even when it looks empty from the outside. It reminds viewers that stopping is not failure. Sometimes, stopping is the only way to find who you are again.

9- My Liberation Notes (2022)

My Liberation Notes shows three siblings stuck in a lifeless routine. They work dull jobs, commute long hours, and speak little to each other. Their days blur together. But under the silence, they are restless. Each of them wants more but does not know what “more” means.

The drama does not rush their change. It lingers on small moments—walking home, eating dinner, staring at nothing. Those moments reveal how trapped they feel. One sibling seeks love. Another searches for meaning in work. The third just wants to escape.

Their quiet rebellion begins slowly. They question their jobs, their loneliness, and the way they live. It’s not about big wins. It’s about breaking out of numbness.

The show captures how starting over often begins as a faint whisper, not a loud leap. It speaks to anyone who has ever felt stuck but unsure where to go.

10- Fight for My Way (2017)

Fight for My Way follows four friends who feel left behind. They are stuck in jobs that pay bills but kill their spirit. Each of them once had a dream, but gave up because life got in the way. They live small lives while secretly wishing for more.

This drama is noisy and raw. It shows failure, self-doubt, and awkward moments. The friends get rejected, mocked, and beaten down. Yet they keep trying. They quit steady jobs, risking security to chase what they love. That risk is terrifying, and the show never hides it.

It explores how hard it is to start again when the world expects you to settle. The friends support each other while fighting their own battles. It’s messy, real, and sometimes funny. It reminds viewers that leaving comfort zones hurts, but growth rarely happens inside them.

11- Welcome to Samdal-ri (2023)

Welcome to Samdal-ri tells the story of a famous photographer whose life collapses overnight. A scandal forces her to leave Seoul and return to her small hometown. Her fame is gone, her career is shattered, and she feels humiliated.

Life in Samdal-ri moves slowly. She hates it at first. But being back forces her to stop running. She reconnects with old friends and faces the wounds she left behind. The drama shows how starting over often means returning to what you once escaped.

There is no instant success here. She rebuilds her life from nothing, learning how to work without chasing perfection. Her story is about humility and healing.

It shows how failure can strip you bare but also free you. Sometimes, losing everything becomes the only way to see what still matters.

12- Navillera (2021)

Navillera follows a 70-year-old man who has spent his life working and providing for others. After retirement, he faces a quiet emptiness. Then he decides to do something that shocks everyone—learn ballet.

He is clumsy and slow, but stubborn. People laugh at him. Some even tell him to act his age. Still, he keeps going. His passion grows, even as his body struggles to keep up.

The show gently explores what it means to live fully at any age. It challenges the idea that dreams expire once you grow old. His journey is not about becoming great. It’s about reclaiming his right to want something just for himself.

Navillera says it’s never too late to begin again. Starting over might not lead to glory, but it can bring peace. And sometimes, peace is all someone ever needed.

How to Choose Your Next Watch

Not every story of starting over looks the same. To help you find the perfect match for your mood, I’ve loosely grouped these dramas by the type of fresh start they represent:

• The Escape to the Countryside: For when you need to slow down and simplify (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, Summer Strike, When the Weather is Fine).

• The Career Rebuild: For those reinventing themselves professionally (Romance is a Bonus Book, Fight for My Way, Strongest Deliveryman).

• The Inner Journey & Healing: For quiet, profound personal transformation (My Liberation Notes, If You Wish Upon Me, Navillera).

• The Underdog’s Fight: For starting over with a goal of justice or success (Itaewon Class, Welcome to Samdal-ri, Be Melodramatic).

From the bustling streets of Itaewon to the serene shores of Gongjin, these stories prove that every ending is just a new beginning in disguise. They remind us that courage isn’t the absence of fear, but the decision to move forward despite it.

What’s your favorite K-Drama about starting over? Did we miss any hidden gems? Share your recommendations and your own stories of renewal in the comments below—let’s inspire each other.

And if you found this guide helpful, please share it with a friend who might need a little inspiration for their next chapter.

📌 Bookmark