# My Dearest (2023)

> A noblewoman in 1600s Joseon Korea is drawn into a doomed romance with a mysterious man who arrives in her hometown during the Qing invasion.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/129090

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 21
- Episode runtime: 69 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, romance, history
- Network: MBC
- Cast: Namkoong Min, Ahn Eun-jin, Lee Hak-ju, Lee Da-in, Kim Yoon-woo, Ji Seung-hyun, Park Jeong-yeon, Kwon So-hyun
- TMDB rating: 8.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26228190/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: melancholic, sweeping, tender, wistful, tense

## What critics say

Audience reception is acclaimed, with viewers praising the romance and period production while the series' heavy emotional darkness divides opinion.

## Synopsis

My Dearest (2023) is a Korean historical romance drama created for MBC, a single-season run of twenty-one episodes that unfolds in 17th century Joseon Korea during the Qing invasion. Namkoong Min plays Lee Jang-hyun, a mysterious man who arrives in a noblewoman's hometown, and Ahn Eun-jin plays Yoo Gil-chae, the noblewoman whose life is turned upside down by his arrival. Lee Hak-ju, Lee Da-in and Kim Yoon-woo fill out a cast of rival suitors, political figures and loyalists caught between class rank and the chaos of war. The engine of the story is a love that cannot simply be lived out: social hierarchy, forced obligations and shifting alliances keep the central pair apart, while the threat of invasion presses on every household. Episodes move through court intrigue, hidden identities and painful misunderstandings, giving the series a steady ache of longing. Its tone is melancholic and sweeping, with costume-drama grandeur and a slow-building sense of loss. Fans of Mr. Sunshine and Kingdom will find resonance in its blend of period detail, political turmoil and tragic romance, though the emotional register here is more intimate and wistful than action-driven. The series suits viewers who want a restrained, tender historical romance grounded in a specific and turbulent moment of Korean history.

## Shows like My Dearest

- [Destined with You (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/135667)
- [My Country: The New Age (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/79080)
- [Lee San, Wind in the Palace (2007)](https://ember.film/tv/14108)
- [The Story of Park's Marriage Contract (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/139721)
- [The King's Affection (2021)](https://ember.film/tv/107134)
- [Mr. Sunshine (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/65728)
- [Dear Hongrang (2025)](https://ember.film/tv/143577)
- [Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (2019)](https://ember.film/tv/76887)
- [Love in the Moonlight (2016)](https://ember.film/tv/58446)
- [Call It Love (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/136023)

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