Hyun Bin at Singapore River, Han Ye-seul’s Orchard Road motorcycle chase: Iconic K-drama moments filmed in Singapore

Whether it's the picturesque Nami Island or Swiss mountains that look too beautiful to be real, there's no denying that a stunning backdrop is key to any K-drama (besides, of course, your favourite actors and actresses).

Well, come the lifting of international travel restrictions, the sight of Gong Yoo chilling at Sentosa or Hyun Bin strolling down Orchard Road might just become reality, thanks to a new agreement between Singapore Tourism Board (STB) and Studio Dragon Corporation — the company behind K-drama smash hits Goblin and Crash Landing on You.

As part of the three-year Memorandum of Understanding signed on Tuesday (Dec 8), Studio Dragon Corporation will be filming some of its Korean dramas here.

STB will be working closely with the studio to co-produce high quality content which showcases the beauty of Singapore, said Keith Tan, STB's chief executive.

Exciting as it may be, this certainly isn't the first time Singapore has played host to K-drama shoots.

While we wait for the pandemic to let up, what better way to commemorate the occasion than to take a walk down memory lane.

From Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo's rendezvous along the Singapore River to Shinhwa's Eric hopping into an SMRT cab to escape from Han Ye-seul, here are some of the most iconic K-drama moments filmed in Singapore.

World's Within (2008)

Many K-drama fans would know World's Within as the drama which (allegedly) sparked Hyun Bin and Song Hye-kyo's romance — the pair dated for two years after — but a lesser-known fact is that some scenes were shot in Singapore.

In the 2008 drama, which revolves around the ups and downs of life at a broadcasting station, the pair play directors who end up dating each other.

An overseas shoot brings them to Singapore, where they share a tender moment along the bank of the Singapore River.

The project was supported by STB as part of their Film in Singapore Scheme, and also included locations such as Boat Quay, Changi Airport, Sentosa, and Orchard Road.

Que Sera Sera (2007)

Filmed in Singapore in March 2007, Que Sera Sera holds the honour of being the very first Korean drama filmed under the Film in Singapore Scheme.

The drama follows the romantic entanglements of four characters, played by Shinhwa's Eric Mun, Jung Yoo-mi of Train to Busan fame, Lee Kyu-han, and Yoon Ji-hye.

On their trip to Singapore, their relationship drama plays out across multiple locations, from a tiff at Little India to a kiss in the rain in front of The Scarlet Hotel on Erskine Rd.

The boutique hotel's outdoor jacuzzi even makes a guest appearance.

Other filming locations include Shangri-La's Rasa Sentosa Resort, Takashimaya, and Singapore River.

Spy Myung-wol (2011)

Eric sure seems to have an affinity for our sunny island. The singer-actor returned in 2011 for the filming of the romcom Spy Myung-wol, with leading lady Han Ye-Seul in tow.

In the drama, Ye-Seul plays a North Korean spy on a mission to kidnap a South Korean pop star played by Eric.

Early in the drama, Eric's character visits Singapore to hold a concert, and a cat-and-mouse game ensues.

Han Ye-seul relentlessly tails the poor guy from Marina Bay Sands all the way to Orchard Road (on a motorcycle, no less), before finally being outwitted by him at Arab Street.

Now, that's one way to showcase Singapore's cityscape and make the most of an overseas shoot.

kimberlylim@asiaone.com