8 Korean Dramas about Extended Families with Complicated Relationships, Intriguing to Watch

Kapanlagi.com - Korean dramas about extended families with complicated relationships always have their own way of capturing the audience's attention. Stories about inheritance, sibling rivalry, and secrets kept for years keep viewers intrigued until the last episode. This genre continues to evolve, from tales of corporate revenge to everyday household dramas that touch the heart.

Every family on screen has its own conflicts. Some are fighting for the position of heir to a company, while others are simply trying to understand each other after years of harboring wounds. All these stories share a common thread: home is not always the most peaceful place, but it remains a place of return for each of its members.

Here are eight dramas that present portraits of extended families with various layers of issues, from the world of big business to the everyday dining table, curated by KapanLagi from various sources, Wednesday (2/9/2026). Let's check out the complete list below.

1. Reborn Rich (2022)

Reborn Rich (2022). (Image: TMDB)

Reborn Rich follows Yoon Hyun-woo, the trusted aide of the chaebol family Soonyang, who is murdered after being accused of embezzling company funds. He wakes up again in 1987, this time in the body of Jin Do-jun, the youngest grandson of the same family. With memories of the future, Do-jun slowly devises a plan to take control of the Soonyang Group from his own family.

Song Joong-ki plays a dual role as Hyun-woo and Do-jun, alongside Lee Sung-min as the head of the family, Jin Yang-chul. The competition among the children and grandchildren of Chairman Jin for the position of successor is at the core of the story, showcasing how blood ties can turn into bargaining tools for power within the same large household.

The backdrop of the 1997 Asian financial crisis also colors Do-jun's journey to rebuild his family's fortune. The blend of time elements, business ambitions, and personal vendettas makes each episode feel like a life-or-death chess game, where each family member has conflicting interests with one another.

2. The Heirs (2013)

The Heirs (2013). (Image: IMDb)

The Heirs tells the story of Kim Tan, the heir of the Empire Group, who is sent to study in the United States as a form of subtle exile from his half-brother, Kim Won, who is preparing to take over the family business. There, Tan meets Cha Eun-sang, the daughter of his family's housekeeper, without knowing who the girl really is.

Lee Min-ho plays Kim Tan, paired with Park Shin-hye as Eun-sang, along with Kim Woo-bin and Kim Ji-won as Choi Young-do and Rachel Yoo. This group of teenagers is still in high school, but they are already burdened with the responsibilities of being potential heirs to their respective family business empires, complete with the pressures and rivalries from their parents.

The elite school where they study serves as a small mirror of the hierarchies and conflicts occurring in their own families. The gap between the rich and the ordinary is illustrated through the relationship between Tan and Eun-sang, while Tan's competition with his own brother shows how a large family legacy often becomes a source of wounds, not just pride.

3. Money Flower (2017)

Money Flower (2017). (Image: IMDb)

Money Flower introduces Kang Pil-joo, an orphan who grows up to become the legal director of the Cheong-A Group. Behind his loyalty to the Jang family that raised him professionally, Pil-joo harbors a long-standing grudge over his brother's death, and secretly devises a long-term plan to bring down the family he has served all along.

Jang Hyuk plays Pil-joo, acting alongside Park Se-young as Na Mo-hyun and Jang Seung-jo as the heir of the Cheong-A Group. The Jang family is depicted as full of intrigue, sabotaging each other for political and business power, while Pil-joo moves among them as a trusted confidant who has been plotting revenge from the very beginning.

Pil-joo's meticulously crafted plan over the years makes every step of the Jang family feel like walking into a trap that has long been set. This drama showcases another side of large family relationships, namely loyalty built on lies, and how hidden pasts ultimately determine the fate of an entire generation.

4. The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–2021)

The Penthouse: War in Life (2020–2021). (Image: IMDb)

The Penthouse centers on the residents of Hera Palace, a luxurious hundred-story apartment that is home to influential families in Seoul. The story unfolds after a high school student named Min Seol-ah is found dead in the building's area, triggering suspicion and conflict among neighbors who have always appeared to get along.

Lee Ji-ah, Kim So-yeon, and Eugene play three women from different backgrounds: one born into wealth, one with limitless ambition, and another struggling from the bottom for her child. Together with their respective partners and children, they form a large interconnected family network through their children's school, business, and dark secrets that slowly unravel.

Status competition among the families of Hera Palace spills over to their children who attend the same arts institution. Each episode adds a new layer to the web of lies connecting one family to another, making this drama an extreme portrayal of how ambition can overshadow both blood relations and long-standing friendships.

5. SKY Castle (2018–2019)

SKY Castle (2018–2019). (Image: TMDB)

SKY Castle is set in an exclusive residential complex inhabited by doctors and professors from prestigious universities in Korea. Four neighboring families compete to ensure their children get into the number one university, until this competition gradually reveals family secrets that have long been tightly kept by each parent.

Yum Jung-ah plays Han Seo-jin, one of the most determined mothers to plan her child's future, alongside Lee Tae-ran, Yoon Se-ah, and Oh Na-ra as three other mothers who educate their children in different ways. The relationship between parents and children in this drama is filled with pressure, far from the typical warm family depiction.

This extreme portrayal of educational competition opens a broader conversation about the pressure that upper-class families place on their children. SKY Castle shows how the definition of love can shift into complete control, and how secrets kept to maintain the family's reputation can ultimately lead to the breakdown of those very relationships.

6. Reborn Rookie (2026)

Reborn Rookie (2026). (Image: IMDb)

Reborn Rookie tells the story of Kang Yong-ho, the chairman of Choiseong Group, nicknamed the god of business, who announces his retirement plans to his children, a news that triggers a succession battle among them. At the same time, his son, Kang Jae-seong, hits and runs a young football player, Hwang Jun-hyeon, to cover up an embezzlement case he committed with his twin brother. This incident causes Yong-ho's spirit to transfer into Jun-hyeon's body.

Lee Jun-young plays the dual roles of Yong-ho and Jun-hyeon, alongside Son Hyun-joo as Yong-ho in his original body, Jeon Hye-jin as the eldest daughter Kang Jae-gyeong, and Jin Goo as the son Kang Jae-seong. Lee Ju-myoung completes the cast as Kang Bang-geul, Yong-ho's youngest daughter who has been hidden from the public. Yong-ho's children are depicted as sabotaging each other for the position of successor to Choiseong Group, revealing another side of a family that has always appeared solid in public.

With a young body and the status of a new employee, Yong-ho can infiltrate and witness his own children's conspiracies from within. This drama presents a variation of the reincarnation story of a conglomerate, this time with a twist of the football world and a gradual revelation of who among his closest people is truly trustworthy.

7. It's Beautiful Now (2022)

It's Beautiful Now (2022). (Image: TMDB)

It's Beautiful Now centers on the large Lee family, led by the grandfather, Lee Kyung-cheol, along with his children and grandchildren who live together or nearby. The three grandsons in this family, Yoon-jae, Hyun-jae, and Soo-jae, are all reluctant to marry, which leads the entire household to seek ways to encourage them to settle down.

Yoon Shi-yoon, Oh Min-suk, and Seo Bum-june portray these three brothers, while Bae Da-bin, Shin Dong-mi, and Choi Ye-bin complete the lineup of women in their lives. This large family is depicted with grandparents, parents, siblings, and in-laws, showcasing a lively household dynamic filled with small daily frictions.

Instead of focusing on inheritance conflicts or business coups, this drama chooses to highlight the struggles of the younger generation who are hesitant to marry, facing off against the older generation that still upholds traditional values of a large family. Through 50 episodes, viewers are invited to witness how one household can encompass so many perspectives on the meaning of family itself.

8. Our Golden Days (2025)

Our Golden Days (2025). (Image: TMDB)

Our Golden Days follows Lee Ji-hyeok, a successful figure in both office and romantic life, who begins to question the meaning of family after reaching the lowest point in his life. The presence of Ji Eun-oh, a warm woman who manages a café while working as an interior designer, gradually changes Ji-hyeok's perspective on the people around him.

Jung Il-woo plays Ji-hyeok, acting alongside Jung In-sun as Eun-oh and Yoon Hyun-min as Park Seong-jae, a friend and the third-generation heir of a chaebol family. Ji-hyeok's large family also colors the story, including the rejection of some family members towards his relationship, adding layers of conflict within their household.

This drama places old wounds and misunderstandings between generations at the core of the issue, rather than mere competition for wealth. The process of mutual understanding between parents and children, as well as among siblings, is presented slowly over 50 episodes, making Our Golden Days a portrait of a large family striving to heal together, not just to survive under the same roof.

9. Questions About Korean Dramas Featuring Large Families with Complicated Relationships

What is the most popular Korean drama about large families with complicated relationships? Reborn Rich and The Penthouse: War in Life are often cited as the highest-rated dramas in this genre, thanks to their combination of family conflict and intense business intrigue throughout their airing.

What is the makjang genre in Korean dramas? Makjang is a term for Korean dramas with extreme family conflicts, full of secrets, betrayals, and excessive drama, as seen in The Penthouse: War in Life and Money Flower.

Which Korean dramas discuss the rivalry of conglomerate or chaebol heirs? Reborn Rich, The Heirs, Money Flower, and Reborn Rookie present the rivalry of chaebol heirs as the core of their stories, each with a different perspective on who deserves to continue the family business.

Are there any large family Korean dramas that are not set in the business world? Yes. It's Beautiful Now and Our Golden Days choose a backdrop of everyday family life, with conflicts surrounding marriage, intergenerational relationships, and the process of mutual understanding within the home.

Where can these dramas be watched? Most of these dramas are available on streaming platforms like Netflix, Viu, Disney+, and Viki, depending on the viewer's region.

(kpl/bim)