Classic Christmas Films and their K-Drama Alternatives to Watch This Holiday Season

22 Dec 2025, 19:22 by ean1994 · allkpop

The holiday season isn’t complete without a lineup of classic Christmas films playing on repeat. From heartwarming romances to feel-good family favorites, these movies have become a December tradition for many viewers.

But if you’re looking to switch things up this year, we’ve got you covered.

Whether it’s the cozy atmosphere, familiar tropes, or emotional warmth, these Korean dramas capture the same spirit and themes as beloved Christmas movies—just with a K-drama twist.

Here are classic Christmas films paired with K-dramas that deliver a similar festive mood and storytelling charm.

1. ‘Love Actually’ & ‘Our Blues’

Love is an interesting thing; when it works out well, it can deepen your relationship like nothing you’ve ever experienced. Tying in the love life of eight different couples in one film, the portrayal of love, heartbreak, and romance, 'Love Actually' portrays that love isn't singular, but can come with unexpected moments, both good and bad. Similarly enough, the drama 'Our Blues' also portrays the lives of several residents on the island of Jeju and how they deal with a failing marriage, friendship to romance, and surprises that come with falling in love.

2. ‘The Holiday’ & ‘Our Unwritten Seoul’

Nothing screams adventure than being able to live your life as someone else, and well, let's just say Amanda and Iris from 'The Holiday' have a very interesting Christmas as the two decide to swap lives for two weeks in the hopes of forgetting about their troubled love lives. Similarly enough, this idea of switching lives is a core running theme in 'Our Unwritten Seoul,' as Yoo Mi Ji and Yoo Mi Rae decide to change places and lifestyle for a while to find their own happiness in life.

3. ‘Serendipity’ & ‘Last Summer’

The yearning in 'Serendipity' proves that love has no bounds, having fallen in love on the first night they met, sparks fly, and Jonathan and Sara become a couple, but end up separating, yet their love and chemistry for each other is undeniable. This leads them to both individually believe that one day they'll end up together once more. In the same way, 'Last Summer' starring Lee Jae Wook and Choi Sung Eun, brings about the same complexities of love as childhood friends, whose inevitable chemistry for each other actually causes them to become more distant. Yet the spark cannot be denied, and certain circumstances lead to the two rekindling the love that was there at first.

4. ‘The Santa Clause' & 'The Business Proposal'

When a man named Scott accidentally causes Santa to fall off his roof on Christmas Eve, he then finds himself having to become Santa's sub-in, and well, let's just say that Shin Ha Ri from 'The Business Proposal' also finds herself in a sticky situation when her friend asks her to sub-in for a blind date. Having to keep up appearances and the facade isn't as easy as it seems, but will both Scott and Shin Ha Ri pull it off? At some point in time, even the darkest of secrets come to be revealed; it's just a matter of time.

5. ‘Elf’ & ‘My Father is Strange’

In a journey to find out who his biological father is, Buddy the Elf goes from the North Pole to the bustling city of New York, and needless to say, Buddy finds himself having to adjust to the nuances of life outside of the North Pole. Just like that, in the K-drama series 'My Father is Strange' an average family living in Seoul are shocked to find that Jung Hui, a famous actor, is claiming himself to be the biological son of Han Soo, and just like how Buddy has to adapt to the nuances of modern life, let's just say that the family of Han Soo also have to now adjust to the possibility that said actor might actually be their relative.

6. ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’ & ‘Love Scout’

Both 'How the Grinch Stole Christmas' and 'Love Scout' center on emotionally guarded, seemingly cold-hearted protagonists who gradually soften through their interactions with others. Initially distant and closed off, each character begins to open up as they experience genuine connection, learning the value of empathy, companionship, and community along the way. Through love and human connection, both characters learn to let others in and rediscover what it means to be part of a community.

7. ‘Home Alone’ & ‘Weak Hero Class 1’

Overshadowed within his own family, Kevin McCallister in 'Home Alone' is accidentally left behind when his family departs for a Christmas vacation in Miami. What begins as a frightening oversight quickly turns into an unforgettable adventure, as Kevin relies on clever planning and improvised traps to outwit two would-be burglars.

Similarly, Yeon Si Eun, an isolated and academically focused student, becomes an easy target for school bullies. Physically outmatched, Si Eun instead turns to his sharp intellect, devising calculated strategies to confront and dismantle his tormentors.

Though worlds apart, Kevin and Si Eun share a defining trait: both are underestimated and physically vulnerable, yet ultimately prevail by using intelligence, creativity, and tactical thinking to overcome their adversaries.

8. ‘Rise of the Guardians’ & ‘Study Group’

Nothing like a group of eclectic characters that come together to bring justice into the world. The unique mesh of characters within both ‘Rise of the Guardians’ and ‘Study Group’ is bound to get you motivated to go out and change the world, one fight at a time.

9. ‘A Christmas Carol’ & ‘Hotel Del Luna’

Miserable to a fault, Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself being led on a journey by three ghosts to unravel some hidden truths. But the key to the secrets of these truths led him to have to open his heart to ill will. Likewise, beautiful yet ill-tempered CEO Jang Man Wol, due to a mistake made many years ago, is now in charge of having to operate a hotel for ghosts, but soon enough, as an elite hotelier played by Yeo Jin Goo, comes to work for her, well, let's just say these two begin to unravel centuries of ghostly secrets.

10. ‘Frozen’ & ‘Kingdom'

A kingdom finds itself stuck in endless winter after Elsa ends up casting a spell, and in an effort to bring back warmth to the kingdom of Arendelle, Elsa's sister Anna goes on this vast journey to find her sister in the hopes that things can be changed. In the same way, although centered on a much darker theme, 'Kingdom' focuses on the Crown Prince who goes on this journey to fight against a mysterious plague that has overtaken his kingdom.

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