Suits Fans Looking For More Should Watch Its K-Drama Remake

Several years before the legal drama series "Suits" saw a resurgence on Netflix after its original television broadcast run, the show connected with South Korean audiences in a unique way. A K-drama remake of "Suits," sharing the same title as its American source material, premiered on Korean television in 2018. Whereas the original show ran for nine seasons, its Korean remake only aired for 16 episodes, which is admittedly the norm for many scripted series in South Korea. Even with its significantly shorter length, the K-drama "Suits" still retains the broad strokes of the original story, albeit from a South Korean cultural perspective.

Like its American counterpart, the Korean "Suits" retains its core focus on the partnership and friendship between two lawyers, one established and the other just starting out their career. Veteran attorney Choi Kang-seok (Jang Dong-gun) takes Go Yeon-woo (Park Hyung-sik) under his wing, despite the latter not having a law degree. While lacking the academic credentials to practice law, Yeon-woo quickly proves himself invaluable in the courtroom, possessing a deep knowledge of the law and a photographic memory. As the two men learn to trust each other and work together, they hide Yeon-woo's secret so he can continue working at Kang-seok's law firm.

Broadly, this matches the initial premise behind the American "Suits." At the same time, the K-drama finds a way to deliver a satisfying conclusion in a fraction of its predecessor's episodes.

One of the biggest differences between the two versions of "Suits" is how they each handle the inevitable reveal of their rookie lawyer's lack of academic qualifications. For the American show, it takes a full five seasons for Mike Ross (Patrick J. Adams) to be publicly exposed as lying about his legal credentials. For Yeon-woo, however, this revelation comes at the end of the series' only season, with him taking responsibility for his actions while also finding an inventive way to continue his career. With that in mind, one could argue that the K-drama "Suits" ends when its American counterpart should have, reaching its natural conclusion with the reveal of its inciting secret.

This accelerated pace and more organic ending, rather than prolonging the story, is something that really distinguishes the K-drama "Suits." Yes, the transposition of the premise to South Korea certainly differentiates the series, but its core characters and their interpersonal dynamics remain largely intact in the remake. The K-drama knows exactly what kind of story it's trying to tell, for how long, and builds an exciting road to reach its finale accordingly. And while the initial plot beats are familiar, they are presented in a way that would surprise even the most hardcore American "Suits" fan.

Overall, the K-drama iteration of "Suits" provides a fresher twist on the franchise, as well as a more entertaining viewing experience than the short-lived American spin-off, "Suits LA."