Summary

• K-dramas are now popular globally, thanks to streaming services and a wide range of genres that go beyond just traditional drama.
• Rom-coms, thrillers, and workplace dramas are just a few examples of the diverse content found in K-dramas, offering unique storytelling.
• From intense crime dramas to heartwarming love stories, the best K-dramas offer a variety of engaging plots and relatable characters for audiences worldwide.

25 years ago, K-dramas wouldn't be seen by many international audiences, but South Korean television has gone international in a big way thanks to streaming services, and some of the best K-dramas of all time can be viewed all over the world. Just because a series is a K-drama doesn't mean the show features solely dramatic storylines. The classification is given to series produced in South Korea, but they can run the gamut of genres from romantic comedy to thriller to fantasy, making for some drastically different content.

K-dramas are a huge trend that isn't stopping anytime soon and for good reason. K-dramas have taken over streaming platforms like Netflix thanks to the popularity of shows like Squid Game, and fans are hooked, binging series after series. Some shows take romance and comedy to a new level that isn't seen on American television, combining soapier aspects with slice-of-life story ideas. On the flip side, there are unique thrillers that have viewers' hearts racing with each passing episode. The best K-dramas include a huge variety of television.

Forecasting Love And Weather (2022)

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Rom-coms are one of the most prevalent genres among K-dramas. This newer entry into the genre takes a unique approach to telling its story. It’s a workplace drama to an extent as it surrounds those who work for the National Weather Service of South Korea. It uses the weather conditions they experience and forecast as a metaphor for changing relationships though, which makes for a great way for the audience to connect the workplace themes in the episodes to the relationship drama playing out as well.

The series stars K-drama veterans Song Kang and Park Min-young as colleagues who fall for one another right after one of them gets promoted to be the boss in their division. Their characters also share a unique history in that their exes cheated on them and married one another - and both work in the same building. The drama and the weather themes make for a unique entry into the genre.

The Uncanny Counter (2020)

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K-dramas might be known by modern audiences for their rom-coms, but there’s a wealth of different genres that should be explored. One of those is science fiction. The Uncanny Counter is like if Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Warehouse 13 were combined. There's the hunting of supernatural entities like Buffy, but the containing of entities that could harm people, like Warehouse 13.

The main characters of the series are “counters” who all have special abilities and use them to hunt demons. Specifically, they hunt evil spirits who have escaped the afterlife. By day, however, they keep normal lives and work at a noodle shop for cover. The series centers on their newest recruit, a high school student, though it's very much an ensemble show. Actress Yeom Hye-ran won a Best Supporting Actress award from the Baeksang Arts Awards for her work in the show.

Reply 1988 (2015)

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There are actually multiple Reply shows in South Korea, each centered on different characters in a different year, playing into the nostalgia TV audiences have for the past, no matter which country the series is rooted in. Reply 1988, however, has proven the most popular of the bunch with one-fifth of the South Korean population tuning in to watch the season finale live.

It follows a group of five friends and their families in 1988 in a slice-of-life style drama. Those who appreciate series like The Wonder Years, which fuse family dynamics with a coming-of-age story will enjoy it. The five friends, one of whom is female, are the true focal point of the series, but their relationships with their family play a role. One of the mysteries teased throughout the show is just which of her four friends the one teenage girl in the group grows up to marry, giving the show a slightly soapy mystery as well.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

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Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a K-drama in the vein of The Good Doctor. While the series is a legal procedural, it’s also about the titular character facing challenges from other characters and the circumstances of their work because they are on the Autism spectrum. It’s become the eighth-highest-rated drama in Korean television history as live audiences tuned in during its run, prompting it to appear on streaming all over the world.

While the titular character has trouble in social situations, she has a photographic memory and a genuine interest in the law, making her a great addition to any law firm. When employers learn about her autism, however, they hesitate to give her a chance. The series has been nominated for a slew of television awards in South Korea and across Asia as a whole. it also earned a 2023 nomination for Best Foreign Language Series at the US Critics Choice Awards.

Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo (2016)

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This drama is not only a coming-of-age story, but also blends rom-com elements with its sports story, and is inspired by the real life of Olympic gold medalist Jang Mi-ran. The series follows the titular character as she follows her dreams of becoming a collegiate athlete, specifically in the realm of weightlifting. As she does, she falls for her best friend's older brother, but her best friend, who is helping her achieve her dreams, falls for her.

Unlike many of the best K-dramas, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo didn’t see a huge live viewership number. Instead, interest spread, especially among younger audiences, by word of mouth, and it earned the status of a cult hit. That cult status is what has helped it land with international audiences, as did its handful of MBC Drama Awards.

Actress Lee Sung-Kyung won the Excellence Award at the 35th MBC Drama Awards.

Itaewon Class (2020)

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Itaewon Class gained mass success when it became available on Netflix in 2020. The show had a well-known cast with the lead played by famous actor, Park Seo-joon.

The struggles of his past are still prevalent as he tries to reach success in an industry run by food conglomerates.

The show follows Park's character, Park Sae-ro-yi as he tries to create a new life after imprisonment. Park follows in his father's footsteps and opens up a bar-restaurant in Itaewon. The struggles of his past are still prevalent as he tries to achieve success in an industry run by food conglomerates, but doesn't quite have a head for business. The show has plenty of drama, emotion, and even some love.

Where the show has earned the most praise, however, is in being realistic in its portrayals of some of the darker sides of humanity. That includes prejudices against convicted criminals, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those from outside nations.

Nobody Knows (2020)

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For any crime-drama fans, Nobody Knows is the perfect drama to binge-watch. Cha Young-Jin (Kim Seo-Hyung) is a detective who is haunted by the murder of her friend when they were just teenagers. Still guilt-ridden, she vows to find the serial killer who took her friend's life. Years later, she hasn't given up on her investigation. A new murder comes to light and this time Cha Young-Jin won't let the killer get away and will avenge her friend.

It also takes an interesting route in having the detective team up with a local teacher in order to protect vulnerable students. The show goes on an intense ride with a tormented detective looking to end an unsolvable case. While there have been many K-dramas inspired by webtoons over the years, Nobody Knows is actually one of the few to have a prequel webtoon instead depicting why the main character became a detective in the first place.

My Country: The New Age (2019)

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This 2019 historical drama features an intense and emotional storyline set at the end of the Goryeo period. The show was a limited series that only ran for one season and later became available on Netflix. The show follows two best friends who grow apart as they have different opinions on the direction the country should go in. Intermixed are tales of battle, romance, and trying to find a way to protect the people they care about. Change is imminent as the country starts the transition into a new dynasty.

What's interesting is that for K-dramas with a historical bent, the focus is more often on the Joseon dynasty, so taking a peak into the end of the period that preceded it allows for a unique peak into Korean history.

Descendants of the Sun (2016)

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War dramas can be hit or miss when they’re crafted as a television series. Audiences don’t always have the stamina to watch multiple episodes the way they could watch a single movie. Audiences didn’t run out of steam when Descendants of the Sun aired in 2016 in Korea though with nearly half of the country tuning into the show’s most-watched episodes.

A doctor and a special forces soldier meet and fall in love before going their separate ways, and then finding themselves reunited again in the field. They gain an appreciation for one another’s work and the difficulties they face in their very different lives. Descendants of the Sun is such a popular Korean series that it now has Philippine and Vietnamese adaptations, and it’s won more than three dozen awards from various Asian TV and Media groups.

Coffee Prince (2007)

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Fans of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night or Amanda Bynes’ She’s The Man will enjoy this iconic Korean series. Coffee Prince sees a young woman dress as a man in order to get work, only to fall for the head of a food empire who doesn’t initially realize she’s a woman. Her boss has led a privileged life and has had his role in the company handed to him and must learn the value of hard work. He also hires the new employee to pretend to be his boyfriend to escape his grandmother's blind date set-ups.

The drama comes from, of course, the two developing feelings for one another, but the truth not coming out right away. After all, part of the premise for the employees at the coffee shop is that they're attractive young men to attract women to spend more money on coffee. During its run, the show’s average ratings saw a quarter of the Korean population tuning in to watch live. It won several Korea Drama Awards and received a remake in the Philippines.

Vagabond (2019)

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Vagabond is for fans who love a thriller of a storyline that leaves the audience gasping with every episode. The 2019 K-drama has danger, crime, and a bit of a love story to make things more interesting. A plane crash kills over 2112 civilians including the nephew of the main character. Determined to uncover the truth, Cha Dal-gun (Lee Seung-gi) embarks on a dangerous investigation, one that will lead him down a dark road of corruption. A covert agent, Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy) soon becomes part of his investigation.

The series was nominated for a whopping 19 SBS Drama Awards in 2019. It won four of them, including Top Excellence in a Miniseries for both lead actors, Lee Seung-go and Bae Suzy. They also jointly won the award for Best Couple thanks to their work in the series.

The Legend Of The Blue Sea (2016)

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Just as Disney’s The Little Mermaid is inspired by a classic fairy tale, The Legend Of The Blue Sea is inspired by a similar Korean story. The original story is of a fisherman who catches a mermaid and then releases her back into the sea. The series, however, sees a mermaid searching for a con artist across the ocean. It is a love story, but the fantasy element gives it a unique twist.

In a great twist on the tale, the story actually addresses themes of reincarnation by telling the modern story alongside their previous incarnations in an earlier era. The popularity of the series only increased when a director’s cut of the first two episodes was released with additional scenes. Nominated for several SBS Drama Awards, it won a handful, including Special Award - Actor In A Fantasy Drama for Sung Dong-il.

Arthdal Chronicles (2019)

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For those K-drama fans who like a bit of fantasy in an imaginary world, then Arthdal Chronicles is a great choice. Many K-dramas that draw on fantasy root their stories in real history, but this series doesn't, though it does take inspiration from the Korean story of Dangun, the founder of the first Korean Kingdom. Some critics compared the power struggles and fantasy elements in the series to Game of Thrones.

Taking place in a mythical land called Arth, a power struggle ensues in the magical city of Arthdal. The main characters each have their fates soon intertwined as the surrounding regions look to obtain power. The show holds fans' intrigue as each character has their own hardships to overcome as the bigger picture comes to light. It initially received mixed reviews in the first season, but the story was so engaging that the second season helped to turn opinions around.

Boys Over Flowers (2009)

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Boys Over Flowers might only be 25 episodes long, but it’s one of a wave of shows that helped to make K-dramas popular on an international scale. The series ushered in a crop of high school shows set in South Korea and began the streaming interest around the world as viewers sought ways to watch it.

The series follows a working-class teenage girl who finds her life intertwined with a group of wealthy boys at an elite school after she stops them from bullying someone and the local media dubs her a hero. When she's awarded a scholarship to the same school, she finds herself targeted by bullies as well. As she stands up to them though, one of the wealthiest and most popular of the boys starts to fall for her.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (2018)

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Park Min-young is something of a K-drama darling. She’s appeared in many of the best K-dramas of all time, including this one about falling in love with the boss. It’s in the vein of the rom-com Two Weeks Notice, but even better than the Sandra Bullock movie.

In the show, Secretary Kim becomes tired of the arrogant ways of her boss after dealing with him for years and decides to quit her job. Just as she decides to leave, however, her boss begins to see her in a new light and change his ways. Both characters also begin to open up to one another about past traumas and heal from them. It’s inspired by the novel and webtoon of the same name. A Philippine adaptation of the series is also planned.

Hotel Del Luna (2019)

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Hotel Del Luna mixes drama, love and the other side in a well-received show. The Guest House of the Moon isn't a run-of-the-mill hotel. Instead, it's a hotel for ghosts. The hotel caters to the dead who have unfinished business in the mortal world. The hotel's owner, Jang Man-wol (Lee Ji-eun) committed a sin and was forced to run the hotel. Jang makes a deal with a father for his son's life in return for a fortune. The young man will come to run the hotel.

The storyline of the show captured the imaginations of the audience and prompted attempts to get a US remake of the series into development. While that didn't happen, a Korean stage show adaptation did. The original series also received a slew of nominations and wins at television awards shows across Korea.

Kingdom (2019)

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Kingdom is currently in the running for being the top K-drama on Netflix. The show was Netflix's first original Korean series, and it received high regard with an 8.4 IMDb rating and a 96% on Rotten Tomatoes. The second season of the series debuted with a 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes, keeping the momentum going.

In this political period drama, audiences follow the Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon). While investigating a mysterious plague, he uncovers a political conspiracy. The conspiracy could lead to his father's illness and a possible uprising from within the dynasty. Kingdom also interweaves a bit of the supernatural as the plague brings the dead back to life as blood-thirsty monsters. It's a unique take on a zombie series when zombies have been so prevalent in pop culture in recent years.

Dinner Mate (2020)

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Dinner Mate is for any hopeless romantic looking for an equally hopelessly romantic show. It reminds the audience that love can show up in the most unexpected places. The show follows a young woman who is dealing with the aftermath of a bad breakup with a man she still loves. On the other end, a man has a painful first love. They meet under coincidental circumstances in a cab. Going separate ways, fate has other ideas. The pair start to meet in unexpected situations and start to spark a romance.

Like many of the most popular K-dramas of the last decade, the series was originally inspired by a webtoon. It went on to be nominated for five MBC Drama Awards and Outstanding Korean Drama at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

The King: Eternal Monarch (2020)

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The King: Eternal Monarch premiered in early 2020. While the series didn't do so well in Korea, it did well among American audiences and other Asian countries. It became the most popular K-drama on streaming for India, Malaysia, and Singapore after its release, for example, surprising those who were familiar with it from its original Korean run. It earned six nominations at the SBS Drama Awards.

In a distant world, Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho) tries to breach the barrier between his world and modern-day South Korea. His uncle assassinated his father and Lee Gon must go after him. He encounters a detective, and they become allies, maybe even more. All the while, his uncle is amassing an army between parallel worlds. While there are a lot of modern takes on time travel or parallel worlds, this one stands out.

Alice (2020)

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Alice is for fans of science fiction, tied in with some drama and romance. The K-drama did incredibly well when it debuted, seeing as it took a unique spin on time travel. The series earned eight SBS Drama Award nominations and was also nominated for 2021's Outstanding Korean Drama at the Seoul International Drama Awards.

A police detective stumbles upon the existence of time travel while investigating a case. He discovers that those from the future travel to the present time through a space called Alice. The idea is that people are sent back to make peace with loved ones who have since died. Knowing this secret, the detective struggles to keep order but soon meets a woman who died in the past. She holds the key to understanding time travel. Hidden in her story is a secret, which is where much of the drama comes from.