Korean television extends far beyond its domestic audience. K-dramas now reach millions of viewers worldwide. With streaming platforms, watching Korean TV has never been easier. Here, we've put together 15 top K-dramas. Hopefully, there's something for everyone here.
| Drama | Year | Genre | Episodes | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squid Game | 2021–2025 | Survival thriller; dystopian drama | 22 across 3 seasons; ~30–75 min | High-concept thriller fans and newcomers |
| Crash Landing on You | 2019–2020 | Romantic comedy; drama | 16; ~70–110 min | First-time K-drama viewers and romance fans |
| Guardian: The Lonely and Great God | 2016–2017 | Fantasy; romance; comedy-drama | 16; ~60–90 min | Supernatural romance fans |
| Reply 1988 | 2015–2016 | Slice of life; coming of age; family drama | 20; ~90–110 min | Warm, nostalgic character-driven stories |
| Signal | 2016 | Crime thriller; mystery; time-slip drama | 16; ~60–80 min | Crime and mystery fans |
| Kingdom | 2019–2020 | Historical horror; action; political thriller | 12 across 2 seasons; ~35–55 min | Horror and action viewers |
| My Mister | 2018 | Psychological drama; slice of life | 16; ~70–90 min | Slow, character-driven drama |
| Mr. Sunshine | 2018 | Historical drama; romance; action | 24; ~70–90 min | Historical epics and sweeping romance |
| Hospital Playlist | 2020–2021 | Medical drama; slice of life; comedy | 24 across 2 seasons; ~70–120 min | Comfort viewing and ensemble drama |
| Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha | 2021 | Romantic comedy; slice of life | 16; ~70–90 min | Cosy romance and feel-good viewing |
| Extraordinary Attorney Woo | 2022 | Legal drama; comedy-drama; romance | 16; ~60–80 min | Accessible first K-dramas and legal drama |
| The Glory | 2022–2023 | Revenge thriller; psychological drama | 16; ~45–70 min | Dark thrillers and revenge stories |
| Moving | 2023 | Superhero drama; action; family drama | 20; ~40–60 min | Superhero fans who want emotional depth |
| Queen of Tears | 2024 | Romantic comedy; melodrama; family drama | 16; ~75–90 min | Big, emotional romance |
| When Life Gives You Tangerines | 2025 | Period romance; slice of life; family drama | 16; ~50–85 min | Emotional multigenerational storytelling |
15 of the Best Korean Dramas to Watch
We've tried to include a mix here from k-drama thrillers to romances. We've got hits, dramas with great writing, performances, or influence, and even K-dramas for those looking for an easy entry point. Check out each K-drama's profile to see which one you should watch next.
K-drama is commonly used as shorthand for South Korean television drama, but it does not refer to one particular genre. Korean series range from romantic comedies and family dramas to crime thrillers, historical epics, horror and fantasy, which is why this list includes very different kinds of shows.
Squid Game (오징어 게임) – 2021–2025
Survival thriller · Dystopian drama
2021–2025
22 episodes · 3 seasons
Approx. 33–76 minutes
Lee Jung-jae · Lee Byung-hun · Wi Ha-jun
Squid Game turned a distinctly Korean survival story into an international television phenomenon. Its first season remains Netflix's most-viewed non-English TV season, with 265.2 million views in its first 91 days.⁵ The series also earned major Emmy recognition. At the same time, its colourful game sets, simple premise and increasingly difficult moral choices helped it reach well beyond established K-drama audiences.⁷
Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착) – 2019–2020
Romantic comedy · Drama
2019–2020
16 episodes
Approx. 70–110 minutes
Hyun Bin · Son Ye-jin · Seo Ji-hye
Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (쓸쓸하고 찬란하神-도깨비) – 2016–2017
Fantasy · Romance · Comedy-drama
2016–2017
16 episodes
Approx. 60–90 minutes
Gong Yoo · Kim Go-eun · Lee Dong-wook
Reply 1988 (응답하라 1988) – 2015–2016
Slice of life · Coming of age · Family drama
2015–2016
20 episodes
Approx. 90–110 minutes
Lee Hye-ri · Park Bo-gum · Ryu Jun-yeol
Signal (시그널) – 2016
Crime thriller · Mystery · Time-slip drama
2016
16 episodes
Approx. 60–80 minutes
Lee Je-hoon · Kim Hye-soo · Cho Jin-woong
Kingdom (킹덤) – 2019–2020
Historical horror · Action · Political thriller
2019–2020
12 episodes · 2 seasons
Approx. 35–55 minutes
Ju Ji-hoon · Ryu Seung-ryong · Bae Doona
My Mister (나의 아저씨) – 2018
Psychological drama · Slice of life
2018
16 episodes
Approx. 70–90 minutes
Lee Sun-kyun · Lee Ji-eun (IU) · Goh Doo-shim
Mr. Sunshine (미스터 션샤인) – 2018
Historical drama · Romance · Action
2018
24 episodes
Approx. 70–90 minutes
Lee Byung-hun · Kim Tae-ri · Yoo Yeon-seok
Hospital Playlist (슬기로운 의사생활) – 2020–2021
Medical drama · Slice of life · Comedy
2020–2021
24 episodes · 2 seasons
Approx. 70–120 minutes
Cho Jung-seok · Yoo Yeon-seok · Jeon Mi-do
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (갯마을 차차차) – 2021
Romantic comedy · Slice of life
2021
16 episodes
Approx. 70–90 minutes
Shin Min-a · Kim Seon-ho · Lee Sang-yi
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (이상한 변호사 우영우) – 2022
Legal drama · Comedy-drama · Romance
2022
16 episodes
Approx. 60–80 minutes
Park Eun-bin · Kang Tae-oh · Kang Ki-young
The Glory (더 글로리) – 2022–2023
Revenge thriller · Psychological drama
2022–2023
16 episodes
Approx. 45–70 minutes
Song Hye-kyo · Lee Do-hyun · Lim Ji-yeon
Moving (무빙) – 2023
Superhero drama · Action · Family drama
2023
20 episodes
Approx. 40–60 minutes
Ryu Seung-ryong · Han Hyo-joo · Jo In-sung
Moving uses superpowers as the starting point rather than the whole story. Much of its appeal comes from the relationships between parents and children, gradually revealing what one generation sacrificed to protect the next. The combination of action and family drama helped the series win the Grand Prize at the 2024 Blue Dragon Series Awards.⁹
Queen of Tears (눈물의 여왕) – 2024
Romantic comedy · Melodrama · Family drama
2024
16 episodes
Approx. 75–90 minutes
Kim Soo-hyun · Kim Ji-won · Park Sung-hoon
When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다) – 2025
Period romance · Slice of life · Family drama
2025
16 episodes
Approx. 50–85 minutes
IU · Park Bo-gum · Moon So-ri
When Life Gives You Tangerines follows its central characters across decades rather than concentrating on a single stage of their relationship. Its Jeju setting, multigenerational story and focus on ordinary family life helped distinguish it from more conventional romance dramas. At the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards, the series won Best Drama and Best Screenplay, along with two supporting acting awards.⁶
What Are the Best K-Dramas for First-Time Viewers?
Everybody's different, so there isn't a single answer. We recommend starting with a genre that you already enjoy. Here, we've picked three options we think are a good starting point if you've never watched K-dramas before.
A strong starting point if you want the romance, humour, emotional stakes and ensemble storytelling commonly associated with K-dramas.
Best for: Romance fans and viewers looking for the classic K-drama experience.
Its case-of-the-week structure makes it easy to get into, while the central characters and workplace relationships provide a broader introduction to Korean drama storytelling.
Best for: Viewers who like accessible character-driven dramas and legal series.
Set during Korea's Joseon period, Kingdom blends court politics with fast-moving zombie horror, making it a good entry point for viewers less interested in romance and historical k-dramas.
Best for: Horror, action and thriller fans.
Key Takeaways
- K-dramas cover far more than romance, with this selection spanning crime thrillers, historical drama, horror, fantasy, legal drama, medical stories, superhero action and slice of life.
- The 15 series stretch from Reply 1988 in 2015 to When Life Gives You Tangerines in 2025, with episode counts ranging from 12 to 24 for most complete series and runtimes varying considerably between shows.
- Squid Game became a global benchmark for K-drama, with its first season recording 265.2 million Netflix views in its first 91 days.⁵ The series also earned major Emmy recognition.⁷
- Crash Landing on You broke tvN's drama ratings record when its finale aired.² Queen of Tears later surpassed that benchmark with a 24.85% nationwide finale rating.¹⁰
- Signal received major critical recognition, including Best Drama and Best Screenplay at the Baeksang Arts Awards.¹ My Mister later won the same two television categories at the 2019 awards.⁴
- Extraordinary Attorney Woo brought Park Eun-bin the television Grand Prize at the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards.³ Reply 1988 was previously selected as the best drama from tvN's first decade.⁸
- Moving won the Grand Prize at the 2024 Blue Dragon Series Awards.⁹ When Life Gives You Tangerines followed with major Baeksang success in 2025, including Best Drama and Best Screenplay.⁶
- New viewers do not need to begin with the same series: Crash Landing on You suits romance fans, Extraordinary Attorney Woo offers accessible legal drama, and Kingdom provides a horror-and-action alternative.
Which type of K-Drama would you watch next?
If you'd like help with Korean, look for a tutor on Superprof. You can find tutors all over the country and around the world, not to mention actually in Korea. With most offering the first lesson for free, try a few and choose the one that's right for you. It's a bit like watching the pilot and then choosing your next favourite K-drama!
References
- CJ ENM. “Signal.” CJ ENM. https://www.cjenm.com/en/featured-contents/signal/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- CJ ENM. “tvN’s Weekend Drama Crash Landing on You Writes New Drama History by Recording the Highest Viewer Ratings.” CJ ENM, 17 Feb. 2020. https://www.cjenm.com/en/news/tvns-weekend-drama-crash-landing-on-you-writes-new-drama-history-by-recording-the-highest-viewer-ratings/. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Hwang, Jang-jin. “Park Eun-bin, ‘Decision to Leave’ Win Top Honors at Baeksang Arts Awards.” Yonhap News Agency, 29 Apr. 2023. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20230429002700315. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Kim, Boram. “Veteran Actress Kim Hye-ja Wins Grand Prize at Baeksang Awards.” Yonhap News Agency, 2 May 2019. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20190502002300315. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Netflix. “Top 10 Most Popular Non-English Shows on Netflix of All Time.” Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/most-popular/tv-non-english. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Ostby, Ingrid. “When Life Gives You Tangerines: What to Know About the K-Drama.” Netflix Tudum, 5 May 2025. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/when-life-gives-you-tangerines-release-date-news. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Television Academy. “Squid Game.” Television Academy. https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/squid-game. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- “‘Reply 1988’ Chosen as tvN’s Top Drama.” Yonhap News Agency, 10 Oct. 2016. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20161010004200315. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Woo, Jae-yeon. “Disney+’s ‘Moving’ Wins Grand Prize at Blue Dragon Series Awards.” Yonhap News Agency, 19 July 2024. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240719008200315. Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
- Woo, Jae-yeon. “‘Queen of Tears’ Breaks Viewership Record for tvN Dramas.” Yonhap News Agency, 29 Apr. 2024. https://en.yna.co.kr/view/AEN20240429008000315 . Accessed 11 Sept. 2026.
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