Ever since 2019, when Parasite exploded onto the world stage, Korean entertainment has moved even more mainstream. Bong Joon Ho's masterpiece turned Park So-dam, Choi Woo-shik and Lee Jung-eun into household names. Since then, popular dramas like Vincenzo, Squid Game and Sweet Home have dominated ratings and conversations.
Those three shows, available to stream on Netflix and Viki, embrace the same overarching theme that Parasite does: how the downtrodden get back their own. If they are the only dramas you watch, you might assume that that's all there is to Korean television. If that were the case, why are so many people riding the Hallyu wave?
Hallyu, literally Korean Wave, entered the Oxford English Dictionary in 2021. That proves Hallyu is a real and persistent phenomenon. Korean songs and bands initially drove the frenzy. Later, Korean television shows - drama, comedy and romance all came into vogue.
Isn't it time you combed through Netflix for a few good shows? To watch popular South Korean entertainment is to peek into South Korean culture and history. The only trouble is, there is so much on offer. You might need a guide to point you to the best Korean dramas.
Best Korean TV Shows: Slice of Life
Korean dramas are not graphic. You'll find little to no nudity and few sex scenes. Even corpses are blurred out! Nowhere is the genre's clean nature better displayed than in the following titles.
Our Blues (Stream on Netflix or Viki)
Our Blues addresses many modern themes. This amazing story will take you through abandonment, domestic violence, suicidal depression and teenage pregnancy. This sublime cast includes actress Lee So-byul, who is deaf, and artist Jung Eun-hye in prominent roles. Ms Jung has Down Syndrome. We can't heap enough praise on this production team for making other-abled people a visible part of society.
What Happens to My Family? (Stream on Netflix or Viki)
Widowed tofu-maker Cha Soon-bong (Yoo Dong-geun) is still caring for his children now that they're all grown up and (mostly) working. But they don't care about him. They won't even spare him a few minutes of conversation. And then, he gets terrible news. It's now time to make his family stand up and act right.
This 50-episode drama is for everyone who struggles to understand their parents. And for every parent who's tired of being their grown children's most disposable utility. Alienation of affection is the major theme. But you'll also find lessons in class disparity and learning how to let go.
Rain or Shine (Stream on Netflix or Viki)
This story revolves around the 1995 Sampoong department store collapse in Seoul. A developer is ready to rebuild that site but how should the victims be commemorated? Grieving and publicly shamed, the lead architect's father - the original building's architect, had committed suicide. This son recruits a talented model builder who was in the mall when it collapsed. She's still trying to deal with losing her sister.
The other male lead (Lee Jun-ho) lost his shot at football stardom when his leg was pinned under a concrete beam. Figuring he has nothing to live for, he actively courts death. Some might think that extreme; wasteful, even. But looking back through Korean history, we find that attitude - and such actions prevalent.
Learn Korean With These TV Shows
Let's have a little fun, shall we? These popular dramas are only superficially fluffy. Once you get past the comedy, you'll find thought-provoking narratives.
Fight for My Way (watch on Netflix or Viki)
The incomparable Park Seo-joon leads this cast of stars, each trying to find their way in life. It features many standard Korean series tropes: romance with your high school bestie, unrequited love and achieving your dreams against all odds. Prepare to be dazzled by Mr Park's fighting skills!
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Crash Landing on You (watch on Netflix or Viki)
Tensions run high between the Koreas. But what happens if a South Korean lands in the North by accident? Join Son Ye-jin as she discovers what life and people are really like north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). Share the wonder of her team of North Korean soldiers (led by Hyun Bin) discovering life in the South. This show is the third-highest-rated drama in Korea's cable television history.
Healer (stream on Netflix or Viki)
Again, we delve into Korea's history, this time to explore the country's fledgling democratic struggles. The story is a modern-day narrative. You'll watch a Batman-style 'night courier' (Ji Chang-wook), an earnest journalist and a reclusive former cop (Kim Mi-kyung) unite to uncover past tragedies. The action sequences are superb and the luminous Park Min-young shows an aching vulnerability.
Fantasy Sci-Fi Korean TV Shows
Being a Fantasy fan in South Korea is easy with the dramas they have on offer. You have your pick of Sci-fi with or without love, with or without blood and with or without zombies. Our drama watch list has a little bit of everything.
Happiness (watch on Viki)
This is one of the first series to acknowledge and move on from COVID. Unfortunately, it plunges us into a world where pandemics are common. This outbreak turns people into bloodthirsty zombies. Romance and comedy outdo the gore. This 12-episode drama stars Park Hyung-sik in his first post-military role with Han Hyo-joo as his love interest.
My Holo Love (stream on Netflix or Viki)
Picture a pair of glasses tuned into your personal hologram friend. The technology is amazing but the show's premise is mundane; it's pure Korean drama. A rival company wants to destroy Holo (Yoon Hyun-min stars) and steal trade secrets for their own profit. Along the way, we find out just how entrenched that ruthlessness can be. My Holo Love is one of the most thought-provoking ways of using pop culture to learn Korean.
Abyss (stream it on Netflix or Viki)
Imagine an alien orb with the power to revive the dead. Only it brings people back reflecting their inner qualities. That's how the hopelessly plain Cha-min returns to life devastatingly handsome. His beautiful, arrogant counterpart comes back as a tiny, mousy woman. Park Bo-young and Ahn Hyo-seop will work to catch a serial killer in this mildly romantic series.
Are You Human Too? (watch on Netflix and Viki)
In the real world, artificial intelligence (AI) poses many ethical challenges. In this series, they all boil down to "When you cry, I hug. That's the rule.". This eerily lifelike android (Seo Kang-joon) behaves more humanely than the human he was built in honour of. This story makes real the philosophical debates surrounding AI while highlighting the pettiness of human venality. The series also stars Gong Seung-yong and Lee Joon-hyuk.
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Best Korean TV Shows About Mental Health
It seems that, in Korea, production teams excel at writing multi-layered dramas. That skill isn't limited to what you can watch. Treat yourself to a few Korean podcasts or, better yet, books. Every story, including those on this list, presents a complex narrative. Nowhere does Korean writers' genius shine more brightly than in their mental health dramas.
Kill Me, Heal Me
Cha Do-hyun has trouble keeping it together. It could be because his six other personalities are all vying for time. When he meets Oh Ri-jin, his worlds collide. Ji-sung and Hwang Jung-eum lead a cast of stars into the darkest depths of family secrets. It's an absolute must-watch (on Viki) for anyone interested in psychology and the effects of child abuse.
Save Me
Extreme bullying in school led Sang-jin to commit suicide. The family is fractured; mum's sanity is gone. Dad's business failed. They have nothing left but their teenage daughter, Sang-jin's twin (Seo Yea-ji). A cult leader spies the young woman and becomes obsessed with her. Stream this 16-episode series on Viki.
Navillera
An old man gapes at a young ballerino's practice sessions. Standing outside the studio, his awestruck appearance annoys the dancer (Song Kang). He gets annoyed when he hears the old man wants to learn how to dance. His mentor 'blackmails' him into coaching the old man, unaware of the senior's deteriorating faculties. You can stream Navillera on Netflix.
The Light in Your Eyes revolves around the same disease. However, it's not revealed until much later in the series. Most of the episodes address the delicate blossoming of romance set against common hardships people face. And then, reality rips the story apart. This drama, starring veteran actress Kim Hye-ja, is one of Korea's highest-rated series. Be sure to watch it on Viki.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
We all carry baggage. For Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun), it's his orphan past and caring for his autistic brother. For Ko Moon-yong (Seo Yea-ji), it's a personality disorder. The trio are bound by manipulation and their painful histories. Oh Jung-sae turns out an exquisite performance as the autistic brother.
This title is available to stream on Netflix (in selected areas). If your Netflix happens not to have it, you can check it out on Viki. Enjoy!
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