K-dramas only grow increasingly popular each year, meaning viewers can easily access internationally acclaimed titles. From classic rom-coms to groundbreaking sci-fi K-dramas, the umbrella term spans every sub-genre imaginable, so there's undoubtedly something for everyone.
The rise of K-dramas on streaming has caused the industry to evolve, with new technology and subversive storytelling paving the way for modern classics. Some of the best K-dramas of the decade have even been Netflix, Disney+, or Apple TV originals. As such, it’s easier than ever to become a K-drama fan.
Beauty Inside
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Beauty Inside is an unconventional romance following a man with prosopagnosia (face blindness) and a woman who mysteriously changes identities once a month. The female lead changes age, gender, and even race, but her partner chooses to love her nonetheless. From the magical realism to the tender love story, Beauty Inside is an unforgettable title.
Vincenzo
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Vincenzo’s titular character (Song Joong-ki) starts out as a consigliere for the Italian mafia, but he quickly sets his sights on a more righteous cause: taking down a corrupt pharmaceutical conglomerate in South Korea. Vincenzo's violent tendencies remain, however, making him a delightfully disturbing antihero.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Unlike most legal dramas, Extraordinary Attorney Woo focuses on its eponymous lawyer Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) just as much as its mysteries and court cases. As the first Korean attorney with autism, Young-woo faces her fair share of hardships— but she prevails with the help of her tight-knit team.
Doom at Your Service
- Where To Watch: Netflix
When a woman finds out she has mere months to live, she drunkenly wishes for the world to end, attracting the attention of a primordial being known simply as Doom. Yet, his apocalyptic plot begins to go off the rails when he begins to fall in love with the main character.
Squid Game
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Arguably the most successful K-drama of all time, Squid Game follows a group of desperate contestants who play sordid death games for the chance to clear their debt. The dystopian tale was so captivating, it made Netflix a premiere K-drama destination.
When Life Gives You Tangerines
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Lauded as one of the best romances of the century, When Life Gives You Tangerines is an intergenerational slice-of-life that follows Oh Ae-sun (IU) and her family across five decades. From humble beginnings to bittersweet ends, When Life Gives You Tangerines is pure poetry.
Hotel del Luna
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Hotel del Luna has one of the most distinctive aesthetics in K-drama history, from its gothic set designs to its highly-stylized costumes. This dark fantasy romance about a ghost hotel, its human manager, and the mysterious owner stuck in purgatory stands in a league of its own.
When The Phone Rings
- Where To Watch: Netflix
When The Phone Rings starts off on a unique note: the female lead is kidnapped and, after escaping, uses the experience as a way to secretly blackmail her husband. As she’s forced to reconsider her supposedly loveless marriage, however, a killer is hot on her tail and hungry for vengeance.
Daily Dose of Sunshine
- Where To Watch: Netflix
After nurse Jung Da-eun (Park Bo-young) suddenly transfers to the psychiatric ward of Myungshin University Hospital, she’s thrown into the deep end of nuanced mental health issues and the ugly truth of when medical care falls short. Though at times a tough watch, Daily Dose of Sunshine is a deeply important title that everyone should see at least once.
Celebrity
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Celebrity pulls back the curtain on the so-called rich and famous influencers of the digital age, holding a mirror up to some of society’s most egregious frauds. Once outsider Seo Ah-ri (Park Gyu-young) infiltrates a popular content group, she uses her connections to expose the truth— stopping at nothing, not even faking her own death.
True Beauty
- Where To Watch: Netflix
To reinvent herself following years of school bullying, Lim Ju-kyung (Moon Ga-young) learns expert makeup techniques and quickly gains popularity at her old school. Her beauty comes at a cost, however: the higher the pedestal she’s put on, the harder the inevitable fall.
All of Us Are Dead
- Where To Watch: Netflix
When a zombie outbreak catches a high school off-guard, the surviving students and faculty try to survive by any means necessary. The creative setting of All of Us Are Dead, paired with its chills and thrills, make it an iconic zombie show that rivals the likes of The Walking Dead.
Her Private Life
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Her Private Life, a modern classic, follows an art curator by day who runs a major fan account for a K-pop idol by night. As she tries to balance her double life, the female lead is given yet another uncontrollable variable: her new boss, who knows much more than he lets on.
Navillera
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Navillera is an emotional rollercoaster about an elderly man pursuing his lifelong dream of dancing ballet. As he trains with a talented young dancer, however, external forces threaten the man’s first— and likely last— performance.
Crash Landing On You
- Where To Watch: Netflix
One of the highest-rated K-dramas of all time, Crash Landing On You follows the seemingly impossible love story between a North Korean soldier and a South Korean heiress. Their bittersweet romance is one for the ages, but the show’s flawless storytelling feels truly timeless.
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
- Where To Watch: Netflix
A dentist from the big city finds herself opening a small clinic in an idyllic seaside village, but the culture shock immediately brings out the worst in her. The only resident on her side seems to be the unofficial village chief, a handsome handyman with a lust for life and a dark past.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One
- Where To Watch: Netflix
When her daughter discovers her diary, Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri) has to reckon with painful memories of her first love. Split between the late 90s and 2020s, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a dual period piece that will tear your heart out, only to later sew the wound shut.
Move To Heaven
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Following the death of his brother, ex-convict Cho Sang-gu (Lee Je-hoon) becomes the guardian of his nephew, Han Geu-ru (Tang Jun-sang). The unlikely duo work together to keep the family business afloat, cleaning after the recently deceased and learning invaluable lessons about life, love, and grief along the way.
Mr. Sunshine
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Mr. Sunshine is a deeply moving story that doesn’t shy away from the brutal history it draws inspiration from. The K-drama has everything from a forbidden romance to a suckerpunch ending that will leave you staring at your screen in awe long after the credits roll.
Hospital Playlist
- Where To Watch: Netflix
Hospital Playlist goes far beyond a simple medical drama to focus on a small friend group whose specialties extend far and wide across the central hospital. The diverse cases— as well as character arcs and interpersonal conflicts— make Hospital Playlist a refreshing take on a common TV trope.
