50 best K-dramas of all time that will keep you hooked from start to finish

K-dramas have become a global obsession, thanks to the rise of streaming platforms.

Over the past two decades, they’ve gained immense popularity across Asia, the Americas, Europe, and Africa, thanks in large part to streaming platforms like Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime and YouTube. With well-crafted storylines, high production quality, and emotionally resonant themes, K-dramas have carved out a unique space in global entertainment.

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One of the major factors behind the wide appeal of K-dramas is their versatility in genre. Whether viewers are in the mood for heartwarming romance, thrilling crime mysteries, fantasy epics, slice-of-life tales, or historical sagas, there’s a K-drama to suit every taste. Here is a list of 50 k-dramas you can watch on various streaming platforms.

Best K-dramas on Netflix

These 10 top K-dramas on Netflix span a variety of genres, so there’s something for everyone.

1. All of Us Are Dead (2022–present)

The Netflix series All of Us Are Dead is based on a webtoon. The students at Hyosan High face a terrifying zombie outbreak while still dealing with the drama of high school life. Teaming up with friends (and even bullies), these teens use their smarts to survive, coming up with clever ways to fight off the undead.

2. Boys Over Flowers (2009)

Boys Over Flowers remains one of the most iconic K-dramas ever. It launched the careers of stars like Lee Min-ho. The story follows Geum Jan-di (Koo Hye-sun), a brave, outspoken teen who earns a scholarship to an elite high school after saving a boy from suicide. That boy was being bullied by Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho), the wealthy heir to a powerful company, and her future love interest.

3. Crash Landing on You (2019–2020)

If you’ve ever gotten a K-drama recommendation on Netflix, chances are it was Crash Landing on You. This hit series follows Yoon Se-ri (Son Ye-jin), a South Korean businesswoman who accidentally ends up in North Korea after a paragliding accident caused by a tornado. She’s found by Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun Bin), a North Korean army officer who secretly protects her while trying to help her return home.

4. Squid Game (2021–present)

One of Netflix’s biggest hits ever, Squid Game stars Lee Jung-jae as a struggling father with a gambling addiction. He joins hundreds of others in a mysterious competition offering a life-changing cash prize if they survive. Each round is a deadly twist on childhood games, turning survival into strategy.The third and final season drops June 27.

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5. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021)

If you love feel-good romance with a small-town charm, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a must-watch. The series follows Yoon Hye-jin (Shin Min-a), a big-city dentist who moves to the quiet seaside village of Gongjin after her life falls apart. There, she starts fresh, opening a clinic and slowly falling for the charming jack-of-all-trades. This cozy rom-com spent 16 weeks in Netflix’s global top 10 and is perfect for a lighthearted escape

6. It's Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay earned an International Emmy nomination for its emotional and thoughtful portrayal of mental health. The story follows Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji), a children’s book author with antisocial personality disorder, who returns to her hometown and begins a complicated relationship with Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun), a psychiatric hospital worker caring for his autistic older brother.

7. Weak Hero Class 1 & 2 (2022 - 2025)

This acclaimed drama is very intense, as it depicts school violence at an all-boys high school through a brutal, realistic lens. It has two seasons that focus on top student Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon) and his friends fighting bullies and school gangs. The eight-episode drama in classes 1 & 2 has major twists and a devastating ending.

8. When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025)

When Life Gives You Tangerines is a heartwarming K-drama that will restore your faith in love. Set across 16 episodes, it follows Gwan-sik and Ae-sun, a couple whose love story spans 50 years, beginning in the 1960s. The series is praised for its strong performances, beautiful production, and ambitious storytelling. It is a must-watch.

9. Kingdom (2019–2021)

Set three years after the Japanese invasion of Korea, Kingdom blends political intrigue with zombie horror. Crown Prince Lee Chang and his team uncover a deadly plague spreading across the countryside, while a conspiracy threatens his claim to the throne. The prince and his loyal aides must fight both the virus and the political enemies around them.

10. Twenty Five Twenty One (2022)

Twenty Five Twenty One is a heartfelt, coming-of-age story that begins in 2021, when Kim Min-chae runs away from ballet and finds her mother Na Hee-do’s old diary. Through its pages, she discovers her mom’s life as a passionate teenage fencer and the unforgettable first love that shaped her.

Best K-dramas on Amazon Prime

Amazon Prime has an enviable library of K-dramas that will keep you hooked till the end. Here are ten K-dramas that are a must-watch:

11. Marry My Husband (2024)

This gripping series follows Kang Ji-won (Park Min-Young), a terminally ill woman betrayed by her husband and best friend, then murdered after discovering their affair. But fate gives her a second chance: she wakes up 10 years earlier. Determined to rewrite her future, Ji-won teams up with Yu Ji-hyuk (Na In-woo), a company director, to take revenge and take back control of her life.

12. Tale of the Nine-Tailed (2020)

Tale of the Nine Tailed is a historical horror-fantasy drama starring Lee Dong-wook, Jo Bo-ah, Kim Bum, and Kim Yong-ji. The story follows Lee Yeon, a former gumiho (nine-tailed fox), who now lives in the city, protecting the human world from dark supernatural forces. While waiting to reunite with his lost love, Yeon crosses paths with Nam Ji-ah, a curious TV producer who wants him on her investigative show.

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13. Anna (2022)

Anna dives into this question through the story of Yu-mi, a young woman from a working-class background who assumes the identity of a wealthy woman she once worked for. Armed with a stolen degree and passport, Yu-mi transforms into “Lee Anna” and marries into wealth, but how long can she keep up the lie before the real Anna returns?

14. Death’s Game (2023)

Death’s Game is a gripping fantasy drama based on the 2019 Naver webtoon by Lee Won-sik and Ggulchan. It follows Choi Yi-jae, a man punished by Death with 12 painful lives after attempting suicide. If he survives even one, he gets a second chance, but escaping death isn’t easy.

15. No Gain No Love (2024)

No Gain No Love is a witty romantic comedy about Son Hae-yeong, who fakes a marriage to save her promotion, and Kim Ji-wook, a good guy who agrees to help, despite their constant bickering.

16. Newtopia (2025)

Newtopia is a fast-paced zombie drama where exes Lee Jae-yoon (Park Jeong-min) and Kang Young-joo (Jisoo of BLACKPINK) are forced to confront their feelings amid a deadly outbreak. The series blends action, humour, and romance as Young-joo fights her way through chaos to reach Jae-yoon, trapped in a high-rise with his military unit.

17. May I Help You (2022)

May I Help You is a heartwarming fantasy rom-com about Baek Dong-joo (Lee Hye-ri), a funeral director who can briefly revive the dead to grant their final wishes, or face bad luck. With help from errand boy Kim Tae-hee (Lee Jun-young), she's on a mission to fulfil 21 requests. Their paths keep crossing in unexpected ways, leading to love, healing, and second chances.

18. Island (2022)

Island is an action-packed fantasy K-drama set on Jeju Island, where three unlikely heroes join forces to fight evil threatening the world. Van (Kim Nam-gil), a half-human monster hunter, teams up with Won Mi-ho (Lee Da-hee), a banished heiress caught in the supernatural, and Johan (Cha Eun-woo), a priest wielding divine power.

19. My Man is Cupid (2023-2024)

In this fantasy rom-com, a modern-day Cupid, Cheon Sang-hyuk (Jang Dong-yoon), must find the perfect match for the picky and unpredictable Oh Baek-ryeon (Nana) to prove his worth. But as he tries, he unexpectedly falls for her, while her suitors keep facing bizarre near-death mishaps.

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20. The Killing Vote (2023)

In The Killing Vote, a masked vigilante named Gaetal (dog mask) takes justice into his own hands, executing criminals who escape legal punishment based on a public vote. If 50% or more agree, the criminal faces a death sentence. Can anyone catch Gaetal? The series stars Park Hae-jin, Lim Ji-yeon, Kim Kwon, and Park Sung-woong.

 Best K-dramas on Viki

Viki is a popular streaming platform known for its extensive collection of K-dramas, offering a diverse range of genres, from romance and action to fantasy and thriller. What sets Viki apart is its commitment to making these dramas accessible to a global audience by providing subtitles in multiple languages. Here are 10 k-dramas you can stream on Viki:

21. Happiness (2021)

Fans of Korea's zombie survival genre will enjoy this gripping drama set in modern-day Seoul. Officer Yoon Sae-bom (Han Hyo-joo) and Detective Jung Yi-hyun (Park Hyung-sik) are caught in a quarantine after a new infectious disease spreads in their high-rise building. As they fight to survive, they must navigate their suspicious neighbors and uncover dark secrets.

22. Yumi's Cells (2021)

This heartwarming drama follows aspiring writer Yumi (Kim Go-eun) as she navigates life and love, with the help of her quirky brain cells. These animated characters, including the Rational, Emotional, Love, and Anxiety cells, control her feelings and reactions. After a painful breakup, Yumi meets a new man on a blind date and begins to fall for him.

23. W: Two Worlds Apart (2016)

This fantasy-action dramedy follows medical resident Oh Yeon-joo (Han Hyo-joo), whose father, webtoon artist Oh Sung-moo (Kim Eui-sung), goes missing before finishing his final chapter. While investigating, Yeon-joo gets sucked into the webcomic and saves the hero, Kang Chul (Lee Jong-suk).

24. The Red Sleeve (2021 - 2022)

This epic historical romance, based on the real-life Joseon monarch King Jeongjo and his consort Uibin Seong, will have you reaching for tissues. Aloof prince Yi-san (Lee Jun-ho), haunted by his father's death, desires to be a kind ruler. He falls for Sung Deok-im (Lee Se-young), asking her to be his concubine. However, she resists, knowing the role will limit her freedom.

25. Duty After School (2023)

In this thrilling webtoon adaptation, South Korea faces a violent alien invasion, prompting the government to conscript all high school seniors into the armed forces. With only fifty days before their college exams, the students of Sungjin High School must train to survive and become potential saviours in the midst of an apocalypse.

26. True Beauty (2020-2021)

This beloved teen rom-com, based on a popular webtoon, follows Im Joo-kyung (Moon Ga-young), a high schooler who transforms from being bullied for her looks to becoming a "goddess" after learning makeup from YouTube. As she navigates newfound popularity, she finds herself caught in a love triangle with the mysterious Lee Su-ho (Cha Eun-woo), who sees through her makeup, and his former best friend Han Seo-jun (Hwang In-youp).

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27. My Love From the Star (2013-2014)

This multi-genre fantasy romance follows Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun), an alien stranded on Earth for 400 years since the Joseon era, awaiting a chance to return home. With only three months left, he meets his new neighbour, Hallyu star Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun), who resembles a woman from his past. As Song-yi challenges his cynical views on love, Min-joon risks being exposed to the world.

28. Reborn Rich (2022)

In this gripping time-bending melodrama, Yoon Hyun-woo (Song Joong-ki), a loyal secretary to the powerful Soonyang Group, is betrayed and murdered during a succession battle. He is reincarnated as Jin Do-jun, the youngest member of the family, and seeks revenge by plotting to take over the company and uncover the identity of his killer.

29. Fight For My Way (2017)

This dramedy follows four friends in their late twenties as they chase their dreams. Choi Ae-ra (Kim Ji-won) leaves her department store job to pursue a career as a TV anchor, while Ko Dong-man (Park Seo-joon) overcomes his past to become an MMA fighter. Meanwhile, their friends Kim Joo-man (Ahn Jae-hong) and Baek Seol-hee (Song Ha-yoon) face relationship challenges.

30. The Forbidden Marriage (2022 - 2023)

This historical dramedy follows the unlikely relationship between King Lee Heon (Kim Young-dae) of Joseon and Ye So-rang (Park Ju-hyun), a con artist who claims to sense marriage compatibility. After refusing to remarry since his wife’s death, Lee Heon faces a national ban on single women marrying. When So-rang is jailed for a scam, claiming to channel the spirit of the king's late wife, she must maintain the ruse to survive as the king falls for her deception.

Best K-dramas on tvN

TVN is one of the famous cable television networks owned by CJ ENM Entertainment Division that airs great K-dramas back to back. TVN is a paid cable TV, and the viewership is based on ratings, so it helps you to know the hit series that are worth your time. Here are 10 top TVN series with the highest ratings that won’t leave you disappointed.

31. Queen of Tears (2024)

Queen of Tears depicts the crisis and rekindling of love between Hong Hae-in, a third-generation chaebol heiress of Queens Group, and Baek Hyun-woo, the son of farmers from Yongdu-ri, and their three years of marriage.

32. Reply 1988 (2015-2016)

This series is a nostalgic trip back to the late 1980s through the lives of five families and their five teenage kids living in a small neighbourhood in Seoul. Times may have been a little simpler and less technological, but still just as challenging to get through a typical day of life in the late 1980s. The 2015 series Reply 1988 is the third one of a three-part series, but it outperforms its peers.

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33. Mr Sunshine (2018)

Mr. Sunshine tells the powerful story of Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun), who was born into slavery during the Joseon dynasty and later escapes to the U.S. In 1871, he returns to Korea as a U.S. Marine officer and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), a nobleman's granddaughter. Their romance faces resistance from her family and is further tested as Eugene uncovers Japan’s plans to colonise Korea, forcing him to fight for a country that once rejected him.

34. Mr. Queen (2020)

Mr. Queen is a fantasy rom-com set in the Joseon era, where a modern-day head chef wakes up in the body of Queen Cheorin after a near-death experience. While trying to return to the present, they get caught in palace politics and an unexpected connection with the mysterious King Cheoljong.

35. Crash Course in Romance (2023)

Crash Course in Romance is a rom-com set in South Korea’s intense education world, where a banchan shop owner and a star math instructor strike a quirky deal—side dishes for private lessons. As they support the shop owner’s gifted daughter, love unexpectedly blooms.

36. Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022)

Under the Queen's Umbrella is a series about Queen Hwa Ryeong, who strives to turn her unruly sons into worthy princes through elite education and heartfelt parenting, all within the strict confines of Joseon royalty.

37. Vincenzo (2021)

Vincenzo is a comedy crime drama about a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer who returns to Seoul to retrieve hidden gold beneath Geumga Plaza. Teaming up with a fiery attorney and quirky tenants, he takes on the corrupt Babel Group.

38. Our Blues (2022)

Our Blues is a heartfelt romance and family drama set on Jeju Island, told in an omnibus format. It follows the intertwined lives of its residents as they navigate love, loss, and healing.

39. Lovely Runner (2024)

Ryu Seon Jae is a top celebrity, loved for his talent and charisma. But behind the fame, he struggles with exhaustion from the demanding entertainment world. Im Sol, his devoted fan, has cherished him since her youth. After a childhood accident ended her dreams, his music became her greatest comfort. Her world shatters when she hears about Ryu Seon Jae’s tragic death. Grieving deeply, she experiences a miracle that sends her 15 years into the past.

40. Love Next Door (2024)

Choi Seung Hyo is a rising star in Korea's architectural scene, leading his firm "Atelier In." He is admired for his talent, charm, and flawless personality. However, his past holds awkward memories he wishes to forget—most of them involving Bae Seok Ryu. Their moms were close friends, leading to countless shared moments in childhood. Now, adults Seung Hyo and Seok Ryu reunite under unexpected circumstances. Together, they navigate their shared past and forge new connections

Best K-dramas on Hulu

Hulu’s growing library of international titles now includes a solid selection of Korean dramas and films, giving K-drama fans more reason to stay subscribed. For viewers without access to platforms like Viki or Netflix content, Hulu serves as an accessible and worthwhile alternative for discovering Korean entertainment. Here is a list of 10 K-dramas you can watch:

41. Buried Hearts (2025)

A brilliant yet exploited worker, Seo Dong-ju (Park Hyung-sik), is forced into survival mode after being framed by his corrupt employer, Yeom Jang-seon (Huh Joon-ho). In his escape, Dong-ju hacks into a 2-trillion-won political slush fund, giving him the capital to exact his revenge while also putting him in the line of fire from dangerous individuals.

42. Hyper Knife (2025)

Neurosurgeon Jeong Seok (Park Eun-bin) becomes disgraced and blacklisted from his career after trying to expose corruption by her mentor Choi Deok-hee (Sul Kyung-gu). To provide for herself, Seok opens an underground surgery business. Still, when her former mentor appears, demanding she complete a controversial surgery to heal him of a terminal illness, things become complicated for the morally conflicted surgeon.

43. The Judge from Hell (2024)

A merciless judge in hell, Justitia, is sent to Earth as a punishment after condemning an innocent person. She enters the body of the very person condemned, another judge in Kang Bit-na. Beyond dealing with the awkwardness of her humanity, Justicia is tasked with sending ten ruthless criminals to hell within a year or facing her own destruction. This task and the desire to return home become complicated when she finds herself romantically interested in a detective who is looking into those she is murdering.

44. One Dollar Lawyer (2022)

The plot of One Dollar Lawyer revolves around Cheon Ji Hun, an exceptional attorney who is upright and only accepts 1000 won as payment for every one of his cases. He argues in court with expensive lawyers and their wealthy clients, making them look foolish with his unconventional approach to law.

45. The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016)

Heo Joon Jae is a highly skilled con artist who spends his days tricking wealthy people and avoiding getting caught. However, during one such incident, he is pursued by the victims and meets Shim Chung, who is a mermaid. After escaping with her and realising that they are destined to be together, owing to a link from their past lives, he must learn to live with her while coping with his problems.

46. Big Mouth (2022)

Big Mouth is a mystery crime drama with a hint of comedy. It features Park Chang-ho, a talkative lawyer with a mere 10% winning rate. During a murder case, he is mistaken for the genius swindler Big Mouse and faces life-threatening consequences. His wife, Go Mi-ho, a wise and brave nurse who supported his legal career, sets out to clear his name.

47. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim? (2018)

The popular rom-com What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim follows the story of Lee Young-joon, vice president of a large corporation. He is knowledgeable, successful, and exceptionally narcissistic. Lee Young-joon relied heavily on his secretary, Kim Mi-so, for nine years, as she was incredibly efficient. However, everything changes when Mi-so decides to resign from her secretary position.

48. Revenant (2023)

In a world where humans and demons have co-existed for decades, Gu San-Yeong is a student possessed by one of these demons. Yeom Hae-Sang is an exorcist who can see the demon stuck to Gu San-Yeong, who turns out to be the same demon that killed his mother when he was a child. Together, they set out to uncover the truth about a decade-long string of deaths occurring around them related to five mysterious objects.

49. Call It Love (2023)

Kicked around by life’s many brutalities, Sim Woo Joo is a simple woman who finds herself lost after her father’s death. Before she can even grieve properly, her father’s mistress kicks her out of their home, leaving her lost and broken. She teams up with the woman’s son, who is a lonely man himself, and together they decide to plot a revenge scheme against her.

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50. The Impossible Heir (2024)

The Impossible Heir highlights an intense power struggle and the long path to success. Having grown up in poverty, Kang In Ha's life hasn't always been easy. However, when he finds his father, he learns that he is the CEO of a company and lives in abundant wealth. Set on climbing up the social ladder, In Ha puts all his effort into adapting to his new family, but not everyone is ready to welcome him in.

What are your all-time favourite K-dramas? Are they on this list? If there’s a Kdrama you think deserves a spot on our list, let us know; we’re always open to updating it with your must-watch recommendations.