Best Korean Dramas of All Time: A Must-Watch Phenomenon
If you haven’t explored the captivating world of Korean dramas (K-dramas), you’re truly missing out! Let me break it down for you:
Cultural Impact: K-dramas and K-movies have taken the global stage by storm. They’re not just entertainment; they’ve become a cultural phenomenon. If you’re an internet-savvy pop culture enthusiast (which you are, since you’re here!), Best Korean Dramas should definitely be on your radar.
Addictive and Amazing: These shows are like emotional roller coasters. From heartwarming moments to heart-wrenching twists, K-dramas keep viewers hooked. You’ll find yourself saying, “Wait, what just happened?”—and that’s the magic of their unpredictable plotlines.
Our Top Picks: We’ve curated a list of the 50 best-ever K-dramas, categorized by popular genres. Whether you’re a seasoned K-drama fan or a newbie, there’s something for everyone. And if you’re wondering about the cream of the crop on Netflix, Viki, Hulu, Prime Video, Tubi, or even Korean reality shows, we’ve got you covered.
So grab your popcorn, immerse yourself in the drama, and thank us later!
1. Crash Landing on You
When famous fashion company owner Yoon Se-ri finds herself trapped in North Korea after a devastating paragliding accident, she meets Ri Jeong-hyeok, a respectable military captain. During her stay, Se-ri discovers the hardships of living in North Korea, and as she slowly falls in love with Captain Ri, it is up to her and her fellow North Korean comrades to find her way back home to the South while hiding their love for each other.
2. Goblin (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God)
Kim Shin, a military general in the Goryeo Dynasty, is betrayed and killed. Cursed to be immortal, he helps people despite his painful past. His only escape lies in the Goblin’s bride, who can remove the sword from his chest. Enter Ji Eun Tak, a high school student with a unique connection to Kim Shin. As their fates intertwine, secrets unravel, and relationships deepen.
3. Legend of the Blue Sea
Inspired by a Joseon legend, this drama follows the love story between Kim Dam Ryung, a nobleman’s son, and Se Hwa, a mermaid. In the past, Dam Ryung encountered Se Hwa, a captured mermaid, and set her free. In the present day, conman Heo Joon Jae meets Shim Chung, another mermaid washed ashore.
4. My Love from Another Star
Mitsuru Toyama is an unaging alien that came to Japan 400 years ago. 3 months before finally heading home, vain actress Tsubaki Sasahara moves in next door. They butt heads, but she reminds him of a girl he once saved. Meanwhile, Tsubaki’s rival commits suicide, a friend steals her spotlight, and childhood friend Hiroya proposes. Mitsuru helps her through it all, but an inevitable parting awaits.
5. The Penthouse: War in Life
If you thought shows like Big Little Lies and Revenge laid the melodrama on thick, just wait until you take a bite out of this rollercoaster of a series. Penthouse follows three wealthy families vying for power in the exclusive Hera Palace community–a luxurious 100-floor high-rise that juts out of the Seoul skyline. Like its forebears, the series centers on three women who hide behind their various secrets and traumas with piles of money and their boundless ambitions for their children. Their world begins to crumble after a mysterious girl falls to her death and the trio attempt to cover up the location of her death to protect the reputation of Hera Palace. It’s messy, and I am living for it.
6. The Heirs
Cha Eun Sang, along with her disabled mother, works grueling jobs to support her older sister studying in America. Eun Sang idolizes her sister and dreams of escaping dishwashing to pursue her own education. However, she discovers her sister’s impending marriage, dashing her hopes. Determined to improve her life, Eun Sang heads to America. There, she faces harsh realities: her sister isn’t at university but works as a waitress, possibly involved in shady dealings. Mysterious Kim Tan witnesses this and decides to help Eun Sang. Despite initial reluctance, she joins him, unaware of his wealthy background. Meanwhile, privileged Korean high schoolers, including Choi Young Do, harbor mixed feelings about Kim Tan.
7. Mr. Sunshine
This historical saga is based on real historical events that affected Korea (then Joseon) in the early 1900s. Born in Joseon as the child of slaves, Marine Corps officer Eugene Choi (Squid Game‘s Lee Byung-hun) returns to his native country, years after smuggling his way to the U.S. There he meets Ae-shin (Twenty Five, Twenty One‘s Kim Tae-ri), a noblewoman who’s part of efforts to secure the country’s independence against the threat of colonization. The two fall in love, despite their class differences and Ae-shin’s impending marriage, against the backdrop of a changing nation.
8. My Demon
In this devilishly entertaining series, a workaholic heiress (Kim Yoo-jung) and a 200-year-old demon (Song Kang) find themselves entangled in a blossoming romance. The show deftly balances soapy angst with charming supernatural elements. While it leans more toward modern romance than supernatural drama, the demonic twist adds vivid textures to the plot. Amid a saturated K-drama market, “My Demon” shines with undeniable chemistry between its stars.
9. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
A story about a man employed in a psychiatric ward and a woman who is a popular writer of children’s books. The drama tells the story of Moon Kang Tae, a community health worker at a psychiatric ward who doesn’t have time for love, and Go Moon Young, a successful children’s-book author with antisocial behavior who seems to have never known love. After meeting, the two slowly begin to heal each other’s emotional wounds.
10. Kingdom
It is set in the Joseon period. The king falls ill to smallpox, and rumors circulate that he has died. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Lee Chang is wrongly accused of treason by the Haewon Cho Clan. While investigating his father’s fate, the Crown Prince encounters a mysterious disease in a village. The second season focuses on the plague’s spread and the Prince’s efforts to stop it and reclaim his throne. Amid political conspiracies, can he save his people and the Joseon dynasty?
11. Love in the Moonlight
There is a crown prince who falls in love with his political eunuch. Yet, Lee Yeong, the prince, knows he cannot possibly propose his feeling. Meanwhile, Hong Raon, the subject, is scared she might show herself in true colors. What are they? Friends or lovers? Should they not have met each other?
12. Descendants of the Sun
His job to kill for his country, her to save lives all costs. With such diametrically opposed philosophies, can these unlikely comrades find love? This Vietnamese adaptation transports the romantic drama of military officer and surgeon.
13. Vincenzo
Vincenzo Cassano, Korean-Italian mob lawyer and consigliere of the Cassano crime family, returns to his homeland to search for a place to stash the mob’s assets and find further money-laundering business opportunities. However, with the corrupt Babel Corporate Group and its cronies dead-set on gentrifying any business opportunities, Vincenzo is forced to band with the locals of a small town in order to take the fight against the tyranny of Babel and secure the Cassano family’s foothold–unwittingly becoming a warrior of justice in the process.
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Aayush Jung 
Arun