65 K-Dramas That Will Make You a Fan for Good
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KOREAN DRAMAS are known for shocking twists, intense romances, and, at times, lengthy episodes. They run the gamut from crime thrillers, medical procedurals, law dramas, and romantic comedies. The most well-known example to date is Squid Game, Netflix's major hit built around Korean star Lee Jung-jae. For people who'd only watched Western-based media, the show gave them the realization that there's a whole world of international television, and with global-minded streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, many non-English language shows and movies are available to watch through subscriptions you likely already have. If you're a recent convert overwhelmed by the number of Korean shows, we've got the best shows around to dip your toes into the genre.
There's no rigid definition for what constitutes a K-Drama. The main criteria is that the show is based in and/or is created for South Korean audiences. With the increased popularity of K-Dramas in recent years however, non-Korean companies have taken note and spearheaded or distributed media starring Korean actors. They don't always quite capture the feel of traditional K-Dramas, but they've made it clear: Western audiences want international TV shows. But whether you've only seen Squid Game, or you're a K-Drama enthusiast looking for your next binge, we've got a stacked list of shows to watch, no matter what you're into. And in case you're a superfan looking for your favorite show, don't worry. We'll update this list over time and add more beloved series.
Squid Game
Netflix's surprise hit follows a man who enters into a deadly competition to win a life-changing amount of money. To win, he has to play childhood games and outlast the hundreds of other contestants.
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Extraordinary Attorney Woo
This legal drama follows a young female attorney with autism. Although she at times struggles in comparison to her neurotypical peers, she manages to become a capable, skilled lawyer.
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Sweet Home
Based on a webtoon (an online Korean comic), Sweet Home follows a high school student who moves into a new apartment, only to realize monsters are all over the place. With his new neighbors, he boards himself into the building and tries to survive however he can.
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Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area
A reimagining of the popular Netflix hit, Money Heist: Korea follows a team of bank robbers who must deal with a hostage situation and the police in this high-stakes drama.
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My Name
After her father's death, a young woman becomes determined to find his killer. She joins a gang and then signs on to the police force to become their mole in her intense plan for revenge.
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Business Proposal
Based on a webtoom, Business Proposal follows a young woman who goes on a blind date in the place of a friend... only to realize her date is her boss.
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Crash Landing On You
For a (not tragic) Romeo and Juliet-type story, check out Crash Landing On You. When a businesswoman and heiress have a paragliding accident, she lands in the Demilitarized Zone in North Korea. There, she meets an army captain who decides to help her hide. Despite their differences, they fall in love.
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Itaewon Class
When a reckless driving incident kills his father, a young man attempts to kill the driver responsible (who's also the son of the owner of a major food company). After a stint in jail for the assault, the young man seeks revenge, and opens a restaurant to rival the people who wronged him.
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The Glory
A victim of high school bullies grows up and embarks on a ruthless campaign to ruin each of her former tormentors lives.
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Stranger
While attempting to solve a murder case, a skilled prosecutor discovers widespread corruption within his department. To solve the case and uncover the conspiracy behind it all, he teams up with a detective.
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Flower of Evil
A man hides his past from his wife (who's a detective). When she begins investigating a series of murders, his life begins unraveling as his wife learns the truth about him.
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Little Women
Loosely based on the famous novel of the same name, Little Women follows three close-knit sisters. When one of the sister's friends dies and leaves her an impressive sum of money, the people tied to the money, Korea's richest family, will do anything to stop the sisters from receiving the money.
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Sky Castle
Sky Castle follows various families within Korea's upper class. The housewives of each family are determined for their husbands to be the most successful and their kids to have the best opportunities. They're willing to do just about anything to make it happen.
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Vincenzo
Adopted by an Italian family as an orphan, a young Korean man joins the Italian mafia. When the head of the family dies, Vincenzo escapes to Seoul to run from the new head and his henchmen. In Seoul, he sets out to find 1.5 tons of gold he previously helped a Chinese tycoon stash.
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Somebody
A developer for a social app is roped into a murder case involving the app when her friend, a detective, begins investigating and a strange man grows close with the app developer.
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Hotel del Luna
This fantasy show follows the owner and the manager of a hotel that caters only to ghosts with unfinished business before going to the afterlife. As the show progresses, we learn more about the hotel, its staff, and the ghosts that stay in it.
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Juvenile Justice
A judge who dislikes kids is appointed the judge of a juvenile court in this drama. While doling out punishment, she comes to soften her thoughts on minors over time.
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All of Us Are Dead
Maybe you feel prepared for a zombie apocalypse as an adult, but as a high schooler? It'll be harder than you think. All of Us Are Dead follows a group of high school students who become trapped when a zombie apocalypse breaks out and they have no way to contact the outside world.
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Kingdom
Since we're on the topic of zombies, want to see how a 16th-century kingdom fares during a zombie outbreak? Check out Kingdom. While a Crown Prince deals with his political enemies seeking to take the throne, he also must manage a growing plague which resurrects the undead.
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Pachinko
Although it's an American production (based on a Korean-American author's bestselling book), Pachinko deserves an honorable mention due to its sweeping history of Korea, the show's dedication to containing Korean, Japanese, and English as major languages in the show, and its beautiful visuals. It may not fit the definition of a traditional K-Drama, but fans of Korean shows will enjoy Pachinko.
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The Uncanny Counter
A high school student with a disability is enlisted to join a group of paranormal investigators who fight evil spirits that escape the afterlife to prey on humans.
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Tomorrow
Based on a webtoon, Tomorrow follows a group of angels of the underworld who save people who want to die.
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Hellbound
Out of nowhere, supernatural beings begin appearing to condemn people to hell. As people scramble to make sense of the violent moral punishment, two influential cult-like groups rise up to prey on people's fears.
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Guardian: The Lonely and Great God
A soldier is framed and killed by a king and becomes an immortal goblin, cursed to stay alive forever. Despite his enduring punishment, he uses his immortality to help people. When a high school student summons the Goblin, she realizes their meeting is more than just chance.
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The World of the Married
When a woman finds out her husband is having an affair, the couple goes through a journey of revenge, grief, and more.
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Extracurricular
Fans of Elite will like Extracurricular, another show about high school students doing absolutely nothing real high school students should do. Extracurricular follows high school students engaged in a prostitution ring, and everything they have to do to keep it under wraps.
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The Penthouse: War in Life
If you're a Desperate Housewives fan, you may like The Penthouse, which follows three women who each have secrets which could potentially tear their families apart. When a young girl dies at a party, all three women must scramble to keep their lives together, while secretly suspecting those around them for her murder.
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Twenty Five-Twenty One
Spanning from 1998 to 2021, this romance show follows five characters and their relationships over three decades.
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Happiness
This apocalyptic show takes place in a world where a new virus due to a failed drug has spread, called "mad person disease." If someone is scratched or bitten, they devolve into a violent being desperate for human blood. When a woman discovers she's potentially immune, she teams up with an old friend from high school to get to the bottom of the strange illness.
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Nevertheless
This romance follows a woman who's sworn off love after a bad relationship, and a man who loves to flirt, but has no desire to be tied down. Of course, sparks fly.
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D.P.
Set in 2014, this show follows a military police team tasked with locating deserters and bringing them back. The show explores the difficulties of joining the military, including bullying and hazing.
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Weak Hero Class 1
An extremely smart (but weak) student teams up with two other classmates to stand against the school bullies and their escalating violence.
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Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-Joo
This coming-of-age tale follows a woman determined to become a weightlifting college athlete. Along with her friends from school, she experiences the challenges of life, athletics, and romance.
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Descendants of the Sun
A doctor and captain in the special forces meet and experience love at first sight. But with demanding jobs (one of which has to remain a secret to the other), their romance is anything but easy.
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Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Fans of Lifetime movies will enjoy Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha, about a woman who visits an idyllic town and decides to open up a dental clinic there. As she meets the town's residents and settles in, she begins to have a burgeoning romance with one of the men she meets.
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Gangnam Beauty
When a girl undergoes cosmetic surgery to evade her bullies, her peers ridicule her for the decision. The show examines the popularity of plastic surgery in Korea, and the country's beauty standards.
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The Silent Sea
In a near future, Earth is rapidly drying up. A team of researchers is tasked with retrieving a mysterious sample an abandoned moon base, where a tragedy killed over 100 people. As they set out to acquire the sample, the researchers discover nothing is as it seems about their mission, or the people running it.
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The Fabulous
Netflix's 2022 show The Fabulous is set in Seoul's fashion industry, following the lives of young adults who have to deal with relationships, friendships, and ambition while managing obstacles at work.
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Boys Over Flowers
This 2009 show follows a young woman who becomes entangled with a group of wealthy boys at her high school. When it comes to high school K-dramas, Boys Over Flowers is one of the most well-known.
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Narcos–Saints
A spin-off of Netflix's hit show Narcos, Narcos–Saints follows the true story of an entrepreneur who joins a secret mission of government agents attempting to collar a South Korean drug lord in Surimane.
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Reply 1988
Five friends and their families are the focus of this beloved K-Drama show that takes place in 1988. During its run from 2015 to 2016, the show garnered critical and audience acclaim.
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Under the Queen’s Umbrella
During the Joseon Dynasty, Under the Queen's Umbrella focuses on a queen who tries to reign in her sons to find a suitable match to rule the kingdom.
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Startup
A woman who dreams of becoming a famed entrepreneur (like Steve Jobs), becomes the subject of a love triangle between two men in this romantic show set in a fictional South Korean version of Silicon Valley.
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My Roommate Is a Gumiho
This romantic K-Drama follows a mythical creature called a Gumiho (a nine-tailed fox) who wants to become a human. When a female college student accidentally swallows his fox beads, they have to move in together to solve the problem.
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Behind Every Star
A Korean reimagining of the popular French show Call My Agent!, Behind Every Star follows a major talent agency and its employees, who deal with frustrating celebrities, complex romances, and more.
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Remarriage & Desires
This revenge tale focuses on a divorcee who becomes involved in a matchmaking agency to get revenge on her ex-husband's conniving mistress.
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Love Alarm
Love Alarm is about a high school student whose life is upended when she uses an app that tells you if someone nearby has romantic feeling for you.
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Mine
The first Korean drama to feature a lesbian as a lead character, Mine follows a group of women determined to find true happiness no matter what.
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Beyond Evil
Two detectives bend the rules to track down a serial killer in this intense thriller. The show won awards, particularly for its screenplay and acting.
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Coffee Prince
This 2007 romance centers on a woman who decides to dress up as a man to get work. While working at a coffee shop, the owner begins to develop feelings for her, despite not knowing her true gender.
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Hospital Playlist
ER and Grey's Anatomy fans will appreciate Hospital Playlist, which centers on various doctors and their struggles both at work and in their personal lives.
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Law School
For How to Get Away with Murder fans, Law School concerns professors and students who discover a dead body at a mock trial.When one of the professors is arrested, various students work together to find the real culprit.
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The Interest of Love
This young adult drama follows a group of employees at a bank branch, who all hope to achieve their professional and romantic dreams.
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Chief of Staff
This political drama is for anyone who's a fan of House of Cards or Borgen. It follows the Chief of Staff at the National Assembly, who works to evade various political crises.
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Hyena
Hyena follows a ruthless lawyer who will do anything for her clients. She's often up against her rival, a smart lawyer who often falls for her tricks. Check it out for a thrilling office drama.
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Tale of Nine Tailed
This fantasy show follows an Agent in the afterlife and a Gumiho who team up to stop supernatural beings from invading the mortal world. The show has romance, action, and more.
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What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim
The vice-chairman of a company is shaken when he discovers his secretary is about to leave him. He scrambles to keep her, while realizing he's developed feelings for her.
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Record of Youth
You'll recognize one familiar face in Record of Youth, with Park So-Dam, who starred in Parasite. The show follows two models and a make-up artist entangled in romance and a coming-of-age journey.
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Trolley
The wife of a National Assembly member tries to keep her secrets from threatening her life and her husband's reputation in this drama.
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The Good Detective
When a 5-year-old murder conviction is brought under suspicion, a veteran detective and a younger detective team up to uncover the truth of the case.
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Inspector Koo
A former police officer turned insurance investigator battles against a college student serial killer in this crime thriller.
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Vagabond
A stuntman who's nephew gets in a plane crash becomes enmeshed in a national corruption scandal when he realizes the plane crash may not have been just an accident.
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It's Okay to Not Be Okay
One of the best international shows of 2020 according to The New York Times, It's Okay to Not Be Okay follows a children's book writer who moves to her hometown to pursue her love interest, who has dedicated his life to take care of his autistic brother.
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The K2
In the same vein of The Bodyguard, The K2 follows a former military operative who becomes a fugitive, then takes a job as a bodyguard. In his new role, he becomes embroiled in his boss's family's problems, while also juggling his own personal quest for revenge against a politician.
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Search WWW
For fans of The Bold Type and similar stories, Search WWW follows three women at two tech companies who juggle work and romance over the course of the show.
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