Summary

• K-Dramas on Netflix offer diverse options beyond formulaic love stories, addressing themes like platonic friendships and dysfunctional families.
• K-Dramas like Reply 1988 and Gangnam Beauty provide insights into Korean society and culture, showcasing aspirations and societal pressures.
• The popularity of Squid Game has opened the door for more Korean-language series on Netflix and has been praised for its brutal and emotional storytelling.

From all-time classics to new-age favorites, there are diverse options when it comes to the best K-Dramas on Netflix. With the international boom of the Korean TV subgenre, Netflix has jumped on the K-Drama bandwagon and produced some originals. A stereotypical viewpoint of the average K-Drama might compel audiences to think of it as just a formulaic boy-meets-girl love story, but as the K-Dramas on Netflix prove, they can be much more. Considering how many K-Drama episodes are spaced out across an hour to an hour and a half, multiple themes can be addressed.

Platonic friendships, dysfunctional families, professional troubles, and a lot more form the crux of K-Dramas like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Love Alarm, and other classics on Netflix. For non-Korean viewers, these shows can be a portal to the society and culture of North and South Korea. For instance, Reply 1988 reveals the aspirations of the inhabitants of a Korean commune in the 1980s. Then, there’s the romance Gangnam Beauty, which reveals the pressure on young Koreans to maintain physical beauty. The ambitious runtime and ensemble cast in these K-dramas allow them to touch upon more than their Western counterparts.

15 All Of Us Are Dead (2022-)

Starring Park Ji-hu and Yoon Chan-young

Inspired by a webtoon that began its release in 2009, All Of Us Are Dead grabbed the world’s attention when it began streaming in 2022. The horror K-drama is set during the events of a zombie apocalypse as a fictional South Korean high school slowly falls to zombies. Centering on a group of students that band together to survive, the series has been praised for the emotional performances of the cast. It is, however, not an easy binge-watch as the first season features long episodes.

14 Mystic Pop-Up Bar (2020)

Starring Hwang Jung-eum and Choi Won-young

Regarding fantasy K-dramas, Mystic Pop-Up Bar is one of the most unique, and certainly one of the most underrated K-Dramas on Netflix. The series follows three employees at an outdoor bar in South Korea. The owner is actually a woman cursed 500 years earlier for her actions, and her punishment is to “settle the grudges of 100,000” souls. One employee can make someone tell the truth, so the group visits customers in their dreams to help solve their problems. With dramatic, comedic, supernatural, and romantic elements all rolled into one, the series is entertaining.

13 Reply 1988 (2015-2016)

Starring Lee Hyeri and Go Kyung-pyo

Set in the titular year, Reply 1988 is a wholesome slice-of-life series that focuses on families living in a Northern Seoul neighborhood. From touching upon the Seoul Olympics in 1988 to the wave of Westernization in the country, Reply 1988 is the perfect time capsule for anyone who wishes to visit '80s-era South Korea. The leads, both old and young, learn valuable life lessons, but the show never preaches any values. Rather, the K-Drama boasts some tearjerking scenes and an emotionally effective soundtrack. Only the stone-hearted would be able to hold back the tears toward the finale.

12 Something In The Rain (2018)

Starring Son Ye-jin and Jung Hae-in

Something In The Rain seems like a sappy K-Drama romance on the surface, but as its plot unravels, it turns out to be a mature romantic drama. The show focuses on Jin-ah, a hardworking professional nearing a mid-life crisis. While she finds happiness when she starts an unlikely romance with her best friend’s younger brother, Joon-hee, she soon faces public scrutiny (their mere three-year age difference is still taboo in conservative parts of Korea). Something In The Rain balances the couple’s heart-touching moments with an introspective look at Korean corporate culture and sexism.

11 SKY Castle (2018-2019)

Starring Yum Jung-ah and Lee Tae-ran

One of the highest-rated K-Dramas based on Nielsen ratings, SKY Castle breaks K-Drama stereotypes by hardly touching upon love triangles. The series is a razor-sharp satire on the upper echelons of Korean society and their obsession with education. The husbands and wives of the show’s titular neighborhood are all successful and wish to on this success to their naive children. Tensions rise as the teens are eventually burdened by perpetually high expectations. Relying on deadpan humor and intense family drama, SKY Castle is a must-watch for anyone seeking a break from conventional K-dramas.

10 Love Alarm (2019-2021)

Starring Song Kang and Kim So-hyun

One of Netflix’s first original K-Dramas, Love Alarm puts a spin on the romantic K-Drama formula with the revolutionary mobile app in the title. Love Alarm imagines a South Korea where everyone has a “love detection” app installed on their phone. With the app capable of telling people if anyone within their 10-meter radius is in love with them, Love Alarm offers both hilarious and emotional love triangles. Love Alarm serves as an innocent love story while doubling as a satirical critique of a dating app-obsessed generation. It also opens up discussions on data protection.

9 It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)

Starring Kim Soo-hyun and Ko Moon-young

It’s Okay To Not Be Okay helped open a dialogue about mental health among South Korean - and eventually, international - audiences. The romance follows a woman who is a writer but is thought to have antisocial personality disorder and a man who works in psychiatric hospitals and cares for his older autistic brother. So beloved by audiences that the children’s books featured in the series (and written by the series’ writer) became bestsellers, plush toys used in the show flew off shelves, and the series was nominated for a slew of prestigious awards, including Best Miniseries for the International Emmys.

8 Hotel Del Luna (2019)

Starring IU and Yeo Jin-goo

Visually striking and emotionally poignant, Hotel del Luna is one of the perfect shows for K-Drama beginners. The title refers to a supernatural hotel that caters to the ghosts of tormented souls. Before they find their peace, these lost souls must settle their unfinished business with the hotel as their pitstop. K-Pop idol and actor, IU, stars as the hotel’s strong-willed owner Jang Man-wol, a compelling protagonist who must atone for past crimes. Her interactions with ghosts and the hotel’s latest human manager, Koo Chan-sung (a perfectly cast Yeo Jin-goo) make Hotel del Luna an entertaining ride.

7 Crash Landing On You (2019-2020)

Starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin

Through an unexpected meet-cute, the episodes of Netflix’s Crash Landing On You even end up addressing the disputes and differences between South Korea and North Korea. Crash Landing On You kicks off when extroverted South Korean business executive and heiress Yoon Se-ri accidentally paraglides her way to the North. Over there, responsible but emotionally-reserved Army Captain Ri Jyeong-hyeok gives her refuge and a cross-border romance blooms. The biggest strengths at Crash Landing On You’s disposal include the bold premise and the effortless chemistry between the leads, both of whom even married in real life in 2022.

6 Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)

Starring Park Eun-bin and Kang Tae-oh

Woo Young-woo is a rookie lawyer with autism and an IQ of 164. Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows her work at a major law firm and interactions with her neurotypical peers. Funny and thoughtful, each episode of Extraordinary Attorney Woo involves Woo’s reliance on her intelligence and photographic memory to solve cases. The case-of-the-day formula works in the show’s favor, while the overarching narrative presents a coming-of-age journey for its likable protagonist. Park Eun-bin has been acting since childhood, but her powerful lead performance proves how much she has matured as a K-Drama star.