Queen of Tears to Crash Landing on You: Top 15 best Korean dramas to binge-watch on Netflix
@ Netflix
Over the past few years, especially since the pandemic, Korean dramas have gained massive popularity all over the world. They’ve opened up the world to a country that was largely known for its technological prowess with brands like Samsung and Hyundai. K-Dramas have become a window into Korean culture as the world gradually begins to learn more about their food, customs, language, cities and people.
Like me, if you’re also a beginner in the vast world of Korean shows, here are the top 15 best K-dramas to watch on Netflix. From action to romance, this list covers a lot of shows in each genre.
1. Queen Of Tears
Queen of Tears has become the most popular K-Drama on Netflix right now, breaking all records in Korea and internationally. It shows the journey of a couple whose relationship is in shambles after three years of marriage and how they work through their issues to find love again.
Cast: Kim Soo-Hyun, Kim Ji-won, Park Sung-hoon, Kwak dong-yeon
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Romance
2. Crash Landing On You
Before Queen of Tears, Crash Landing On You was the most popular Korean drama. It’s about a woman who enters North Korea after a paragliding accent and meets a soldier who strives to bring her back home.
Cast: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Kim Young-min, Seo Ji-hye, Lee Shin Young
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Romance
3. All Of Us Are Dead
A school becomes ground zero for a deadly virus outbreak and students trapped inside must find a way out to survive. This zombie thriller is a must watch K-drama on Netflix!
Cast: Park Solomon, Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun
No. of episodes: 12
Genre: Horror-thriller
4. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay
If you liked Queen of Tears, you might like this K-drama on Netflix which also stars Kim Soo-hyun in another emotional roller coaster ride. This is one of the best Korean dramas that shows a psychiatric ward health worker and a children’s author heal each other’s emotional wounds.
Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Seo Ye-ji, Park Gyu-young, Oh Jung-se, Kwak Dong-yeon
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Rom-com
5. Vincenzo
One of the most watched K-dramas in Korea and abroad, Vincenzo is about an Italian mafia lawyer who returns home to hide the mob’s assets and find new business avenues.
Cast: Song Joong-ki, Ok Taec-yeon, Jeon Yeo-bin, Kwak Dong-yeon
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Action
6. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
This Netflix Korean drama has been lauded for its portrayal of autism. The lead character, Woo Young-woo, is a young lawyer with Asperger’s Syndrome. Though she is a woman of high IQ, who is excellent at her job, she struggles with social interactions due to her condition.
Cast: Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Kim Hieora, Kang Ki-young, Joo Jong-hyuk
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Rom-com, legal drama
7. Squid Game
This was probably the most popular Korean show that catapulted K-dramas into international fame. Squid Game shows a group of Korean contestants in a survival contest, competing for a huge prize money by undertaking deadly tasks.
Cast: Gong Yoo, Lee Jung-jae, O Yeong-su, Jung Ho-yeon, Anupam Tripathi
No. of episodes: 9
Genre: Survival thriller
8. Business Proposal
This romantic Korean drama was one of the most popular non-English series on Netflix for weeks after its release. It shows a rich CEO, who unintentionally falls in love with his employee without knowing her real identity. He makes her a unique offer she can't refuse that leads to a lot of hilariously confusing situations.
Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Sejong, Kim Min-kyu, Seol In-ah
No. of episodes: 12
Genre: Rom-com
9. Goblin
A 939-year old immortal is in search of his bride who can remove the sword lodged in his chest, so he can finally die peacefully. He meets a 19-year-old high school student who can see supernatural beings and falls for her.
Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook, Yoo In-na
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Rom-com
10. Bloodhounds
This series on bromance is a refreshing change from all the romantic K-dramas you often hear of. Two young boxers team up with a moneylender to wage war against a ruthless loan shark who’s reaping the benefits of leeching money off financially inept people.
Cast: Woo Do-hwan, Kim Sae-ron, Lee Sang-yi, Choi Si-won
No. of episodes: 8
Genre: Bromance
11. The Glory
After being brutally bullied in high school, a woman becomes a teacher and takes the son of her old bully under her wing, only to exact revenge.
Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Park Sung-hoon, Kim Hieora
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Psychological thriller
12. My Demon
A 200-year-old demon falls in love with a human after hating humankind for most of his life, and goes out of his way to protect her.
Cast: Song Kang, Kim Yoo-jung, Jo Hye-joo, Kim Tae-hoon, Lee Sang-yi
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Romance
13. Stranger
This gripping thriller from 2017 shows a prosecutor solving a murder case that could potentially expose the massive web of corruption in the South Korean legal system.
Cast: Cho Seung-woo, Bae Doona, Yoon Se-ah, Lee Kyoo-hyung, Lee Jun-hyuk
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Crime thriller
14. Hometown Cha Cha Cha
This is one of the best Korean dramas on Netflix, which was a huge hit when it was released in 2021. Hometown Cha Cha Cha shows a dentist moving back home after her life goes awry. As she restarts her life from scratch, she begins to find herself once again along the way.
Cast: Shin Min-a, Kim Seon-ho, Lee Sang-yi, Gong Min-jeong
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Slice of life rom-com
15. King The Land
King The Land was an instant hit and stayed on Netflix’s Top 10 list for eight weeks. This popular K-drama shows a hotelier’s clashes with his employee who’s known for her charming, ever-smiling demeanour, which he cannot stand.
Cast: Lee Jun-ho, Im Yoon-ah, Anupam Tripathi, Go Won Hee
No. of episodes: 16
Genre: Rom-com