Summary

• Korean fantasy K-dramas on Netflix offer a mix of romance, mythology, and horror for a fresh take that Western audiences love.
• Top supernatural shows introduce unique stories, from soul-trapped CEOs to ghostly killers, blending fantasy elements with different genres.
• While some K-dramas are light-hearted, others delve into darker themes, making for intriguing entertainment with relatable characters.

The best fantasy and supernatural K-dramas on Netflix offer familiar and completely new tales for Western audiences. While fantasy K-dramas are famous for focusing on romance, this is just one aspect of what the term encompasses. Indeed, many of these shows also dip their toes in horror, dive deeply into the history and mythology of Korea, have well-written comedy, and feature some of the most relatable characters on television. Some also throw a supernatural spin on crime shows, with the fantasy slants making for some of the best cop-based K-dramas around.

Netflix is renowned for international supernatural shows and has been integral in bringing these fantasy K-Drams to the West. From reincarnated deities and parallel universes to ghosts and other mysterious characters, locations, and events, every single one of the best supernatural K-dramas on Netflix offers something new to its millions of subscribers. Some of these K-dramas are fairly lighthearted, while some are not for the faint of heart. They have a unique story to tell, and offer the same fresh take on existing tropes that only South Korean dramas seem to manage.

15 Unlock My Boss

Released In 2022

Unlock My Boss has a simple premise — the soul of the CEO of a tech company is trapped inside a cellphone.

One of the most recent hit supernatural K-Dramas on Netflix is also one of the weirdest. Unlock My Boss has a simple premise — the soul of the CEO of a tech company is trapped inside a mobile phone. It's exactly as strange as it sounds, with Park Sung-woong's performance as Kim Seon-joo (the titular boss) being a notable highlight. There is a coherent plot to Unlock My Boss, despite how wild this supernatural Netflix K-Drama sounds.

Kim Seon-joo's phone is found by unemployed job seeker Park In-seong (Chae Jong-hyeop), and the pair embark on a series of escapades as Park does Kim's bidding in an effort to be granted 10 billion won of the deceased entrepreneur's fortune. There is only one season of the supernatural K-drama with 16 total episodes, and while it received good ratings, it was never renewed for a second season.

14 Possessed

Released In 2019

Possessed starts with the introduction of heinous K-drama serial killer Hwang Dae-du, who kills 30 people and is summarily caught and executed. Fast-forward 20 years to the present day, and there's a new evil that proves to be Hwang Dae-du back from the dead. Possessed centers around homicide detective Kang Pil-sung, who comes to meet Hong Seo-jung — a young woman who has the ability to see and communicate with the dead. Their lives intertwine as they band together to stop a series of murders that are anything but ordinary.

One of the best fantasy K-dramas on Netflix, this show isn't for the squeamish as it does have displays of violence and chilling moments. With the ghostly killer running loose, the movie shares several similarities with American slasher movies like Shocker and Child's Play, but in this case it also adds in the romantic moments that fans of K-dramas love so much.

13 Missing: The Other Side

Released In 2020

Missing: The Other Side is a supernatural K-drama that has two seasons, but only the first is available to stream on Netflix right now. In this series, Kim Wook (Go Soo) is a con artist who uses his good looks and charisma to cheat people out of their money. However, when he has a run-in with some criminals worse than him, he ends up in a village known as Duon, where the spirits of people who were murdered and were never discovered live. Kim Wook can see these people and finds a purpose in his life.

After a life of conning people out of their money, he is now someone who wants to help the spirits in Duon solve the mysteries of their deaths and possibly help them finally move on to the other side. There are 26 episodes spread over two seasons, but Netflix has season 1 only, which includes the first 12 episodes. There are trigger warnings though, as the series does deal with some cases of death by suicide, but it is a bittersweet and emotional K-drama for genre fans.

12 Abyss

Released In 2019

Abyss takes viewers on a whirlwind of bizarre events, but it's what makes the show one of the best fantasy K-dramas on Netflix. Two friends are on different ends of the spectrum. One, Cha Min, is the heir of a cosmetics company but is deemed unattractive. The other, Lee Mi-do, is a beautiful prosecutor. One fateful night, they both die in different circumstances and are reincarnated by a supernatural being known as "Abyss" — but there's a catch as their new forms take on the appearance of their souls.

Despite their new looks, they have to uncover the truth as to why they were reincarnated. The K-drama offers a unique look at the two individuals, as their new looks take on what they are inside, so the beautiful prosecutor is now ordinary and the "unattractive" man is now good-looking, both played by different actors. The main mystery surrounds Lee-Mi-do's death. The series was critically acclaimed and Ahn Hyo-seop (the resurrected Cha-Min) was nominated for the Best New Actor Award at the 12th Korea Drama Awards.

11 Hellbound

Released In 2021

Hellbound is a little more on the side of a horror K-drama as it focuses on urban legends coming to life. However, it also has very clear fantasy aspects to this supernatural story. In this series, creatures arrive in the real world and seemingly pass divine judgment on sinners. Soon, all over Korea, churches began worshiping these demons, claiming that God sent them to drag the sinners to Hell and preaching that everyone who dies has sinned and deserves it. However, when the monsters arrive to kill a baby, it throws that idea into question.

Like the best fantasy stories. this one has deep meanings, as it dives into discussions of faith, morality, and the sense of danger when religious groups grow too powerful. When an innocent baby becomes a victim, people have to decide whether to follow the church or believe in the power of good. There are only six episodes in the first season, but Netflix renewed it for a second season that will come soon.

10 Mystic Pop-Up Bar

Released In 2020

Mystic Pop-Up Bar was one of the best K-dramas of 2020, and told the story of a pop-up bar whose employees have unique abilities and stories. The owner is Weol-ju, a woman cursed for the past 500 years to be in the Living Realm helping people and ghosts settle their grudges. Alongside her is part-time employee Han Kang-bae, who was labeled an outcast for his ability to get people to confess their feelings with a mere touch. There's also the cursed woman's former love interest, Crown Prince Yi-Hon, who works as the manager.

For its unique premise and comedic and dramatic elements, Mystic Pop-Up Bar is definitely among the best supernatural K-dramas on Netflix. The story sees the team working to help others, while discovering their own place in the world, and the eventual afterlife, along the way. The series has 12 episodes and only lasted for one season, so it is a good supernatural K-drama on Netflix to binge.

9 Tale Of The Nine Tailed

Released In 2020

Tale of the Nine Tailed is one of many supernatural K-dramas that tell the story of the Gumiho, a creature from Korean folktales that is a fox, but in most of the tales, turned into a beautiful woman that seduces men, only to eat their liver or heart. However, when it comes to most K-dramas, this is often changed and it turns more into a love story between the Gumiho and the human it meets. In the case of this drama, it also switches the gender of the Gumiho, and makes him a 1,000-year-old former guardian spirit who now lives in the city.

He works as a member of the Afterlife Immigration Office, who protect the Samdo River and exists to eliminate supernatural beings that threaten the world. His partner is another Gumiho, a veterinarian named Goo Shin-joo. This is a love story about reincarnated former lovers who have been trying to reconnect over time after one died saving the other in the past.

8 The King: Eternal Monarch

Released In 2020

The King: Eternal Monarch takes place in parallel worlds. As a child, the prince of the Kingdom of Corea, Lee Ji-hun, witnesses his uncle murder his father. Years later, the now-king discovers the gateway to a parallel world where his uncle fled. Venturing to this parallel world, the king meets a female detective named Jeong Tae-eul, who is the key to uncovering the mystery of his traumatic childhood. Together, they try to stop Ji-hun 's uncle's plan of taking over both worlds.

Undoubtedly one of the best fantasy K-dramas on Netflix, where it became top-rated across multiple territories, The King: Eternal Monarch is a great modern adaptation of a classic Korean tale. The series was incredibly successful and critically acclaimed. It went on to win Lee Min-ho the Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Fantasy/Romance Drama at the SBS Drama Awards in 2020 while receiving a total of seven nominations.

7 Arthdal Chronicles

Released In 2019

Through their lives, Arthdal Chronicles paints a tumultuous and insightful picture of the Bronze Age.

Arthdal Chronicles takes place in a mythical land called Arth and focuses on how the fates of certain crucial individuals will determine the land's future. These characters include Ta-gon, the first son of the Arthdal Union leader, identical twins Eun-seom and Saya who are the fated offspring of a taboo relationship, and the warrior-scientist Tae Al-ha who is also the daughter of the Hae Tribe Chief.

Through their lives, Arthdal Chronicles paints a tumultuous and insightful picture of the Bronze Age, driven by political drama, love interests, and some impeccable animation and visuals. Arthdal Chronicles is one of the best supernatural K-dramas on Netflix for viewers looking for a well-produced, action-packed epic. The series wasn't very successful when it came to its viewership totals in South Korea, but it did well in America on Netflix. It also went on to win the Actor of the Year for Jang Dong-gun at the Asia Artist Awards.

6 The School Nurse Files

Released In 2020

Decidedly one of the best supernatural K-dramas on Netflix, The School Nurse Files imagines a world where human emotions, spirits, and desires exist in the form of "jellies," with some being harmless while others are dangerous. Ahn Eun-young, a school nurse who has the ability to see and interact with these jellies, is assigned to a new school that seems to be haunted by mysterious incidents. Later, she meets Hong In-pyo, a man with an energy field that protects him from the jellies, and also teaches at the school.

The two team up to solve the strange cases occurring in the school in The School Nurse Files, a lighthearted comedic fantasy Korean drama. The show presents a fun mystery-solving template with an overarching mystery that makes it a great watch as a Netflix original K-Drama release. The show dropped on the streaming giant in 2020 and has six episodes, making it a quick binge-watch.

5 Alchemy Of Souls

Released In 2022

In the fictional country of Daeho, Alchemy of Souls tells the story of the forbidden titular spell, which has the power to switch souls between bodies. The story begins when elite female assassin Nak-su's soul is trapped in the much weaker body of a woman named Mu-deok. As Mu-deok, Nak-su then becomes the servant of the nobleman Jang Uk, teaches him her combat skills, and the two fall in love with each other. The series was released in two parts with 30 episodes and it is all available to stream on Netflix.

Apart from its complex storylines, Alchemy of Souls is one of the best fantasy K-dramas on Netflix for those in search of great action, effects, and production value. It won critical acclaim for its story and acting and won several awards. Park Joon-hwa won Best Director at the Korea Drama Awards while actor Lee Jae-wook won the Global Excellence Award in 2022. The series also picked up a Best Screenplay - Television nomination at the Baeksang Arts Awards in 2023.

4 The Uncanny Counter

Released In 2020

Demon hunters called Counters are tasked with banishing evil spirits who have escaped from the afterlife in a bid to become immortal. When one of the Counters, Jang Cheol-joong, falls to a strong Level 3 evil spirit, Cheol-joong's spirit possesses the body of a high school boy named So Mun - the titular Uncanny Counter. So Mun, who is physically disabled following a car accident, suddenly finds himself with strange supernatural abilities. He joins the Counters and helps them solve crimes and stop evil demons.

Inarguably one of the best supernatural K-dramas on Netflix, The Uncanny Counter combines a coming-of-age story with an epic fantasy mission, complete with some of the best-choreographed fights in K-drama history. Yeom Hye-ran won Best Supporting Actress (TV) at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for her performance as Chu Mae-ok, a healer who also joins the Counters.

3 Bulgasal: Immortal Souls

Released In 2021

Another show in contention for being the best supernatural K-drama on Netflix, Bulgasal: Immortal Souls is a dark fantasy series about revenge. Dan Hwal is a Joseon-period military official cursed with being a Bulgasal, a blood-drinking immortal creature, and is on a 600-year mission for vengeance. Hwal forms a tense relationship with Min Sang-woon, who loses her immortality after 600 years following a tragic event. When the two meet, they clash over the curse threatening their existence.

As Bulgasal: Immortal Souls unravels the respective past lives and present journeys of both characters, the show masterfully combines thriller and fantasy elements across a truly epic history-inspired drama. The show was also critically praised for its gorgeous production design, mythological world building, and respect for deep Korean history, all while telling a thrilling story about monsters.

2 Hotel Del Luna

Released In 2019

Meanwhile, through a deal that a deity struck with a human 21 years ago, the human's son, Koo Chan-sung, is forced to become the manager of the Hotel Del Luna.

There's a reason why Jang Man-wol, the owner of the Hotel Del Luna, is often aloof, moody, and ill-tempered: she was cursed to maintain this establishment 1,300 years ago for sins she committed in her past. Meanwhile, through a deal that a deity struck with a human 21 years ago, the human's son, Koo Chan-sung, is forced to become the manager of the Hotel Del Luna. This is one of the best fantasy and female-led K-dramas on Netflix, and its darkly comedic premise allows it to stand out among most other rom-com K-dramas.

Despite the heavy stakes, Hotel Del Luna has a somewhat lighthearted approach that makes it accessible to most K-drama viewers. The fun part of Hotel Del Luna is that there is one living person working there as the general manager, but everyone else at the hotel is dead, including the owner and all the guests. This offers the show a chance to have a revolving door for fun special guest stars as different ghosts check in and out of the hotel every day.

1 Mr. Queen

Released In 2020

Jang Bong-hwan is a head chef at the prestigious Blue House, the former residence and office of the South Korean president. Following an incident that almost gets him fired, he also suffers a near-death experience, which somehow transports his soul into the body of Queen Cheorin in the Joseon period. While inside the body of the Queen, Bong-hwan must get back to his original body and time - while also navigating not just the political landscape, but also his feelings for King Cheoljong.

Mr. Queen is not just one of the best fantasy K-dramas on Netflix, but also one of the most compelling Joseon-era K-dramas, while also being a legitimately funny rom-com/dramedy. The K-drama was a ratings success in South Korea and got huge numbers when it debuted on Netflix in 2023. It also gained critical acclaim and received two acting nominations at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards, one for Best Actress (Shin Hye-sun) and one for Best Supporting Actress (Cha Chung-hwa).