The 20 Best K-Dramas That Will Have You Instantly Obsessed

Moving follows the lives of former superpowered spies who do whatever it takes to protect their teenage children, who also have powers, from the government. As one of Disney and Hulu’s most-watched Korean original series, this isn’t just a great superhero saga; it’s an emotional drama centered on family, growing up, and finding one’s identity. Now is a good time to start the series, as a second season will begin production this year.

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In this fantasy romance drama, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, or Goblin, 900-year-old immortal general Kim Shin (Gong Yoo), is cursed to watch his loved ones die, but continues helping people with his powers. In order to lift his curse of immortality, he must find a human bride. Kim Shin finds what he’s been searching for in human Eun Tak (Kim Go-eun), but his friendship with the amnesic Grim Reaper (Lee Dong-wook) is the true highlight of the series. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God became a cultural phenomenon and one of Korea’s highest-rated series.

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Autistic lawyer Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-Bin), who just graduated at the top of her law school, lands a job at a prestigious law firm and must learn to navigate her new life, solving clients’ problems and overcoming social interactions and expectations. This wholesome Netflix series is filled with interesting cases, a whale obsession, and even a possible love story. Season 2 is currently in development.

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Reply 1988 is an earnest, nostalgic slice-of-life and coming-of-age story that follows five teenage friends and their families in a small neighborhood in Seoul. Set during the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics and South Korea’s pivotal transition from dictatorship to democracy, the series focuses on everyday people as they fall in love, engage with pop culture, and navigate their futures. Reply 1988 became the highest-rated series of 2016, elevating the careers of Park Bo-gum, Hyeri, Ryu Jun-yeol, Go Kyung-pyo, and Lee Dong-hwi.

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Our Blues is another sweet slice-of-life series, set in the present day, about the people in a small community on the South Korean island of Jeju. Though the show deals with stories about teen pregnancy, child abuse, debts, mental illness, and disabilities, it does so beautifully and hopefully. The series features an all-star cast of leading Korean actors, including Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Lee Jung-eun, Uhm Jung-hwa, Kim Woo-bin, Cha Seung-won, and Han Ji-min.

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This historical romantic drama set in late-19th-century Korea (then known as Joseon) follows Eugene Choi (Lee Byung-hun), a child born into slavery who escapes to America and becomes a U.S. Marine Corps captain. He returns to Joseon and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri), a nobleman’s granddaughter who is secretly a freedom fighter and sniper against the colonization of Korea by Japanese forces. Eugene and Ae-shin’s romance unfolds amid national uncertainty, class divisions, and familial loyalty. Will their love make it?

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In the popular fantasy romance drama Lovely Runner, Im Sol (Kim Hye-yoon) is a 34-year-old living in 2023 with a steady job, after an accident in 2008 left her paralyzed and forced her to give up her dreams of filmmaking. During her lowest moment, she finds happiness and hope in her devotion to K-pop star Ryu Sun-jae (Byeon Woo-seok). But after he takes his own life, Sol is left devastated and finds herself transported to 2008, before her accident, when they both were students. This could be her chance to change both their fates – and possibly, fall in love.

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Who doesn’t love a good high school drama? What about one set during a zombie outbreak? In All of Us Are Dead, a zombie apocalypse breaks out at a high school, with students fighting their undead classmates to survive. If you enjoyed Train to Busan, you’ll definitely enjoy this high-octane, fast-paced horror series with deep emotional storylines, tons of gore, and critiques of Korean society—including authorities failing youth and bullying. Season 2 of the series is currently in production.

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In Netflix’s Kingdom, the zombie apocalypse breaks out during the 17th-century Joseon period. The two seasons follow Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) as he investigates what happened to his father, the King, after reports of his death begin to spread. He discovers a plague that turns the living into the undead, and is determined to do whatever it takes to stop it. Meanwhile, there are political forces against Lee Chang, determined to take his place as heir.

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After her life in Seoul goes awry, Yoon Hye-ji (Shin Min-a) moves her dental practice to the idyllic seaside fictional village of Gongjin in Netflix’s romance Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. While settling into her new small-town life, she meets local handyman, Hong Du-sik (Kim Seon-ho), who does odd jobs around town. While they’re total opposites, their chemistry is undeniable. As the two grow closer, Hye-ji finds herself connecting with the rest of the town.

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When Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong) steps in for her best friend, Jin Young-seo (Kim Se-jeong), on a blind date, she doesn’t expect the man to be Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop), the CEO of the company she works for. Failing to recognize Ha-ri as his employee, and sick of the pressure from his grandfather to find a wife, Tae-moo presents Ha-ri with a business proposal: pretend to be his fiancée in exchange for money. Of course, over time, real feelings begin to blossom. Though Ha-ri and Tae-moo are the main leads of this romantic comedy, it’s hard to ignore the second couple—Young-seo and Tae-moo’s assistant Sung-hoon (Kim Min-kyu)—who are extremely hot. So hot that their very intense kissing scene went viral.

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In this touching time-traveling romantic comedy, Han Eun-gyeol (Ryeoun) is a CODA (child of deaf adults) teenager living in 2023 who dreams of becoming a guitarist in a band. His father doesn’t support his music aspirations, so Eun-gyeol sells his guitar at a mysterious music shop, only to be sent back to 1995, where he meets his 18-year-old father, Ha Yi-chan (Choi Hyun-wook), who is not deaf. Eun-gyeol realizes an accident is what caused his father’s loss of hearing, and is determined to prevent that from happening. He is also shocked to learn that Yi-chan loves music, and they form a band together. Realizing this could also change his future, Eun-gyeol must do whatever it takes to save his father and ensure his parents marry so he can be born. Fans of Back to the Future will greatly enjoy this show.

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Twenty years after leaving her medical career, housewife Cha Jeong-suk (Uhm Jung-hwa) decides to return to her medical residency when she has a near-death experience. She realizes she has neglected her own dreams and health to take care of her ungrateful surgeon husband and their two children. While working as a resident in the same hospital as her husband and son, she discovers her husband’s affair and must figure out how to balance being a working mother, fix her broken marriage, and navigate a potential romance with the handsome young doctor who is smitten with her. The medical dramedy series is so popular that a second season has been planned for a 2027 release.

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Following an accident that kills his beloved father, Park Sae-royi (Park Seo-joon) attacks the man responsible, the son of the CEO of a powerful food conglomerate, Jang Geun-won (Ahn Bo-hyun). Sae-royi is arrested and jailed for three years, but upon his release, he’s determined to bring down Jang’s company. So, he opens a rival bar-restaurant in the lively Seoul neighborhood of Itaewon to compete with it and become a top franchise. In this classic underdog drama, which features many light-hearted comedic moments, Sae-royi finds family among his diverse employees and a complicated yet undeniable spark with his young business manager, Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi).

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This multigenerational love story, centered on childhood sweethearts Oh Ae-sun (IU, Moon So-ri) and Yang Gwan-sik (Park Bo-gum, Park Hae-joon), is an emotional journey through life, love, loss, sacrifice, and the struggle to keep up with changing times on Jeju Island. In the same vein as NBC’s tear-jerker hit, This is Us, When Life Gives You Tangerines will leave you reaching for tissues, appreciating what you have, and remembering to never settle for less.

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Sometimes, a K-drama can just be about processing death, grief, and loss. After losing his father in an accident, Geu-ru (Tan Joon-sang), a young man with Asperger syndrome, continues the family business as a trauma cleaner who arranges the items left by the deceased and delivers them to their families and loved ones. His hard-headed ex-convict uncle, Sang-gu (Lee Je-hoon), has been instructed to stay with Geu-ru and assist with the business for three months before he can receive his inheritance. Over time, as they uncover untold stories about the dead in each episode, Sang-gu begins to process the loss of Geu-ru’s father and finds himself connecting with his nephew

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If a drama stars two of South Korea’s top actors – Hyun Bin and Jung Woo-sung, then you know it’s going to be good. In this political thriller set in 1970s Korea, Baek Ki-tae (Hyun Bin) is an ambitious, power-hungry operative for the Korean Central Intelligence Agency who secretly runs his own illicit drug business to gain influence within and outside the Korean government. Prosecutor Jang Geon-young (Jung Woo Sung) is determined to bring down Ki-tae and all of the corrupt government agencies. The two go head-to-head in tense and twisted ways. With season 2 set to release in late 2026, there’s more than enough time to catch up on the six episodes.

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There are many K-dramas about K-pop idols and actors falling in love with fans, and vice versa, but Idol I takes it a step further by adding murder into the mix. After her favorite idol, Do Ra-ik (Kim Jae-young), is wrongly accused of murder, “Villain’s Lawyer,” defense attorney Maeng Se-na (Choi Soo-young), takes his case, discovering another side to the singer. Though the series is a blend of mystery, legal drama, and a love story, Idol I really explores the dark side of stardom, such as stalkers and toxic fan culture, using heartbreaking real-life examples reported by K-pop idols.

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