The best K-dramas of all time
As the popularity of Korean small screen content continues to grow, so does the appetite for it. Here are some of our favourite K-dramas of all time to satisfy your next binge.
Full of heart and with characters you quickly fall for, K-dramas are some of the most addictive series on the small screen. The popularity of the genre is backed up by data: since 2023, South Korean content has been second only to the US in terms of viewing hours on Netflix, representing between eight and nine percent of the total viewership. So much so, Netflix has invested heavily in K-drama production, with a US$2.5 billion commitment to South Korean content, both original and exclusively licensed. This agreement lasts until 2028, ensuring that there will be plenty more K-dramas to binge watch on the platform in years to come.
Netflix even conducted a survey of global members, asking them what they loved about K-dramas. Some 82% of respondents have been watching South Korean content for more than two years, with 63% sharing that they plan to watch more. Among the South Korean members of the survey, 91% said that they believed the popularity of K-dramas enhanced the country’s global image. 87% said that this appetite was a good thing for Korean creators, businesses and tourism.
Netflix isn’t the only home of K-dramas in Australia – but they certainly have a lot, and some of our favourites at team Glamour. Here, we share the K-dramas we keep returning to time and time again.
Reply 1988, Netflix
Just over a decade ago in 2015 Reply 1988 premiered, kickstarting the international craze for K-dramas. The series is set in Seoul in the 1980s as a network of families transition through life – from adolescents to adulthood, from parenting to empty nesters – all set against the backdrop of the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the changing nature of the city. With an endearing cast of characters – played by actors including Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum and Lee Dong-hwi – all clothed in the nostalgia of Air Jordans, Walkmans and colourful shell tracksuits, it’s no wonder Reply 1988 has proved so enduring and beloved. The series was a watershed moment for K-dramas, crossing over culturally while also proving popular at home in South Korea. (The finale is the country’s most popular episode of cable television of all time.) But beyond this, it has proven to be endlessly and universally relatable: a tale of the home you find, make and return to, over and over again.
Crash Landing On You, Netflix
Many people turn to this 2019-premiering series as an introduction to K-drama. The plot follows a – quite literally – high-flying fashion CEO and heiress (played by Son Ye-jin) who accidentally lands in the North Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) after her paraglide is blown off course during a tornado. There, she crosses paths with a North Korean army captain (Hyun Bin), who protects her despite their political and socio-economic differences. The romantic comedy series broke viewership records and remains one of the most popular shows of all time, but has been criticised for its portrayal of the country. Still, it’s worth watching as an introduction to the world of K-drama.
Vincenzo, Netflix
What would happen if a Korean lawyer, adopted into a powerful mafia family and raised in their ways, returned to his homeland, bringing all of his mob knowledge with him? This is the plot of the 2021 series simply called Vincenzo, starring Song Joong-ki as the titular lawyer, back in South Korea and on the hunt for a stash of hidden gold bullion. This show is full of thrilling action and setpieces but also has plenty of quirky humour, particularly involving Vincenzo and the residents of a skyscraper that just might be the hiding spot for all the gold. Along with all the action there’s also romance – with a fellow lawyer – and a great twist at the end. No wonder it ranks among the top 20 highest rated dramas in Korean cable television history.
True Beauty, Viki
Now for something completely different. True Beauty, which premiered in late 2020, couldn’t be more different to Vincenzo. A fizzy, lighthearted rom-com, it follows a teenager who is bullied for her looks so decides to use makeup to transform herself into – to use the show’s parlance – a “goddess”, before quickly finding herself in the middle of a love triangle. There are tropes galore in this tale, but it’s still fun to watch, and though the premise can stretch the boundaries of belief at times and is, ultimately, very silly, it has a lot of heart.
The Glory, Netflix
Based on a shocking true story in South Korea of a young woman who plotted revenge on her high school bullies, The Glory is a twisted but compelling K-drama. Released in two parts between late 2022 and early 2023, the show was a critical success in South Korea, receiving eight nominations at the Baeksang Arts Awards, winning for Best Drama, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress. Song Hye-kyo stars as Moon Dong-eun, a victim of horrific bullying who spends years planning revenge on her perpetrators. When she is hired as a school teacher for the child of her former tormentor, she begins to put her twisted plan into action. With high production values and a gripping plot, this is a dark, but addictive, binge watch.
All of Us Are Dead, Netflix
Take your classic zombie apocalypse premise and set it in a high school. This is the concept behind All of Us Are Dead, a Netflix original series released in 2022 and watched for almost half a billion hours in its first 30 days on the service. When a zombie virus spreads through an isolated South Korean high school, those not infected have to fight for survival while cut off from the rest of the country. The genius of this series is that it manages to hit all the beats of a high school series – romance, friendship, all the big emotions of adolescence – while the characters have to simultaneously fend off hordes of marauding infected. Led by a great, rising star Korean cast including Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young and Cho Yi-hyun, this series was beloved for its portrayal of young adulthood. A second season is currently in the works, eyeing a 2027 premiere date and following key characters as they attempt to readjust to the outside world.
Encounter, Netflix
Released in 2018 and still one of the highest rated K-dramas in Korean cable television history, Encounter is a sweeping romance between two very different people. A chance encounter between the daughter of a politician (Song Hye-kyo) and a solo travelling free spirit (the beloved Park Bo-gum) in Cuba leads to an epic love story that crosses cultural and economic divides when, upon returning to Seoul, their paths cross again, this time as employer and employee. Exquisitely shot and achingly romantic, Encounter’s success comes down to a classic Cinderella story, told in a new and heartbreaking way. Beautiful performances from Park and Song complete the package. No wonder the series has been sold to more than 100 territories around the world, with a remake in the works in the Philippines.
Descendants of the Sun, Netflix
Another star-crossed lovers series, Descendants of the Sun premiered in 2016, following a soldier and a surgeon working together in humanitarian efforts in a fictional disaster zone. The plot of this series can be a bit much at times, but the reason to watch is the real chemistry between leads Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo; so much so, the pair married in 2017 after the series was released, though they would later divorce in 2019. Song Hye-kyo is a recurring figure in this list – and in the world of K-drama – starring not only in this series but also Encounter and The Glory. A true icon of the Korean screen.
It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, Netflix
A psychiatric ward, a famous children’s book author and antisocial personality disorder might seem strange settings for a romantic comedy. But It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, the popular 2020 K-drama, used it as a springboard for a story of connection, redemption and hope. Stars Kim Soo-hyun and Oh Jung-se play orphaned brothers who work at a psychiatric hospital in a fictional South Korean town. One of the patients is Seo Yea-ji’s children’s author, who is diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder after a difficult childhood and relationship with her parents. All three characters’ paths collide in this heartwarming tale of love healing all wounds.
Business Proposal, Netflix
All romantic comedies need a great meet cute. Business Proposal, the 2022 K-drama based on a web series of the same name, has a stellar one: a woman offers to go on a blind date in the place of her friend, only to turn up and discover that the date is her boss. This tale of hidden identities and workplace romance is so much fun, with great comedy setpieces and an engaging premise. Leads Ahn Hyo-seop, as the CEO of a successful Korean food company, and Kim Se-jeong, as a researcher at the company who ends up on a blind date with her CEO, are perfectly matched.
What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim, Netflix
For years, secretary Kim has been a loyal employee to her boss Lee, vice chairman at a big Korean company. But believing she has been too long taken for granted she submits her resignation letter, and suddenly Lee will do anything to keep her in the company – all while the pair discover their feelings for each other at the same time. Released in 2018 and starring Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young in the two lead roles, the series might have a stereotypical plot but will satisfy anyone looking for an escapist watch.