In love with most things Korean and can’t get enough of K-dramas? Same pinch. We’ve just added Netflix’s coming-of-age zombie apocalypse series ‘All Of Us Are Dead’ to our watchlist. But as we head to celebrate Korean New Year (Seollal) Day, we are settling in with a steaming hot bowl of Ramen (noodle soup) and banana milk, a warm, comfy blanket, and picking our favourites from this irresistible list of the best Korean dramas on Netflix. From swooning over Han So Hee in My Name to Hyun Bin in Crash Landing on You, these Korean series will keep you at the edge of your seat, melting your hearts and everything in between.
- Crash Landing on You
Take a paragliding trip right into North Korean territory with Yoon Se-Ri (Son Ye-Jin) as she gets swept up by a wind storm and crash lands right into the hands of a North Korean military officer, Ri Jeong-Hyeok (Hyun Bin), starting an oddly-matched love story between the two. Watch them untangle their web of lies trying to get the beautiful heiress back to her rightful place.
2. My Name
After the untimely murder of her father, Jiwoo (Han So Hee) is clouded with a thirst for vengeance, putting all her faith and trust into a powerful crime boss’s hand and entering the force under his direction. Hold on to your seat, as she joins a crime ring and becomes an undercover police officer to get to the truth behind her father’s death.
3. Nevertheless
An unlikely romance between two people, Neverthless takes you through the lives of Park-Jae-Eon (Song Kang) and Yu-Na-Bi’s (Han So Hee) who are attracted to each other but sceptical about love, owing to past relationships. Stand back and enjoy as flirtatious Park-Jae-Eon serenades his way into a heartbroken Yu-Na-Bi’s heart, and wrestles between putting their differences apart or committing to a relationship.
4. Vicenzo
Ever wondered what it’s like to be a part of the Mafia? ‘Vincenzo Cassano’ (Song Joong – Ki), a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer and consigliere, takes you on a trip to his motherland to give a conglomerate a taste of its own medicine with a side of justice,
5. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
A road to emotional healing opens up for a children’s book author, Ko Moon-Young (Seo Yea-Ji), rumoured to have an antisocial personality disorder, and a selfless employee in a psychiatric hospital, Gang-Tae (Kim Soo-Hyun). Watch as a romantic obsession for him forces her to follow him to Seongjin, where they slowly begin to heal each other’s emotional wounds, unravel secrets, seek comfort from each other and move forward in their lives.
6. The King: Eternal Monarch
Have you ever thought of the possibility of a parallel universe? Korean Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min-Ho) seeks to seal the gateway between dimensions, while Jung Tae-Eul (Kim Go-Eun), a detective, races against time and parallel universes in hopes to protect the people and the one she loves.
7. Hometown Cha Cha Cha
The life of a big city dentist Yoon Hye‑Jin (Shin Min‑A) is intertwined with the polar opposite charming jack-of-all-trades, handyman Hong Du‑Sik (Kim Seon‑Ho) when she decides to move to a close-knit seaside village. Observe as their paths cross over several times and they develop a liking for each other, with Du-sik constantly playing the knight to put Hye-jin out of her misery.
8. Our Beloved Summer
This coming-of-age rom-com takes you on a round-trip of two former high school lovers, Choi Woong (Choi Woo-Shik) and Kook Yeon-Soo (Kim Da-Mi), who are forced to come together again when a documentary they shot ten years ago in high school goes viral. This pulls them right back in front of the camera and into each other’s lives.
9. Start-Up
Dive into the world of start-up companies with bright and ambitious Seo Dal Mi (Bae Suzy) who dreams of becoming Korea’s own Steve Jobs, and Nam Do-San (Nam Joo-Hyuk), a maths genius/genius savant. Get ready to have your heart melted as an unlikely love triangle unravels itself between a man who is secretly her first love and another man who is pretending to be her first love as they conquer the entrepreneurial world.
10. Sweet Home
Have you been obsessed with zombie apocalypse films and series lately? After an unexpected family tragedy, high school student Cha Hyun-Soo(Song Kang) moves into a new apartment where he faces bizarre and shocking circumstances. As humans turn into savage monsters, one troubled teenager and his neighbours fight to survive and hold onto their humanity.
Why should we end our list at just ten shows? Here are two bonus recommendations of classics and masterpieces you just simply cannot miss:
11. Squid Game
One of the biggest Netflix shows of all time, Squid Game recently took over the entire world. A series revolving around a deadly game show, where each episode leaves you with a lump in your throat, and a stellar cast that gives you goosebumps. If you haven’t watched this show yet, you are definitely missing out on some brilliant Korean storytelling.
12. Guardian: The Lonely And Great God:
Kim Shin(Gong Yoo), an immortal guardian of souls and a decorated military general from the Goryeo Dynasty, is in search of a human bride to end his immortality and set him free from an invisible sword wedged in his chest, ending his life. One day, school student Ji Eun-Tak(Kim-Go-Eun) confesses to him that she is the chosen one. Let’s take an age-old quest with him, a grim reaper and a sprightly student with a tragic past as they unveil a treasure trove of secrets along their path.