The 15 Best K-Dramas On Netflix

With all of its international success from its original programming produced in South Korea, Netflix has become the premier platform for streaming K-dramas. The streamer has a particularly impressive library of K-dramas to choose from, starring some of the biggest names in the Korean entertainment industry. From intense psychological thrillers to romantic comedies, there is something for everyone for those interested in checking out more Korean television. Several of these shows are among the most popular series available on Netflix overall, regardless of their country of origin.

To clarify for the unfamiliar, the term K-drama doesn't exclusively apply to Korean dramas, but instead, it's just a general term for television shows produced in South Korea. As Korean pop culture becomes increasingly prominent worldwide, K-dramas are helping lead the charge of global audiences discovering and enjoying Korean entertainment. With all that in mind, here are the 15 best K-dramas currently available to stream on Netflix.

K-dramas get their own "Game of Thrones" type show, in terms of scope, stakes, and tone, with "Kingdom," albeit with a heightened emphasis on the undead. The 2019 period piece series is set during medieval Korea in the early 17th century, following the withdrawal of Japanese occupation forces. As Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) leads his country out of this war, he finds his kingdom faced by a zombie outbreak. As Lee tries to contain the contagion, he finds his claim to the throne threatened by conspirators who are just as dangerous as the undead.

Korean medieval warriors versus hordes of zombies reinvigorates the horror sub-genre, with "Kingdom" featuring magnificently staged battle sequences. The show's cinematography is also top-notch, knowing when to dial up the tension and dread and when to pull back to appreciate the period piece spectacle. With its backroom palace intrigue, there is plenty of suspenseful political maneuvering, even without the overtly horror elements. A masterful adaptation of Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il's webtoon "The Kingdom of the Gods," "Kingdom" also led to a spinoff special, "Kingdom: Ashin of the North," expanding the world further.

Chon Kye-young's popular webcomic "Love Alarm" was adapted into a romantic series of the same name by Netflix in 2019. The show features a soft sci-fi premise, with the story revolving around a mobile app that allows users to detect who has romantic feelings for them in the immediate vicinity. "Love Alarm" focuses on a high school love triangle with working class Lee Hye-young (Jung Ga-ram) and rich kid Hwang Son-oh (Song Kang) both falling for Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun). This is made all the more complicated and messy by Love Alarm, the romance-revealing app and its eventual upgrade.

While the second season of "Love Alarm" takes its story into divisive directions, the first season remains pitch-perfect tale of young love in the Information Age. Elevating the series across its entire run is the dynamic between its core trio, with their rapport and chemistry worthy of their counterparts in John Hughes movies. Beyond the lovesick teenagers, "Love Alarm" offers a biting commentary on social media and the way it affects our daily lives without coming off as preachy. "Love Alarm" isn't teeny-bop shlock but a fun and occasionally insightful look at modern, youthful romance in South Korea with a talented and charismatic main cast.

Horror comes home to roost in the 2020 series "Sweet Home," based on the webtoon by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan. Troubled young man Cha Hun-su (Song Kang) takes refuge in his apartment complex when a strange contagion overwhelms his community. The infected transform into voracious monsters, forcing Hun-su and his neighbors to barricade and defend themselves. As Hun-su begins to exhibit symptoms of infection, he uses his monstrous form to protect humans, gaining a level of control over his transformation.

After an incredibly intense opening, "Sweet Home" takes the time to go deeper with its main characters as it progresses, a direction that may catch some viewers off-guard. However, "Sweet Home" was always a story about trauma, especially for Hun-su and his tragic background, before a single conventional monster appears. The interplay between the characters and Hun-su's transformative role is what distinguishes "Sweet Home" from its horror contemporaries, and it mixes scares and interpersonal drama well.

While the hype surrounding "Squid Game" has been rampant since its debut in 2021, the buzz shouldn't overshadow the fact that the show absolutely deserves it — it's just that good. For the somehow uninitiated, "Squid Game" has gambler Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) taken to a remote location to compete in a series of games with other financially struggling contestants. Each game has deadly consequences for the losers, though the total prize pool is increased with each gruesome death. After enduring an initial gauntlet, Gi-hun becomes obsessed with stopping the games and preventing them from claiming more victims.

Like many K-dramas, "Squid Game" weaves its story around the growing class divide, but the commentary largely takes a backseat to its murderous spectacle. Elevating these dangerous twists on children's games is the show's striking art design, including the games' omnipresent, masked, pink-clad guards. But for all the mayhem, "Squid Game" never loses sight of its humanist core, with Lee delivering upon this with heartbreaking pathos. With its propulsive storytelling and killer cliffhangers for each episode, "Squid Game" is the ultimate binge-friendly K-drama on Netflix.

Vengeance is the name of the game for the 2021 crime thriller "My Name," adding new dimensions to its crooks versus the police narrative. After her father's murder, Yoon Ji-woo (Han So-hee) sets out to find those responsible, becoming involved in a drug syndicate and the police force combating it. Infiltrating the police on behalf of the syndicate, Ji-woo quickly learns there was more to her father's death than she originally anticipated. These developments cause Ji-woo to question her loyalties as the implications of her father's activities and associates come to light.

Full of twists and turns, "My Name" keeps the audience guessing on true motivations and character secrets along with Ji-woo. Han and co-star Ahn Bo-hyun both deliver stellar performances that emotionally ground this escalating tale of revenge and the cost it takes on one's soul. Between the show's central murder mystery, "My Name" features plenty of bone-crunching action to keep viewers' attention riveted on the proceedings. A solid balance between crime spectacle and the painful emotions behind it, "My Name" is a revenge thriller with a wounded heart at its core.

Religious fundamentalism and online cults of personality clash in the 2021 horror series "Hellbound," with Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Gyu-seok adapting their webtoon of the same name. The series has individuals prophesied to be condemned to Hell by angelic figures, with hulking monsters beating and dragging them to their fiery fates after a given countdown. Two vastly different movements take advantage of the chaos, with one being a religious cult and the other being an online-rallied mob. As the authorities investigate this phenomena and the violent figures it attracts, public order steadily erodes in the face of these hellish incidents.

Given the countdown that each prospective victim receives before their demonic demise, "Hellbound" builds tension and suspense masterfully. The social commentary, particularly comparing contemporary and classical fanaticism, is particularly sharp, with the second season even more biting in its themes. Apart from its demonic attacks and deadly cults, "Hellbound" keeps the audience on their toes with time jumps and protagonist swaps as it delves into its central mystery. Viciously grim, "Hellbound" is perfect for viewers looking for a theologically sinister show to deliver the supernatural scares.

While "Kingdom" brings zombie horror to Korea's medieval period, the 2022 series "All of Us Are Dead" brings it startlingly to the modern era. Adapting Joo Dong-geun's webtoon series, a high school science teacher accidentally causes a zombie outbreak with an experiment gone wrong. As the authorities struggle to contain the situation, a group of uninfected students within the school try to survive and avoid contracting the infection. As tensions and old grudges between the group mount, the students search for a way to escape the overrun school and surrounding neighborhood.

Across all the zombie-fueled action and scares, "All of Us Are Dead" still finds the time to offer coming-of-age stories and pointed social commentary. The interpersonal relationships in the main cast are what holds the ongoing interest in the story, even as prolonged zombie mayhem takes its toll. It's the high school setting and younger perspective on a zombie apocalypse that effectively distinguishes "All of Us Are Dead," with the show taking full advantage of this.

The best revenge is well-plotted out and patiently executed, and this strategy forms the driving premise of the 2022 psychological thriller "The Glory." Elementary school teacher Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) oversees many of her old high school classmates' children as their homeroom instructor. Unbeknownst to the kids' parents, Dong-eun secretly plots to use her position to exact her revenge on them for being bullied mercilessly by them in school. As Dong-eun proceeds with her plan, it grows more complex, with unexpected accomplices and complications surfacing along the way.

Given the growing number of moving pieces in the intricate chess game that makes up "The Glory," the show keeps track of all its key players. This is made all the more impressive by the constant twists and turns that keep the audience on their toes as the story progresses. At the center of all the mayhem is Song Hye-kyo delivering one of the best performances of her career, alternating between sympathetic and devious. Darkly captivating, once "The Glory" gets you in its grip, it doesn't let up for the entire ride.

Jeong Chan's enormously popular webtoon series "Bloodhounds" came to hard-hitting life with a television adaptation in 2023. The story has Kim Geon-woo (Woo Do-hwan), an aspiring boxer and former Marine, defend his mother when her business is preyed upon by loan sharks. When this goes disastrously, Geon-woo teams up with his friend and fellow boxer Hong Woo-jin (Lee Sang-yi) to bring down this local crime lord's empire. This escalates into both men being drawn into a bloody war between the criminal Kim Myeong-gil (Park Sung-woong) and his longtime rival Choi Tae-ho (Huh Joon-ho).

"Bloodhounds" has some of the most intense fight sequences and chase scenes from any K-drama around, with every bone-crunching blow practically felt. Woo and Lee make for an entertaining pair of brawlers, helping alleviate the lethal stakes their characters find themselves in. Just when our heroes think they've pulled off a big win, Myeong-gil has them fighting for their lives again, fights that the heroic characters don't always win. This steady stream of brutal action and turning tides has helped "Bloodhounds" become one of the most popular K-dramas in the world.

Social media influencers are just as prominent in South Korea as they are in the United States, and the toxic side of online popularity is explored in "Celebrity." Seo Ah-ri (Park Gyu-young) works as a door-to-door saleswoman after her family loses its wealth. After being drawn into the world of social influencers through her old friends, she learns the length they'll go in order to maintain and grow their reach and reputation. When Ah-ri's own social media ascent comes under threat, she exposes her rivals' illicit activities, leading to a violent escalation within the influencer group.

Premiering in 2023, "Celebrity" provides a fascinating window into online toxicity, obsessive fandom, and influencer clout in Korea. Park's performance as Ah-ri goes deep into her character's vulnerabilities and trauma under her public-facing veneer for her audiences. "Celebrity" examines the soul-eroding toll its heightened status takes on influencers who experience sudden fame, particularly how far they'll go to stay in the spotlight. It's that approach that makes "Celebrity" shine over the more thriller elements of the story that eventually take shape.

One of the darkest periods in Korean history was the brutal occupation of the country by Japan from 1910 to 1945. The final days of this occupation are the initial setting of the horror series, "Gyeongseong Creature," starting in early 1945. Japanese scientists conduct cruel experiments on Korean prisoners in Seoul resulting in the creation of a terrifying monster. The second season takes place in present-day South Korea, with a shady biotechnology firm at the center of the renewed visceral action.

The first season of "Gyeongseong Creature" thoroughly inhabits its period piece setting and historical conflict as an effective backdrop to its monster mash. The second season shift is a jarring one, but it's filled with plenty of bloody thrills to entertain returning viewers. Like many monster stories, "Gyeongseong Creature" revolves around an unconventional love story, with that romance becoming more prominent as the series progresses. Between all the tentacle-driven action, there is a passionately beating heart to "Gyeongseong Creature," one that keeps audiences coming back for more.

Adapting Hitoshi Iwaaki's manga series "Parasyte," the series "Parasyte: The Grey" terrifyingly brings the story's unique brand of sci-fi horror to live-action. Extraterrestrial parasites descend on Earth, possessing human hosts and plotting a wider invasion of the planet. An unassuming young woman, Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee), is possessed as she endures a murder attempt, resulting in her and her parasite forming a symbiotic bond instead. Working with her parasite, Su-in moves to stop other conspiring parasites from furthering their otherworldly plans for conquest.

"Parasyte: The Grey" works best when it leans into the paranoid-fueled thriller nature of its alien conspiracy premise. Filmmaker Yeon Sang-ho, who previously helmed "Train to Busan," masterfully dials up the horror tones for "Parasyte" to great effect. Though the visual effects for the parasites' emergence from their hosts is lovingly cheesy, the show brings the gory fury with its action sequences. Viciously executed and smartly paced, "Parasyte: The Grey" found global success upon its debut in 2024.

A secluded pair of rental locations are rocked by sinister incidents in the 2024 thriller series "The Frog." Widower Jeon Yeong-ha (Kim Yoon-seok) runs a guest house with his friend in a serene small town outside of Seoul. 20 years earlier at a motel, hotelier Koo Sang-jun (Yoon Kye-sang) housed a guest: Ji Hyang-cheol (Hong Ki-joon), who turned out to be a serial killer. Both Hyang-cheol's murderous activities in the past and Yeong-ha's mysterious latest guest are investigated by police detective Yoon Bo-min (Lee Jung-eun) as gruesome details emerge.

The split time frame narrative for "The Frog" offers audiences parallel stories tied together by its central crime-fighter. Go Min-si, in particular, delivers a standout performance playing Yeong-ha's secretive guest in the present-day storyline. Moving at a deliberate pace, the latter half of "The Frog" rewards patient viewers as its bloody stakes come into full view. Bearing more than a passing similarity to the Danish crime series "The Killing" and its American remake, "The Frog" is a cerebral psychological slow burn.

Love and laughter might not seem like the appropriate reaction to impending death, but both inform the 2024 romantic comedy "Mr. Plankton." The show follows Hae-jo (Woo Do-hwan), a young man born through artificial insemination who learns he has developed a terminal illness. Determined to meet his biological father before he succumbs to his disease, Hae-jo sets out to find him with the time that he has left. Accompanying Hae-jo is his ex-girlfriend Jo Jae-mi (Lee Yoo-mi), whom Hae-jo whisks away from her own wedding.

From beginning to end, "Mr. Plankton" is a bittersweet ride, with audiences ultimately knowing how the story will end for Hae-jo. Still, the limited series finds time for hilarity, both borne of Hae-jo and Jae-mi's relationship and the goofy circumstances they find themselves in. Woo is particularly good as Hae-jo, turning a deeply flawed character into someone we care about and are genuinely sad to see go by the end. Equal turns funny and sentimental, "Mr. Plankton" plays to the whole spectrum of emotions as its protagonist reaches the end of the road.

Perhaps best known to American audiences for his roles in "Squid Game" and "Train to Busan," Gong Yoo takes on a vastly different character for the melodrama "The Trunk." Based on a webtoon by Kim Ryeo-ryeong, the series has lonely Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin) enter a contractually temporary marriage each year. In-ji's latest annual spouse, Han Jeong-won (Yoo), comes from his own troubled past. As In-ji and Jeong-won's relationship grows closer and more complicated, a surreal mystery surrounding them and their past looms larger and larger.

With its moody tone and central bad romance, "The Trunk" moves into neo-noir territory, fueled by its growing sense of mystery. This uneasiness is supported by the intentionally disorienting cinematography, particularly around the downward spiral of Jeong-won's personal life. Compared to other contemporary K-dramas, "The Trunk" isn't afraid to go dark and dirty with its main couple as the story progresses. Delightfully lurid and beautifully shot and performed, "The Trunk" captures the dark underbelly of love in modern society.