The Best Korean Dramas on Netflix
Long before Parasite made a sensation worldwide and won almost all the major film awards, including the top Oscars last year, Korean culture had been steadily gaining popularity around the world. With this Korean wave, also known as Hallyu, you may have heard of the boy band BTS. Or perhaps you developed a taste for Korean haute cuisine thanks to Michelin-starred restaurants like Cote and Atomix. Or maybe you have a shelf stocked with Korean beauty products for your 10-step evening skincare routine. Korean TV series, even if they don't carry as much critical weight as the country's film production, are an essential part of the cultural fabric—and several of the best are on Netflix. Below you will find the most entertaining Korean dramas to watch on the streaming service, whether it's a charming romantic comedy, a slash-thriller, or an amazing period piece.
Mine
The latest drama everyone keeps talking about has just finished its 16-episode run. In the vein of recent Korean series that offer a striking portrait of the country's ultra-rich (see The Penthouse and Sky Castle, which unfortunately are not yet on Netflix), Mine centers on a powerful chaebol family, particularly its two daughters-in-law who try to forge an identity—and reclaim what belongs to them—in a patriarchal society. Partway between Succession, Downton Abbey, and Big Little Lies (a murder, revealed in the first episode, drives the narrative), the series offers a captivating and twisting plot, as well as outstanding lead actresses, Lee Bo-young and Kim Seo-hyung, whose impeccable style and presence are reminiscent of Tilda Swinton in I Am Love.
Vincenzo
Leading actor Song Joong-ki plays the main character, Vincenzo, who was adopted by the head of an Italian crime family when he was young and became a mafia consigliere. Internal struggles and betrayals force Vincenzo to flee to Korea, where he finds a new enemy to take down: a ruthless conglomerate.
The Uncanny Counter
In this paranormal hit, a disabled teenager is recruited into a supernatural group known as the "Counters," who hunt down evil spirits that have escaped from the afterlife to possess human hosts and corrupt them into committing terrible acts. As a member of this demon-hunting team (their secret business front is a noodle shop), he develops superhuman and psychic abilities, leading a double life: high school student by day, fighting evil by night.
Stranger
Two seasons long (and fans hope for a third), this beloved crime drama was listed among the New York Times' best TV shows of 2017. Bae Doona, Louis Vuitton muse, plays a charming detective who teams up with an empathetic prosecutor (a brain operation gone wrong in childhood left him with a very low IQ) to solve a murder. Along the way, they uncover much deeper and more insidious forces at play, in the name of political conspiracies orchestrated by Korean TV's favorite villain: those all-powerful and good-for-nothing conglomerates.
This historical drama takes place at the end of the Joseon period, the last Korean dynasty before the country's annexation by Japan in the early 1900s. Lee Byung-hun plays the role of American marine Eugene Choi, who returns to his homeland and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (played by The Handmaiden actress Kim Tae-ri), a noblewoman who secretly works illegally for the Righteous Army, a militia fighting for Korea's independence. Mr. Sunshine has all the ingredients for a great Korean drama: love triangles, history, and action. But above all, it is an ode to Korea, before it was changed forever, with great cinematic beauty.
It's Okay to Not Be Okay
Mental health - a generally very taboo subject in Korea - is the central theme of this series. A popular children's book author (Seo Ye-ji) suffers from antisocial personality disorder; a psychiatric ward caregiver (Kim Soo-hyun), on the other hand, has high emotional intelligence and the added burden of caring for his autistic older brother. The girl meets the boy, and healing begins.
Kingdom
In this original Netflix series (two seasons have already been released, a third is underway) set in the Joseon era, the king is mysteriously struck by a strange illness and is presumed dead. Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) tries to find out what is happening to his father, but he is locked out of the palace by his power-hungry stepmother and his father, who conspire to keep the king's condition secret until they can secure their grip on the throne (by getting rid of Lee Chang, among other things). It turns out the king is not dead - he has turned into a flesh-eating zombie. The plague begins to spread throughout the kingdom and it is up to the crown prince to save his people - and expose the evil conspiracy behind his stepmother's takeover. It's like Game of Thrones plus The Walking Dead, but in 17th century Korea. And just like those series, Kingdom asks the question: can people be more monstrous than the zombies hunting them? Yes.
Itaewon Class
First, Park Sae-ro-yi (Park Seo-joon) gets fired for hitting a school bully, who happens to be the son of the very powerful owner of the Jangga Group food conglomerate. Then he loses his father in a hit-and-run accident, in which the reckless driver is—who else?—that same rich bully. After nearly beating his father’s killer to death, Sae-ro-yi is sent to prison for three years. After his release, he vows to bring down the powerful food company that ruined his life by opening a bar in the Itaewon district of Seoul, aiming to turn it into a franchise. This outsider story received praise for the diversity of its characters—the bar employees include a transgender woman, a Guinean-Korean, a former gangster, and a sociopath—and for its depiction of the difficulties they face integrating into a society that is rarely kind to foreigners.
When the Camellia Blooms
A woman (Gong Hyo-jin) moves to a small town with her young son and opens a bar. She has to face constant mockery from the village women, first because she is a single mother (another taboo subject in Korea) and then because she makes a living serving alcohol, mainly to men. Her arrival is not disliked by everyone: a local policeman (Kang Ha-neul) is instantly smitten. Despite the rom-com style of the series, interspersed with particularly comforting descriptions of the relationship between the protagonist and her son, it is also a thriller. There is a serial killer on the loose and she will be his next victim unless her admirer catches him first.
Extracurricular
To those around him, Oh Ji-soo (Kim Dong-hee), a high school senior, is just another typical example of a gifted and intelligent student, so bland, in fact, that even his guidance counselor suggests he study less and have a social life. Outside of class hours, he manages security for an illegal prostitution business (while keeping his identity secret) to earn enough money for his future. When a classmate discovers his secret and wants to join the business, things become much more complicated and dangerous.
Hospital Playlist
This series, which resembles Grey's Anatomy, tells the story of five inseparable friends since medical school who are now doctors in the same hospital. The series depicts their complicated lives, both inside and outside the operating room. And one of the ways they let off steam? By playing in a band once a week (hence the Playlist in the series title).
Hyena
In this legal drama about two lawyers representing the top 1% of society, Yoon Jae-hee is a partner at a prestigious law firm with an excellent track record and a huge ego. Jung Geum-ja runs her own law firm. The two have only their excessive ambition in common, and they fight to get the most high-profile and lucrative cases, doing whatever it takes to win them. A great cast (Ju Ji-hoon from Kingdom and leading actress Kim Hye-soo) makes Hyena an entertaining show.
Vagabond
After a plane carrying his young nephew crashes en route to Morocco, stuntman Cha Dal-gun (Lee Seung-gi) vows to find out what happened. With the help of National Intelligence Service agent Go Hae-ri (Bae Suzy), the two men begin uncovering a terrorist conspiracy that leads all the way to the Blue House (aka the presidency).
The Heirs
Think of this popular 2013 drama as a Korean version of The O.C. Cha Eun-sang (Park Shin-hye) takes part-time jobs to support herself and lives in the house of the wealthy Kim family, where her mother is a housekeeper. A scholarship allows her to enroll in a high school attended by the children of the top 1% of Korean society, where she soon finds herself in the middle of a love triangle involving the Kim family heir, Kim Tan (Lee Min-ho), and his sworn enemy, Choi Young-do (Kim Woo-bin).
Crash Landing on You
A South Korean heiress (Son Ye-jin) goes paragliding and accidentally ends up on the wrong side of the DMZ (the demilitarized zone separating the two Koreas). She is rescued by Ri Jeong-hyeok (Hyun-bin), a captain in the North Korean special police. As expected, they fall in love, and he must keep his identity secret and get her back home before anyone finds out who she is. Crash Landing on You was a huge audience success (it is currently the third most-watched show in Korean TV history) thanks to its top stars, strong supporting cast, and multidimensional portrayal of life in North Korea.
Romance is a Bonus Book
Kang Dan-i (Lee Na-young), a former advertising editor, is unemployed, divorced, and a single mother. Her best friend Cha Eun-ho (Lee Jong-suk) is an accomplished author and the editor-in-chief of a publishing house. Eun-ho asks Dan-i to find him a housekeeper, but unbeknownst to him, she secretly starts cleaning his house. Eventually, she has to come out as gay to Eun-ho and accepts a temporary job at his publishing house. The difficulties and discrimination Dan-i faces when trying to re-enter the workforce after leaving to raise a child add another layer to this charming romantic comedy.
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