Top 10 Korean Drama Series of All Time

This 16-episode romantic comedy aired on tvN from December 2019 to February 2020, following a South Korean heiress who paraglides into North Korea and falls in love with an army officer. It became tvN's highest-rated drama at the time with a peak rating of 21.7%, and its simultaneous Netflix release made it a landmark of K-drama international expansion. The show spent weeks atop Netflix's trending charts across Asia and earned lead actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin a real-life marriage in 2022.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and starring Gong Yoo, this 16-episode fantasy romance aired on tvN from December 2016 to January 2017, achieving a peak nationwide rating of 20.5% — a record for Korean cable television at the time. The series swept the 2017 awards season, with Gong Yoo winning Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards and multiple other year-end ceremonies. Its soundtrack, featuring tracks by Chanyeol and Punch, topped music charts for months after broadcast.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and starring Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, this 16-episode series aired on KBS2 in 2016 as the first Korean drama filmed entirely in advance of broadcast. It achieved a peak viewership rating of 28.4%, the highest for a KBS drama in over a decade, and sold broadcast rights to 32 countries before its domestic premiere. It earned a Baeksang Arts Award for Best Drama and triggered a surge in Korean military enlistment inquiries among its fan base.

Starring Kim Soo-hyun as an alien stranded on Earth since 1609 and Jun Ji-hyun as a top actress, this 21-episode MBC fantasy romance aired from December 2013 to February 2014. It became one of the most-exported Korean dramas in history, achieving extraordinary viewership in China where it was watched over 2.4 billion times on Chinese streaming platforms. Both lead stars won Best Actor and Actress at multiple 2014 award ceremonies, and the series is credited with igniting the modern K-drama boom in Southeast Asia.

Starring Park Eun-bin as Woo Young-woo, a brilliant autistic rookie lawyer, this 16-episode legal drama aired on ENA from June to August 2022 before becoming a global sensation on Netflix. It entered Netflix's global top 10 non-English shows for multiple consecutive weeks and reached #1 in over 10 countries. Park Eun-bin won Best Actress at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards, and the show became one of the most internationally streamed Korean dramas of 2022.

The third installment in tvN's celebrated Reply anthology series, this 20-episode drama ran from November 2015 to January 2016, set in a Seoul neighborhood during the late 1980s. It achieved a peak cable rating of 18.8% — the highest in Korean cable television history at the time — through its warm ensemble storytelling and meticulous period nostalgia. The show's central romantic mystery captivated viewers for months, and its cast swept the Grand Prize (Daesang) category at multiple 2016 awards ceremonies.

Written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Won-seok, this 16-episode crime thriller aired on tvN from January to March 2016, using a mysterious walkie-talkie that connects detectives across time to solve cold cases drawn from real Korean criminal history, including the Hwaseong serial murders. It won Best Drama at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards and is widely credited with elevating the Korean crime-thriller genre to cinematic standards. A second season was officially greenlit in 2024.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri, this 24-episode period drama aired on tvN from July to September 2018 with simultaneous Netflix release internationally. Set in early 1900s Korea during the twilight of the Joseon dynasty, it cost approximately 40 billion Korean won (~$35 million) to produce, making it one of the most expensive Korean dramas of its era. It achieved a peak cable rating of 18.1% and won Best Drama at the 2018 APAN Star Awards.

Adapted from a popular webtoon and starring Park Seo-joon and Kim Da-mi, this 16-episode drama aired on JTBC from January to March 2020 with simultaneous Netflix worldwide availability. It achieved a peak JTBC rating of 16.5% — among the network's highest ever — and transformed Park Seo-joon into a bona fide international star. The show's themes of perseverance against systemic injustice resonated globally and won Best Drama Series at the 25th Asian Television Awards.

This 16-episode romantic comedy aired on tvN from December 2019 to February 2020, following a South Korean heiress who paraglides into North Korea and falls in love with an army officer. It became tvN's highest-rated drama at the time with a peak rating of 21.7%, and its simultaneous Netflix release made it a landmark of K-drama international expansion. The show spent weeks atop Netflix's trending charts across Asia and earned lead actors Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin a real-life marriage in 2022.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and starring Gong Yoo, this 16-episode fantasy romance aired on tvN from December 2016 to January 2017, achieving a peak nationwide rating of 20.5% — a record for Korean cable television at the time. The series swept the 2017 awards season, with Gong Yoo winning Best Actor at the Baeksang Arts Awards and multiple other year-end ceremonies. Its soundtrack, featuring tracks by Chanyeol and Punch, topped music charts for months after broadcast.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and starring Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo, this 16-episode series aired on KBS2 in 2016 as the first Korean drama filmed entirely in advance of broadcast. It achieved a peak viewership rating of 28.4%, the highest for a KBS drama in over a decade, and sold broadcast rights to 32 countries before its domestic premiere. It earned a Baeksang Arts Award for Best Drama and triggered a surge in Korean military enlistment inquiries among its fan base.

Starring Kim Soo-hyun as an alien stranded on Earth since 1609 and Jun Ji-hyun as a top actress, this 21-episode MBC fantasy romance aired from December 2013 to February 2014. It became one of the most-exported Korean dramas in history, achieving extraordinary viewership in China where it was watched over 2.4 billion times on Chinese streaming platforms. Both lead stars won Best Actor and Actress at multiple 2014 award ceremonies, and the series is credited with igniting the modern K-drama boom in Southeast Asia.

Starring Park Eun-bin as Woo Young-woo, a brilliant autistic rookie lawyer, this 16-episode legal drama aired on ENA from June to August 2022 before becoming a global sensation on Netflix. It entered Netflix's global top 10 non-English shows for multiple consecutive weeks and reached #1 in over 10 countries. Park Eun-bin won Best Actress at the 58th Baeksang Arts Awards, and the show became one of the most internationally streamed Korean dramas of 2022.

The third installment in tvN's celebrated Reply anthology series, this 20-episode drama ran from November 2015 to January 2016, set in a Seoul neighborhood during the late 1980s. It achieved a peak cable rating of 18.8% — the highest in Korean cable television history at the time — through its warm ensemble storytelling and meticulous period nostalgia. The show's central romantic mystery captivated viewers for months, and its cast swept the Grand Prize (Daesang) category at multiple 2016 awards ceremonies.

Written by Kim Eun-hee and directed by Kim Won-seok, this 16-episode crime thriller aired on tvN from January to March 2016, using a mysterious walkie-talkie that connects detectives across time to solve cold cases drawn from real Korean criminal history, including the Hwaseong serial murders. It won Best Drama at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards and is widely credited with elevating the Korean crime-thriller genre to cinematic standards. A second season was officially greenlit in 2024.

Written by Kim Eun-sook and starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri, this 24-episode period drama aired on tvN from July to September 2018 with simultaneous Netflix release internationally. Set in early 1900s Korea during the twilight of the Joseon dynasty, it cost approximately 40 billion Korean won (~$35 million) to produce, making it one of the most expensive Korean dramas of its era. It achieved a peak cable rating of 18.1% and won Best Drama at the 2018 APAN Star Awards.

Adapted from a popular webtoon and starring Park Seo-joon and Kim Da-mi, this 16-episode drama aired on JTBC from January to March 2020 with simultaneous Netflix worldwide availability. It achieved a peak JTBC rating of 16.5% — among the network's highest ever — and transformed Park Seo-joon into a bona fide international star. The show's themes of perseverance against systemic injustice resonated globally and won Best Drama Series at the 25th Asian Television Awards.