Best Korean Series on Netflix: Top Picks by Genre

I read an article saying that a lot of Korean shows on Netflix flopped in Korea

why did Netflix add them to Netflix if they flopped in Korea?

is it because of the Korean president told Netflix to increase investment in Korean shows?

Netflix had released its Jan-Jun 2026 engagement report so i separated the korean titles into Netflix Originals, TV dramas and variety shows since comparing them all together doesn't really feel fair.

1. Teach You a Lesson : 48.2M

2. Can This Love Be Translated? : 28.6M

3. The Art of Sarah : 25.8M

4. Bloodhounds S2 : 24.3M

5. The WONDERfools : 20.0M

6. If Wishes Could Kill : 19.8M

7. Boyfriend on Demand : 16.1M

8. Bloodhounds S1 : 15.1M (Old drama)

9. Notes from the Last Row : 2.7M

1. My Royal Nemesis : 15.7M

2. Sold Out on You : 12.4M

3. Agent Kim Reactivated : 10.7M

4. Phantom Lawyer : 8.6M

5. Undercover Miss Hong : 8.1M

6. We Are All Trying Here: 4.1M

1. Single's Inferno S5 : 10.0M

2. Culinary Class Wars S2 : 8.1M

Highlight : Teach You a Lesson absolutely dominated the first half of 2026 with 48.2M views. Now let's see which upcoming drama can perform at the same level as, or even surpass, Teach You a Lesson in the second half of 2026.

Note: Agent Kim Reactivated is still ongoing, so these numbers are only based on its first two eps. It will most likely end up much higher once Netflix releases the next engagement report.

Edit 1 : Btw, just noticed one small mistake in image. The row labeled Episodes is actually the show's overall Netflix ranking in the Jan-Jun 2026 engagement report, not its episode count.

Edit 2 : I totally forgot about We Are All Trying Here while making the list. It has 4.1M total views & 55M hours viewed and if i had to add it to the list, it would come in at No.16 pushing Notes from the Last Row down to No.17. I tried to cover all the possible shows. I included all the Netflix originals but i may have missed a few licensed tv kdramas.

My wife and I have watched so much Korean TV shows in the last few months. So much so that Netflix thinks we are Korean and is only recommending Korean shows now:

• Sweet Home - Korean Horror show, I'd compare as a combination of Evil Dead and either The Raid/Dredd. Demons are possessing people and the entire show takes place in a single apartment complex for the most part.
• Bon Appetite Your Majesty - Korean Time-Travel Romance show based around modern day chef falling in love with a tyrant with a discerning pallette. Extremely corny, every episode is fun and funny in the ways it parodies stuff like Iron Chef. Every episode can basically be boiled down to "An important person who is a picky eater causes trouble and the only solution is cooking the perfect meal".
• Agents of Mystery - Celebrity reality show that's like a LARP + Escape Room. There is no prize money as far as I can tell, they put the actors/celebrities in an elevator that's a "teleporter" which takes them to a supernatural event they have to solve. So far the first one involved a Demonic Cult and the second one was a Submarine with Alien vibes.
• Devil's Plan - Reality Show where people play complex logic games.
• Culinary Class Wars - 80 no-name chefs compete against 20 high rated chefs.
• Squid Games - Obviously. No need to give an explanation.
• The 8 Show - Korean Thriller show kind of like Squid Game but with less death and more torture.

Gathering from all the shows I've watched so far I like horror, scifi, fantasy, thrillers, and reality shows.

My top five of all time Korean T.V series:

1. It’s Okay to not be okay

2. Queen of tears

3. The good bad mother

4. Crash landing on you

5. The Frog

Lately, I liked watching K-dramas available on Netflix. I just love Netflix’s interface and overall viewing experience, so I choose streaming there instead of downloading from other sources.

So I’m looking for K-drama recommendations currently available on Netflix. I’m open to any genre rom-com, thriller, melodrama, or anything interesting.

Basically, I’m looking for must-watch K-dramas the ones you feel everyone should watch at least once. Drop your best recommendation lists🙌

Thanks in advance!

Glory - such an amazing show.

I watched lot of korran movies / series, and this year i was on my american movies and series era and i missed those korean shows... thats why I wanted to know if anyone have recommendations please

When Life Gives You Tangerines!! A must watch

Preferably without any intense themes or violence. Comedy is a bonus.

Basically, if this was anime, I am asking for "slice of life".

I am open to both movie and series recommendations.

Thanks.

I have not watched a K drama on Netflix since I bought myself a subscription to Viki a year ago.... but I did keep a list of ones I watched and liked while on Netflix so if they're still available, I would recommend.....

Doona!

Hate To Love You

Hometown cha cha cha

All of Us are dead

Nevertheless

Castaway Diva ❤️❤️❤️

Crash Landkng on you ❤️❤️❤️

Twenty Five Twenty One ❤️❤️❤️

Melancholia

One Spring Night (all time top 10)

Because this is my first life

Start up

Rain or shine ( all time top 5)

When the weather is nice

Dependents of the sun ❤️❤️❤️

Enjoy!!! I watched a bunch of other others, but these are the ones that I would recommend!

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Mr. Sunshine ( prepare to cry a lot 😭)

Here are the List of ones I loved:

Rom Coms/Comedy:

1. Hometown Cha Cha Cha ( SO GOOODDDD!!)
2. Potato Lab ( I know many people don't like it, but something about this did it for me)
3. Lovely Runner (this was hilarious but also sad)
4. Business Proposal ( Although I would prefer reading the webtoon, I liked that more)
5. Mr. Queen (If you want brain rot)
6. Vincenzo

Classic Must Watch:

1. The Guardian
2. The Heirs or Inheritors
3. Boys over Flowers ( though I have to say The original Japanese one with Jun Mastumoto hits different and sadly not on Netflix)
4. Coffee Prince
5. Reply 1988
6. Crash Landing on You ( Loved this!)
7. My Love from the star ( if you can keep your hate aside lol)

Historical:

1. Love in the Moonlight ( The reason I bought netflix subscription lol)
2. The King ( modern day alternate universe but monarchy )
3. The Empress Ki ( This is what an actual historical, high on politics drama should look like. I loved the female lead here)
4. Under the Queen's Umbrella ( The love of a mother and power of a woman here is *chefs kiss*)
5. The king's Affection ( I haven't watched this but my friends say it was great)
6. Moon Embracing the Sun ( Classic )

Dedicated Shrine to IU because her script choices are 🤌:

1. When Life Gives you tangerine ( this is low key the best k drama ever made just because how real this was)
2. Hotel De luna
3. Moon Lovers ( Devastating but not on Netflix)

Others:

1. The Kingdom ( boy oh boy this was intense)
2. The legend of the Blue Sea
3. Dr. Slump ( Park Hyung sik is fab and gorgeous here)
4. The Tale of the Nine Tailed
5. Touch Your heart ( so good ! a part of me is convinced this was the next and well deserved life of Wang Yeo and Kim Sun)

Now these are not K dramas but if you don't watch C Dramas, allow me to introduce you something that may take over your every obsession ( even maybe K Drama):

• The Untamed ( This story is adapted from a novel and when I tell you the Male Lead knows how to YEARNNN, I am not kidding.)
• The Story of Kunning Palace ( The ML and Fl are both so good here! Plus the male lead is the MASTERMIND, like it's my first time reading a character who doesn't forget himself after first meeting or something)
• The Prisoner of beauty ( The chemistry, the funny banter of two people of enemy clans married is tea)
• Eternal Love ( classic costume drama with love finding itself over three life times)
• Love and Redemption ( This made me a little irritable due to the miscommunication BUT boy oh boy this is the true definition of Male Yearning with tragic reunions over 10 lifetimes)
• When I fly towards you ( Cute High School romance)
• Good bye my princess ( This ones gonna make you cry but is one of the best drams I've watched till date)

Any recommendations for a gripping Korean series or movie? Cant find anything good off late.

Interested in crime or just family drama but no romantic/ young gen flicks.

I really enjoyed Stranger, Life, Little Women - anything similar to these would make my day!

Vincenzo. Its stunning. Great charchters, brutal deaths

Crash landing on you, I was either crying or laughing but so sick a beautiful kdrama, that the 2 Protogonist fell in love on set and are married now in real life and have a baby boy and another baby in the way, A MUST SEE!

Here is the updated data image with all corrections from edits 1 & 2 applied.

i liked crash landing on you

it’s not entirely a drama

it’s a romance story but i love the show

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

I second this! Hometown ChA Cha cha is the best slice of life with Reply 1988

If your looking for a comedy slice of life - Welcome
To Waikiki

Crash Landing on you
Queen of Tears
Itaewon Class

Karma and The Glory and Mask Girl are super dark and so good

Watching bon Appetit, Mr Sunshine was great if it is still around. There are a lot really.

Happiness(zombie drama)

All of us r dead (zombie drama)

Hometown(bit of cult horror drama)

Gyeseoung creature(monster drama)

Mouse(mystery/thriller)

Signal(time travel mystery/thriller)

Tunnel (time travel mystery/thriller)