A Beginner’s Guide to K-Dramas on Netflix

The rise of Korean content across all platforms has been meteoric. Netflix has already invested billions of dollars in the growth and output of its content from South Korea and continues to do so. With the overwhelming success of K-dramas on the platform, this has already been paid back in droves, thanks to incredible titles such as Squid Game and Space Sweepers. If you’re new to K-dramas, allow us to offer you a helping hand in where to start your K-drama journey on Netflix.

Some of the best Netflix Originals in recent years have come from South Korea. From thrillers to crime dramas, horror, romance, comedy, and fantastic films, there’s a K-drama out there for everyone on Netflix. 

In this guide below, we’ll help you decide which K-dramas to watch by genre and which shows to look out for weekly. 

In case you’ve been enamored with K-dramas, or even if you’re already a massive K-drama fan, we have an ongoing preview of all the exciting K-dramas headed to Netflix in 2025.

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I’m looking for… Thrills

Naturally, to get things started, look no further than the juggernaut of Netflix television, Squid Game, and another phenomenal Netflix series, The Glory.

The series first arrived on Netflix in September 2021, and while it got off to a reasonably slow start, once it ensnared the attention of the internet, the rest, as they say, is history. Currently the most successful Netflix Original of all time, the first season resonated with audiences the likes of which we haven’t seen repeated since. If Squid Game will ever be usurped from its throne, it’s going to take something beyond special.

Squid Game takes place in the modern day, following Seong Gi Hun, a debt-ridden chauffeur and gambling addict. An opportunity presents itself to change his life forever, and Seong Gi Hun and 455 other competitors are taken to a mysterious island where they must compete in children’s games for a cash grand prize of ₩45.6 billion. The catch? To win the jackpot, you must outlive the other competitors.  

If it wasn’t for Squid Game, then The Glory would be the most successful Korean Netflix Original on the streaming service. A fantastic tale of revenge with great writing, acting, and direction, The Glory is one of the best thrillers that Netflix offers. 

Moon Dong Eun once dreamed of becoming an architect, but after relentless and violent bullying was forced to drop out of school. Years later, the leader of her bullies, Park Yeon Jin, is now leading a seemingly perfect married life. However, Moon Dong Eun has spent years planning her revenge and is now the homeroom teacher of Yeon Jin’s daughter, she is determined to take her vengeance out on her bullies and bystanders from her high school days.

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I’m looking for… Chills

To get you started with Korean horror, you should look no further than Kingdom and All of Us Are Dead, two of the best zombie series ever produced on Netflix.

Kingdom was the first ever South Korean Netflix Original on Netflix, and immediately set a high bar for all future Korean content. The zombie horror is part of Train to Busan’s legacy which helped redefine the horror genre. Kingdom is a stunning series, with incredible cinematography, and excellent cast, and most importantly it made zombies terrifying again.

Kingdom is set in the Joseon Period, where an exiled Crown Prince sets out to discover the truth over his father’s rumoured death. But on his journey to meet with the last physician to treat his father, he finds himself at the heart of a devasting plague, where the dead rise and hunger for flesh, which threatens to destroy his country.

From the Joseon Period to the modern day, All of Us Are Dead was another smash hit for Netflix. Based on a popular webtoon, the adaptation was even more chilling, as hordes of undead were unleashed upon a high-school, and the towns occupants. Devastingly sad at times, and terrifying too, All of Us Are Dead is an excellent series that subscribers are currently patiently waiting for a second season. 

The series is set in a high-school, which becomes ground zero for a devasting zombie outbreak. Soon, the school’s occupants are running rampant infecting their fellow students, and townsfolk. A small group of trapped survivors must find a way to fight their way out or eventually succumb to the virus themselves. 

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I’m looking for… Romance

If there’s one genre that would define K-dramas, it’s romance. Arguably, the vast majority of new K-dramas that land on Netflix are romantic comedies, which means there’s no shortage of romance for you to look out for. However, to get you started, we’ll begin with Crash Landing on You and Captivating the King.

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Crash Landing on You was one of the first weekly, internationally licensed K-dramas on Netflix, and nearly five years later, it remains one of the best romantic comedies on the platform. The chemistry between Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin is what makes the series special, and to add some spice to the mix, this is also one of the few shows produced in Korea where a large portion of the story takes place in North Korea.

Hyun Bin plays Ri Jeong Hyeok, an emotionally reserved captain of Company Five in North Korea’s Korean People’s Army, when suddenly, one day, South Korean heiress Yoon Se Ri, played by Son Ye Jin, accidentally crashes on top of the dashing captain after a paragliding accident. To protect her from the North Korean authorities and find a way to get her home, Ri Jeong Hyeok keeps her hidden, but soon, the pair begin to fall in love.

An enemies-to-lovers story, Captivating the King is another series in the heavily romanticized Joseon Period of Korea. Jo Jung Suk plays the role of Grand Prince Ji Han, a genius of the game baduk. After being betrayed by his brother and held hostage by the Qing Dynasty, the experience has left the man vulnerable after facing such emotional turmoil. However, after ascending the throne, he becomes captivated by an exciting new baduk player, Kang Hui Sa played by Shin Sae Kyeong, who is on a quest for revenge against the king and pretending to be a man. However, the more time she spends with him, the more she falls in love.

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I’m looking for… Films

To get you started with Korean movies, we recommend the Academy Award-winning Parasite and Korea’s first official sci-fi blockbuster, Space Sweepers.

Boon Joon Ho’s comedy thriller took the world by storm in 2019. On a budget of only $11.4 million, it made $258 million worldwide. On top of its commercial success, the film would become the first ever non-English language film to win the Academy Award for Best Picture. Boon Joon Ho also won Best Director and Best Original Screenplay. The film also picked up the award for Best International Feature Film.

The film is centered around a low-income household, and their 

Parasite is centered around the relationship between a low-income household of the Kims and the wealthy Park family. The Kims live in a cramped basement apartment, while the naive Parks live a life of luxury in a beautiful home. After a friend leaves to study abroad, the son, Kim Gi Woo, becomes a tutor for the Parks. However, Ki Taek, the head of the Kim household, uses his son’s employment to get the rest of his family employed and exploit the Parks.

As Parasite isn’t a Netflix Original, the film may have left your respective country’s Netflix library by the time you read this.

Not only is Space Sweepers the first-ever sci-fi Korean blockbuster, but it’s also a Netflix Original. The film is a super entertaining and action-packed adventure with great visuals and a fun cast, and it’s the perfect first step into Korean films if you’re leaning toward something a lot more fun and a visual spectacle.

The film is set in the year 2092, when space junk and deserted spaceships orbit the Earth. It follows the ragtag crew of The Victory as they traverse the Earth’s orbit, finding junk they can sell. However, speed is the key, thanks to other crews also seeking the same goal. Still, when the Victory crew mates happen upon Dorothy, a humanoid robot and potential weapon of mass destruction, they find themselves at the heart of a perilous business deal.

Given that Space Sweepers is the country’s first swing at the space blockbuster, we can’t wait to see what comes next.

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Can I watch K-dramas weekly?

K-dramas have been available to stream on Netflix weekly for the past several years. Some of the best K-dramas to land on Netflix have been thanks to the streaming service’s deals with Korean networks such as SBS, TVN, and JTBC. 

Before you get into weekly K-dramas, it’s good to learn that most weekly K-dramas release episodes twice a week. Each episode will run between 60 and 80 minutes, depending on the series and network. Unlike Western television shows, most weekly K-dramas are limited, so you don’t have to worry about the risk of cancellation. Not to mention, if there are plans for a second season, that news is typically announced ahead of the first season’s release.

Every month, we have an ongoing preview of the latest K-dramas coming to Netflix, including the latest and returning weekly shows. Keeping track of all of the news on our K-drama page will allow you to keep track of all of the latest Netflix K-drama news.

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What K-drama are you going to start with first on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!