The List of Essential Korean Dramas Vol.I
The Korean Wave is rising stronger than ever. Korean dramas are not just for fangirls and housewives anymore. Here is the list of recent Korean TV series (from 2012 till now) that are totally worth watching. Don't be biased and skip these awesome dramas. There are short comments for each drama.
List activity
3.3K views
• 2 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
49 titles
- StarsLee HyeriGo Kyung-pyoRyu Jun-yeolFive childhood friends, who all live in the same Ssangmundong neighborhood of Seoul in 1988, lean on each other to survive their challenging teen years and set a path for their futures.This is definitely one of the best Korean dramas to date. It has been showered with praises since its release in 2015 and I have to say that it is not overrated at all. It focuses on family ties, friendships, relationships among neighbors, and even among colleagues. There is a refreshing spark of romance as well as a delicate touch of daily struggles of finding our identity and pursuing our dreams. I fidn it very realistic and relatable. It brings about many great lessons about love, life, and death, too. All in all, this drama is nostalgic, touching, refreshing, full of love but not cheesy at all.
- StarsGong YooKim Go-eunLee Dong-wookIn his quest for a bride to break his immortal curse, Dokkaebi, a 939-year-old guardian of souls, meets a grim reaper and a sprightly student with a tragic past.This show is really really really famous in South Korea as well as internationally. Among the dramas written by Kim Eun Sook, this one is definitely the best, even surpassing "Descendants of the Sun" with its unique storyline and stellar chemistry between the cast members. Not to mention, this drama has excellent original soundtrack, camerawork and close-to-perfect visual effects. It largely focuses on romance, friendship, and human kindness. However, like other Kim Eun Sook's dramas, this is a bit too cheesy for me. I also find the premise at times ridiculous. Therefore, I stopped watching it at episode 9. All in all, this drama is very creative, romantic and refreshing.
- StarsLee Je-hoonKim Hye-suCho Jin-woongA cold-case profiler in 2015 and a detective in 1989 work together to solve a series of related murders spanning three decades using a special walkie-talkie to communicate with each other.This show is one of the best crime series I have ever watched. Some elements of it are definitely on par with "Fargo", "Mindhunter", and "True Detective". This drama is affected a lot by American directing and writing style: it is dark and very depressing. It doesn't have many action scenes but focuses more on the psychology and mental development of each character, especially of the detectives. The pace is very slow and demands viewers to think and guess a lot on their own. If you prefer something light-hearted and refreshing to binge watch, this drama is definitely not for you. All in all, this is a great crime series with excellent acting and engaging storyline. Something depressing but yet very delicate.
- StarsCho Seung-wooBae DoonaLee Jun-hyukWith the help of a gutsy female detective, a prosecutor who has almost lost the ability to feel emotions tackles a strange murder case amid political corruption.In my opinion, this is the best Korean drama in 2017 despite its low popularity in South Korea as well as internationally. This show focuses on law and order, corruption, social justice, as well as how people struggle to find their identity, achieve their ambitions, and the price they have to pay to get what they want. The storyline and acting of this drama are excellent. Bae Doona and Jo Seung Woo proved that they are top players in the field again. However, this drama is dark, complicated, and depressing, just like "Signal". If you are a fan of puppy romances, then you may find this downright boring. All in all, this is a nearly perfect political drama.
- StarsSong Joong-kiSong Hye-kyoJin GooThis drama tells of the love story that develops between a surgeon and a special forces officer.This is the Korean drama that took the whole by storm in the first half of 2016. Undeniably, it is one of the best Korean dramas to date. Sophisticated directing, outstanding acting, and excellent chemistry between the two main couples are what make this drama unforgettable. This show has definitely set a new and much higher standard for romantic television series. Although it focuses mostly on romance, this drama has a solid background: the life and dreams of Korean soldiers who are spending every living moment protecting the country. Like other Kim Eun Sook's works, this drama is very cheesy. However, all in all, it is a worth watching one. Yes, it is cheesy, yet very relatable, refreshing, and full of positive energy.
- StarsPark Bo-youngPark Hyung-sikJi SooDo Bong-soon is a woman born with superhuman strength that comes from the long line of women possessing it. when Ahn Min Hyuk, the CEO of ainsoft, a gaming company witnesses her strength he hires her as his personal bodyguard.In my opinion, this show has a poor story line: the crime plot is insignificant and the whole show has almost no plot or character development. It has too many stereoptypes and typical cheesy Korean puppy romance dialogues. However, what makes this drama stand out is the actors' chemistry as well as an underlying theme of feminism. We have a very cute superhero here. And she's totally different from Wonder Woman or Captain Marvel. All in all, this drama has a stellar cast. If you are a fan of Park Bo Young and Park Hyung Sik, this will make you adore them more. And if you are not a fan, this will make you become one. Trust me ! This drama is made for anyone who loves cute and cheesy little things.
- StarsJi SungUhm Ki-joonSeo Jung-yeonA prosecutor has lost his memory and discovers that he is convicted on death row. He is now left with no option but to find the truth behind his condition and prove his innocence.This is an excellent crime series that has many twists and turns. It is very intense as well as difficult to predict. The acting of the male leads are just phenomenal. However, despite its heavy content, the drama is not hard to watch at all because it focuses mostly on family issues, particularly on father-daughter and brother-brother relationships. To no surprise, it has the second highest ratings in South Korea in 2017 and won multiple awards. In my opinion, this is the drama you can definitely watch with your parents and grandparents.
- StarsJi SungHwang Jeong-eumPark Seo-joonA love story between the son from a wealthy family who has 7 personalities Cha Do Hyun and Oh Ri Jin who becomes his secret psychiatrist.This drama is very popular in South Korea as well as in Asia. However, it is not really my cup of tea. The plot, the soundtrack, and the acting of the male lead - Ji Sung - are outstanding. But the styles and make-up of this series are such turn-offs. Honestly, I find the visuals in this drama pretty terrible. There are also parts that the characters try to come off as cool but turn out to be very forced. Hwang Jung Eum is great in series such as "Can You Hear My Heart?", "Secret Love", and "She Was Pretty". But her acting in this series is pretty bad, not the type of unbearably bad but still makes me less enjoy the show. All in all, this drama is not great but still worth a try.
- StarsPark Seo-joonKim Ji-wonAhn Jae-hongKo Dong Man, a former taekwondo champion, and Choi Ae Ra, a receptionist, struggle to follow their dreams as life throws obstacles in their path.This drama is relatable, refreshing, and heart-warming. The plot is simple, focusing on friendships, life-long companion, dreams and struggles of young people in modern society. So positive is its underlying message that this show is a big hit in South Korea in 2017. The show has no twists at all. However, what makes this show stand out is its charming cast and their exploding chemistry. It was said that the most difficult thing about acting is to make ordinary characters become extraordinary. Undeniably, this show made it. When you watch the characters confronted with their life decisions and challenges, you can somehow see yourself in them. All in all, this is a fun drama to watch.
- StarsLee Byung-hunKim Tae-riYoo Yeon-seokA young boy who ends up in the U.S. after the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident returns to Korea at a historical turning point and falls for a noblewoman.
- StarsIm Si-wanLee Sung-minKang So-raThis a Drama series about a group of co-workers in their twenties who started their job at a big multinational company. This is a story about their everyday life, about their journey each day at the office.
- StarsMi-Kyung WonYoo Dong-geunChoi Ji-wooThe story revolves around a family with their highs and lows when their beloved mother only has one month left to live.
- StarsJoo WonPark Gi-woongJin Se-yeonIn 1930s Korea, during the Japanese colonial era, a man who is a Korean police officer assigned to aid the Japanese in the annihilation of the local rebellion, secretly dons the 'Bridal Mask' and fights the unjust regime.
- StarsHa Ji-WonJi Chang-wookOh Gwang-RokA Korea-born warrior girl had to be a servant at the Mongol Yuan court but somehow overcame her low status to become an empress in another land.
- StarsJun Ji-hyunKim Soo-hyunPark Hae-jinDo Min-Joon, an alien that came to our planet 400 years ago, will be able to return to his planet in 3 months, but when he meets famous actress Chun Song-Yi, all the centuries he spent distancing himself from humans come to an end.
- StarsSung Dong-ilLee Kwang-sooJin KyungA love story between a psychiatrist named Ji Hae Soo and an author who had schizophrenia named Jang Jae Yeol.
- StarsLee Bo-youngLee Jong-sukYoon Sang-HyunA sharp female lawyer with no filter teams up with a public defender and a high-school student with special gifts to bring down a killer with a personal vendetta.
- StarsKong Hyo-jinSo Ji-seobSeo In-gukTae Gong Sil has the ability to see ghosts, but their constant demands for help make her life impossible until she meets Joo Jong Won, a handsome CEO who measures everything by money, since when she touches him, the ghosts disappear.
- StarsLee Jong-sukPark Shin-hyeKim Hae-sookA young boy, whose life and family has been destroyed by new media, gets adopted by a family in a rural area after being found lost at sea. He conceals his past for 13 years. But then the girl he loves, a reporter, finds out the truth.
- StarsJung Yu-miLee Kwang-sooBae Sung-wooThe drama revolves around the incidents that occur among the police force and the joy, sorrow, and pain that police officers experience as they try to protect justice.
- StarsPark Min-youngPark Seo-joonLee Tae-HwanA romance between perfect but narcissistic second generation heir and his capable assistant.
- StarsHwang Jeong-eumPark Seo-joonKo Jun-heeWhen Ji Sung-Joon was young, he was ugly. As he grew up, he began to have an attractive appearance. When Kim Hye-Jin was young, she was pretty. As she grew up, she became ugly. Ji Sung-Joon tries to find his first love.
- StarsPark Bo-gumKim Yoo-jungKwak Dong-yeonThe unlikely love story between a crown prince and his eunuch.
- StarsYoo Seung-hoPark Min-youngMin Nam-koongJin-Woo is a young man with the condition of Hyperthymesia, which allows him to remember everything in details. In order to prove that his father is innocence, he becomes a lawyer and make a team to solve different cases using his memory.
- StarsChoi Woo-sikHan Ji-minLee Tae-riCrown Prince Lee Gak transports 300 years into the future following the death of his wife; in 21st century Seoul, he meets Joo Se-Na, a woman with an uncanny resemblance to the deceased princess.