Squid Game Isn’t the Only One! Check Here the Best K-Dramas on Netflix Right Now

Published 10/15/2021, 1:17 AM EDT

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The Korean entertainment industry is not to be taken lightly. With Squid Game becoming the biggest Netflix launch of all time, viewers certainly have a different perspective of Korean shows on Netflix.

Here are a few k-dramas on Netflix, recommended by Netflix’s official Twitter account.

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For lovers of Swoon-worthy Romances

This Netflix Korean show talks about books, friendships, and second chances. We watch a young ambitious editor-in-chief get his career together while trying to help a former copywriter desperate for a job.

With its name being descriptive enough, Crash Landing on You is about Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean heiress, who crashes on an army officer in North Korea in a paragliding mishap and his quest to help her.

A beautiful but emotionally detached children’s book author crosses paths with a lively young man who works in a psychiatric hospital. It’s Okay to Not be Okay is about vulnerability and how it brings you closer to those around you.

For anyone looking for fresh Korean shows on Netflix- how does having caught a king’s eye sound? The perk is that the king is, in fact, a queen.

To make it simpler, The King’s Affection is about princess Lee Hwi who inherits the throne from her deceased brother, while attempting to keep her identity and “affection” for a young man hidden.

For Dark Sci-Fi and Fantasy Enthusiasts

There could be no better opportunity to quote Spiderman’s uncle: “with great power comes great responsibility.” Kingdom is about the rise of a fallen king, who must save his kingdom from a new plague that breeds a new race of enemies.

Zombies aren’t new to pop culture. But Sweet Home adds a unique twist to the genre by being experimental with the monsters themselves. If you’re looking for a unique twist to horror, then Sweet Home is the ideal Korean Netflix drama.

Sisyphus was a Greek king, damned by the gods. As a result, he had to roll an immense boulder up a hill every day. By nightfall, the boulder would fall down and he had to repeat the same task for all eternity.

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The Netflix Korean drama Sisyphus is about a woman from the future. The woman has to look for an engineer who knows dangerous secrets due to a mistake.

Also known as South Korea’s own Game of Thrones, Arthdal Chronicles is about shrewd politics. Surrounding the city of Arthdal in the mythical land of Arth, the royalty must fight for power.

Crime Dramas for suspense and thriller fans

What if Harvey Specter from Suits was in the mafia and, by chance, spoke Korean? Then he’d be Vincenzo, played by Korea’s favorite actor, Song Joong-ki, in this alluring Netflix Korean show.

Vincenzo, the titular character, is a mafia lawyer who decides to bring a conglomerate to justice.

Beyond Evil is probably one of the most critically acclaimed Korean shows on Netflix. The chilling series is about two policemen with dark secrets of their own. They are tasked with solving a murder case resembling a cold case of serial killings.

What happens when an ambitious high school student with no moral compass has no means to go to college? Extracurricular is about Oh Ji-soo who turns to a life of crime to make ends meet.

Described as the Korean version of Killing Eve, Inspector Koo is about Koo Kyung-yi. Kyung-yi has left the thrill of crime behind and works a corporate job. However, a series of related murders forces her to don the police uniform again.

Romantic Fantasy because no one outdoes the Koreans in this genre

Hotel Del Luna is basically Hotel Transylvania, with a French makeover. And this Korean Netflix series couldn’t be better!

Hotel Del Luna is about a hotel that caters to only ghosts. The hotel is managed by an unbelievably beautiful CEO, who is under a curse. The series moves ahead as the CEO Jang Man-wol discovers keys to her past.

Rooted in an actual Korean myth, Guardian is about an immortal Goblin who goes to find a human bride to free him from a curse. This Korean Netflix series is perhaps the most beloved series in the country. It also features the classic song “Stay With Me” featuring Punch and Chanyeol from EXO.

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Also, remember the ddakji man from Squid Game? Fans of the show were longing for another sight of the character and actor. Well, he is the protagonist of this classic Korean drama and that is reason enough to watch the series.

A parallel world, demons, enemies who would go to any extent to destroy the protagonist, and a blissful romance- this K-Drama has it all.

What’s a list of recommendations for teenagers without a series about augmented reality?

Memories of the Alhambra is about the blurred lines between the real world and the AR world of a game. A CEO and a hostel owner must fight their way out of the mess as they are entangled by mysterious incidents.

If you need Drama Comedies to binge-watch

An extremely heartwarming K-Drama, Hospital playlist is about a group of friends.

Having stuck together since undergrad school, this group of 5 close friends must strive in their careers while making sure their passion for music doesn’t die.

Steve Jobs was an inspiration for many. This includes Start-up’s protagonist Seo Dal-mi, played by South Korea’s sweetheart Bae Suzy.

With a genius first love, a generous investor, and a business insider, she might achieve her start-up dreams faster than she thought.

Itaewon Class was inarguably one of the most popular Korean shows on Netflix before the time of Squid Game. After his release from prison, Park Sae-royi must make a living out of a bar-restaurant in Itaewon. He also plans to avenge his father’s death against a very powerful man.

This Korean Netflix series isn’t your average city-girl-meets-small-town-boy story. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha features a dentist at a crossroads in her life who reluctantly falls for a handyman in a small seaside village.

Power Struggles for lovers of politics

Lee Jung-jae might have played the naive protagonist Gi-hun in Squid Game, but that’s just a small part of the veteran performer’s acting prowess.

In Chief of Staff, he plays a shrewd detective using cold-blooded decisiveness to climb the stairs of power.

After a successful prosecutor undergoes surgery, he loses all his social skills and empathy. He must investigate a murder with a female police lieutenant.

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After the National Assembly is brutally attacked, a minister has to lead the country through the chaos. During the course of the K-Drama, he unravels secrets and makes changes that alter the country’s fate.

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Stuntman Cha Dal-gun is left distraught after his nephew’s death in a plane crash. He later makes discoveries that lead him and an intelligence service operative to believe that the crash might not be due to “structural failure” after all.

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Safia Khanam

386 articles

A writer at Netflix Junkie, Safia Khanam is a Business Administration student with a passion for writing. Having been an avid reader and cinephile all her life, she enjoys sharing analysis and insights. The Intern, Dead Poets Society, and Anne With An E are her top preferences.

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