Particularly in recent years, K-dramas have seen an incredible transformation. The Korean entertainment sector has attracted a larger worldwide audience even in the recent ten years. More channels and possibilities to watch K-dramas have expanded their appeal and viewership, particularly on social media.
Best K-Dramas to Watch In 2023
We have been fortunate to experience some incredible hit K-dramas since 2012 that will live on in our hearts forever. Here are simply 15 of the top K-dramas over the previous ten years, despite the fact that it was nearly difficult to compile a more comprehensive list.
My Love From the Star
A drama called “My Love From the Star” swept all of Asia. In this drama, Kim Soo Hyun portrays Do Min Joon, an extraterrestrial with a grudge who falls in love with the conceited and outlandish actress Cheon Song Yi (Jun Ji Hyun).
This list would be incomplete without including this series. According to legend, “My Love From the Star” was the only cause of one of the strongest Hallyu waves to ever sweep Asia. Kim Soo Hyun became well-known thanks to this series, and he is still in high demand as an actor. The narrative of an actress who falls in love with an alien may have seemed strange at first but it ended up taking an epically grand story.
Incomplete Life
Im Siwan portrays Jang Geu Rae, a Go board game player who is forced to find employment because he is unable to get to the professional level. Geu Rae has never held a job and has spent his entire life playing the game of Go. He is given the opportunity to work as an intern for a trading corporation through contacts and pure luck but finds out that he has made some significant alterations to fit in.
Based on a well-known webtoon, the South Koreans who watched “Incomplete Life” found themselves related to the everyday life of a full-time office worker. Im Si Wan’s first lead K-drama role was also this one, and it was well received.
Descendants of the Sun
In the movie “Descendants of the Sun,” Song Joong Ki portrays Yoo Shi Jin and Song Hye Kyo, Kang Mo Yeon. An army captain named Yoo Shi Jin is completely smitten with Dr. Kang. Despite having opposite backgrounds, they start a passionate relationship. Despite their desire to be together, Mo Yeon finds it difficult to deal with Yoo Shi Jin’s job, which frequently puts his life in danger.
An enormous influx of fans from around the world tuned in to see “Descendants of the Sun,” another popular series. Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo were utterly and completely adored by the public. People couldn’t get enough of the story about a doctor and an army captain falling in love.
Reply 1988
Since they were little children, Sung Duk Sun (Hyeri) and Choi Taek (Park Bo Gum) have been best friends. It just makes sense that Choi Taek would end up falling in love with Duk Sun given how frequently they hang out with and how at ease they both are around one another. The challenging aspect of this circumstance is that Jung Pal, a mutual acquaintance of theirs (Ryu Jun Yeol), harbors emotions for Duk Sun as well.
The anticipation for Duk Sun’s final decision is largely responsible for this series’ global success. According to legend, “Reply 1988” had one of the greatest love triangles ever, dividing “Team Jung Pal” and “Team Taek.”
Goblin
In comparison to previous works, this series deviates a little from the usual rom-com vibe we get from Kim Eun Sook’s writing. A goblin (played by Gong Yoo) and his bride (played by Kim Go Eun) are the subjects of the drama. The two start a whirlwind romance but confront several significant and supernatural challenges that put their relationship in jeopardy. It sounds really dissimilar to the K-drama clichés we’re used to, don’t you think?
Due to the fact that some of the episodes of this series were recorded in Quebec, Canada, many K-drama fans still travel there. The show had a heartbreaking romance in addition to what many consider to be the best bromance ever.
Love in the Moonlight
Hong Ra On, played by Kim Yoo Jung in “Love in the Moonlight,” is a eunuch for Crown Prince Lee Young, played by Park Bo Gum. Lee Young has no idea that one of his eunuchs, who are all meant to be male, is actually a female. Ra On begins to catch his attention, and he finds himself drawn to her. As a result, he decides to risk everything and give up everything to be with her.
There were countless butterflies when Ra On and her prince Lee Young fell in love. The poignant OST that was constantly playing in the background, together with the prince’s endearing and sympathetic looks, helped “Love in the Moonlight” win over viewers’ hearts.
Signal
Lee Je Hoon, Kim Hye Soo, and Jo Jin Woong play a gang of police officers in “Signal” who can use a radio to speak with the past. “Signal” was able to bring the plot to life by drawing inspiration from a notorious real-life incident that occurred in Korea.
As one of the best K-dramas ever made, the fantasy thriller “Signal” has weathered the test of time. Because of the exponential growth in its viewership ratings over the course of the weeks, it was a huge success in South Korea. It was so popular that it was televised in other Asian countries, where it was similarly favorably received.
Stranger
The drama “Stranger” centers on prosecutor Hwang Shi Mok (Cho Seung Woo), who has the unusual capacity to see specific details of a crime scene in his thoughts. He collaborates with zealous investigator Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doona) to combat crooks.
Because of the favorable reception it garnered, “Stranger”‘s success was so great that a sequel was also made. People were incredibly captivated by and fascinated by the tale of Hwang Shi Mok and how he resolves cases.
My Mister
The lead actors in “My Mister” are Lee Sun Gyun as Park Dong Hoon and IU as Lee Ji An. Dong Hoon, a married guy in his 40s, experiences a lot of stress from his job and his family. Ji An, a young woman who has experienced numerous horrific events, has consequently lost a lot of hope in life. The two meet at work and develop an extremely odd friendship where they appear to comprehend one another.
Nobody could have foreseen the profound emotional effect that “My Mister” would have on Koreans and even viewers of K-dramas outside. Even after the series was finished, people kept praising it for its brilliant script.
Crush Landing on You
While Son Ye Jin portrays the stunning and charismatic Yoon Se Ri, Hyun Bin shines as the North Korean soldier Ri Jung Hyuk. Yoon Se Ri meets Ri Jung Hyuk after a freak paragliding accident sends her into North Korean territory. While he works out a plan to return her to South Korea, he decides to take it upon himself to look after her.
One by one, “Crash Landing on You” attracted a never-ending tidal wave of foreign admirers to K-drama territory. People found comfort in the love story of Yoon Se Ri and Ri Jung Hyuk throughout the global pandemic.
Mr. Sunshine
This historical drama, which is set in the early 1900s, stars Lee Byung Hun as Eugene Choi and Kim Tae Ri as Go Ae Shin. Despite their glaringly dissimilar upbringings, Eugene falls in love with Ae Shin in the novel. Ae Shin is a Joseon noblewoman, but Eugene, who was born a slave, escapes to America and joins the Marine Corps as a captain.
The fearless Go Ae Shin character truly added to the intrigue of this show. Additionally, you may anticipate witnessing Lee Byung Hun, Byun Yo Han, and Yoo Yeon Seok all together in one frame, exhibiting their extraordinary acting abilities.
Beyond Evil
A police officer named Han Joo Won (Yeo Jin Goo) is relocated from Seoul to a tiny town. He’s looking for information about a 20-year-old murder investigation. His partner and fellow policeman Lee Dong Sik (Shin Ha Kyun) is the major suspect.
With good cause, “Beyond Evil” was nominated for and ended up winning three of the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards’ seven categories. It should come as no surprise that the series would be so popular when you have Shin Ha Kyun’s acting skills to guide the cast of already brilliant actors. The storytelling in “Beyond Evil” is outstanding; viewers are captivated by the characters throughout the entire film.
Without a doubt, K-drama’s most popular subgenre is a romantic comedy. These kinds of shows usually have a number of recurring themes, such as an attractive male lead looking for his true love, an awkward but humorous love triangle, or star-crossed lovers working together to overcome challenges.
In the last two decades, South Korean entertainment and culture have become a global force. Movies like Parasite and Minari as well as television shows like Pachinko have received positive reviews and awards buzz in the US. Many of Netflix’s best original and distributed dramas debuted on the streamer well before the enormous success of its breakout hit Squid Game, which is fortunate for lovers of these works who want to try out K-dramas.
Profiles of the Actors
Many of the performances in these dramas belong to actors we have profiled separately — their careers, filmographies and how they got their start.
- Hwang In Yeop: Bio, Profile, Education, Career, Girlfriend, Family & Awards
- Kim Sae-ron : Career, Filmography, Scandal & Net Worth
- Kim Young Dae: Bio, Profile, Education, Career, Girlfriend, Family & Awards
- Wi Ha Joon: Bio, Profile, Education, Career, Girlfriend & Family
- Yoo Seung Ho: Bio, Profile, Education, Career, Girlfriend, Family, Awards
