K-Dramas are getting popular daily among GenZ and millennials, thanks to their fantastic storyline, diverse genres, and charismatic characters. If you are a beginner and planning to start your K-Drama journey, here are some iconic and popular shows that you must watch.
These include popular Korean dramas, including Descendants of Sun, Goblin, Business Proposal, and more. Let’s start your binge-watching journey right now.
Top K-Dramas to Watch for Beginners
1. Descendants of Sun
Released in 2016, Descendants of Sun was a huge hit and it eventually became one of the most loved and most-watched K-Dramas of all time among beginners. The story starts with a doctor and an army captain getting hooked up in South Korea. Throughout the series, they meet again in a fictional war-torn country, carrying on their love story abroad. Furthermore, the series plot was appreciated by viewers.
- Ratings: 84% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: February 24, 2016
- Director: Lee Eung-bok, Baek Sang-hoon
- Cast: Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, Kim Ji-won
- Genres: Romance, Melodrama, Action
- Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Descendants of Sun on Netflix
2. Extraordinary Attorney Woo
One of the best K-dramas with courtroom romance that beginners should watch is Extraordinary Attorney Woo. The drama’s lead character is Woo Young-woo, a female rookie attorney who has autism, and the other lead is Lee Jun-ho, a compassionate legal assistant whose heart becomes entangled with Woo’s against all the challenging odds.
- Ratings: 100% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: August 18, 2022
- Director: Yu In-Sik
- Cast: Kang Tae-oh, Park Eun-bin, Kang Ki-young, Baek Ji-won
- Genres: Romance, Legal Drama
- Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Extraordinary Attorney Woo on Netflix
3. Crash Landing on You
It revolves around a North Korean soldier and a South Korean entrepreneur. After a paragliding mishap, a businesswoman from South Korea finds herself in North Korea, which leads to her falling in love with a stoic military captain from the country. Although there are still many obstacles in their story, we are ready to embark on an emotional trip with them thanks to the amazing soundtrack.
- Ratings: 98% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: December 14, 2019
- Director: Lee Jung-Hyo
- Cast: Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Ji-hye, Kim Jung-hyun
- Genres: Family, Mystery, Black comedy
- Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Crash Landing on You on Netflix
4. It’s Okay, That’s Love
It’s Okay, That’s Love was released in 2014 and chronicles the experiences of a successful author and DJ who is battling OCD and childhood trauma. He meets a first-year psychiatrist struggling with her own tragedy, and the two hit it off right away. If you want to start your K-Dramas journey with romantic melodrama, this is the one.
- Ratings: 93% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: July 23, 2014
- Director: Kim Kyu-tae
- Cast: Zo In-sung, Gong Hyo-jin, Sung Dong-il, Lee Kwang-soo, Do Kyung-soo
- Genres: Romance, Melodrama
- Number of Episodes: 16
Watch It’s Okay, That’s Love on Prime Videos
5. Extracurricular
A model high school student gets involved in the terrible underground crime in a compelling K-drama to pay for college fees. When he discovers his hidden second life, the mystery develops further, giving you an exciting story that will keep you engrossed from beginning to end.
- Ratings: 91% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: April 29, 2020
- Director: Kim Jin-min
- Cast: Kim Dong-hee, Park Ju-hyun, Jung Da-bin, Nam Yoon-su
- Genres: Crime thriller, Psychological drama
- Number of Episodes: 10
Watch Extracurricular on Netflix
ALSO READ: 10 Best Romantic K-Dramas Released In 2023 You Must Watch
6. Reply 1988
Reply 1988 is among the greatest and longest K-Dramas beginners can start binge-watching. The stories of five families living in a Seoul suburb with five adolescent children each will transport you on a fascinating trip back to the late 1980s. Moreover, every character develops and changes throughout the story, paying many homages to everyday tasks and home cooking, demonstrating the changing nature of various dishes and home-cooked meals.
- Ratings: 98% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: November 6, 2015
- Director: Shin Won-ho
- Cast: Hyeri Lee, Go Kyung-pyo, Ryu Jun-yeol, Park Bo-gum
- Genres: Comedy, Romance
- Number of Episodes: 20
Watch Reply 1988 on Rakuten Viki
7. Boys Over Flowers
The story tells about the average schoolgirl Jan Di and her encounter with the four wealthiest and most privileged boys at her high school, also known as ‘F4’. While coming from a humble background in the dry cleaning industry, Jan Di is fortunate enough to get accepted into the esteemed Shin Hwa High School and receive a swimming scholarship for saving a life. However, Jan Di falls in love with one of the F4 boys after learning more about them and seeing past their flashy facade. Goo Joon Pyo struggles with his developing attraction to her at the same time.
- Ratings: 72% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: January 5, 2009
- Director: Jeon Ki-sang
- Cast: Koo Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Bum, Kim Joon
- Genres: Comedy, Romance, Drama
- Number of Episodes: 25
Watch Boys Over Flowers on Netflix
8. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin)
The Guardian: The Lonely and Great God also known as Goblin is an iconic K-Drama based on fantasy, romance, and comedy. Goblin has been praised by everyone and is one of the most loved Korean Dramas. A rom-com and angst mixed, this series opens with a 900-year-old immortal goblin tasked with protecting souls in danger, battling the Grim Reaper. Moreover, Goblin knows that finding his destiny wife is necessary to lift his curse of immortality.
- Ratings: 100% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: December 2, 2016
- Director: Lee Eung-bok
- Cast: Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Wook Lee-dong
- Genres: Fantasy, Romance
- Number of Episodes: 16
ALSO READ: 7 Best Upcoming K-Dramas of 2024: Knight Flower, Doctor Slump and More
9. The Glory
The Glory, one of the most watched and loved K-Dramas in recent years, offers par excellence with all the elements beginners could ask for. Glory centers on a determined person seeking revenge for her old classmates who tortured her to the point of trauma and bodily harm. The show opens with Song Hye-kyo’s main character, returning to her old classmates’ lives after years of plotting her revenge.
- Ratings: 89% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: December 30, 2022
- Director: Ahn Gil-ho
- Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeom Hye-ran, Park Sung-hoon, Jung Sung-il
- Genres: Revenge, Psychological thriller
- Number of Episodes: 16
10. Bloodhounds
Bloodhounds is a blend of action and crime. This Drama may be simple yet interesting. To become accustomed to the clumsy battle scenes that occasionally appear in drama-focused series because genre blending is such a prevalent feature of K-dramas. Moreover, Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi play two budding boxers in the series who band together to take down a notorious criminal loan shark causing community trouble.
- Ratings: 88% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: June 9, 2023
- Director: Kim Joo-hwan
- Cast: Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi, Park Sung-woong, Huh Joon-ho
- Genres: Action, Crime
- Number of Episodes: 8
11. True Beauty
True Beauty is one of the fun school-life K-Dramas for beginners. The show is full of the usual tropes and the comedy is what drives the episodes. The protagonist of the narrative, a girl who is being badly bullied by her classmates for being ugly, realizes that switching schools and picking up makeup usage abilities will totally change her life.
- Ratings: 90% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: December 9, 2020
- Director: Kim Sang-hyeop
- Cast: Mun Ka-young, Cha Eun-woo, Hwang In-youp, and Park Yoo-na
- Genres: Romance, Slice of life, Comedy
- Number of Episodes: 16
12. Business Proposal
The tale depicts the life of a girl who goes on a blind date to cover up and replace her friend. She later finds out that her date is the CEO of the company she works for. The business proposal is a fun and humorous show for fans of romantic comedies. So, if you’re keen to watch office romance and want to experience the great chemistry between the main leads, then picking up this show will be the best choice for a beginner.
- Ratings: 92% Rotten Tomatoes
- Release Date: February 28, 2022
- Director: Park Seon-ho
- Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-kyu
- Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance
- Number of Episodes: 12
Watch Business Proposal on Netflix
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