The best K-dramas to start with are Crash Landing on You, Reply 1988, Goblin, Extraordinary Attorney Woo and When Life Gives You Tangerines. Each is a complete 16 to 24 episode story, most stream on Netflix, and together they cover romance, comedy, family drama and fantasy, the genres Korean TV does best.
Korean dramas usually run for one season with a fixed ending, which makes them easier to commit to than most American series. The hard part is choosing where to begin. The 12 shows below mix older favourites with recent hits, and each entry lists the year, lead cast and where it has been confirmed to stream. Availability varies by country, so check your local Netflix or Disney+ library first.
Looking for darker picks? Read our list of Korean thriller series in the series section.
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Quick facts: the 12 picks at a glance
| Drama | Year | Lead cast | Episodes | Where it streams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crash Landing on You | 2019 | Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin | 16 | Netflix |
| Reply 1988 | 2015 | Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, Ryu Jun-yeol | 20 | Netflix (some countries) |
| Goblin | 2016 | Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun, Lee Dong-wook | 16 | Netflix (some countries) |
| Descendants of the Sun | 2016 | Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo | 16 | Netflix |
| My Mister | 2018 | Lee Sun-kyun, IU | 16 | Netflix (some countries) |
| Mr. Sunshine | 2018 | Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-ri | 24 | Netflix |
| Itaewon Class | 2020 | Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi | 16 | Netflix |
| Hospital Playlist | 2020 | Jo Jung-suk, Jeon Mi-do | 2 seasons | Netflix |
| Twenty-Five Twenty-One | 2022 | Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk | 16 | Netflix |
| Extraordinary Attorney Woo | 2022 | Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh | 16 | Netflix (selected regions) |
| Moving | 2023 | Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo, Zo In-sung | 20 | Disney+, Hulu (US) |
| When Life Gives You Tangerines | 2025 | IU, Park Bo-gum | 16 | Netflix |
1. Crash Landing on You (2019)
A South Korean heiress paraglides into a storm and lands in North Korea, where an army captain hides her and tries to get her home. Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin lead the cast. Park Ji-eun wrote it and it aired on tvN from December 2019 to February 2020.
It became the highest-rated drama in tvN history at the time, a record it held until Queen of Tears in 2024. Netflix holds exclusive rights in more than 190 countries.
Why it made the list: the most common gateway into K-dramas, with romance, comedy and tension in equal measure.
2. Reply 1988 (2015)
Five families share a small alley in Seoul in 1988, and the show follows their children growing up through friendship, first love and exams. Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum and Ryu Jun-yeol lead the young cast. Shin Won-ho directed it and Lee Woo-jung wrote it.
Its finale averaged 18.8% nationwide, the highest for a Korean cable drama at the time of airing. It is listed on Netflix in selected countries. Episodes run 90 minutes or more, so take it slowly.
Best for: viewers who like warm family shows and coming-of-age stories.
3. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016)
Better known as Goblin, this fantasy romance follows an immortal goblin who can only die when his bride removes the sword in his chest. Gong Yoo, Kim Go-eun and Lee Dong-wook star, and Kim Eun-sook wrote it. It aired on tvN from December 2016 to January 2017.
It was the first cable drama to cross 20% in ratings. Netflix lists it in selected countries under its full title.
Why it made the list: a strong cast, a memorable soundtrack and a love story with real stakes.
4. Descendants of the Sun (2016)
An army captain and a surgeon fall for each other, then meet again when both are posted to a fictional war-torn country. Song Joong-ki and Song Hye-kyo lead the cast. Kim Eun-sook and Kim Won-seok wrote it, and it aired on KBS2 in 2016.
Its final episode hit 38.8% nationwide, and Netflix added it for international viewers later that year.
Best for: viewers who want classic, big-screen-style romance.
5. My Mister (2018)
A tired middle-aged engineer and a young woman crushed by debt form an unlikely bond in a cold office world. Lee Sun-kyun and IU (credited as Lee Ji-eun) lead the 16 episodes, written by Park Hae-young. It won Best Drama at the 2019 Baeksang Arts Awards.
It is listed on Netflix in selected countries. It starts quiet and heavy, but the payoff is worth the patience.
Why it made the list: grown-up writing and two of the best lead performances on this list.
6. Mr. Sunshine (2018)
A Korean-born US Marine officer returns to his birth country in the early 1900s and becomes tangled up with a noblewoman secretly fighting for independence. Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-ri star. Kim Eun-sook wrote it, and Lee Eung-bok directed the 24 episodes.
Netflix bought international rights covering more than 190 countries.
Best for: viewers who enjoy period drama and large-scale storytelling.
7. Itaewon Class (2020)
After his father dies and he is sent to prison, a young man opens a bar in Seoul’s Itaewon area and plans revenge on the businessman he blames for his father’s death. Park Seo-joon and Kim Da-mi lead the cast. It is based on Gwang Jin’s webtoon and aired on JTBC in 2020.
Netflix streams it worldwide.
Why it made the list: a fast underdog story that hooks viewers from episode one.
8. Hospital Playlist (2020)
Five doctors who have been friends since medical school work at the same hospital and play in a band together. Jo Jung-suk, Yoo Yeon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Kim Dae-myung and Jeon Mi-do lead the two seasons, which aired on tvN in 2020 and 2021. The Reply 1988 team of Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung made it.
Netflix released episodes in Asia-Pacific, Latin America and English-speaking countries.
Best for: viewers who want a comforting show about friendship.
9. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022)
A teenage fencer chases her dream during the 1998 Asian financial crisis and grows close to a young man whose family has lost everything. Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk lead the cast, and Kwon Do-eun wrote it. It aired on tvN in 2022 and streams on Netflix.
Why it made the list: a strong youth drama about ambition and growing up.
10. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
A brilliant autistic lawyer starts work at a top Seoul law firm. Park Eun-bin plays Woo Young-woo, with Kang Tae-oh and Kang Ki-young. The show aired on ENA in 2022 and became the most-viewed non-English show on Netflix globally for two weeks that July.
It later won the Grand Prize for television at the 2023 Baeksang Arts Awards. Netflix streams it in selected regions.
Best for: viewers who like legal dramas with a case of the week.
11. Moving (2023)
Parents with hidden superpowers try to protect their teenage children, who are starting to show powers of their own. Ryu Seung-ryong, Han Hyo-joo and Zo In-sung lead the cast. Kang Full adapted his own webtoon for the 20 episodes.
It streams on Disney+, and on Hulu in the US. It won the Grand Prize for television at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, and Disney+ announced a second season in November 2024.
Why it made the list: a superhero series with strong family drama at its core.
12. When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025)
This Netflix series follows a woman from Jeju Island and the man who loves her over several decades of their lives. IU and Park Bo-gum play the younger couple, with Moon So-ri and Park Hae-joon as their older selves. Lim Sang-choon wrote it and Kim Won-seok directed it.
It won Best Drama at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards, and Time named it the best Korean drama of 2025.
Best for: viewers who want a recent, emotional family story.
Which K-drama should you start with?
- Romance: Crash Landing on You, Goblin or Descendants of the Sun.
- Feel-good: Hospital Playlist or Reply 1988.
- Serious drama: My Mister or Mr. Sunshine.
- Something recent: When Life Gives You Tangerines or Moving.
For more ranked lists of films and shows, see our listicles page, or read our reviews.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best K-drama for a first-time viewer?
Crash Landing on You is the most common starting point. It is 16 episodes long, streams on Netflix in most countries and mixes romance with comedy.
How many episodes does a K-drama usually have?
Most run 16 episodes in a single season. Some, like Mr. Sunshine and Moving, run longer, and a few, like Hospital Playlist, have more than one season.
Where can I watch K-dramas legally?
Netflix carries most of the titles on this list. Moving streams on Disney+, and on Hulu in the US. Availability varies by country.
Which K-drama is good for families?
Reply 1988 and Hospital Playlist are gentle, funny and focused on family and friendship, so they suit most age groups.
Sources: drama details from Wikipedia entries for Crash Landing on You, Extraordinary Attorney Woo and When Life Gives You Tangerines; Netflix title listings for Reply 1988 and My Mister.
