If you are new to K-dramas, start with an easy romantic comedy like What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim or a big crowd favourite like Crash Landing on You. Then try other genres: Signal for crime, Kingdom for period horror, Goblin for fantasy and Reply 1988 for family comedy. Most popular K-dramas stream on Netflix in India.
Korean dramas are now a regular part of Indian watchlists, helped by Netflix and Hindi dubs. This refreshed beginner’s guide answers the usual questions and sorts the best starting points by genre, with a few newer shows from 2023 to 2025 added.
A beginner’s guide to K-dramas: the questions everyone asks
Is there anything you should know before watching your first K-drama?
A few things. Most K-dramas are a single season of 12 to 20 episodes, each about an hour long, with a complete story. That makes them easier to finish than long American shows.
You will also see familiar tropes: love triangles, the “second lead” who loves the heroine but never gets her, contract relationships, rich heirs, amnesia and long scenes of people eating. Once you spot them, they become part of the fun.
Aren’t most K-dramas cheesy romances?
Many are romances, but not all are cheesy. Korean TV also makes tight crime thrillers, legal dramas, zombie shows, political stories and slow family dramas. If romance is not your thing, skip to the thriller or drama sections below.
What should you watch first? K-dramas by genre
1. Romantic comedy
- What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim (2018): a vain vice-chairman panics when his perfect secretary decides to quit.
- Her Private Life (2019): an art curator hides her life as a fan of a K-pop idol from her new boss.
- Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017): a woman with super strength becomes a bodyguard to a gaming company CEO.
- Coffee Prince (2007) and Full House (2004): older classics many fans still rewatch.
- Touch Your Heart (2019): an actress takes a job as a secretary at a law firm to prepare for a role.
2. Romantic drama
- Crash Landing on You (2019): a South Korean heiress paraglides into North Korea and meets a soldier. Streams on Netflix.
- It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020): a caregiver at a psychiatric ward and a children’s author with a dark past.
- Descendants of the Sun (2016), When the Camellia Blooms (2019), Romance Is a Bonus Book (2019) and When the Weather Is Fine (2020) round out the list.
- Newer pick, Queen of Tears (2024): a married couple in crisis, starring Kim Ji-won. It became one of tvN’s highest-rated dramas. Streams on Netflix.
3. Action
- Healer (2014): a night courier with fighting skills gets pulled into a decades-old mystery.
- Vagabond (2019): a stuntman investigates the plane crash that killed his nephew.
- Man to Man (2017) and Bad Guys (2014): spy action and a crew of criminals hired to catch worse criminals.
- Newer pick, Moving (2023): teenagers with hidden superpowers and the parents who protect them. Streams on JioHotstar.
4. Crime drama and thriller
- Signal (2016): a detective talks to a cop from the past through an old walkie-talkie to solve cold cases.
- Stranger (2017): a prosecutor with no emotions and a detective expose corruption.
- Vincenzo (2021): a Korean-Italian mafia lawyer takes on a corrupt corporation. Streams on Netflix.
- Voice (2017), Flower of Evil (2020) and Suspicious Partner (2017) are also good picks.
5. Period and historical drama
- Kingdom (2019): a crown prince fights a zombie plague in Joseon-era Korea. A Netflix original.
- Love in the Moonlight (2016), Hwarang (2016), Queen for Seven Days (2017) and 100 Days My Prince (2018): palace romance and politics.
6. Fantasy drama
- Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin, 2016): an immortal goblin needs a human bride to end his life. Streams on Netflix.
- Hotel Del Luna (2019): a hotel for ghosts run by a cursed owner.
- My Love from the Star (2013), Legend of the Blue Sea (2016), The King: Eternal Monarch (2020) and Tale of the Nine Tailed (2020) complete the list.
7. Comedy
- Reply 1988 (2015): five families and a group of friends in a Seoul neighbourhood in the late 1980s. Streams on Netflix.
- The Fiery Priest (2019): a hot-tempered Catholic priest teams up with a detective.
- Welcome to Waikiki (2018), The Sound of Your Heart (2016) and Rooftop Prince (2012) are lighter options.
8. Drama
- SKY Castle (2018): rich parents in a gated community push their children to get into top universities.
- The World of the Married (2020): a doctor discovers her husband’s affair. It set ratings records for Korean cable TV.
- Graceful Friends (2020) and Mine (2021): secrets inside friendships and a wealthy family.
- Newer pick, When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025): a life story set on Jeju Island, starring IU and Park Bo-gum. Streams on Netflix.
Why are there so many Samsung and Subway stores in K-dramas?
Product placement, known in Korea as PPL, pays for a big part of drama budgets. So you will see characters eating at Subway, drinking a certain coffee, or using the latest Samsung phone in a carefully lit close-up. Fans joke about it, but it is simply how many shows are funded.
What do you do once you have finished a K-drama?
Expect a “drama hangover”. Many viewers follow the actors on Instagram, listen to the OST on Spotify, watch behind-the-scenes clips on the channel’s YouTube page, or pick the lead actor’s next show. You can also read reviews to see what others thought. Find more in our series section and reviews.
Frequently asked questions
Which K-drama should a beginner watch first?
Crash Landing on You or What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim are easy starting points. For thrillers, try Signal or Vincenzo.
Where can I watch K-dramas in India?
Netflix has the biggest K-drama library in India. Some titles, like Moving, stream on JioHotstar.
How long is a K-drama?
Most run 12 to 20 episodes of about an hour each, usually in a single season.
Are K-dramas available in Hindi?
Yes. Many popular titles on Netflix offer Hindi audio or subtitles, though it varies by show.
Sources: Wikipedia: Crash Landing on You, Wikipedia: Queen of Tears, Wikipedia: When Life Gives You Tangerines, JustWatch India.
