Last updated on 2023-07-24, by Cassie

The 8 Best Korean Dramas & New K-dramas to Watch in 2023

Popularly referred to as K-drama, Korean Drama has gained much popularity in recent years through various streaming services such as Netflix, Amazon, etc. With a strong narrative and brilliant portrayal of characters, these dramas can be easily enjoyed at any point in your life, whether you’re helplessly in love or feeling down and out. It’s hard not to get addicted to K-dramas like Crash Landing on You or Squid Game for their take on romance, action, and societal norms. TV enthusiasts often binge-watch the series more than once.

Here in this post, we have outlined several best Korean dramas of all time and new K-dramas for you to watch in 2023.

Part 1: The 8 Best Korean Dramas of All Time

If you are a K-dramas show fan and would like to get the best Korean dramas, or if you want to know why Korean drama shows have been so appealing, the below Korean dramas would be your first choice.

1. Squid Game

The show that launched Korean shows on Netflix into new living rooms worldwide, Squid Game is a brutal yet thrilling drama series with heart. It set records when it came out in 2021, reaching number one in Netflix’s top 10 in 94 different countries, including the US and UK. The show centers around contestants on a game show that recruits people in debt and offers them a tantalizing prize – but that prize comes with a deadly cost. If you haven’t watched Squid Game yet, it’s an absolute must-watch for anyone interested in the best Korean dramas on Netflix – and has already been renewed for a second season.

2. Crash Landing on You

Yoon Se-ri is a South Korean successful entrepreneur and a chaebol heiress. One day, while paragliding in Seoul, a tornado blows her off course. As a result, she crash-lands into the North Korean portion of the DMZ. Ri Jeong-hyeok is a member of the North Korean elite and a captain in the Korean People’s Army. As he is patrolling, he meets Se-ri and saves her. Having decided to help her go back to the South, he hides her from other North Koreans, especially Cho Cheol-gang who is out to expose him. As they spend time together, they fall in love.

3. My Name

This gripping crime drama follows a woman set on avenging her gangster father’s death. To do so, she joins a gang, then infiltrates the local police under a fake name, where she’s partnered with a young narcotics detective. With a touch of film noir-like style and hard-hitting fight scenes, My Name is a treat for any fan of crime dramas.

4. My Love From the Star

“My Love From the Star” is a drama that took all of Asia by storm. Kim Soo Hyun stars in this drama as Do Min Joon, an alien with a chip on his shoulder who falls in love with the vain and outrageous actress Cheon Song Yi. This series is one that cannot be left out of a list like this. “My Love From the Star” is said to have single-handedly started one of the biggest Hallyu waves all across Asia. This series shot Kim Soo Hyun to stardom, and he continues to be one of the most sought-after actors in the industry. The story about an actress who falls in love with an alien is one that may have initially sounded obscure, but it ended up being epically grand.

5. Mr. Sunshine

Years after his escape to the United States in 1871, slave-turned-marine Eugene Choi returns to Korea on an international mission. He couldn’t have imagined that his return would come with colonizers, samurai, and noblemen as adversaries—or that he would fall in love with a member of the militia, Ae-shin Go, who fights for the Righteous Army. As he faces enemies on all sides, Eugene must also face the differences in class between him and Ae-shin.

Featuring several characters straight from Korea’s history, Mr. Sunshine takes place against the backdrop of Joseon’s fight for freedom, creating high stakes and plenty of emotional tension. If you crave romantic melodrama with a foundation in history, this show is exactly what you need.

6. The Glory

A recent addition to Netflix’s list of must-watch K-dramas, The Glory has a brilliant cast and is also based on true stories of bullying. With Song Hye-kyo taking over the role of the protagonist, Moon Dong-eun, the show focuses on how she was inhumanely bullied during her high school days by Park Yeon-jin and her friends, and her journey to finally get revenge. The Glory is definitely not for the weak-hearted, as the scenes of bullying can be quite grotesque. Moreover, the show does not shy away from revealing the corrupt nature of the rich and how big of an issue bullying is in South Korea.

7. Kingdom

Two subjects K-dramas do extremely well: historical epics and zombie horror. Put them together and you get the first Netflix original drama to become an international hit. As a mysterious plague moves through the country, a crown prince sets out to find the source. Luckily, this drama doesn’t end at one season, with a spin-off film premiering this year and a third season reportedly in the works.

8. Descendants of the Sun

“Descendants of the Sun” is another blockbuster series that brought in a huge wave of international fans. People fell absolutely head over heels in love with Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo. There was something about an army captain falling in love with a doctor that people couldn’t get enough of. Their chemistry is palpable and undeniable as the two even later went on to become a couple in real life. Although the series at times seemed over-the-top, it managed to draw in an immense amount of viewers and love.

If you want more top K-dramas, you could refer to others like Goblin, Signal, Love in the Moonlight, Stranger, My Mister, Beyond Evil, The World of the Married, The Red Sleeve, Reply 1988, Sky Castle, Inspector Koo, The Good Detective, Vagabond, Voice, Stranger, etc.

Part 2: New K-dramas to Watch in 2023

With 2023 getting into the second half, there are quite a few new K-dramas that you shouldn’t miss. Here we have collected a list of the upcoming K-dramas to watch in 2023. Besides, there are also some K-dramas that could be released on Netflix this year. If you are a Netflix subscriber, you will be entitled to watch these K-dramas on Netflix easily. Check these Korean dramas below.