Top 20 Korean TV Series in 2025: Your Ultimate Guide to This Year's Best Dramas
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2025 has delivered an exceptional year for Korean drama, featuring an impressive range of genres and storytelling styles that continue to captivate audiences worldwide. Here's a comprehensive guide to the year's most compelling series.
1. When Life Gives You Tangerines
Genre: Romance, Slice-of-Life, Drama
Platform: Netflix
This sweeping romantic drama stars IU and Park Bo-gum in a narrative spanning decades on Jeju Island. The series follows Ae-sun and Gwan-sik's relationship from youth through adulthood, exploring themes of sacrifice, societal pressures, and enduring love. IU's dual performance showcases exceptional range, while the cinematography transforms Jeju Island into an integral part of the narrative. With a 9.1/10 IMDb rating, this drama has become the defining romantic work of 2025.
2. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Historical Fiction
Platform: Netflix, Disney+
Achieving a remarkable 17.1% Korean viewership rating, this time-travel fantasy follows a modern chef who mysteriously arrives in the Joseon Dynasty and must navigate palace intrigue using her culinary skills to win over a cold-hearted king. The series brilliantly subverts period drama conventions while delivering stunning food cinematography and genuine romantic chemistry that resonates with global audiences.
3. The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call
Genre: Medical Drama, Action
Platform: Netflix
Led by Ju Ji-hoon, this eight-episode medical thriller follows an elite trauma center team racing against time to save lives. With an 8.4/10 IMDb rating, the series masterfully balances heart-pounding emergency room scenes with deeply human storytelling about compassion and medical ethics. It notably surpassed other high-profile releases in streaming rankings.
4. Buried Hearts
Genre: Revenge Thriller
Platform: SBS, Disney+
Park Hyung-sik delivers a magnetic performance in this revenge thriller about a corporate executive who steals billions from a political slush fund before being attacked and left with amnesia. Achieving 15.4% Korean viewership ratings, the series weaves complex plot threads exploring betrayal, ambition, and corruption without relying on melodrama.
5. The Haunted Palace
Genre: Fantasy, Historical Romance, Comedy
Platform: SBS, Viki
This series blends period fantasy with romantic comedy, following a shaman who rejects her destiny and encounters a powerful spirit trapped in the body of her first love. With an average 9.5% Korean viewership rating, the show balances supernatural intrigue with comedic moments, featuring authentic Joseon-era production design.
6. Love Scout
Genre: Workplace Romance
Platform: SBS
Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk star in this refreshing workplace romance about a perfectionist CEO and her capable secretary. Achieving 12% Korean viewership ratings, the series succeeds through organic character development and witty dialogue that prioritizes genuine connection over typical melodrama.
7. The Art of Negotiation
Genre: Corporate Drama, Business
Platform: JTBC
This high-stakes corporate drama follows a legendary negotiator navigating mergers and acquisitions. With 10.3% Korean viewership ratings, the series treats business negotiations as genuinely dramatic while exploring themes of ambition, loyalty, and corporate ethics through tense boardroom encounters.
8. Tempest
Genre: Spy Romance, Action
Platform: Disney+, Hulu
Starring Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won, this series follows a diplomat and mysterious mercenary uncovering a deadly conspiracy threatening the Korean Peninsula. The high-production-value drama features impressive action sequences and marks John Cho's lead role in a Korean drama, combining geopolitical intrigue with genuine romance.
9. Heavenly Ever After
Genre: Romantic Fantasy
Platform: JTBC, Netflix
An elderly woman reunites with her husband in heaven, but chooses to remain 80 years old while he reverts to his 30s. With 6.4% average Korean viewership ratings, the series offers heartwarming comedy and profound reflection on aging, love, and long-term partnership through Kim Hye-ja and Son Suk-ku's nuanced performances.
10. Weak Hero Class 2
Genre: Youth, Action, School Drama
Platform: Netflix
This sequel follows a traumatized student transferring to a new school and discovering his true strength lies in intellectual strategy rather than physical prowess. The series balances intense action with genuine character development and authentic friendship dynamics, proving school dramas remain compelling through intelligent protagonists.
11. Resident Playbook
Genre: Medical, Slice-of-Life, Workplace
Platform: Netflix, tvN
From the creators of Hospital Playlist, this series follows young OB-GYN residents navigating medical training, personal relationships, and professional growth. With 8.1% Korean viewership ratings, it succeeds through balancing humor, medical authenticity, and genuine human connection rather than focusing solely on dramatic emergencies.
12. Motel California
Genre: Romance, Slice-of-Life, Melodrama
Platform: Rakuten Viki, MBC
Lee Se-young excels as a successful interior designer returning to her hometown where she reunites with her first love, now a veterinarian. The series stands out through its nuanced protagonist and authentic rural setting, exploring themes of second chances and how past traumas shape present relationships.
13. Our Unwritten Seoul
Genre: Slice-of-Life, Comedy-Drama
Platform: Netflix, tvN
Park Bo-young captivates in this series about identical twins swapping identities to escape personal crises. With 8.4% Korean viewership ratings, the drama balances comedic moments with genuine emotional depth while exploring themes of identity, belonging, and self-discovery.
14. Beyond the Bar
Genre: Legal Drama, Workplace
Platform: JTBC, Netflix
This compelling legal drama follows rookie lawyer Kang Hyo-min navigating a prestigious law firm with experienced mentor Yoon Seok-hoon. Achieving 7.2% average Korean viewership ratings, the series offers sharp writing and engaging case-driven narratives while developing authentic character relationships.
15. Dear Hongrang
Genre: Mystery, Melodrama, Historical Fantasy
Platform: Netflix
Lee Jae-wook and Jo Bo-ah star in this mystery melodrama sageuk combining historical elements with contemporary storytelling about a mysterious disappearance. The series proves that period dramas can be both emotionally resonant and intellectually engaging through layered narratives.
16. Undercover High School
Genre: Action, Comedy, Spy
Platform: MBC
An NIS agent goes undercover as a high school student, creating an entertaining spy-comedy hybrid with 8.3% Korean viewership ratings. Seo Kang-joon balances action sequences with comedic timing, finding humor in the clash between adult intelligence and teenage circumstances while exploring his character's missing father mystery.
17. Mercy for None
Genre: Action Noir, Crime, Revenge
Platform: Netflix
So Ji-sub returns as a former criminal drawn back into the underworld to avenge his brother's murder. The series delivers intense action sequences and gritty atmosphere while exploring redemption and the cyclical nature of violence with moral complexity.
18. My Dearest Nemesis
Genre: Workplace Romance, Comedy
Platform: tvN, Viki
Moon Ga-young and Choi Hyun-wook deliver sparkling chemistry in this webtoon adaptation about former online gaming rivals reuniting as boss and employee. While achieving 4.2% Korean viewership ratings, the series topped Viki's global charts in 136 countries, proving clever premises and strong chemistry transcend regional boundaries.
19. Tastefully Yours
Genre: Romance, Food, Slice-of-Life
Platform: ENA, Genie TV
A food company heir and passionate rural chef clash and eventually fall for each other while running a small eatery in Jeonju. With 7.3/10 IMDb ratings, the series offers stunning food cinematography and genuine chemistry while exploring culinary passion and unexpected connection.
20. When the Stars Gossip
Genre: Sci-Fi Romance, Comedy
Platform: Netflix, tvN
Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin star in the first romantic comedy set entirely in a space station. Though achieving modest Korean viewership, the series gained international attention for its innovative premise, charming character dynamics, and exploration of romance in extraordinary circumstances.
2025 has showcased Korean television's continued excellence across diverse genres—from intimate character studies to sweeping historical fantasies, intense thrillers, and heartwarming slice-of-life narratives. These twenty series represent the year's finest offerings, demonstrating why Korean drama continues captivating global audiences through innovative storytelling, authentic character development, and emotional authenticity.