10 best original Netflix K-dramas to stream

Pouring billions into the K-drama global phenomenon, Netflix has nurtured some of Hallyu Wave’s most celebrated narratives, ranging from The Glory to award-winning hits like Squid Game.

Devoted enthusiasts understand that numerous K-dramas are collaboratively crafted in partnership with Korean production entities such as JTBC or tvN. Netflix bartered deals to have original K-dramas exclusively streamed on their platform or in some cases be developed only for Netflix.

Netflix began to see some of its major success with tvN’s Crash Landing On You. It soon became the frontrunner for original K-dramas and movies. Over the past few years, K-drama fans have seen multiple storylines based on webtoons and original storylines.

When it comes to the most binge-worthy and streamable K-dramas, there are multiple genres to sift through. While Squid Game broke free into Hollywood, there are other worthwhile dramas. Here is a list of classic K-dramas to stream from Netflix from horror to romance, and fantasy.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo highlights talented autistic lawyer

While airing on ENA in Korea, Netflix premiered Extraordinary Attorney Woo, which centers around an autistic lawyer and her battles in and outside the courtroom.

Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin) was raised by a single father and is on the autism spectrum. Despite her lack of communication as a child, she showed immense photographic memory in remembering criminal codes and laws. Nurturing her ability, her father had her pursue a career as a lawyer.

While Young-woo graduated at the top of her class, she was rejected by every law firm due to her autism. Calling in a favor, her father gets her a job at Hanbada Law Firm. For the first time, Young-woo has to navigate the workforce, her personal life, and even love. She must prove her worth inside and outside the courtroom as she and her team deal with morally challenging cases.

Netflix Extraordinary Attorney Woo K-drama has 16 episodes.

King the Land stars two K-Pop idols

In 2023, Netflix’s King the Land became a fan favorite as it hit all major storyline tropes with no extreme moments of distress or drama.

The Netflix original is a classic boss-employee romance as a cold-hearted hotel prince falls for a kind-hearted employee. Goo Won (Lee Jun-ho) was born with a golden spoon as his father owns one of the most expensive hotels in Korea. But it led him to be less than enthusiastic about putting in a hard day’s work. That all changes when he is thrust into an inheritance war with his step-sister.

With the loss of his mother as a child and his haunting past, he lacks empathy and hates to smile. He soon meets the hotel’s top employee, Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah). She is praised for her dedication to the hotel and its guest, as well as her perfect smile. The two characters meet and begin to fall in love.

King the Land is a 16-episode K-drama.

D.P. was praised for its portrayal of military mistreatment

While many K-dramas are full of romance, comedy, and lightheartedness, Netflix’s D.P. K-drama portrayed the reality of mandatory military enlistment with its physical and mental mistreatment by superiors.

In 2021, the webtoon-based K-drama D.P. premiered. Its storyline magnified the undesirable and dark aspect of mandatory enlistment. Private Ahn Joon-ho (Jung Hae-in) joins the military and witnesses it firsthand when he joins the Deserters Pursuit Team. Alongside Corporal Han Ho-yeol (Koo Kyo-hwan), they return to society to track down AWOL soldiers. While looking into why the soldiers deserted, they are struck with the brutal reality of their mistreatment.

South Korea has a law making every male Korean citizen required to serve at least two years in a branch of the military between 18 and 30. But, the country has often been plagued by reports of military superiors verbally and physically abusing fellow soldiers. Some even lead to death.

D.P. is not for the faint of heart due to its graphic scenes and has 12 episodes. D.P. Season 2 is also available on Netflix.

Kingdom was Netflix’s first zombie K-drama

Created exclusively for Netflix, Kingdom was the streamer’s first zombie horror storyline that takes place in the 16th century amid a deadly outbreak.

In 2020, everyone was gaga over zombies and the undead. Kingdom was Netflix’s first original K-drama based on the webtoon-based storyline created by Kim Eun-hee and artist Yang Kyung-il. There is some historical context as Kingdom takes place three years after Imkin War in a fictional Joseon.

Fans follow Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), the Crown Prince of Joseon who begins to investigate a sudden illness that caused his father, the king, to die. During his pursuits, he finds himself in the middle of a ravenous plague that turns people into blood-thirsty zombies. While Kingdom deals with the undead, Lee Chang also uncovers political turmoil and betrayal.

Both seasons of Kingdom consist of 12 episodes and are available on Netflix. Fans can also watch the sidequel Ashen of the North.

Sweet Home delivered some K-drama monster flavor

Netflix’s Sweet Home has building tenants in the middle of an outbreak as anyone can turn into a monster based on their inner desires.

Sweet Home is an apocalyptic thriller based on the popular webtoon of the same name by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan. Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang) loses his family and moves into a new apartment building. Overnight, South Korea descends into an apocalypse as humans turn into monsters. The residents and Hyun-soo are trapped inside looking to survive.

The problem is that anyone can turn in an instant. Hyun-soo shows signs and powers but retains his humanity. Sweet Home was greenlighted for Seasons 2 and 3. Song Kang returns as Hyun-soo, as well as some of the main cast.

Sweet Home Season 2 is expected to have a 2023 release date and the series has been green-lit for a third season.

The Glory was a Netflix Top 10 K-drama for weeks

Fans knew The Glory would be an immediate success for the streaming platform when it was announced Song would lead as Moon Dong-eun alongside Lee Do-hyun as Joo Yeo-jeong. When it comes to revenge thrillers, K-dramas do it right, hitting every marker for a riveting storyline. The Glory gained global praise for its depiction of South Korea’s bullying epidemic.

Dong-eun once dreamed of becoming an architect. But, when she becomes the target of school bully Park Yeon-jin (Lim Ji-yeon), her life becomes full of pain and torment. She is unable to seek justice as Yeon-jin and her group of friends come from rich families. With no other choice, Dong-eun drops out of school.

Permanently scarred by what she went through, Dong-eun vows absolute revenge and to destroy their lives. Decades later, she is ready to start her master plan of manipulation and schemes to desotry Yeon-jin from the shadows. Along the way, she meets Yeo-jeong, who is also consumed by his past and vows to help her.

The Glory was split into two parts with a total of 16 episodes available on Netflix.

Mask Girl takes the evolution of one character to new heights

There is nothing better than a K-drama storyline full of deceit, double personas, murder, and a redemption story. Mask Girl focuses on Kim Mo-mi (Lee Han-byeol). She wanted nothing more than to become a performer and have adoring fans. But as she grew up, she was teased for being ugly.

Now a mundane office worker, she became an online streaming Personality named Mask Girl. While her only solace in life, it comes crashing down due to one accident during a stream. Her story falls in line with her coworker Joo Oh-nam (Ahn Jae-hong), who discovers her secret and has a crush on Mask Girl.

When Oh-nam and Mo-mi disappear and are involved in a murder, Oh-nam’s mother will stop at nothing to find Mask Girl. The Netflix K-drama shows the evolution of Mo-mi through three different stages of her life, and an unexpected finale of love.

Mask Girl is a seven-episode K-drama.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a realistic story about first loves

One of 2022’s most talked-about Netflix K-dramas was the coming-of-age romance Twenty-Five Twenty-One. Its storyline was one fans never expected as the leading characters go through the trials and tribulations of falling in love and being pulled apart.

Na Hee-do (Kim Tae-ri)  is a fencing prodigy and joins her fellow idol’s school when her team is cut during the IMF crisis. While trying to prove herself to her, she meets Baek Yi-jin (Nam Joo-hyuk). His family was upper class until the IMF crisis took everything, leaving him to pick up the pieces and make money. The two characters have a fated encounter that leads them to develop a strong bond.

Along the way, fans watch their story develop into a young romance. The Netflix K-drama has a realistic portrayal of young love as the characters become adults. The fun behind the storyline is Hee-do and Yi-jin’s narrative being told by Hee-do’s present-day daughter. But fans are unclear on who her father is.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One has a total of 16 episodes.

Netflix’s Hospital Playlist is a medical K-drama staple

Hospital Playlist is the second installment of Shin Won-ho’s Wise Life series. The Slice of Life K-drama follows  Lee Ik-jun (Jo Jung-suk), Ahn Jeong-won (Yoo Yeon-seok), Kim Jun-wan (Jung Kyung-ho), Yang Seok-hyeong (Kim Dae-myung) and Chae Song-hwa (Jeon Mi-do) working at Yulje Medical Center.

They have been friends since medical school and took up a different department once they graduated. Fans adore the K-drama for its lighthearted and comedic moments combined with its realistic portrayal of how the characters deal with life changes.

Each character has their own story to tell. No matter the circumstances, the group always comes together no matter what to perform as a cover band. Hospital Playlist ended with its second season, with fans hoping for a third.

Hospital Playlist has two seasons consisting of 12 episodes.

Alchemy of Souls became Netflix’s top fantasy K-drama

In the made-up world of Daeho, mages exist by harnessing the powers of the lake. Alchemy of Souls follows the fated love story between a gifted mage named Jang Uk (Lee Jae-wook) and a mage assassin, Nak-su (Jung So-min).

The fantasy Netflix K-drama had fans hooked as Jang Uk’s unique birth led his father to seal his gate of power. Seeking a master to help unleash his potential, he meets Nak-su. Daeho lives in fear of the infamous mage assassin. While wounded during a battle, Nak-su used the forbidden alchemy of souls to transport her life force to a blind woman named Mu-deok.

Jang Uk is smart and recognizes Mu-deok as the real Nak-su that is being hunted. While keeping her secret, Nak-su agrees to train him while also in pursuit of regaining her powers. Their journey together is a fated story as their lives and backstories are intertwined beyond what they ever imagined.

Amid their story, someone in Daeho is pulling the strings to gain political control using the alchemy of souls. The fantasy K-drama gained further praise going into Season 2, as Go Yoon-jung replaced Jung as the female lead Nak-su in a well-established storyline.

Alchemy of Souls Season 1 has 20 episodes while Season 2 has 10 episodes.

You can read more about worthwhile Netflix K-dramas like Destined With You here, their first Korean animated movie Lost in Starlight here, and their 2023 Fall schedule here.