The Best K-Dramas on Netflix to Learn Korean

Korean dramas have had millions of households hooked, and have been breaking records for their millions of streaming numbers on Netflix.

The experts at award-winning language learning app Busuu, have researched the most binge-worthy K-drama shows that are also perfect for learning Korean.

Credit – Pixabay

According to data from Statista, K-drama viewership has been rising year on year, helped along by the increasing worldwide popularity of the Korean cultural influence from K-pop, K-beauty, and K-fashion.

Squid Game broke record numbers for Netflix and has been named the best Korean drama series. But for those who prefer a more light-hearted watch, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is the perfect choice, and for detective and crime fans? Check out Signal.

Netflix has a whole host of Korean dramas which will keep you captivated and clicking ‘continue watching’ for the rest of the day.

A spokesperson for Busuu said: “K-dramas have been hitting screens for years now, and there seems to be no end to the Korean Netflix trend, with series renewals and a whole load of different genres to get stuck into.

“Watching TV shows and films in Korean is a great way to help improve your own Korean language learning skills. Putting on some of the best K-dramas which Netflix has to offer will quickly boost your Korean understanding. It’s also an interesting way to immerse yourself with Korean culture and history.

“The influence of Korean culture has become a global phenomenon and K-dramas are in the midst of it. Netflix gives viewers all over the world the chance to take a deep dive into the language, history and the arts. And best of all, Korean dramas are totally binge worthy too!”

The best K-dramas to watch right now on Netflix to help learn Korean:

Squid Game (2021 – present)

Definitely add this global sensation to your Netflix ‘to watch’ list if you haven’t already. Squid Game was 2021’s record setting drama which reached number one in the Netflix top 10 chart in 94 different countries.

Squid Game is a thrilling Korean survival drama which showcases people in debt competing for a massive cash prize – but the reward comes at a deadly cost for the contestants. The show has already been confirmed for a second season for K-Drama fans and all Squid Game-loving households around the world.

My Name (2021)

My Name is the perfect watch for fans of crime dramas. It follows the journey of a woman who joins a gang to avenge her father’s death. She becomes the gang’s spy within the police force where she is partnered up with a young narcotics detective.

This K-Drama is packed with surprising plot twists and heartbreaking moments of pain and hard-hitting fight scenes. My Name is a brilliant female-led Korean Netflix series that is certainly binge-worthy for lovers of crime and investigative shows.

Mr Sunshine (2018)

Great for history and romance enthusiasts, Mr Sunshine follows the story of a man born into slavery who escapes to the United States in the 1800s from Joseon, but later returns as a US Marine. It is there where he falls in love with the granddaughter of a wealthy aristocrat who has been engaged since childhood to a nobleman.

Mr Sunshine is a thrilling K-Drama which focuses on their complicated love story, tied together with historical and political fascination. Although, as critics have warned, Mr Sunshine should be watched with some historical inaccuracy in mind, the series still remains a fun and intriguing way to learn a bit about Korean history.

Crash Landing On You (2019 – 2020)

This light-hearted K-drama was a massive success in Korea and abroad, telling the tale of a South Korean heiress who is swept up in a storm whilst paragliding and is blown over the demilitarised zone (DMZ) into North Korea. She is taken in by a handsome army captain, who decides to help her hide until she can return home.

Crash Landing On You hits the spot for fans of a captivating romance show – a great Netflix watch to immerse into Korean culture and the DMZ history.

Our Blues (2022)

This Korean series follows the day-to-day lives of the people who are living on Jeju Island, the largest island in South Korea. The show has been labelled as one of the best-rated dramas for Korean television and charmingly captures the everyday happenings from a wide range of characters. Our Blues is a beautiful watch too – with wonderful cinematography and beautiful backdrops.

Our Blues is the perfect K-drama watch for some light-hearted Netflix sessions. It’s a fantastic way to understand typical Korean culture and the big and small slice-of-life moments for the cast, from romance to work, friendships and families.

Signal (2016)

Another popular K-drama, Signal is a police and crime thriller with a suspenseful and unpredictable twist. The show follows a present-day criminal profiler who can talk across time to a police officer from 1989 after finding a walkie-talkie and leads to the cracking of a cold case.

Inspired by real-life criminal events in Korea, Signal is a great watch for crime junkies. This K-drama should definitely be on your Netflix ‘to watch’ list as it was also one of the highest-rated shows in Korean TV history – thanks to its suspenseful storylines, fantastic acting and intriguing writing.

Kingdom (2020 – present)

Kingdom was Netflix’s first original Korean series and received a mass of positive critical and commercial acclaim. The series follows a king and his son, who starts to investigate the strange illness that has come over the king, only to later discover a destructive zombie epidemic which is blazing across the kingdom.

The K-drama successfully ties together horror, thriller, politics and history and features surprising plot-twists and gory, nail-biting scenes. Kingdom is a perfect choice for horror lovers wanting to dip their toes into a suspenseful and gruesome Korean drama series.

Single’s Inferno (2021 – present)

Single’s Inferno is the ideal Netflix series for fans of reality TV. Singles looking for love are left to survive on a deserted island with the goal to find a partner so they can leave the island and head over to ‘paradise’. The flirty singletons are left to compete with one another and those who are left without a date have to fend for themselves on the island.

Reality dating shows are a hit all over the world, and Korea is no exception. Single’s Inferno is the latest love-filled K-drama to hit Netflix: the ultimate choice for those seeking binge-worthy romantic reality TV.

Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022 – present)

This K-drama is a hit for fans of a romance drama. Twenty-Five Twenty-One tells the story of five characters and their love lives from the 90s to present day. Depicting high-school dramas and first loves, this series is a charming and nostalgic Netflix watch.

Emotional, funny and light-hearted, Twenty-Five Twenty-One features a brilliant soundtrack alongside heartfelt storylines to produce an easy-going, sentimental coming-of-age K-drama.

All Of Us Are Dead (2022 – present)

All Of Us Are Dead is the successful Netflix horror series depicting teens trapped in their high school where an outbreak of zombies hits after a science experiment backfires. This thriller is certainly not for the faint-hearted – it’s gruesome and monstrous; which makes this K-drama fitting for fans of horror and gore.

The trapped students are fighting to survive the zombie apocalypse through brutal and graphic scenes with marvellous special effects and non-stop plotlines. If you’re squeamish perhaps give this one a miss…

For more on Netflix’s hit Korean TV shows visit Busuu’s blog. https://blog.busuu.com/korean-series-netflix/