The K-drama industry shows no sign of stopping—as it shouldn’t—and more and more shows are available on streaming services as part of their original programming. 2025 has been an exceptionally fruitful year for K-dramas of all genres, from rom-coms and historical, sageuk dramas to thrillers and action; Netflix has even rolled out its first original K-variety show, Three Idiots in Kenya.
If you’ve been keeping up with this year, you might have heard about the best K-dramas of the year, but just in case you haven’t, and would like a list of some of the best shows out there, here are the ten best K-dramas of 2025, ranked.
Key Highlights
- Industry Growth: The K-drama industry continues to thrive with a variety of genres available.
- Top Shows: 2025 has introduced some of the best K-dramas across platforms.
- Diverse Genres: From romantic comedies to thrillers, there’s something for everyone.
- Streaming Success: Netflix’s original programming includes its first K-variety show.
10
‘Tastefully Yours’
Tastefully Yours is one of the best K-dramas of the year, and it’s a story with a modern setting, and it’s simple, yet beautifully complex in every way a K-drama can be. The show stars Kang Ha-neul, one of the greatest K-drama male leads of the 2010s and beyond, the beautiful Go Min-si, and the hilarious duo Kim Shin-rok and Yoo Su-bin. The cinematography is stunning, and the show succeeds in evoking that feeling that many K-drama viewers get, wanting to be there, among the narrow streets of Seoul or beyond, cooking greatly delicious food, and living a quintessentially domestic and calm life.
9
‘Dear Hongrang’
Dear Hongrang stands as one of the most devastating K-dramas of the year, and it’s set in the old Joseon era, so it’s technically a sageuk tragedy. The storyline is complex, and the characters are morally gray, which is always an interesting twist in a K-drama. Dear Hongrang, in a way, returns to the formative K-dramas with its melodramatic plot, to the times of Winter Sonata or I Love You, I’m Sorry. Lee Jae-wook stands firmly as the titular Hong-rang, showing off great skills in action, melodrama, and mystery; his appearance alone often brings an air of unknown to a scene, and he nails this aspect beautifully.
8
‘Nine Puzzles’
As one of the best thrillers of the year, Nine Puzzles is a unique cat-and-mouse chase that casts suspicion on every single character in the ensemble; you often don’t know who is the killer and why, but once you find out, it’s a major plot twist and things fall into place perfectly. Everyone has a reason, but no one has the guts to really do all those things. Nine Puzzles is packed with famous Korean stars led by Son Suk-ku and Kim Da-mi, who are great fun together. There are also guest stars like Park Gyu-young, Ji Jin-hee, and Hwang Jung-min.
7
‘The Haunted Palace’
The rest of your content goes here…
