Korean dramas are the best to relieve stress & get away from your real life. They are addicting because of their great storyline, heart-melting romance & funny moments.
Kdramas are fun to watch. They have many genres like thriller, action, romance, comedy, law, a slice of life, crime & many more. You will find many popular & high-rated dramas that are worth a watch.
If you are new to Kdramas & are watching your first drama, here is a warning: you will get addicted to them. Because they are emotional & have a great plot. Their OSTs are soothing to listen to.
Highest Rated Kdramas on IMDb
If you decide to watch a Kdrama, you will first see its rating on IMDb. It is the most popular website to check ratings & reviews of all the movies & TV series around the world. This also includes dramas from South Korea.
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If you are looking for Korean dramas that have high ratings on IMDb, here are 50 of them. The list is sorted from high to low ratings. Dramas with 1000+ votes are only added.
This list was updated in the month of October 2023. So, the current ranking may be different as new dramas keep airing. The rating is mentioned in the title after the drama’s name. Let’s get to the list.
1. Reply 1988 (9.2)
Hangul: 응답하라 1988
Year: 2015
The drama follows the lives of 5 families living on the same street in a neighborhood. A nostalgic look back at the year 1988. As the group of friends gets into and out of mischief, what experiences will they carry with them into their future lives?
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2. My Mister (9.1)
Hangul: 나의 아저씨
Year: 2018
The drama tells us the story of three middle-aged brothers, who are enduring the weight of their lives, and a strong, cold woman, who has been living a hard life of her own, as they come together in healing each other’s past scars.
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3. Alchemy Of Souls (8.8)
Hangul: 환혼
Year: 2022
Set in a fictional country called Daeho, Jang Wook of the noble Jang family has a secret about his birth. He meets Mu Deok, an elite warrior trapped within a physically weak body who becomes his servant and secretly begins teaching him how to fight.
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4. Hospital Playlist (8.8)
The drama tells the story of doctors, patients, and nurses working at Yulje Medical Center. It focuses on five doctors who have been friends since they entered medical school in 1999. It will also deal with a story of a band formed by a group of doctors.
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Cast –
- Jo Jung Suk as Li Ik Jun
- Yoo Yeon Seok as Ahn Jung Won
- Jung Kyung Ho as Kim Jun Wan
- Jeon Mi Do as Chae Song Hwa
No. Of Episodes – 12
Watch On – Netflix
5. Six Flying Dragons (8.8)
Hangul: 육룡이 나르샤
Year: 2015
A historical drama that takes place in Korea during the troubled Joseon dynasty. In the drama, six different people, each with their own talents and personalities, work together to fight for justice and change in their country.
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6. Mr. Sunshine (8.7)
A young boy born into a house servant’s family and travels to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo. He returns to his homeland later as a U.S. marine officer. He falls in love with an aristocrat’s daughter. At the same time, he discovers a plot by foreign forces to colonize Korea.
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Cast –
- Lee Byung Hun as Choi Yoo Jin
- Kim Tae Ri as Go Ae Shin
- Kim Min Jung as Kudo Hina / Lee Yang Hwa
- Yoo Yeon Seok as Gu Dong Mae / Ishida Sho
No. Of Episodes – 24
Watch On – Netflix
The story of a 70-year-old retired mailman who decides to pursue his life-long dream of learning ballet. At the dance academy, he meets a 23-year-old ballet dancer. He is struggling financially and thinks of giving up ballet until meeting the mailman, which changes his mind.
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Cast –
- Park In Hwan as Shim Deok Chul
- Song Kang as Lee Chae Rok
- Na Moon Hee as Choi Hae Nam
- Hong Seung Hee as Shim Eun Ho
No. Of Episodes – 12
Watch On – Netflix
8. Mouse (8.7)
Hangul: 마우스
Year: 2021
Ba Reum is a police officer whose life changes when he encounters a psychopathic killer. This drives him and his partner to unveil the truth behind psychopathic behaviours. A drama that asks the question, “What if we could identify psychopaths in advance?”
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9. Crash Landing On You (8.7)
Hangul: 사랑의 불시착
Year: 2019
Se Ri goes for a short paragliding ride, a sudden tornado blows her off course, leading her to crash land in North Korea, where she meets an army officer, who agrees to help her return to South Korea. They fall in love, despite the dispute between their countries.
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10. Flower Of Evil (8.6)
Hangul: 악의 꽃
Year: 2020
Baek Hee Sung is a carpenter who lives with his wife Cha Ji Won and their daughter. However, he conceals some terrible truths from his wife. His wife is a murder detective who is working on a case involving a psychopath who is very close to her.
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11. Moving (8.6)
Hangul: 무빙
Year: 2023
The story revolves around three high school students who acquired superpowers from their parents. It will look at how they learn to use their abilities and conceal them from others, while their parents strive to keep them from being used by others.
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12. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo (8.6)
When a total eclipse of the sun takes place, Ha Jin is transported back in time to the Goryeo Dynasty. She soon befriends several of the princes and meets the 4th Prince, Wang So. She finds herself caught up in palace politics and the rivalry among the princes as they fight for the throne.
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Cast –
- Lee Joon Gi as Wang So
- IU as Go Ha Jin / Hae Soo
- Kang Ha Neul as Wang Wook
- Hong Jong Hyun as Wang Yo
No. Of Episodes – 20
Watch On – Viu
13. Queen Seondeok (8.6)
A biopic of Queen Seondeok, who was born a princess and later became the ruler of Silla, leaving behind many brilliant achievements. She was born a twin but was abandoned as a baby. She was later brought back to the Silla palace.
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Cast –
- Lee Yo Won as Queen Seondeok
- Go Hyun Jung as Lady Mi Shil
- Park Ye Jin as Princess Chun Myung
- Yoo Seung Ho as Kim Chun Chu
No. Of Episodes – 62
Watch On – Kocowa
14. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (8.6)
The drama is about a brilliant 27-year-old lawyer with Asperger’s syndrome. She graduated from Seoul National University for both college and law school. However, she still finds herself struggling when it comes to social interactions.
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Cast –
- Park Eun Bin as Woo Young Woo
- Kang Tae Oh as Lee Joon Ho
- Kang Ki Young as Jung Myung Seok
- Jeon Bae Soo as Woo Gwang Ho
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix
15. Twenty-Five Twenty-One (8.6)
Hangul: 스물다섯 스물하나
Year: 2022
Set in 1998, the drama tells the stories of youth who find new direction and growth after having their dreams taken away. Yi Jin and Hee Do first meet when they are 22 and 18 years old and fall in love when they turn 25 and 21.
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16. Mr. Queen (8.6)
Hangul: 철인왕후
Year: 2020
Bong Hwan works as a chef at the Blue House in the present day. He has a free spirit, but his spirit ends up in Queen So Yong’s body in the Joseon period. So Yong will find out that her husband has some secrets and is not as kind as he seems.
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17. It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (8.6)
Hangul: 사이코지만 괜찮아
Year: 2020
The drama centers on a psychiatric hospital community health worker who lives with his autistic brother and a popular writer with antisocial personality disorder. They reveal secrets, comfort each other, and move forward.
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18. Sky Castle (8.6)
Hangul: SKY 캐슬
Year: 2018
The drama revolves around the lives of housewives residing in a luxurious residential area called SKY Castle. The wives are determined to make their husbands more successful and to raise their children to be top students.
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19. Our Blues (8.6)
Hangul: 우리들의 블루스
Year: 2022
The drama revolves around the sweet & bitter life of different people who are somewhat interconnected, in one way or the other, and depicts their stories in an omnibus format against the backdrop of Jeju Island.
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20. Goblin (8.6)
Hangul: 도깨비
Year: 2017
Kim Shin (Goblin) is framed as a traitor and executed by the young monarch. Years after his death, he is cursed by the Almighty to be eternal forever. He encounters Ji Eun Tak, who claims to be his spouse. The plot centres around four main leads.
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21. The Red Sleeve (8.5)
Hangul: 옷소매 붉은 끝동
Year: 2021
A historical drama that tells the romance of a royal court between Sung Deok Im, a court lady who wants to protect the life she chose and Yi San, an emperor who believes his duty is to his country first above love.
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22. Misaeng: Incomplete Life (8.5)
Hangul: 미생
Year: 2014
Geu Rae has been playing go since he was a kid. He tried to become a professional go player, but failed. He starts working in a company on the recommendation of a friend. He tries his best at his new job and doesn’t let his humanity slip away.
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23. Signal (8.5)
Hangul: 시그널
Year: 2016
Park Hae Yeong watches a girl being taken away 15 years ago. Hae Yeong is now a police cop and a criminal profiler. One day, he finds a walkie-talkie that links him with Detective Lee Jae Han from the past. Together, they solve a string of killings.
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24. Move To Heaven (8.5)
Hangul: 무브 투 헤븐
Year: 2021
A young man with Asperger’s syndrome and his estranged uncle, a former convict, work together as trauma cleaners, clearing out the possessions of dead people, uncovering the stories they left behind, and telling them to loved ones.
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25. Stranger (8.5)
Hangul: 비밀의 숲
Year: 2017
Hwang Shi Mok, a prosecutor finds him in a murder case. He meets Police Lieutenant Yeo Jin at a murder crime scene. They work together to wipe out corruption at the prosecutor’s office and solve a serial murder case.
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26. Under The Queen’s Umbrella (8.5)
The drama follows queen Hwa Ryung, the wife of a great king and the long-suffering mother of five troublemaking sons who cause nothing but headaches for the royal family and are about to be turned into crown princes.
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Cast –
- Kim Hye Soo as Im Hwa Ryeong
- Kim Hae Sook as Queen Dowager
- Choi Won Young as King Lee Ho
- Kim Eui Sung as Hwang Won Hyeong
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix
27. Jewel in The Palace (8.5)
The story is about a legendary girl, Jang Geum, who became the first woman to be the royal physician. Despite being a low-class girl in the male-dominated society, she landed herself as a royal cook, later becoming the royal physician, then ultimately the physician in charge of the king.
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Cast –
- Lee Young Ae as Seo Jang Geum
- Ji Jin Hee as Min Jung Ho
- Hong Ri Na as Choi Geum Yeong
- Im Ho as King Jung Jong
No. Of Episodes – 54
Watch On – Viki
28. Healer (8.5)
Hangul: 힐러
Year: 2014
A long-forgotten event that hides dark truths brings together a well-known reporter, a less-known reporter, and a man with the code name “Healer.” The Healer starts to figure out how he and the two reporters know each other, which puts them all in danger.
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29. Prison Playbook (8.4)
Hangul: 슬기로운 감빵생활
Year: 2017
A compelling drama about the lives of prisoners, their families, and the duty officers who work in the prisons. Kim Je Hyuk, a famous baseball pitcher, is convicted of assault after he saves his sister and goes to jail.
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30. Dr. Romantic (8.4)
Hangul: 낭만닥터 김사부
Year: 2016
Sa Bu used to be a well-known surgeon but quits everything to become a doctor in a small town. He helps Dong Joo and Seo Jung become great doctors by teaching them to fight against power and money for the sake of their patients.
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31. Empress Ki (8.4)
The drama revolves around Ki Seungnyang, a Goryeo-born woman who had to be a servant at the Mongol Yuan court. She rises to power despite the restrictions of the era’s class system, and later marries the emperor of the Mongol empire to become an empress of the Yuan dynasty.
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32. Vincenzo (8.4)
Hangul: 빈센조
Year: 2021
Vincenzo, a Mafia consigliere, runs away to South Korea to get gold from the bottom of Geumga Plaza. But a company has illegally taken ownership of the building, and he must use his skills to get the building back and get his money back.
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33. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (8.4)
Hangul: 갯마을 차차차
Year: 2021
Hye Jin, a dentist moves to the seaside village of Gongjin. She meets Du Shik and becomes curious about him. He is known as Mr. Hong around town. He is unemployed officially, but he is a master of odd jobs who appears to help everyone with any situation.
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34. The Good Bad Mother (8.4)
Hangul: 나쁜엄마
Year: 2023
The drama is about a woman named Young Soon, who has devoted her entire life to raising her kid, and her son, prosecutor Kang Ho, who, as a result of an unanticipated accident, has amnesia and regresses to childhood.
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35. Pachinko (8.3)
Hangul: 파친코
Year: 2022
The drama shows the hopes and dreams of four generations of a Korean immigrant family. The drama is about a forbidden love and shows a timeline of war and peace, separation, success, and judgment in Korea, Japan, and the United States.
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36. Youth Of May (8.3)
Hangul: 오월의 청춘
Year: 2021
Set in the year 1980 during the Gwangju Uprising, the drama follows the love story of medical student Hee Tae, who entered medical school and Myung Hee, who worked as a nurse for the past 3 years. Their love seems destined by fate.
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37. Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo (8.3)
Hangul: 역도요정 김복주
Year: 2016
Bok Joo is a weightlifter aiming for the gold medal, but then for the first time in her life, she falls in love. At age 20, can she find a way to have both love and fame? The drama shows how friends grow up and how their relationships change as their lives get busier.
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38. The Devil Judge (8.3)
Hangul: 악마판사
Year: 2021
The drama is set in a dystopic version of Korea. Three judges work together to bring justice and peace through a courtroom live show that airs on TV. Kang Yo Han, a cruel head trial judge, is made the chief judge.
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39. Age Of Youth (8.3)
Hangul: 청춘시대
Year: 2016
Five girls in their twenties come to live together in a house. Each girl has a particular personality, background, and issues. The drama follows their struggles and incidents dealing with relationships within their circles, with dating, and with each other.
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40. Arthdal Chronicles (8.3)
Set in the fictional land of Arthdal during ancient times. Eun Sum was born with a fate to bring disaster to Arthdal. Ta Gon is the most powerful person in Arthdal & dreams of becoming the first king of Arthdal. Tan Ya lives under the highest honor and her ambition is to be a politician.
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Cast –
- Song Joong Ki as Eun Sum
- Kim Ji Won as Tan Ya
- Jang Dong Gun as Ta Gon
- Kim Ok Bin as Tae Al Ha
No. Of Episodes – 18
Watch On – Netflix
41. Live (8.3)
The drama revolves around the incidents that occur in the police force and the joy, sorrow, and pain that police officers experience as they try to protect justice. They form the ‘Live’ team at the Hongil patrol division. Each officer has their own story.
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Cast –
- Lee Kwang Soo as Yeom Sang Soo
- Jung Yu Mi as Han Jung Oh
- Bae Sung Woo as Oh Yang Chon
- Bae Jong Ok as Ahn Jang Mi
No. Of Episodes – 18
Watch On – Netflix
42. Kingdom (8.3)
Hangul: 킹덤
Year: 2019
During the Joseon period, the spirit of a recently dead king comes back, and a mysterious illness starts to spread across the country. To find out what is going on and save his people, the crown prince must deal with a new kind of enemy.
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43. My Liberation Notes (8.3)
Hangul: 나의 해방일지
Year: 2022
Set in Sanpo Village, a place where usually the influx of people leaving is higher than the ones moving in. The drama depicts three Yeom siblings, Chang Hee, Mi Jung, Ki Jung, and a stranger who want to escape from their dead-end life.
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44. While You Were Sleeping (8.3)
Hangul: 당신이 잠든 사이에
Year: 2017
A prosecutor named Jae Chan chooses to change the course of events, which saves the lives of Hong Joo and Woo Tak. When they start dreaming about each other, they understand that their lives are now tied together in some way.
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45. Chicago Typewriter (8.3)
Hangul: 시카고 타자기
Year: 2017
The drama features three resistance warriors who lived during Japan’s conquest of Korea in the 1930s and are reincarnated as a best-selling writer, a fan, and a ghostwriter in the present. It is an epic story of friendship, love, and betrayal.
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46. Tunnel (8.3)
Hangul: 터널
Year: 2017
Park Kwang Ho is a detective in 1986. During his investigation, he walks through a tunnel that works as a time portal and takes him to Seoul in the present day. He meets Kim Sun Jae, a new partner and tries to find the serial killer to return to the past.
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47. Kill Me, Heal Me (8.3)
Hangul: 킬미힐미
Year: 2015
The story is about an heir to a business who has severe dissociative identity disorder. He asks a psychiatrist for help to get his life back under control, but she ends up falling in love with one of his personalities. Her brother looks into him and his family.
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48. Hot Stove League (8.3)
Hangul: 스토브리그
Year: 2019
The drama centres on a baseball team that is in last place and gearing up for an extraordinary season after the hiring of their new general manager. Each episode will highlight an issue the team is facing as they work to improve.
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49. It’s Okay, That’s Love (8.3)
Jae Yeol is a popular novelist. While sitting on a talk show panel with psychiatrist Hae Soo, it became clear to all that the two just rubbed each other the wrong way. Due to an incident, they both become roommates & attempt to heal each other’s deep-seated wounds.
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50. 18 Again (8.2)
Hangul: 18 어게인
Year: 2020
Hong Dae Young, a 37-year-old man on the verge of being divorced from his wife suddenly finds himself inside his 18-year-old body. He starts living a new life under a new name Ko Woo Young to get closer to his children and protect them.
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Wrapping Up
So, these were the 50 Kdramas ranked high to low rating on IMDb. These dramas are worth a watch because many viewers have rated them with more stars & left their positive reviews. Get ready to watch them.
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