For new K-Dramas fans and none addicts to K-Dramas, it is often hard to make a great watchlist. You most probably ask your friend's opinions or read the reviews online to make your selection, but sometimes it is not enough. To help you find the perfect next romantic comedy, here are 19 shows that are a must-watch to add to your list and why.

If you are a K-Drama addict, you might have watched most of them (if not all); if you haven't, it's time to snuggle up with your favorite blanket and start watching now.

Let us know in the comments which one for you are the ones you would advise your friend to watch.

Note: This list was first published in 2019 and updated several times with new releases. Latest update: November 2023. This is not a ranking.

 

1. "My Love from the Star"

When: 2013-2014

Cast: Kim SooHyun, Jun JiHyun, Park HaeJin, Yoo InNa

Summary: It tells the romance of an alien that arrived on earth 400 years ago and a blunt top Hallyu actress star.

For: Viewers looking for an addictive love story with hilarious scenes, an OTP, and a thrilling plot.

Why watch?: The reason is quite simple: perfect acting and perfect plot. While being hilarious (e.g. at the origin of legendary gifs), it is also a heart-fluttering romance on an action and mysterious background.

 

2. "Legend of the Blue Sea"

When: 2016-2017

Cast: Jun JiHyun, Lee MinHo

Summary: It tells the romance of a mermaid and a son of a rich businessman turned into a con-man.

For: Viewers looking for a fantasy drama with funny characters and a beautiful love story.

Why watch?: First of all, the drama is a fantasy drama on the original subject of mermaids. Also, the two top Hallyu actors were cast in this high-budget drama. The drama caught attention with hilarious scenes, the love story between the main leads, and magical elements.

 

3. "I'm Not a Robot"

When: 2017-2018

Cast: Yoo SeungHo, Chae SooBin

Summary: A man who has never loved someone due to his allergy to other people, starts to meet a woman pretending to be an android robot and falls for her.

For: Viewers looking for an easy-to-watch romantic comedy with a cute couple.

Why watch?: Both actor's chemistry is great and viewers are quickly hooked to the plot. Both characters are struggling with their own issues and have a cute and innocent love. Yoo SeungHo's smile and tears earned him a lot of new fans after the drama.

 

4. "Weightlifting Fairy Kim BokJoo"

When: 2016-2017

Cast: Nam JooHyuk, Lee SungKyung

Summary: It tells the dreams and love story of students in the college of Sports.

For: Viewers looking for a hilarious and adorable campus romance.

Why watch?: The sweetest and hilarious campus romance among K-Dramas. The main female character is amazing with her bubbly personality and the main male lead is also one of a kind. The combination of both of them with perfect chemistry gave birth to this must-watch romantic comedy romance.

 

5. "Strong Woman BongSoon"

When: 2017

Cast: Park BoYoung, Park HyungSik, Ji Soo

Summary: Do BongSoon was born with superhuman strength. Her ideal type is her friend In GukDoo. Thanks to her skills, she got to be the bodyguard of the rich CEO Ahn MinHyuk. In her neighborhood, a series of kidnapping cases and their relationship evolves as a series of kidnapping cases escalate in her neighborhood.

For: Viewers looking for a fun drama with a strong female lead and a cute male lead.

Why watch?: A light romantic comedy on a thriller background. The main female character is as strong as Superman and the male character falls deeply in love with her. Both relationships are many's goals and made viewers fall for their perfect chemistry.

 

6. "My Girlfriend Is a Gumiho"

When: 2010

Cast: Lee SeungGi, Shin MinAh, No MinWoo

Summary: It tells the story of a man that falls in love with a Gumiho (a nine-tailed fox).

For: Viewers looking for a mysterious and fun love story.

Why watch?: It is a funny yet touching love story. The male character is scared that the Gumiho will eat his liver at first but both of them start to have real feelings for each other. The theme of gumiho is interesting and catchy and the characters' story is captivating.

 

7. "My ID Is Gangnam Beauty”

When: 2018

Cast: ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Im SooHyang, Kwak DongYeon, Jo WooRi

Summary: The story of a woman living a new life through plastic surgery. She ends up meeting Do KyungSuk at college orientation, and while everyone thinks that appearance is important, he thinks differently. She will learn what is real “beauty”.

For: Viewers looking for a "real" and heart-fluttering campus romance.

Why watch?: This campus romance has an interesting theme on "what is real beauty". The actors are also great. The plot is mainly focusing on romance but also other issues of university students making the whole story very interesting.

 

8. "You're Beautiful"

When: 2009

Cast: Park ShinHye, Jang KeunSuk, CNBLUE's Jung YongHwa, F.T. Island's Lee HongGi

Summary: Ko MiNyeo (dreaming to become a nun) has to pretend to be her twin brother the time he recovers from his botched plastic surgery. She poses for him and enters the popular band A.N.Jell. There, she meets the three members.

For: Viewers looking for a music drama with a love triangle and a lot of funny scenes.

Why watch?: This drama might be getting old but the story still hilarious and cute. The love triangle and the story is very addictive to the point to be an unforgettable drama.

 

9. “What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim”

When: 2018

Cast: Park SeoJun, Park MinYoung

Summary: A love story between a chaebol and his long-term secretary. She abruptly resigns, saying that she will date and get married. The chaebol is shocked by the sudden decision, he starts to realize the nature of their relation.

For: Viewers looking for an office romance with a fun and touching story.

Why watch?: This office romance is refreshing and these two top Hallyu actors' chemistry is perfect. Their acting is great and the plot is entertaining from the beginning to the end. Moreover, the supporting actors bring on more fun and laughter to the show.

 

10. "Suspicious Partner"

When: 2017

Cast: Ji ChangWook, Nam JiHyun, Choi TaeJoon, Kwon Nara

Summary: A prosecutor and a prosecutor trainee are working together on a mysterious case involving a psychopathic murderer.

For: Viewers looking for an intense romance with good acting.

Why watch?: Despite being a thriller with a legal background, the drama is still light and funny. The main couple's chemistry is one of the best. In particular, Ji ChangWook's acting is also a main highlight of the series. His performance is a good enough reason to watch the show itself!

 

11. "True Beauty"

When: 2020-2021

Cast: Moon GaYoung, ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Hwang InYoup

Summary: It tells the romantic comedy story of JuGyeong, who is bullied for her appearance and then turns into a goddess through makeup with the help of her friend SuHo who keeps hidden scars. The two met and by sharing their secrets they grow and restore their self-esteem.

For: Viewers looking for an easy-to-watch and extra heart-fluttering romance with a love triangle (and handsome leads).

Why watch?: "True Beauty" has all the elements for viewers to be addicted to it. Starting with god-like male leads (plural because there are two hotties in this drama), the drama brings us an entertaining storyline with a cute heroine, a huge dose of swoon-worthy scenes, and funny secondary characters.

 

12. "It's Okay to Not Be Okay"

When: 2020

Cast: Kim SooHyun, Seo YeJi, Oh JungSe, Park GyuYoung

Summary: It is the romantic fantasy comedy of a caregiver of a psychiatric ward who refuses to love because of his heavy life's responsibility and of a fairy tale writer who doesn't know about love because of the way she was born. The two will meet and embrace and heal each other's wounds.

For: Viewers looking for a one-of-a-kind drama with a fun and touching plot and perfect acting.

Why watch?:  This is a captivating yet rare drama that has passion-filled romance with undertones that are dark and mysterious. The unique characters and the plot touching on mental health made it even more memorable.

 

13. "Romance is a Bonus Book"

When: 2019

Cast: Lee JongSuk, Lee NaYoung

Summary: It is the romantic comedy of people who work at a publishing company. Cha EunHo is a successful author who works at a publishing company. He found out that his first love -Kang DanI- is now divorced and a single mother who is unemployed. Cha EunHo helps her as she tries to find her way back to the workplace and faces hardships.

For: Viewers looking for a mature romance touching on societal issues. If you like books, this is for you.

Why watch?: It is a healing and soft romance. Along with the theme of literature, viewers feel at peace with the characters' sincere and real love story. The spotlight on women's hardships and other societal issues is also nice.

 

14. "Crash Landing On You"

When: 2019-2020

Cast:  Hyun Bin, Son YeJin, Kim JungHyun, Seo JiHye

Summary: This absolute top-secret love story of a chaebol heiress who landed in North Korea because of a paragliding accident and a North Korean special officer who falls in love with her and hides and protects her.

For: Viewers looking for an epic love story with perfect chemistry.

Why watch?: The storyline, to begin with, is addictive and brings viewers to tears and laughter. The lead couple has unforgettable chemistry while secondary and minor roles are hilarious in this drama mainly set in North Korea (that is unique).

 

15. "Start-Up"

When: 2020

Cast: Suzy, Nam JooHyuk, Kim SeonHo, Kang HanNa

Summary: It tells the story of young people who dream of success and who start working in start-ups in the Korean Silicon Valley. It tells their 'START' and their growth 'UP'.

For: Viewers looking for a drama about young people going toward their dreams with an atypical love story.

Why watch?: If you are used to K-Drama love stories, you might be surprised by this drama's love story and its not-so-common male lead. The story of young people starting start-ups is addictive and easy to watch.

 

16. "My Roommate is a Gumiho"

When: 2021

Cast: Jang KiYong, HyeRi, Kang HanNa, Kim DoWan

Summary: It is about a 999-year-old gumiho (Korean nine-tailed fox) and a cool female university student born in 1999 who end up living together because she swallowed the gumiho's fox orb by mistake.

For: Viewers looking for a funny and mysterious love story with a refreshing female lead.

Why watch?: First and foremost, this drama will make you laugh hard. The leads have opposite personalities (him: polite and calm and her: dynamic and unrefined), leading to K-Dramas classic fun. It is a likable romantic comedy.

 

17. "Business Proposal"

When: 2022

Cast: Ahn HyoSeop, Kim SeJeong, Kim MinGue, Seorina (Seol InAh)

Summary: An ordinary office worker disguises herself and goes on a blind date with her attractive boss in the place of her friend to end this unwanted marriage blind date after her request.

For: Viewers looking for a funny and cliché love story between an employee and her boss.

Why watch?: Based on webtoon, this drama proved that cliché love stories still can do well. Entertaining from the start to the end, it makes viewers roll in laughter or cringe at the sweet love story of the lead couples. This is for you if you want a drama to boost your mood without too many thoughts.

 

18. "Soundtrack #1"

When: 2022

Cast: Han SoHee, Park HyungSik

Summary: It is a romance music drama about a man and a woman who have been friends for 20 years and how they blur the lines of their friendship after living together for two weeks.

For: Viewers looking for a short, simple, and heart-fluttering romance.

Why watch?: You know that acting is good if you can understand the feelings from the eyes. There is no surprise that Park HyungSik is such a talented actor for romance, making viewers' hearts skip beats with his acting. It is one of the warmest and most comfortable best-friends-to-lovers romance K-Dramas. You should not miss this one.

 

19. "Yumi's Cells" Season 1 & 2

When: 2021-2022

Cast: Kim GoEun, Ahn BoHyun (S1), GOT7's Park JinYoung (S2)

Summary: It tells the relatable story of YuMi an ordinary office worker in her 30s from the perspective of the cells of her head.

For: Viewers looking for relatable romance drama and a unique concept.

Why watch?: At first glimpse, you might wonder why animation is mixed with drama but it will turn out to be one of the main reasons why you are watching it. The animated cells are a great show by themselves, drawing you into people's thoughts. The drama received a lot of love because the romance is down-to-earth and for its human approach to Yumi's love story.

 

20. "King The Land"

When: 2023

Cast: 2PM's JunHo and Girls' Generation's YoonA 

Summary: “King The Land” depicts the story of male protagonist Goo Won (JunHo), heir to a conglomerate who can't stand the pretense of a smile. Beside him is the female protagonist Cheon SaRang (YoonA), who always wears a bright smile, even when she doesn't want to. She hopes that one day she can truly smile.

For: Viewers looking for are looking for an easy-to-watch and cheesy rom-com.

Why watch?: "King The Land" is a new 'classic' and pure Korean rom-com you should not miss. The main reasons for it success are the leads' chemistry, beautiful visuals, and tones of heart-fluttering and eye-candy scenes. It is all about romance! Simple is the best, as they say. 

 

21. "My Lovely Liar"

When: 2023

Cast: Kim SoHyun, Hwang MinHyun, Seo JiHoon 

Summary: "My Lovely Liar" depicts the story of Mok SolHee (Kim SoHyun), a woman who's cautious of others due to her ability to hear lies. She meets murder suspect, Kim DoHa (Hwang MinHyun), whom no one believes in. Their paths start to intertwine as they slowly learn more about one another and uncover the secrets that have remained hidden all these years.

For: Viewers looking for a rom-com with mystery and a bit of thriller.

Why watch?: The drama will hook you from the first scenes to the end with its mysteries and strong plot. The main couple has a lot of sweet scenes, and their dynamic is quite different from other dramas making their couple more unique and enjoyable. You will also enjoy seeing that the two main leads are green flags. 

 

You can also recommend to readers through the poll (opened on June 15, 2021) and the comments. (Note that "Business Proposal", "Soundtrack #1", "Yumi's Cells", "King The Land", and "My Lovely Liar" were added later than the other dramas in the poll)

 

Check out other K-Drama watchlists below:

Is your drama watchlist ready for April? If not, don't worry. We are here to help you make your selection for the new month.

In our previous list, we recommended dramas starting in April (here). Let's have a look at the web dramas streaming this month.

Here is a selection of 3 web dramas streaming in April not to forget to watch. (This list only includes web dramas).

Note: Web dramas starting on the final days of March have been included as they will air throughout April. 

 

1. "Duty After School"

When: March 31

Cast: Shin HyunSoo, Lim SeMi, Kim KiHae, Lee SoonWon, Choi MoonHee, Kim SuGyeom

Genre: Action, Thriller, Sci-Fi

Summary: High school students have their exams coming up but instead of studying hard, they end up fighting a war against extraterrestrials.

Why look forward to it?: The whole school meets military meets alien concept is something that we've never seen on K-Drama screens before. Additionally, if you liked "All of Us Are Dead" then you're sure to really enjoy this drama, too. In fact, if you enjoy it and feel like you want more, you can even read the webtoon that it's based on.

 

2. "The Eighth Sense"

When: March 29

Cast: Lim JiSub, Oh JunTaek

Genre: BL, Romance, Youth

Summary: Tells the story of two young men in their 20s and their love story that starts with mutual curiosity.

Why look forward to it?: Firstly, the actors have fantastic visual chemistry and promise some heart-fluttering moments in the drama. Secondly, the plot in itself sounds like a totally relatable story that will help viewers empathize with the story.

 

3. "Decoy Season 2"

When: April 7

Cast: Lee Elijah, Jang KeunSuk, Heo SungTae

Genre: Thriller, Crime

Summary: The continuation of season 1 where a lawyer-turned-detective tries to uncover the truth behind an old case using information from current cases to find the suspect. His fate becomes entangled with a reporter and a con artist.

Why look forward to it?: Fans thoroughly enjoyed the first season because of its interesting storytelling, smart characters, and riveting plot. Naturally, there's a lot of anticipation being built up for the second season which should show an even more interesting story than the first.

Which web drama will you be adding to your watchlist? Let us know in the comments!

 

Curious to know who are the favorite actors of overseas fans? The 2023 annual survey report on the Korean Wave was released on March 10th and it gives us all the details on Hallyu and Hallyu stars in 2022.

The Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE, an institution designated by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism) works on this report every year for the past years. In 2023, they broadened their spectrum by including more countries in their data. They interviewed 25,000 people between 15 and 59 years old from 26 countries from November 11th to December 7th 2022. Here are the countries included: the US, Brazil, Argentina, the United Kingdom (UK), France, Turkey, Russia, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Australia, South Africa, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Mexico, Canada, Germany, Italy, Spain, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kazakhstan.

In one part of the survey, the 25,000 respondents were asked to answer: "who is currently your favorite Korean actor?". They chose their favorite Korean actor by writing it down (not selecting it). Let's find out their answers below.

 

Top 5 Favorite Korean actors of overseas fans

1. Lee MinHo - 9.1%

Lee MinHo thrones the ranking. There is no surprise here as the Top Hallyu Star as been ranking 1st in this survey since 2018. He also has 9.1% of the overall answers, which is an impressive number (and a gap with number 2)! It proves -one more time- that he is the most loved Korean actor overseas.

With his filmography full of old and new hit dramas (such as "Boys Over Flowers", "City Hunter", "The Heirs", "The Legend of the Blue Sea", "The King: Eternal Monarch"), he continues to be constantly at the top. In 2022, he acted in the drama "Pachinko" and gained a lot of positive comments from the foreign press.

The actor is good at communicating with MINOZ (fandom) across the globe with his various social media accounts. His Instagram is one of the most followed, reaching 32.2m followers (data of March 13th, 2023), and his Facebook has 28m followers (data of the same day). These numbers are on a constant rise. His popularity is not to be proven anymore, and this for years now.

 

2. Gong Yoo - 2.7%

Gong Yoo is a top star for years as well. All the K-Dramas fans must have watched "Coffee Prince" or/and "Goblin". He also made a cameo in the popular Netflix drama "Squid Game" and was the lead actor in the 2021 Netflix original space drama "The Silent Sea". Even with few dramas, he stays one of the favorite Korean actors overseas. This is the power of a Hallyu star!

 

3. Hyun Bin - 2.4%

No surprise to see Hyun Bin here as the Korean actor also stole the heart of old and new K-Drama fans with the hit dramas: "Secret Garden", "Memories of the Alhambra", and "Crash Landing On You". He is also popular with movies such as "The Fatal Encounter", "The Negotiation", "Rampant", and more. Hyun Bin is one of the actors deep down in fans' hearts.

 

4. Song HyeKyo - 2.0%

The only actress on this top 5 list, and there is no wonder why. Song HyeKyo has been a famous Hallyu star for years, acting in the hit dramas: "Autumn in My Heart", "Full House", "Descendants of the Sun", "Encounter" and more! The survey was done before the release of her new hit drama "The Glory" so we can expect her to be even more popular in next year's survey!

 

5. Lee JongSuk - 1.5%

Lee JongSuk is for sure one of the favorite actors of K-Dramas watchers. Like the other four on this list, he has a lot of hit dramas in his filmography, including: "School 2013", "I Can Hear Your Voice", "Doctor Stranger", "Pinocchio", "W", "While You Were Sleeping", "Romance is a Bonus Book", and more. After his discharge, he made his long-awaited big return with movies and the K-Drama "Big Mouth" in 2022, showing his unchanged good acting.

 

Top 5 Favorite Korean actors by countries

If you want to access the original data, you can do so from page 94 of this pdf.

Note: In blue, you can find the mentions of Lee MinHo. In green, you can see more recently popular actors (aside from "Squid Game" actors):  Kim SeonHo, Han SoHee, Song Kang, and ASTRO's Cha EunWoo.

 

Highlight

Lee MinHo is number 1 in 22 countries (out of 26). In some countries, he received impressive love, with more than 20% of the answers in Indonesia and India and more than 10% in South Africa, Malaysia, Vietnam, Turkey, UAE, and Egypt. No wonder he is number 1 on the general top 5.

Actors that were not in the top 5 but mentioned were: Suzy (12), Ji ChangWook (6), IU (5), Jun JiHyun (3), Song Kang (3), Song JoongKi (3), Son YeJin (3), Park ShinHye (2), Park SeoJun (2), Kim SooHyun (2), Ma DongSeok (2), Rain (2), Park MinYoung (1), Park BoGum (1), Jang KeunSuk (1), Lee DongWook (1), Lee ByungHun (1), Kim HeeSun (1), Song JiHyo (1), Kim SeonHo (1), Han SoHee (1), and ASTRO's Cha EunWoo (1).

"Squid Game" actors Jung HoYeon (4), Lee JungJae (11), and Gong Yoo (as a cameo) were also across the survey. Bae YongJoon (1) was mentioned only in Japan; the "Yon-Sama" syndrome is still strong. Choi JiWoo (1) was also mentioned in the Japanese top reuniting the "Winter Sonata" couple.

While the survey answers are mostly well-known Hallyu stars that have been known for years or "Squid Game" actors, some new names appear! Rising actors and strong contestants to be the top number 1 Hallyu actors: Song Kang, ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Kim SeonHo, and Han SoHee. Their mention shows that they are receiving growing interest. We can only look forward to their next steps and future popularity.

It is interesting to see the trends and the actors that keep receiving love for years from overseas fans. Is your favorite actor mentioned here? You can also share your opinions by commenting on your country and favorite actor.

 

If you want to read more about the data released on that survey, such as the favorite dramas, idols, and movies. Check the articles below: