In the past five years, Korean Dramas have become very popular worldwide. Netflix and Amazon Prime invest in content in the country, which helps to bring it to an outspread audience. But with so many options, it can become challenging to know where to start. So, here is a list of the top 10 Korean dramas of all time according to viewership.
1. The world Of The Married (2020)
Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon, and Han So-hee are as main leads in this drama. The story revolves around a married couple and the betrayals in the marriage that led to a trainwreck of revenge, forgiveness, grief, and healing. The show is about Doctor Foster from BBC One. It is the most popular drama ever shown on Korean television. The latest episode got the highest rating ever for cable TV in Korea - 28.371%.
2. Reborn Rich (2022)
This show is on a web novel called “Reborn Rich.” The drama had Song Joon-ki, Lee Sung-min, and Shin Hyun-been as the main leads. The story is about Yoon Hyun-Woo, a faithful worker for the Soonyang company. One of his employers’ betrayed him to hide a plan. He was reborn as the youngest son of the Soonyang family and saw it as a perfect way to get revenge. The show takes place during the Asian financial crisis in Korea. The Nielsen rating of the show is 26.948%.
3. Sky Castle (2018)
The show is about the story of Skycastle: a private luxury condo community where wealthy professors and doctors reside. It is a drama filled with comedy and satire that tells us about the ambitions of upper-class society and their ways of acquiring success by destroying other peoples’ life. The Nielsen rating of this show was 23.779%.
4. Crash Landing On You (2019)
A rich person from South Korea and a soldier from North Korea fell in love by chance when the rich person accidentally ended up in the enemy's land. The show has Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin, Seo Jihye, and Kim Jung-Hyun as the main leads. It was full of comedy, suspense, romance, and much more. The Nielsen rating is 21.683% of the show.
5. Reply 1988 (2015)
Reply 1988 is the third installment of the Reply series of the network. The story is of five five childhood friends who live in the same neighborhood depending on each other during their teen years while deciding on their future. The drama "Three Families under one roof" was the muse for this show. The Nielsen rating was 18.803% of the show.
6. Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (2016)
Guardian: the lonely and great god is also known as Goblin. People love the show because Gong Yoo is the main character. It is a supernatural show with a goblin, grim reaper, and goblin’s bride. It revolves around the curse that the goblin wants to break by meeting his bride. The drama is all about the goblin’s search for love and salvation. The show also has Kim Go-Eun, Lee Dong-Wook, and Yoo In-na in lead roles. The Nielsen rating of the show was 18.680%.
7. Doctor Cha (2023)
The story is about a woman who is a housewife and a doctor. She wants to go back to working in the medical field. Her husband is also a doctor. The husband is good at his job as a doctor but is also unfaithful to his wife. The show was a commercial hit. You can see it on Netflix. The Nielsen rating of the show was 18.546%.
8. Mr. Sunshine (2018)
The show takes place in the early 1900s. The show is about people who are working hard to make Korea independent. The story is about a boy from a family of servants who goes to the United States in 1871 during the Shinmiyangyo. It stars Lee Byung-Hun and Kim Tae-Ri as the main leads. People like the show because it has good camera work and storytelling. They also like how it shows strong women and poor people from that time. The Nielsen rating was 18.129% of the show.
9. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
The show is about a 27-year-old lawyer who has autism. She has a great memory and a high I.Q. of 164. She may appear dull and straightforward due to her condition, but she is quick at solving cases thanks to her excellent memory and smartness. The show has Park Eun-Bin, Kang Tae-Oh, and Kang Ki-Young in lead roles. The story is about her life in a large law firm and the unfair treatment she experiences there despite winning cases in court. The Nielsen rating of the show was 17.534%.
10. Mr. Queen (2020)
A chef from today's time gets stuck in the body of a queen during the Joseon era, causing chaos. The show is a remake of a Chinese web series called Go Princess Go. The show has caused some disagreements, but it's still one of the top ten dramas on Korean cable TV. More than 4 million people saw the show, and as a result, it got a rating of 17.371%. The Nielsen rating of the show was 17.371%.