Yahoo News Korean TV shows that will be your new Netflix obsession
All eyes are now on the South Korean TV and film industry thanks to the unparalleled success of Parasite in the West. Director Bong Joon-ho plans to expand the Oscar-winning film through a HBO TV series, but that's still in the planning stages.
In the meantime, there's a whole world of South Korean shows available to watch from the comfort of your own home on Netflix. Whether you want to chill with a detective thriller, a romantic drama, or even a good old-fashioned zombie period piece, the Republic of Korea has something for everyone.
But what should you binge first? That's where we come in. Join us here at Digital Spy as we highlight some of the very best Korean TV shows available to watch now on Netflix.
Black (블랙)
Watch this if you like... Lucifer
Odd couples are a dime a dozen in most love stories, but Black is no ordinary love story. In this fantasy-thriller, the grim reaper comes to Earth and falls for a woman who can see the future, which leads to a huge clash between the mortal and supernatural realms.
Crash Landing On You (사랑의 불시착)
Watch this if you like... Scandal
After premiering in 2019, Crash Landing On You has quickly become one of the most successful Korean dramas ever made. The story follows Son Ye-jin as a South Korean heiress who accidentally paraglides into North Korea and starts a forbidden romance with a local military officer.
Not only is this show extremely addictive, it's also helped subvert North Korean stereotypes, humanising the people forced to live within that regime.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days (60일, 지정생존자)
Watch this if you like... Designated Survivor
In a rare twist, Designated Survivor: 60 Days is actually a remake of an English-language show, and not the other way around. In the South Korean version of this story, a politician also becomes President unexpectedly after everyone ahead of him in the presidential line of succession is killed.
However, the remake introduces a number of new characters along with one major change which ups the tension tenfold. Here, Park Mu-jin is only acting president for the next 60 days, which means he doesn't have long to take the reins and uncover the truth behind the attack which killed everyone who was supposed to lead before him.
Kingdom (킹덤)
Watch this if you like... The Walking Dead
Bored of watching the same old zombie shows? Set in the 16th century, Kingdom mixes things up by shuffling between a wide range of genres, including political intrigue and period drama alongside the kind of supernatural scares you'd expect.
Season one ended on a major cliffhanger, so we're chomping at the bit to see season two when it drops March 13, 2020.
Love Alarm (좋아하면 울리는)
Watch this if you like... Black Mirror
Remember that episode of Black Mirror which revolved around a futuristic dating app? Love Alarm is a more light-hearted take on 'Hang The DJ', which explores what happens when people can find out who likes them in their immediate surroundings just by using their phone.
Netflix has already renewed Love Alarm for a second season, so catch up on all the love triangles in season one before time runs out!
Memories Of The Alhambra (알함브라 궁전의 추억)
Watch this if you like... Kiss Me First
Like most K-dramas, Memories Of The Alhambra involves some romance, but unlike others, this one explores love within the context of deeper sci-fi themes.
Set in Granada, Spain, the show follows a video game developer called Yoo Jin-woo who becomes wrapped up in conspiracies surrounding an addictive VR game and the company who created it.
My Only Love Song (마이 온리 러브송)
Watch this if you like... Outlander
Reuniting Lee Jong-hyun and Gong Seung-yeon following their time together on We Got Married (우리 결혼했어요), My Only Love Song stars a famous pop star who accidentally winds up in 6th-century Goguryeo.
While the show explores the same kind of romantic tropes often seen in K-dramas, this one stands out thanks to its ancient Korean setting and a magical van (!).
Reply 1997 (응답하라 1997)
Watch this if you like... This Is Us
Feeling nostalgic? The Reply anthology series flips back and forth between the past and present, exploring the lives of families and friends across two separate time periods.
Amongst all the drama, Reply 1997 also explores the emergence of fan culture in South Korea, which blossomed with the growing popularity of K-Pop in the late 90s. If you're a fan, then unconnected follow-ups called Reply 1994 and Reply 1988 are both available to watch now on Netflix too.
Secret Garden (시크릿 가든)
Watch this if you like... Easy
Secret Garden is an oldie, but a goodie. Back in 2010, the Ha Ji-won romantic drama was a *huge" smash, influencing almost every K-drama that's aired since.
The story follows Ha in the role of a stuntwoman who wants to become a martial arts director. Along the way, she meets a man called Hyun Bin and the pair mysteriously end up swapping bodies, because why the hell not?
Stranger (비밀의 숲)
Watch this if you like... Sense8
No, Stranger isn't a world-spanning sci-fi in the same vein as Sense8, but it does star Bae Doona, the breakout star of Netflix's fan-favourite show.
Here, she plays a female detective who investigates a number of murders and high-scale corruption with the help of a male prosecutor. Binge it now, because season two is reportedly heading to Netflix later this year.
Strong Woman Bong-Soon (힘쎈여자 도봉순)
Watch this if you like... iZombie
More quirky and absurd than your average superhero show, Strong Woman Bong-Soon follows a young woman who uses the superhuman strength she was born with to fight crime and solve a series of kidnappings. Along the way, she also has to handle two men who have fallen in love with her, and yes, she really is living the dream.
The CW tried to make their own version called Strong Girl, but the script wasn't picked up to pilot. And honestly, why mess with perfection?
Vagabond (배가본드)
Watch this if you like... Jack Ryan
Like Secret Garden, Vagabond also revolves around a lead who works with stunts, but this drama focuses more on the thrills, following actor Lee Seung-gi as he investigates what really happened in the plane crash that killed his nephew.
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