10 of the biggest K-dramas to watch, from ‘Squid Game’ to ‘World of the Married’

The tvN K-drama Queen of Tears stars Kim Soo-hyun, who was the highest-paid Korean actor at the time, and Kim Ji-won, a fan-favourite actress from OG titles such as Inheritors, Descendants of the Sun and Fight for My Way.

With a peak nationwide viewership rating of 24.850 per cent and record-breaking one billion views for tvN, it remains the highest-rated series on TVN to date. Its international success was equally remarkable. When streaming juggernaut Netflix gave the show a wide international release, it became the most-watched non-original K-drama on the streamer with 682.6 million hours of watch time. The series reportedly generated around 65 billion won in revenue, cementing its status as one of the biggest and possibly among the highest-earning K-dramas.

See more: Why you need to watch ‘Queen of Tears’, the best K-drama yet this year

The year 2016 is often hailed as one of the golden ages of K-drama, and Descendants of the Sun is one of the reasons why. The rom-com, which stars Hallyu megastars Song Hye-kyo and Song Joong-ki, was the first broadcast K-drama to hit a 30 per cent viewership rating and captured a massive international audience.

With reports at the time suggesting that the series could contribute over 1 trillion won to Korea’s gross domestic product (GDP), there is no question that Descendants of the Sun is one of the biggest K-dramas. Its economic impact includes driving tourism growth and a spike in local and international sales of Korean products featured in the drama.

See more: Song Joong-ki Shows to Watch in 2022: Reborn Rich, Vincenzo, Descendants of the Sun and More

One of the first modern K-dramas to enjoy global success was Goblin, which starred Hallyu idols Gong Yoo and Lee Dong-wook, and made Kim Go-eun a household name. It was the first cable television series to break 20 per cent in nationwide viewership rating, and remained tvN’s highest-rated K-drama before Crash Landing on You overtook it in 2019.

In 2017, the fantasy romance also became one of the biggest K-dramas through video-on-demand (VOD) sales. It reportedly grossed US$12.5 million and surpassed previous viewership records held by Descendants of the Sun and Reply 1988.

The K-drama about star-crossed—and cross-border—lovers starring now-married Hallyu couple Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin took the world by storm. It was an international hit on Netflix and broke the record held by Goblin as tvN’s ratings leader—a record it will hold on to for five years. It remains one of the top five highest-rated K-dramas of all time.

Beyond its landmark viewership, the show’s commercial impact marked it as one of the biggest K-dramas. Brands featured through product placements saw a spike in sales, Swiss filming locations enjoyed a tourism boost and the stock price of the drama’s production company, Studio Dragon, reportedly rose following its release on tvN.

Thanks to its record-breaking nationwide ratings—which peaked at 23.78 per cent for the finale—Sky Castle held the title of highest-rated cable television K-drama during its run. It was doing so well that it extended its run from 16 episodes to 20, and became a huge hit in China, which was surprising given that Korean content is banned there.

Its massive success—especially given its modest production budget—explains why it’s one of the biggest K-dramas. It has even been credited with driving up the share price of JBTC’s parent company, J Contentree. And for fans who grew up on rom-com and slice-of-life Korean series, Sky Castle became their gateway title for makjang (over-the-top) K-dramas.

Building on Sky Castle’s commercial success, subsequent makjang K-dramas arrived with a built-in audience. The World of the Married, a remake of the BBC’s Doctor Foster, explores the consequences of adultery. It became both a national and international sensation, reaching a viewership rating of 28.37 per cent for its finale—the highest in Korean cable television history.

Several key indicators place The World of the Married among the biggest K-dramas. The series dominated conversations worldwide, sparking countless online discussions and cementing its status as a cultural phenomenon. It scored streaming deals with Viu, Iflix, iQIYI and Netflix and featured brands—from fashion to furniture—saw their sales soar.

Netflix’s success with K-dramas meant it was only a matter of time before other giant streamers bet big on Korean content as well. Over at Disney+, Moving became its most-watched K-drama around the world and the most-viewed show—in any language—in the Asia Pacific.

The story follows a group of superpowered humans navigating their abilities, nefarious organisations and generational trauma. It stars Hallyu royalty Zo In-sung and Han Hyo-joo, alongside rising actors Lee Jung-ha, Go Yoon-jung and Kim Do-hoon.

Its success has, according to Disney head Bob Iger, contributed to the streaming service’s subscriber growth worldwide. Disney+ has already started moving forward with season two—proving the K-drama’s profitability and establishing it as one of today’s biggest K-dramas.

In this revenge reincarnation K-drama, Song Joong-ki is reborn as the chaebol grandson of the family that betrayed him in his past life. Scoring a record high of 26.9 per cent nationwide viewership in its final episode, Reborn Rich is JTBC’s second-highest-rated cable K-drama after The World of the Married. It has also topped the charts of streaming services internationally and quickly became a viral talking point.

Thanks to its ratings success, it ranks among the biggest K-dramas, with a sequel confirmed and a Thai remake already in the works. According to reports, the show also contributed to a surge in the stock price of its production company, RaemongRaein, and further boosted global demand for K-drama exports.

Song Hye-kyo plots her revenge on her high-school bullies in The Glory, one of Netflix’s most-watched K-dramas. In its second week alone, the series recorded an impressive 123.59 million hours viewed. Aside from high viewership, the series ignited widespread online discussion about school violence.

Thanks to its popularity, The Glory has joined the ranks of the biggest K-dramas. Its success helped boost Netflix’s revenue in South Korea and prompted the streamer to invest US$2.5 billion in Korean content.

The biggest K-dramas are more than entertainment—they’re economic powerhouses. Series like Reborn Rich, Queen of Tears and World of the Married not only dominate streaming platforms but also generate massive revenue, elevate production company stocks and expand the global footprint of Korean content.

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