Squid Game 3, WLGYT, Good Boy and more: 10 Best Korean dramas of 2025 so far

The first half of 2025 is over. Fans of Korean dramas have been pampered this year with every channel/OTT platform rolling out a number of shows every month. However, very few of them were big successes in terms of viewership. Here is a recap….

Squid Game 3

The final season of Hwang Dong-Hyuk’s has been a bumper success for Netflix. It clocked 60 million hours within three days making it the highest for a Korean show in 2025. Squid Game 3 saw the death of Gi-Hun (Lee Jung-Jae) with the baby of Jun-Hee (Jo Yu-Ri) winning the billions. Actor Wi Ha-joon’s character Hwang Jun-Ho got trolled badly for his half-baked character arc and how he failed as a detective. Park Sung-Hoon has become a global sensation for his nuanced performance as Cho Hyun-Ju.

When Life Gives You Tangerines

A compelling watch about life in South Korea’s Jeju Island, WLGYT saw a direct release on Netflix like Squid Game 3. The series made viewers shed tears as it showed us the life of Gwan-Shik and Ae-sun who lived and loved through personal tragedies, economic upheavals and societal changes in South Korea. IU, Park Bo-Gum, Moon So-Ri and Park Hae-joon were brilliant. IU played Ae-sun and her rebellious daughter, Yang Geum-myeong in a double role. And who can forget Kim Seon-Ho’s viral moment.

Buried Hearts

This show minted a lot of money for SBS and Disney Hotstar. Park Hyung-sik played the role of Seo Dong-ju who is driven by ambition, greed and later revenge. From the sizzling chemistry between Hyung-sik and Hwa-yeon to the pacy narrative that kept viewers on the edge, Buried Hearts was a great watch. Huh Joon-Ho, Lee Hae-young and Cha Woo-Min also chipped in with great acting.

Love Scout

After Buried Hearts, Lee Jun-Hyuk and Han Ji-Min’s Love Scout was a huge success for SBS. He played a secretary who is also a single dad while she is the workaholic boss of a headhunting company. The two skilled actors were a joy to watch with their effortless chemistry. Love Scout was a fast-paced show with many cute moments.

The First Night with The Duke

Ok Taec-yeon and Seohyun play the leads in this romance fantasy novel. The show has been trending due to the passionate chemistry between the two actors. It is there on KBS2 and Viki Raukaten. A young student becomes a minor character in a romance novel and falls in love with the prince.

Good Boy

Good Boy is available for viewing on JTBC channel, and on the OTT platform, Amazon Prime Video. Park Bo-Gum and Seo-Hyun, Lee Sang-yi play former national level athletes who get employed in the South Korean police force to catch the bad guys using their unique exceptional skills. Good Boy tops the TV ratings and is a trending show.

Trauma Code: Heroes on Call

Ju Ji-Hoon, Ha Young, Choo Young-woo were the main actors of Trauma Code: Heroes on Call. Ju Ji-Hoon literally lived the character of Baek Kang-Hyuk a medic who served in war zones and is entrusted to change the fortunes of an incompetent trauma unit of a medical university and hospital.

Our Unwritten Seoul

Park Bo-young, Jinyoung and Ryu Kyung-soo lead this drama that is available on tvN and Netflix. Our Unwritten Seoul is about two twin sisters who swap their lives and personalities through a lie. The chemistry between the three leads, the narrative about unspoken trauma and relatable quotient has made this a success.

Our Movie

Jeon Yeo-been and Namkoong Min tell us a gentle tale of a filmmaker who is stuck in a rut, and an actress who is battling terminal illness.

Dear Hongrang

This was a mystery cum melodrama show starred Lee Jae-wook and Jo Bo-Ah in lead roles. Dear Hongrang came directly on Netflix. The show got a lot of love for its acting, stunning visuals, plot and emotions. However, it is a little slow-paced in its narrative.