15 Best K-Dramas Of 2024

From record-breaking romances to revenge dramas full of incredible twists and turns, 2024’s best K-dramas have been nothing short of entertaining. Though some of the shows have been well-anticipated successes, others have been a big surprise and have proven that a Netflix release isn’t crucial to a K-drama’s international success. In that way, the future of the genre is looking even more exciting.

2024’s shows are some of the best K-dramas of all time and are all bingeworthy, despite their different tones and stories. Career-best performances, tightly woven storylines, and incredible K-drama couples are just some of the keys to their individual successes and show the very best of what the genre has to offer. These 2024 K-dramas make bold choices to deliver hours of entertainment and solidify them as must-watches for all K-drama fans.

15 LTNS

Starring Esom And Ahn Jae-hong

The dark comedy is a very entertaining way to explore relationship dynamics.

Before airing on television in 2024, LTNS (an acronym for Long Time No Sex) premiered its first two episodes at the Busan International Film Festival. That was in keeping with the release schedule since two episodes aired weekly during the run of the series in South Korea.

The show is definitely a unique take on relationship troubles for a couple, which is part of the reason people were so interested in tuning in. It featured an estranged couple teaming up to catch cheating significant others. While one initially works as a taxi driver, the other works the desk at a hotel. Their lives change due to one friend cheating on another, leading to this new, unconventional, career path to make money.

The duo no longer have a physical relationship, and this new career venture has them reexamining their connection to one another. The dark comedy is a very entertaining way to explore relationship dynamics. The series earned nominations at the Baeksang Arts Awards and the Blue Dragon Series Awards, so it’s clear that audiences and award committees agree.

14 Doctor Slump

Starring Park Shin-hye And Park Hyung-sik

K-dramas offer a wide variety of medical shows in much the same way American medical procedurals do. While some are about medical mysteries, others are about the relationships of the main characters. The latter is the case for 2024’s Medical Slump. It’s not so much about medical expertise, but a growing love story.

The series sees two characters who were rivals as students reunite as adults. The two both work in the medical field, but they both lose their jobs as doctors due to very different circumstances and end up moving in together. While the series has some pacing issues, overall, it’s an excellent examination of how two people can think of one another as enemies during one era of their lives and grow to care deeply for one another in another era.

13 Captivating The King

Starring Jo Jung-suk And Shin Se-kyung

Historical K-dramas are incredibly popular both in South Korea and outside of the country. They often allow those not from the country to get a peek at customs and events that Koreans are already familiar with. They also provide great stories of love, mistaken identity, and in some cases, time travel.

Captivating The King is one of the most popular historical K-dramas to release in recent years. It follows a royal who is miserable, unable to trust anyone around him, and the person he plays baduk with. As it turns out, he’s right not to trust anyone. The man he plays baduk with is actually a woman who has disguised herself and turned herself into a spy in the hope of getting revenge on the royal. Along the way, however, her quest for revenge means she gets to know him, and that she falls in love with him.

Captivating The King actually steadily increased viewership from the first episode to the last as it aired. The finale had double the viewers of the first.

12 Chief Detective 1958

Starring Lee Je-hoon And Park Yeong-han

The K-drama Chief Inspector ran from 1971-1989, long before K-dramas were more likely to be a single season than have multi-season arcs. Chief Detective 1958 is actually a prequel series for that long-running K-drama.

While most period dramas in Korea go for hundreds of years in the past, Chief Detective 1958 is set just a decade before the events of the original series. It spans the late 1950s to 1960s, giving an inside look at a group of detectives before the age of modern technology aided in solving cases. Criminal profiling isn’t developed yet, forensics is still in its infancy, and corruption can make it difficult for detectives to even solve petty crimes.

It makes for a more classic look at a crime procedural than any modern series usually do. With a large ensemble cast where each character is markedly different from one another, getting to know the characters is as interesting as watching them solve cases.

11 The Midnight Studio

Starring Joo Won And Kwan Nara

The Midnight Studio also called Midnight Photo Studio, is based on the novel Night Photo Studio by Kim Yi-rang, who also worked on the television series. The series might not have had huge ratings when it originally premiered in March 2024, but it did garner a lot of interest due to its fascinating concept.

It follows a lonely photographer who many of the living see as prickly. That’s okay though since he devotes much of his time to photographing the dead instead. The series reminds the audience that “photos are all about memories,” which is the working function of the photographer’s family for generations. They photograph the dead’s final memories.

The episodes are largely procedural in nature as each one features the photographer and those around him learning the details of a different ghost. The overall story of the show, however, sees the photographer trying to escape the curse that has his family photographing the dead and dying themselves by 35. Of course, it’s also a love story, but that’s platonic as well as romantic love as the connections between the characters are explored fully for the fascinating story.

10 Parasyte: The Grey

Starring Jeon So-nee, Koo Kyo-hwan & Lee Jung-hyun

Parasyte: The Grey is one of several 2024 K-dramas that delves into the meaning of life and does so through spectacular visuals and great acting. Parasyte: The Grey is based on the Japanese manga Parasyte and is the third live-action installment of the series, following Parasyte Part 1 (2014), Parasyte Part 2 (2015), and the anime Parasyte: The Maxim (2014). Parasyte: The Grey expands the universe by exploring the parasytes’ effects outside of Japan through a deftly written script that mixes horror with deeper meanings.

Parasyte: The Grey
is at its best when leaning into its horror elements, which make for some thrilling moments within the K-drama.

Parasyte: The Grey may have roots in manga and anime, but there is no need to have seen the original to appreciate its story. Parasyte: The Grey is at its best when leaning into its horror elements, which make for some thrilling moments within the K-drama. The CGI is generally well done and makes the absurd parasytes feel alive. Though thrills are the best part of Parasyte: The Grey, the build-up of Jeong Su-in’s (Jeon So-nee) character deepens the show’s emotional connection and takes it one step further as a great watch.

9 Gyeongseong Creature

Starring Park Seo-joon & Han So-hee

Despite the majority of the horror K-drama’s first season airing at the tail end of 2023, Gyeongseong Creature‘s second part was a great way to kick off 2024 for the genre. An intense historical K-drama, the show focuses on real-life atrocities done by the Imperial Japanese Unit 731. Much like Parasyte: The Grey, Gyeongseong Creature is a horror at heart but balances several genres and plotlines to elevate it beyond just a story full of gore.

Gyeongseong Creature is not without its faults, as some elements of the story felt rushed, and the first few episodes ran a little slower than was needed. Despite this, Gyeongseong Creature has an all-star cast and incredible production value that makes the romantic and political elements thrive on-screen, providing a wholly enjoyable watch. Plus, Gyeongseong Creature‘s second season shifts its foundation by moving from 1945 to the present day.

8 Flex X Cop

Starring Ahn Bo-hyun & Park Ji-hyun

Flex X Cop is a welcomed change of pace as it focuses more on comedy rather than the thrills of the dramatic. However, it still finds time to inject heart-wrenching emotion into some of its more intense moments to create an overall well-balanced K-drama. Ahn Bo-hyun takes the helm as Jin Yi-soo and does a great job at showing the different sides of the chaebol cop. He works effortlessly with Park Ji-hyun, who gives a reliable performance that allows Flex X Cop the grounding it needs.

Flex X Cop could have quite easily strayed into outlandish territory yet restrained itself by humanizing the initially eccentric Jin Yi-soo. Plus, Flex X Cop is full of many well-developed storylines that allow the crime K-drama to maintain a great pace while also engaging in a tonal shift that feels cohesive to the lighthearted tone that it initially aired with. Flex X Cop has already been renewed for a second season, and, seeing just how much the series is capable of already, the next installment looks to be just as gripping as the first.

7 Death’s Game

Starring Seo In-guk & Park So-dam

Death’s Game has one of the most star-studded casts in K-drama history thanks to the ever-shifting appearance of its leading character, Cho Yi-jae (Seo In-guk), who has to live the lives of 12 others and avoid dying to beat Death (Park So-dam) and her own game. Though Seo In-guk and Park So-dam have very little screen time due to Death’s Game‘s concept, their performances are incredibly impactful. Alongside them, an array of well-known faces within the K-drama industry band together to portray a dark yet human story that delves deep into the meaning of life.

Death’s Game
is not afraid to twist the plot at each turn, leaving what could have been a very disjointed story seamless and well-anticipated.

Though the first part of Death’s Game aired in December 2023, the second part aired on January 5, 2024 and certainly made the wait worth it, thanks to a devastating cliffhanger. Death’s Game is not afraid to twist the plot at each turn, leaving what could have been a very disjointed story seamless and well-anticipated. Death’s Game has even earned itself an impressive 8.5 rating on IMDb, making it one of the highest-rated K-dramas of 2024 so far.

6 Pyramid Game

Starring Kim Ji-yeon (Bona), Jang Da-ah & Ryu Da-in

Since its release, Pyramid Game has been dubbed Squid Game‘s perfect replacement. The titular game that sees violent bullying legitimized and the commentary on social class that comes with this twisted popular vote bears many similarities to the popular Netflix thriller. However, Pyramid Game is much more than Squid Game‘s replacement and is easily one of the best K-dramas of 2024 thanks to its twisted premise that constantly shifts the narrative in unexpected ways.

Pyramid Game‘s almost entirely female cast is the biggest selling point. Unlike most popular K-dramas that are full of big names, the majority of Pyramid Game‘s cast are fresh faces in the genre. This includes Jang Da-ah, who makes her on-screen debut as the antagonist Baek Ha-rin, yet gives a breathtaking performance for a rookie actress. Every character in Pyramid Game is easy to define but hard to predict, and the ever-changing voting system that enables compliance rather than defiance is horrifying but thrilling to watch, making Pyramid Game a K-drama that is one of 2024’s must-watches.

5 Wonderful World

Starring Kim Nam-joo, Cha Eun-woo, Kim Kang-woo & Im Se-mi

Wonderful World marks actress Kim Nam-joo’s (Misty, My Husband Got A Family) return to television after a six-year hiatus, and she certainly did not disappoint. Wonderful World is a revenge-thriller full of complexities that sees Kim Nam-joo give an exceptional performance as Eun Soo-hyun, who is quickly thrust into a world of mystery following the death of her son. The series also stars Cha Eun-woo, who sheds his typecast to give an equally layered performance that adds further intrigue to its story.

Wonderful World deftly mixes mystery and suspense to keep the audience guessing. The show also explores heavy subjects through themes of grief, guilt, and redemption. Like many of 2024’s best K-dramas, Wonderful World keeps up with the momentum it has built to create show that is an interesting and heartbreaking addition to the genre.

4 Marry My Husband

Starring Park Min-young, Na In-woo, Lee Yi-kyung, Song Ha-yoon & Lee Gi-kwang

2024 started on a high note thanks to Marry My Husband. Revenge K-dramas are one of the most beloved in the genre, and Marry My Husband does well to stand out in an oversaturated landscape as something completely new, while also giving the same amount of thrills that audiences have come to love from the genre. Marry My Husband‘s intoxicating mix of fantasy, comedy, romance, and revenge is hard not to watch all in one sitting, as new information is brought to light.

Though
Marry My Husband
‘s later episodes lose steam compared to the rest of the series, the outstanding performances from
Marry My Husband
‘s main cast members make up for it.

Though Marry My Husband‘s later episodes lose steam compared to the rest of the series, the outstanding performances from the show’s main cast members make up for it. Song Ha-yoon’s performance as the show’s antagonist, Jung Soo-min, is a particular standout, making Marry My Husband‘s revelations all the more shocking. On the other hand, Park Min-young’s portrayal of leading character Kang Ji-won’s new-found second chance at life grounds Marry My Husband and makes it incredibly entertaining to watch from start to finish.

3 Lovely Runner

Starring Kim Hye-yoon & Byeon Woo-seok

Lovely Runner is one of the biggest surprise successes of 2024. Despite issues plaguing the production, its final result is magical and was certainly worth the wait. According to Soompi, in its premiere week alone, Lovely Runner ranked No. 1 on the streaming platform Rakuten Viki in over 130 countries, proving that not all K-dramas need a Netflix release to find overwhelming international success.

On the outside, Lovely Runner‘s concept seems nothing more than an avid K-pop fan who tries to save her favorite idol from an untimely death, but within moments, the show shuns that idea and instead lays the groundwork for a drama that is full of sincerity and great chemistry between Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok. Along with this, Lovely Runner‘s nostalgic look at the past evokes a great sense of warmth and is one of the reasons for its resounding success.

2 A Shop For Killers

Starring Lee Dong-wook & Kim Hye-jun

Following the success of K-dramas such as 2023’s Moving, Hulu’s K-dramas continue to impress with the release of A Shop For Killers in January 2024. A Shop For Killers quite literally starts with a bang in a high-tension first episode that throws audiences straight into Jeong Ji-an’s (Kim Hye-jun) new world as she uncovers her uncle Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook)’s dark secrets following his death. A Shop For Killers never loses momentum and only continues to build from its incredible opening.

The performance of K-drama veteran Lee Dong-wook is a standout in this series, with Kim Hye-jun also being an excellent vantage point for the viewers as the new face in this strange world. A Shop For Killers deviates from a traditional K-drama narrative to focus on a tightly wound, character-driven story that replaces romance with incredible fight scenes. Switching between the past and present can deafen a story, yet A Shop For Killers expertly balances this.

1 Queen of Tears

Starring Kim Soo-hyun & Kim Ji-won

Though there have been many great K-dramas in 2024, none have the same impact as Queen of Tears. Queen of Tears broke Crash Landing on You‘s record and became TVN’s most-watched K-drama of all time, with a Nielsen viewing figure of 24.8% for the finale. It has remained in the top 10 globally as one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English shows for a whopping 15 weeks (as of June 16, 2024, via Netflix). Queen of Tears‘ overwhelming success can be attributed to many things. However, there is one reason that the series has attracted so much attention this year.

There is no doubt that Hong Hae-in and Baek Hyun-woo’s relationship will go down as one of the best K-drama romances of all time. Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun’s career-best performances as the turbulent married couple and their incredible chemistry make every moment they are on-screen together absolutely magical, turning what could have been a romantic fantasy into something incredibly real. Queen of Tears may not have stuck its ending, but its build-up was so thrilling that it’s hard not to consider it the best K-drama of 2024.

Source: Soompi, Netflix