The 5 Best K-Dramas Of All-Time, As Chosen By Koreans

Because Korean dramas have become so well-known worldwide, leaving viewers on the edge of their seats and tuning in for every episode, everyone has different reasons for what draws them in. Since the tastes of Korean fans and international fans differ, DKDKTV’s Ariel took to the street to find out which dramas Koreans think are the best of the best. Here are the four they selected.

1. Be Melodramatic

2019’s Be Melodramatic follows a set of three thirty-year-old friends: Im Jin Joo, Lee Eun Jung, and Hwang Han Joo. With all three having different career paths within drama production and the addition of sudden success for one, it causes their dynamic to change as their lives do. Throw in romance, and you’re in for a fun ride as they handle everything life throws at them.

Its cast of familiar faces and one-of-a-kind humor is what’ll keep you hooked.

The humor is very unique, and I’m a big fan of the director’s humor, and that’s why I like it. I love the lines, and it has a lot of my favorite actors.

2. Signal

Switching gears entirely, 2016’s Signal is the supernatural mystery that’ll have you on the edge of your seat for the action and wiping back tears for the emotional moments. The drama switches between the current day and the past as police officers solve cold cases—one of which is the unsolved case of an elementary school girl who was found dead fifteen years ago. It was so well received that it was confirmed to air a second season.

I watched Signal a few years back, and I really like dramas with mystery and action. Also, the way that the story connects with the past is very clever.

3. Mystic Pop-Up Bar

The supernatural vibe in 2020’s Mystic Pop-Up Bar makes it come to life. Based on a webtoon, the drama follows three characters who work at a mysterious pop-up bar that only opens at night. Using supernatural powers, they solve their customers’ problems by entering their dreams.

It’s a story that can’t exist in real life. Hwang Jung Eum plays the main character, and her character’s role is to heal and resolve people’s internal wounds. It’s a long and complicated storyline…

4. Dae Jang Geum

Unlike the rest of the dramas on this list, 2003’s Dae Jang Geum, or Jewel In The Palace, is based on real events. Because historical Korean dynasties were patriarchal, the drama followed Dae Jang Geum as she breaks through to become the first royal doctor. Viewers follow her journey from being a poor child to snatching a position as a royal cook and later treating the king. What really took the drama over the top was the fact that it garnered interest in Korean culture for international viewers.

Because of Dae Jang Geum, there was a big Hallyu wave, and it played a huge role in spreading our culture. To be honest, it’s a very old drama, so I don’t really remember the details, but I remember it’s a drama with a lot of cooking.

5. High Kick Through The Roof

2009’s High Kick Through The Roof follows a pair of sisters, Shin Se Kyung and Shin Shin Ae, become housemaids for a food company’s president to repay the debt their father Shin Dal Ho left behind. As they adjust to living in the city from their past lives in the mountains, everyone gets to see the funny shenanigans between them and the extended family of the home they’re cleaning. It was so popular that it aired over one hundred episodes and has quite a few familiar faces.

It’s a drama that I watched when I was a little kid… High Kick Through The Roof, it came out when I was in second grade, and I still watch it now on YouTube. It’s about two sisters that move to Seoul after being separated from their dad, and they get jobs as housemaids. It’s a relatable, comedy drama.