Romance novels, spicy books, fan fiction — these days, we’re being inundated with text forms of romance, drama, passion and lust. And we are thankful. But if you want all of that pure yearning and desire in just 16 episodes of TV, Korean dramas, also known as K-dramas, are waiting for you.
Korean dramas have been popular internationally for decades and have been a key part of the “Hallyu” wave, a term used to describe the rise in international attention to Korean pop culture. In recent years, streaming services, namely Netflix, have added an extensive collection of Korean programming to their catalog, moving the K-drama from its position as Grandma’s nightly vice on the Korean-language cable channel to something everyone can easily stream anywhere. Whether you want a heartwarming romance or an intense thriller, there’s a K-drama for everyone.
In no order, these are some of the best K-dramas recommended by those at TODAY.com who are brave enough to do the research that requires watching hundreds of hours of television. We do it for YOU.
: Woo Young-woo is an attorney with autism navigating her first year at a big law firm. Young-woo takes on a variety of legal cases, showcasing her photographic memory and her skill in law. She also tackles bias in the workplace and finds a friend and ally in the kind (and very attractive) paralegal Jun-ho.
You can’t help but root for Young-woo as she figures out professional life and love for the first time. Each character melts .
