19 Thrilling South Korean Dramas After the “squid Game”
Noting that South Korean pop culture has become at least as beloved outside of the republic as it is within it shouldn’t be controversial in 2021. It all started with the international rise of K-pop, a broad umbrella term for almost any popular music originating in Korea. “I have spoken to friends with young children from at least five countries who are all jaded by their unrelenting obsession with BTS, even though South Korean films have been watched in awe in the United States long before Parasite won the historic Academy Award. As with the art of any country or culture, not all entertainment in South Korea is gold, but the television and films that the country exports are more than capable of competing globally.
Case in point: Squid Game , a tumultuous survival drama that has captured the world’s attention. In terms of viewers who watched the first episode, Netflix says it’s the most watched streamer in history , beating the previous record holder, equally boisterous Bridgerton , by nearly 30 million viewers. These are serious numbers (and Google search traffic says the same thing ).
Even before Squid Game was a hit, Netflix was betting big on K-dramas – and while being a spoiled choice is good, it can be hard to know where to start. Here are some of the best and most popular shows on Netflix right now (there will be many more, don’t worry) that represent the breadth of South Korean television: horror, rom-com, science fiction, historical dramas … you’re passionate about it, you can probably find a great one. Korean version.