14 Must-Watch Korean Shows to Watch on Netflix Right Now (March 2026): ‘Still Shining’ and More

Yeon Tae-seo (Park Jin-young) and Mo Eun-a (Kim Min-ju) first meet in their high school library over summer break, struggling with college entrance exams and dealing with tumultuous home lives. However, this mutual trauma shared between them forms a connections that blossoms into a romance. But when they graduate high school, they are forced apart, traveling to opposite sides of the country to achieve their respective career goals. When they happen to meet again ten years later, will they get a second chance at love?

Still Shining is a moving story about the beauty and folly of young romance, and K-pop icons Park and Kim really shine in their performances. The series is a fun, bubbly look at first love that makes you relive those butterflies all over again, and the chemistry between the two leads is not just believable, it’s effortless. But everything about Still Shining is top-tier, from the exceptional writing to the gorgeous cinematography; the show makes it a joy to watch from start to finish. This isn’t a K-drama you’ll want to miss.

Webtoon producer Seo Mi-rae (Jisoo) looks to find an alternative to the exhaustive realities of dating, and turns her attention to a subscription-based virtual reality dating service. Inside the digital world, Mi-rae is able to interact with a many different, simulated potential partners who are all specifically programmed to be perfect matches for her. But the more time Mi-rae spends inside this fake reality, the more real-life and the virutal life start to blend together, as Mi-rae becomes utterly immersed in a world of dating that doesn’t really exist.

Boyfriend on Demand isn’t just a great rom-com — it has a surprising amount of depth in the story-writing and character complexity. Though fun and quirky at the beginning, the series becomes more thoughtful and meditative as it goes on, as it explores the struggles of modern dating and the pitfalls of outsourcing one’s life to a virtual world. Boyfriend on Demand is an excellent show that blends lighthearted romance, humor and a strong emotional core, with great chemistry between Jisoo and co-star Seo In-guk.

Politician’s daughter and hotel CEO Cha Soo-hyun (Song Hye-kyo) lives an unfulfilling life, having married into a wealthy family only to divorce over her husband’s infidelity. While on a business trip in Cuba, she meets a free-spirited solo-traveler named Kim Jin-hyuk (Park Bo-gum), and the two unexpectedly hit it off. But when they go their separate ways, they meet again back in South Korea — where Jin-hyuk is actually an employee of the hotel that Soo-hyun is CEO of. Thus begins the story of two very different people giving up everything to be together.

Song and Park put everything into their roles as Soo-hyun and Jin-hyuk, conveying their emotions with subtle but powerful physicalities like small gestures and lingering glances. Encounter is, at the end of the day, a poignant and devastating romance that is more than just mawkish melodrama. In fact, Encounter is a mature love story that approaches the social barriers that hinder real-life romance with nuance.

Sarah Kim (Shin Hye-sun) has gone to great lengths to create a false identity to achieve the wealth and social status she covets, but her carefully constructed world begins to come crumbling down when a body identified as hers is found in a sewer in an upperclass distrtict of Seoul. As he digs into the case, Detective Park Mu-Gyeong (Lee Joon-hyuk) learns that Sarah’s personal records don’t match up, and he discovers she’s gone by multiple different aliases. As the investigation continues and Sarah’s life begins to unravel, she comes face-to-face with the consequences of her years of lying.

Anchored by Shin’s powerhouse performance, The Art of Sarah is a gripping, multi-layered psychological thriller that offers a thoughtful commentary on vanity and social mobility. The series is fast-paced and easily binged, with plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing until the very end. If you love the many thriller series of Harlan Coben, you have to check out this addictive and entertaining yarn.

The residents of an extremely luxurious apartment complex in Seoul battle to one-up each other’s own wealth and power. At Hera Palace, different families with different backgrounds all strive for the best for their children, including a wealthy wife whose businessman husband is hiding a secret, and a woman from a humble background who gets involved in a love triangle. But everything changes when a young girl falls to her death at a party.

The Penthouse: War in Life is a must-watch soap, full of plenty of crazy twists and turns, shocking reveals, over-the-top, high-stakes melodrama and a compelling storyline. It doesn’t hurt that the characters are fun to watch, too. At the end of the day, this K-Drama kinda has everything you’d want in an addictive binge-watch.

Extraterrestrial Do Min-joon (Kim Soo-hyun) landed on Earth over 400 years ago and became accidentally stranded after saving a girl and missing his return ship. With three months left until he leaves, Do Min-joon meets a young human woman named Cheon Song-yi (Jun Ji-hyun). As their lives become increasingly entangled and romance blooms, Min-joon finds the prospect of heading home less and less appealing.

My Love From the Star gets its premise in part from real reported sightings of UFOs during the Joseon Dynasty in Korea. The show became massively popular in South Korea and China, snagging a number of awards and becoming a genuine cultural phenomenon. Ultimately, the series is a well-crafted story with great characters and fast pacing that manages to be funny, romantic and poignant.

Following a thousand-year slumber, a genie is finally freed by a woman with intense emotional problems. Living under the thumb of her strict grandmother and going through the motions of a monotonous life, the arrival of Iblis (Kim Woo-bin) finally shakes things up for Ka-young (Bae Suzy). The eccentric genie must grant three wishes to this emotionless woman, and together the pair embark on a funny and fantastical adventure.

Genie, Make a Wish is a funny and light-hearted fantasy series that nevertheless has real emotional weight to it. Viewers will have a fun time watching Ka-young and Iblis’s odd couple pairing in an overarching narrative that has well-written episodic plots and fantastic performances from the two leads.

Years ago, Jung Yi-shin (Go Hyun-jung) was convicted of being a serial killer. Years later, a series of murders has emerged bearing hallmarks of Yi-shin. The police need help hunting down this disturbing copycat killer, and so Yi-shin is released from prison to help authorities catch her imitator. However, Yi-shin will only cooperate if her estranged detective son is assigned to the case. Though Cha Soo-yeol (Jang Dong-yoon) wants nothing to do with his criminal mother, the two must confront their past to find the killer.

Queen Mantis is an absolute must-watch for fans of thrillers, crime stories and mysteries. The well fleshed-out lead characters are compelling to watch, and the actors who portray them have excellent chemistry. Creepy and engrossing, Queen Mantis will quench a thirst not just for page-turner crime stories, but meaningful narratives with plenty of emotion as well as suspense.

After three years spent working abroad, 20-something video game developer Jun-hui (Jung Hae-in) returns home and reconnects with Jin-ah (Son Ye-jin), a 30-something district supervisor for a coffeehouse franchise. Jin-ah has been best friends with Jun-hui’s sister since childhood, but the two have never been much more than acquaintances. However, their reconnection turns into something much more than friends. The two attempt to navigate a romance amid South Korean taboos of age gap relationships.

This drama series isn’t just a heart-rending romance — it’s also an interesting commentary on various cultural taboos, not limited to age gaps, including those surrounding women’s careers, families, food and drinking. It skewers the culture of sexism and misogyny that frequently plagues South Korean work environments, while also being an affecting and engaging drama bolstered by the performances from Jung and Son.

Weak Hero, the story of a physically weak but intelligent boy who becomes entangled in escalating violence from high school bullies, gained an obsessive following quickly after the first season dropped on Netflix in March. The second season, known as “Class Two,” followed at the end of April, and fans are already clamoring for a third. 

Fans of Weak Hero are fascinated by the theme of high school bullying and using intelligence and strategy instead of physical strength. The series stars Park Ji-hoon in the leading role, showcasing a different side of his talent beyond his musical career as a former member of the boy band Wanna One. His performance has been particularly praised by critics for its depth and nuance, effectively capturing the internal struggles and growth of his character. The strong performances, intense storylines, violent action and complex emotional arcs make this show a great fit for fans of The End of the F***ing World.

The dark side of human nature is explored in this hit series that follows 456 cash-strapped contestants as they participate in a mysterious and deadly competition comprised of traditional children’s games with a dark twist. The stakes are life-threatening, and the ultimate prize is a life-changing 45.6 billion won. Beneath its gripping narrative lies a pointed critique of socioeconomic disparity and the desperation both perpetuated and exploited by capitalism.

With a third season set to release in June 2025, now is the perfect time to catch up on Squid Game. Get to know the talented cast of characters, which includes Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun, a down-on-his-luck chauffeur and gambling addict who enters the game hoping to settle his debts and reclaim guardianship of his daughter. Park Hae-soo portrays Cho Sang-woo, Gi-hun’s childhood friend and a disgraced investment banker. Jung Ho-yeon, in her breakout role, plays Kang Sae-byeok, a North Korean defector with her own motivations. 

High school drama meets zombie apocalypse in All of Us Are Dead, another hit South Korean series. The suspenseful drama is set in a high school under siege by a sudden zombie apocalypse. As a mysterious virus spreads, a group of students is forced to band together in a desperate fight for survival. The claustrophobic environment of the school amplifies the tension, as these teenagers grapple with not only the undead swarming the corridors but also the intense emotions and social dynamics among themselves. The series expertly combines horror, drama, and coming-of-age elements, creating a relentless pace that keeps viewers on edge. 

The show stars a talented ensemble cast, including actors Yoon Chan-young, Park Ji-hu, Cho Yi-hyun and Lomon, among others. This series is great for fans of the teen struggle for survival in Yellowjackets or the coming-of-age horror in The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.

The premiere high school drama out of South Korea, this show was many Americans’ introduction to K-dramas. Boys Over Flowers follows the story of a working-class girl named Geum Jan-di, played by Ku Hye-sun, who receives a scholarship to attend the prestigious Shinhwa High School. This elite institution is dominated by a group known as the F4, consisting of four wealthy and handsome boys led by the brash and arrogant Gu Jun-pyo, portrayed by Lee Min-ho.

The series develops as Jan-di becomes entangled in complex relationships with the F4, particularly with Jun-pyo, leading to a tumultuous journey of love, friendship, and rivalry. It’s a blend of romance, drama, humor and class commentary. It’s great for fans of teen soap operas like The O.C. or Gossip Girl.

Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun), a psychiatric hospital worker who takes care of his autistic older brother, and Ko Mun-yeong (Seo Yea-ji), a successful children’s book author with an antisocial personality disorder, become romantically entangled in this drama series.

Ko Mun-yeong becomes obsessed with Moon Gang-tae, leading to an intense connection that evolves from disturbing to transformative. The chemistry between the two leads sells the darker elements of this story, which is ultimately one of healing, love and mental health. The series stands out for its unique storytelling approach, blending fairy tale elements with deep psychological exploration.

Viewers are drawn to the series not only for its strong performances but also for its stunning cinematography and insightful messages around mental health and personal growth. Blending a quirky visual style with heavy subject matter makes It’s Okay to Not Be Okay ideal for fans of Sex Education or Normal People.