The Global Craze for K-Dramas Isn’t Slowing Down
Korean dramas rank among the most-watched content worldwide on Netflix, and their success goes far beyond just Squid Game. Although Squid Game wrapped up with its third season in June last year, plenty of other South Korean series won over subscribers in 2025. Among them? La vie portera ses fruits, which we’re calling the best Korean series of last year. It racked up 41.2 million views from January to December 2025, making it the second most-watched South Korean drama on Netflix worldwide—right after those three unforgettable seasons of Squid Game.
Other hits? How about Bon Appétit, Your Majesty, which hauled in an astounding 588 million hours watched, adding up to 37.5 million individual views. No matter what corner of the world you’re in, it looks like everyone’s got a soft spot for K-dramas!
What’s Next: 2026’s Lineup of Gripping Korean Series
After an already busy 2025, what Korean series can we expect on Netflix in 2026? The platform is going all in this year, with no fewer than 17 original new dramas coming our way, plus more titles set to drop to match the South Korean broadcast schedule. After Comment traduire cet amour ? (which is still sparking heated debates online), Netflix Korea has revealed its official list and a teaser featuring never-before-seen images from this year’s shows, movies, and reality or variety programs. That was all it took for us at Télé-Loisirs to lock in our picks. Here are the five Korean dramas we’re most excited about:
- The series formerly known as “Show Business”: Since the casting was announced, this drama has been fueling our daydreams, and our anticipation keeps growing. We’ll need to wait until the end of the year for its release, but this show starring Song Hye-kyo (The Glory, Descendants of the Sun) and Gong Yoo (Squid Game) is bound to be big news. It immerses us in South Korea’s music industry of the 1960s and 1980s, following the lives of Min-ja and her childhood friend Dong-gu.
- The anticipated new rom-com with Jung Hae-in: If you fell for him in Love Next Door, Jung Hae-in is back with a charming new rom-com. The title might not set your imagination on fire, but with a plot and first glimpses this intriguing, we can’t help wanting to give it a shot. Directed by the filmmaker behind My Demon, it follows an amnesiac prosecutor who suddenly finds herself living under the same roof as a boxing coach—who moonlights as a gangster. He swears he’s her boyfriend. Sparks don’t fly immediately, but you can be sure this relationship is headed for unexpected twists and turns.
- The Scandal: an irresistible cast: Another series that made our list based on its cast alone? The Scandal. Son Ye-jin (Crash Landing on You) and Ji Chang-wook (Return to Samdal-ri, The Manipulated) face off in this anticipated new entry, expected in Q3 2026. The Scandal is actually adapted from 2023’s Untold Scandal (itself based on the classic novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos). Set during the Joseon era, powerful Lady Cho hires Cho Won to seduce a young woman—a story sure to deliver intrigue and drama in lavish historical style.
- Notes from the Last Row: a dark new thriller: Already cast in one of 2025’s most-watched K-dramas and a fan favorite online, Choi Hyun-wook moves to the dark side again. After Fragile Hero, this up-and-coming South Korean actor takes on one of the two lead roles in Notes from the Last Row, a thriller adapted from a Spanish stage play. Heo Mun-oh (played by Choi Min-sik) once dreamed of being a writer but never made it, eventually becoming a literature professor. He ends up obsessed with Lee Kang (Choi Hyun-wook), a mysterious student always sitting at the back of the class whose writing talent is matched only by a personality much darker than expected. This intense psychological drama is slated for a Q2 2026 release.
- If Wishes Could Kill: the first Korean young adult horror series: Featuring a cast of young actors including Jeon So-young, and directed by the co-director of Pouvoirs de l’ombre (Shadow Powers), this series sets a dark tone from the start. It follows a group of high schoolers doomed after using an app that grants wishes—as they race to outplay their fates. If Wishes Could Kill is Netflix’s first ever South Korean young adult horror series. Will wish-granting apps be the new creepy dolls? Only time will tell!
2026: The Year to Fill Your Queue with Korean Dramas
With K-dramas stealing more and more of the international spotlight—and numbers like millions of views and hundreds of millions of hours watched—it’s clear: Netflix subscribers just can’t get enough. Whether you’re drawn to period intrigue, romantic comedy, or a dose of psychological thrills, this year’s lineup promises something for every mood. Stock up on snacks and find that perfect spot on the couch—your next obsession is just a click away!
