Top 5 Korean Dramas of 2024 Chosen by Koreans✨

2024 Korean Drama BEST 5🎬

✨ Introducing all at once the dramas that captivated Korea with their ratings, buzz, and satisfaction!

2024 was another year of an abundant harvest of Korean dramas!

With so many buzzworthy titles, including time leaps, revenge dramas, and romantic comedies,
many of you may have wondered, “Which one should I watch first?”

This time, we’ll introduce the Korean dramas that represent 2024 in ranking format, based on ratings, buzz, and satisfaction✨
*Streaming availability is subject to change.

🏆 1st Place: Lovely Runner（선재 업고 튀어）

📺 tvN／16 episodes／Available on U-NEXT

⭐ Cast: Byeon Woo-seok, Kim Hye-yoon

A smash hit that took the first half of 2024 by storm.

It is the story of a woman who travels back in time 15 years to save her “favorite” 💡

A poignant romance unfolds as she travels back and forth between the past and present.

✨ Highlights

• ・　A poignant story moving between the past and present

• ・　An intensely enthusiastic response known as the “Seon-jae spiral”

• ・　The popularity of its OST also adds to the drama’s lasting afterglow

・　Every episode has a “must-rewatch” divine development…!

In Korea, it became a hot topic as “the best K-drama of the year”!

🥈 2nd Place: Queen of Tears（눈물의 여왕）

📺 tvN／16 episodes／Available on Netflix

⭐ Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won

🎯 Final episode viewership rating: 24.9% (nationwide)

The queen of a chaebol department store × a husband from the countryside.

A story about rekindling “love” once again, sparked by a divorce crisis💖

✨ Highlights

・　A work by Park Ji-eun, the screenwriter of “Crash Landing on You”

・　Elevates classic K-drama tropes with sophisticated direction

・　Kim Soo-hyun’s comeback after approximately three years

・　An exquisite balance of comedy × romance × suspense

・　The OST “미안해 미워해 사랑해” also became a hot topic

🥉 3rd Place: Marry My Husband（내 남편과 결혼해줘）

📺 tvN／16 episodes／Available on Amazon Prime

⭐ Cast: Park Min-young, Na In-woo

A woman betrayed by her husband and best friend after being diagnosed with terminal cancer returns to the past,

and gets revenge while starting her life over in this exhilarating story🔥

✨ Highlights

・　A popular work based on a web novel

・　A hot topic globally

・　The villain is so intense that they become addictive

・　A successful story in the “returning to the past while retaining one’s memories” genre

・　The refreshing revenge story feels so satisfying!

4th Place: The Fiery Priest 2（열혈사제2）

📺 SBS／12 episodes／streaming on Disney+

⭐ Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Lee Ha-neul

🎯 Highest viewership rating: 12.8% (nationwide)

A thrilling black comedy investigative drama about a short-tempered Catholic priest pursuing a drug case in Busan💪

The second season of the 2019 smash hit, with some saying it “surpasses the previous season”!

✨ Highlights

・　Season 2 of the 2019 smash hit

・　Kim Nam-gil’s unique priest character is fantastic

・　Easy to watch thanks to its abundance of comedy

・　Structured so that you can enjoy it even without having watched Season 1

5th Place: Good Partner（굿 파트너）

📺 SBS／16 episodes

⭐ Cast: Jang Na-ra, Nam Ji-hyun

🏆 Jang Na-ra won the “Grand Prize” at the 2024 SBS Drama Awards

Star divorce lawyer × rookie lawyer courtroom office drama⚖️

A realistic human drama that explores the essence of family, love, and separation.

✨ Highlights

・　A realistic story centered on divorce

・　A great balance of courtroom × office × human drama

・　The appeal lies in its cool yet passionate story development

🌟 Special Feature: Noteworthy Works

• Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born（정년이）

A coming-of-age story about a girl who aspires to become a star of gukgeuk (traditional Korean theater) in the 1950s.

•  Wonderful World

A mysterious suspense drama about a mother who punishes the person who killed her son.

Cast: Kim Nam-joo × Cha Eun-woo

•  Knight Flower（밤에 피는 꽃）

A talked-about hit that recorded a peak viewership rating of 18.4%.

※ Not available in Japan

📺 Viewing Guide by Streaming Service (Approximate)

※ Streaming availability is subject to change.

Netflix: Queen of Tears

U-NEXT: Lovely Runner

Amazon Prime: Marry My Husband

Disney+: The Fiery Priest 2

✅ 2024 K-Drama Trends (Roughly)

・　The popularity of time-leap／regression stories continues

・　More dramas based on web novels／webtoons

・　An updated take on chaebol×class-disparity marriages

・　Satisfying revenge dramas

・　Black comedy×social commentary themes

✨ Summary

2024 was truly an amazing year for Korean dramas—there were so many great ones…!

From time-leap stories and revenge dramas to romantic comedies, there was such a wide range of genres that you were spoiled for choice.
If there are any titles you haven’t watched yet, be sure to check them out while you have the chance💕

“Which one should I watch first?” Let me know in the comments if you’d like✨

You can't take your eyes off Korean dramas in 2025 either!🎬