The popularity of Korean dramas has exploded in the Western media industry. Some of the best K-dramas have gained global admirers and dedicated viewers for many reasons, including their intriguing narratives, fascinating stories, and unique genres, as well as the phenomenal performances by the lead cast.
Even though 2021 was full of great K-dramas like Squid Game, Hellbound, and Red Sleeve Cuff, 2022 is shaping up to be just as exciting. Popular examples are Ghost Doctor, Business Proposal, and Twenty-Five Twenty-Nine.
Due to their widespread popularity, popular streaming services like Netflix and Apple TV have increased the variety of their available content, making them the finest places to catch up on the most gripping Korean dramas.
Want some fresh K-dramas to binge on, but there are none to be found? Have you had enough of rewatching Crash Landing on You and Squid Game? The following is a ranking of the best new Korean dramas of 2022, as determined by viewers like you.
The list features a wide range of genres, from romantic comedies to fantasy series, and features both well-known Korean actors and actresses, and K-pop stars. There will be a tonne of amazing new shows to watch in 2022, from comedies like Ghost Doctor to horror shows like All of Us Are Dead. If you’re looking for the most up-to-date series, you should definitely check out the top K-dramas of 2022.
Squid Game
Many players, desperate for money, accept an unusual request to take part in children’s games. There’s a tantalizing prize on the inside, but the stakes are far too high to risk it.
Lee Jung-Jae, Park Hae-soo, and Wi Ha-jun are the main actors.
Hwang Dong-hyuk, Authors
In case you missed it, this 2021 Korean drama was Netflix’s biggest launch hit ever. The story revolves around a group of people who are in over their heads in debt, and a sadistic tournament featuring deceptively innocent children’s activities promises the winners a significant quantity of money to help them pay off their (often life-dependent) bills. It’s a game of life and death, preying on the desperate.
Squid Game Korean Drama with all seasons watch on Netflix
Ghost Doctor
A first-year resident suddenly becomes the most in-demand doctor in the country after the spirit of a conceited but gifted surgeon takes possession of his body.
Star Cast in Squid Game K Drama Uie, Kim Beom, and Jung Ji-hoon.
Made by: Boo Sung-Chul, Kim Yeong-hwan, Kim Seon-su
The ‘coma ghost’ is a fascinating notion introduced in Ghost Doctor. This drama series about two doctors who become strangely attached by director Boo Seong-Cheol is a unique blend of the medical and fantasy genres.
Cardiothoracic surgeon Cha Young-min (Rain) is both well-known and skilled, but he also has an inflated sense of self-importance. Following a vehicle accident, he takes on the form of a “coma ghost,” wandering the hospital and eventually possessing Go Seung-tak (Kim Bum), a first-year resident in thoracic surgery. Since Go is now possessed by a surgical genius, he effortlessly performs complex procedures and uncovers controversial issues. Thrill seekers, tune in: this spooky medical drama is just what the doctor ordered.
Kim Jojo faces adversity in her personal life and the realm of youthful love in a world where an app notifies users whether someone nearby likes them.
The Star cast includes Kim So-Hyun, Jung Ga-ram, and Song Kang.
Kim Jin-woo, Lee Na-Jeong, Seo Bora, and Lee Ayoun
This drama is based on the webcomic of the same name, and it follows the story of an anonymous programmer who makes a program that can detect whether a user is in the vicinity of someone who has romantic affection for them. Where could we possibly go wrong, if anywhere?
At the cusp of their fortieth birthdays, three best friends lean on each other for support as they navigate life, love, and grief together.
Stars in Thirty Nine Jeon Mi-do, and Kim Ji-hyun and Son Ye-jin.
Authors: Kim Sang-ho and Yu Young-a
This K-drama presents a story that is both warm and familiar. Son Ye-Jin reprises his role as Cha Mi Jo from Crash Landing on You, and Jeon Mi-Do (Hospital Playlist) and Kim Ji-Hyun (Jang Joo Hee) return from their respective roles.
Three close friends, who have stuck together through good times and bad, are at the center of this story. This beloved K-drama follows a group of friends as they enter middle age (40), and they experience love, loss, and humor along the way.
A young guy who was accidentally transformed into a hybrid of human and spirit is hired by a group of grim reapers to do secret assignments.
It features Kim Hee-Seon, Rowoon, and Lee Soo-hyuk in lead roles.
The Authors: Kim Tae-Youn, Sung Chi-wook, Park Rhan, Park Ja-Kyung, Kim You-jin
This K-drama is fantastic for fans of fantastical stories. The show centers on a band of death angels and grim reapers who care for the recently deceased and prevent others from taking their own life.
Choi Jun-woong (Rowoon), accidentally became half-human and meets Goo-Ryeon (Kim Hee-Seon) and Lim Ryung-gu (a ghost) (Ji-On Yoon). Choi is taken in and integrated into the organization’s crisis response group. The events that follow make Tomorrow a top-tier Korean drama.
Besides Nu-ri Kim as Jang Jae-hee, Kim Hae-Sook as the Jade Emperor, and Lee Soo-Hyuk as Park Joong-gil, the film also features a number of other notable actors.
In a time when goals seem out of reach, a teen fencer pursues enormous ambitions and meets a hardworking young man who strives to repair his life.
Starring: Kim Tae-Ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, Kim Ji-Yeon
Creators: Jung Jee-Hyun, Kwon Do-eun
Featuring Kim Tae-Ri as Na Hee Do and Nam Joo-hyuk as Baek Yi-Jin, this drama is a coming-of-age love story set in the 1990s. The story is stunning, and the acting is superb; it’s no surprise that this K-drama is a critical success in 2022.
The story is about people whose dreams come crashing down around them as South Korea is hit by a severe economic crisis. They strengthen each other as they endure adversity and prepare for a brighter future.
Twenty Five Twenty One is not only one of the best series but also an extremely addicting Korean drama thanks to its endeavor to depict the upheavals and changes in society, culture, and the economy.
Twenty Five Twenty one Korean Drama watch on Netflix
Pachinko
This South Korean adaptation of a Min Jin Lee novel was a New York Times bestseller in its own right. Set against the backdrop of the Japanese invasion of Korea and its terrible aftermath, the story spans four generations of a Korean immigrant family.
Pachinko, starring Lee Min-Ho, Soji Arai, and Jin Ha, is perhaps one of the best K-dramas of the year. The series follows a family as they struggle against the odds to uproot themselves and follow their goals.
A dedicated forecaster and her free-thinking coworker find that love is just as unpredictable as the weather outside their national weather agency.
Park Min-young, Song Kang, and Yoon Bak star in this film.
Cha Young-hun, Kang Eun K, and Sun Young are the authors.
This is another tender love story, although it takes place in an out-of-the-ordinary situation. Relationship blossoms between a dedicated weather forecaster and her coworker in this Korean drama series.
Park Min-Young, who plays Jin Ha Kyung, and Song Kang, who plays Lee Shi Woo, both turned forth outstanding performances that helped earn the show acclaim. It’s fascinating to see how the couple handles their professional and romantic commitments.
Forecasting Love and Weather Korean drama watch on Netflix
Alchemy of Souls
An influential witch trapped in a blind woman’s body meets a man from a wealthy family who seeks her aid in altering his fate.
Lee Jae-Wook, Jung So-min, and Hwang Min-Hyun star in this film.
Hong Mi-ran, Hong Jung-eun, and Park Joon-hwa
According to Netflix, “a powerful sorceress in a blind woman’s body encounters a guy from a prominent family, who begs her help in changing his destiny.”
The novel takes place in the made-up country of Daeho, with events based on those of the Jaeson dynasty in what is now South Korea. The drama combines romantic chemistry with fantastical aspects, transporting viewers to a fantastical another dimension. It shows how people’s souls have to adjust to new circumstances, resulting in a skew in their journeys and eventual outcomes.
Jae Wook Lee plays Jang Wook, Min-Hyun Hwang plays Seo Yool, and Jung So-Min plays Mu-deok in the Korean drama.
A harsh judge in a juvenile court juggles her dislike of adolescent offenders with her convictions about justice and punishment.
Kim Hye-soo, Kim Moo-yeol, and Lee Sung-min star.
Hong Jong-chan and Kim Min-suk, Producers
An intriguing actress like Kim Hye-Soo makes it hard to turn down a Korean drama. Her outstanding work in this role helps elevate Juvenile Justice to the ranks of the year’s top Korean dramas.
Kim’s character, Sim Eun-Seok, has a strong aversion to young offenders. There is a lot of legal drama and excitement when a senior and exceptional judge like her is assigned to lead a juvenile court. She has to put aside her own feelings in order to do her job as a judge of juvenile court cases, which may be very difficult and emotionally taxing. Kim Moo-yeol and Lee Sung-min also star in this Korean drama.
Ha-ri goes on a blind date dressed as her buddy in an attempt to frighten him off. However, things don’t go as planned when he reveals himself to be her CEO and makes a proposal.
The cast includes Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-Jeong, and Kim Min-gue.
The Authors: Park Seon-ho, Han Sul-hee, and Hong Bo-hui
Business Proposal, a 2022 Korean drama based on a webtoon by the same name by Haehwa, is highly anticipated. In this lighthearted romantic comedy, Shin Ha-Ri (Se-Jeong Kim) agrees to substitute herself for her friend Jin Young-Seo (Seol In-ah) on a blind date arranged by Jin’s father. But after Shin learns that the man is actually her CEO, Kang Tae-Mu, everything changes (Ahn Hyo-Seop). She accepts his proposal, which is intriguing, but her life drastically alters after that point.
Business Proposal Korean Drama watched on Netflix.
All of Us Are Dead
When a zombie pandemic hits, it all starts at a high school. Students who find themselves trapped must escape by any means necessary lest they become one of the rabid infected.
Playing pivotal roles are Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, and Cho Yi-Hyun.
Lee J.Q., Chun Sung-il, and Kim Nam-su
Following its January release on Netflix, the show quickly rose to the top of the trending list. All of Us Are Dead has gained massive international attention and is quickly becoming a phenomenon; season two is already in production.
It’s adapted from Joo’s Dong-popular Geun’s Naver webtoon Now at Our School, making it one of the most talked-about shows. The plot centers on a group of South Korean teenagers who are quarantined in their school after a faulty science experiment unleashes a zombie apocalypse.
This K-drama features newbies Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young, and Cho Yi-hyun, all of whom give outstanding performances, guaranteeing the nail-biting excitement of legendary zombie movies.