The best Korean dramas of 2025 transported you to a different world through their captivating stories. One minute, you were holding your breath in an ER hallway. The next, you were craving royal cuisine. This year’s most buzzworthy K-dramas not only hit the screens but also stole viewers’ hearts around the world and smashed the charts. We have curated Korean dramas that not just hit the screen but also stole the hearts of many K-drama fans around the world. Let’s check out the five best Korean dramas in 2025 that hit the hardest and earned the numbers this year.
5 Best Korean Dramas That Ruled Ratings and Buzz in 2025
These five K-dramas have captured your hearts since their premieres until the end of 2025. They not just gained high ratings, global streaming heat, and trend only in 2025, but they will stay in your mind after.
1. “When Life Gives You Tangerines”
Starting in the 1960s on Jeju and chronicling across generations, Netflix’s original Korean drama series “When Life Gives You Tangerines” makes “ordinary life” feel cinematic. It explores first loves, family choices, and the process of growing up that doesn’t end at 20.
According to Netflix’s first-half-of-2025 engagement data, the 16-episode series gained 34.8 million views.
Its story touched many hearts and won numerous awards. At the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, the drama won 4 of 8 nominations, including Best Drama. It also swept top honors at the 2025 SEOULCON APAN Star Awards, including the Drama of the Year, Best Director, and Daesang (IU).
The story didn’t chase twists, but it captured real life. The ending lands perfectly because it respects time as it explores aging, grief, gratitude, and the quiet heroism of resistance.
Director Kim Won-seok shared that he hoped the story’s compassion would reach viewers amid negativity.
2. “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty”
tvN’s Korean drama “Bon Appétit, Your Majesty” follows a modern chef who time-slips into Joseon. She ends up cooking for the king, who’s both a gourmet and a tyrant.
Blending mouthwatering romance, danger, and tension in one pot, the final episode gained a nationwide rating of 17.1% (Nielsen Korea). That’s not just a “good run.” That’s a takeover!
The palace politics raise the stakes, while sharp comedy and “will they/won’t they” chemistry pull viewers in without ever dragging. The show served delicious food; it’s not only something to enjoy, but it’s also a love language and a survival tool. Watching the series feels like a special dinner with our favorite stars on the weekend.
3. “The Haunted Palace”
If you wanted a historical romance with bite, then Korean drama “The Haunted Palace” is for you! This fantasy historical rom-com takes you to a time where a palace full of spirits meets shamanism, myth, and swoony danger.
This show is not a typical historical K-drama. It grabbed the viewers’ attention with its spooky yet playful story. The writer built it from an intriguing, vivid “what if,” and kept the rom-com and occult from clashing.
According to Nielsen Korea, “The Haunted Palace” finale hit 11.0% nationwide, topping its time slot.
4. “The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call”
“The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call” turned a “medical K-drama” into a sprint. A genius trauma surgeon takes on a corrupt system, chasing the “golden hour” as if it’s a countdown clock.
The series recorded 11.9 million views and hit No.1 on Netflix’s global non-English TV rankings from January 27 to February 2, 2025.
With its fantastic story, excellent execution, talented and competent cast and crew, it’s a clear stakes, it’s a team you want to root for. The whole story not only gave you relief, but also asked you to feel proud of saving lives without turning it into a lecture.
For his outstanding acting in this show, the leading actor, Ju Ji-hoon, won Best Actor at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards.
5. “Taxi Driver 3”
K-drama fans’ favorite vigilante justice is back in “Taxi Driver 3,” and it’s still cathartic. Rainbow Transport takes cases that the system can’t (or won’t) fix, and the show never forgets the victims. Lee Je-hoon said, “This season will be intense right from the start.”
The show climbed to a 14.0% nationwide high, and it also led among viewers ages 20–49.
Even though this drama is not yet complete, the audience is delighted with each episode. Sometimes you just want quick justice. You also want a team you can trust, like a found family. The Rainbow Transport team’s bond is what makes the show feel so satisfying.
Your 2025 K-Drama Mood Board
Five dramas. Five different “feels.”
Food as power. Love as a lifeline. Ghost stories with heart. Heroes in hospital scrubs. Justice that comes fast. If your 2025 could be one of these stories, which one feels like your life right now—and why? Tell us in the comments.
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