THE TOP 50 HIGHEST-RATING KOREAN DRAMAS OF ALL TIME
There's no deterring our love affair with all things K-drama. In our continuous search for the best K-dramas of all time, we give you the lowdown on the highest rating Korean dramas on cable TV. Think of it as an essential tried-and-tested listicle of shows any genuine K-fan should watch.
Read up below to see if your favorite made it to the top 50.
Note: The list has been updated to reflect each show's highest rating episode as per Nielsen Korea as of November 26, 2023. It's subject to change should a new drama rate higher in the future. It does not include shows from public channels (KBS, SBS, MBC) which naturally have more viewers.
1. The World of the Married (2020)
Rating: 28.371%
TV Channel: JTBC
A revered medical doctor's seemingly perfect life is overturned when she discovers her husband's infidelity. In her pursuit to retaliate against his betrayal, a bitter back-and-forth ensues between the two as they both seek to exact revenge on the other. The World of the Married smashed TV ratings after its finale episode rated at 28.37%, breaking its own record of 24.44% which it had set just an episode prior.
Starring: Kim Hee Ae, Park Hae Joon, Han So Hee
2. Reborn Rich (2022)
Rating: 26.948%
TV Channel: JTBC
Even after years of loyalty to them and their business, Yoon Hyun-woo gets betrayed and murdered by the Jin family. In an inexplicable turn of events, he wakes up in 1987 as Do-jun, the grandson and heir-apparent of the Soonyang Group, the same company that forsake him. He hatches a well-calculated plan to take down the chaebol family from the inside out.
Starring: Song Joong Ki, Lee Sung Min, Tiffany Young
3. Sky Castle (2018)
Rating: 23.779%
TV Channel: JTBC
This satirical drama revolves around four housewives residing in the exclusive residential area of Sky Castle. Ruthlessly ambitious, the women will stop at nothing to get their children into Seoul National University.
Starring: Yeom Jung Ah, Lee Tae Ran, Yoon Se Ah, Oh Na Ra, Kim Seo Hyung
4. Crash Landing on You (2019)
Rating: 21.683%
TV Channel: tvN
The lives of a South Korean heiress and a North Korean military officer collide when the former lands into North Korean territory after a paragliding accident.
Starring: Hyun Bin, Son Ye Jin, Seo Ji Hye, Kim Jung Hyun
5. Reply 1988 (2015)
Rating: 18.803%
TV Channel: tvN
Five childhood friends who live in the same neighborhood of Ssangmundong rely on each other as they enter the peak of their turbulent teen years.
Starring: Hyeri, Park Bo Gum, Ryoon Joon Yeol, Go Kyung Pyo, Lee Dong Hwi
6. Goblin (2016)
Rating: 18.680%
TV Channel: tvN
A romantic fantasy drama, the series follows the story of a 939-year-old Goblin, also known as the Protector of Souls, as he ends up falling for the girl destined to end his cursed immortal life.
Starring: Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun, Lee Dong Wook
7. Doctor Cha (2023)
Rating: 18.493%
TV Channel: JTBC
For 20 years, Cha Jeong-suk was content with life as a housewife. Though, one day, she chooses to finally fulfill her lifelong dream of becoming a medical professional and pursues residency at the same hospital as her husband Seo In-ho.
Starring: Uhm Jung Hwa, Kim Byung Chul, Myung Se Bin, Min Woo Hyuk
8. Mr. Sunshine (2018)
Rating: 18.129%
TV Channel: tvN
A poor boy born into a house servant's family travels to the United States during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident. He soon grows up to become an American military officer who returns to his homeland and falls in love with an aristocrat's daughter, all while unveiling a sinister plot by foreign nationals to colonize Korea.
Starring: Lee Byung Hun, Kim Tae Ri
9. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
Rating: 17.534%
TV Channel: ENA
Woo Young-woo is an exceptionally diligent but socially awkward attorney with savant syndrome. She's initially met with prejudice by her peers at her new job, but case after case, she proves just how skilled and resilient she is. Right by her side is her best friend Dong Geu Ra-mi, and Lee Joon-ho, a charming litigator at their law firm.
Starring: Park Eun Bin, Kang Tae Oh, Joo Hyun Young
10. Mr. Queen (2020)
Rating: 17.371%
TV Channel: tvN
In modern-day Seoul, prestigious chef Jang Bong-hwan of the President's Blue House gets caught in a scuffle that leads him to fall off a building. When he wakes up, he realizes he's traveled back to the Joseon period, and his soul is now inhabiting the body of Queen Kim So-yong. Unable to escape this odd situation, he sets out to learn more about the queen's life but ends up getting caught in the Kingdom's political drama.
Starring: Shin Hye Sun, Kim Jung Hyun
11. Crash Course in Romance (2023)
Rating: 17.038%
TV Channel: tvN
A retired national athlete, Nam Haeng-seon runs a side dish store where she encounters Choi Chi-yeol, a sought-after teacher at an elite university. The two are polar opposites with their personalities, but somehow, a little love story starts to come about.
Starring: Jeon De Yeon, Jung Kyung Ho
12. Under the Queen's Umbrella (2022)
Rating: 16.852%
TV Channel: tvN
As the queen of Joseon, Im Hwa-ryeong walks with poise and dignity-this, however, is a challenge because of her troublemaker sons. She tries to whip them into shape, as one of them will eventually have to inherit the throne from her.
Starring: Kim Hye Soo, Kim Hae Sook, Choi Won Young, Bae In Hyuk, Yoo Seon Ho
13. Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce) 2 (2021)
Rating: 16.582%
TV Channel: TV Chosun
More illicit romances, drama, and betrayal ensue in the second season of Love (ft. Marriage and Divorce). This time around, the melodrama further unravels the crumbling marriages of our three lead radio show professionals as we get to know more about their husbands' mistresses.
Starring: Lee Ga Ryeong, Sung Hoon, Park Joo Mi
14. Itaewon Class (2020)
Rating: 16.548%
TV Channel: JTBC
Ex-con Park Saeroyi and his misfit group of employees work to turn their modest bar into the number one pub in Itaewon. Reaching their goal turns out to be an uphill battle as they deal with the ruthless CEO of Jangga Co., a.k.a. the man responsible for setting off a chain of events that landed Saeroyi in jail in the first place.
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Kim Da Mi, Kwon Nara, Ahn Bo Hyun
15. Agency (2023)
Rating: 16.044%
TV Channel: JTBC
Despite her less privileged background, Go Ah-in fearlessly takes charge in one of Korea's leading advertising agencies. She builds herself from the ground up, hoping to one day become her company's first female lead executive.
Starring: Lee Bo Young, Son Na Eun, Jo Sung Ha, Han Joon Woo
16. Vincenzo (2021)
Rating: 14.636%
TV Channel: tvN
Vincenzo Cassano, a South Korean-born Mafia lawyer in Italy, flees to his homeland after he finds himself caught in between two warring factions. Back in Seoul, he teams up with a spunky female lawyer to exact justice on evil criminals through any means possible.
Starring: Song Joong Ki, Jeon Yeo Bin, Ok Taecyeon, Kwak Dong Yeon
17. Our Blues (2022)
Rating: 14.597%
TV Channel: tvN
Led by a star-studded ensemble cast, Our Blues is set on Jeju Island. Here, the lives of multiple individuals intertwine in unexpected ways as they go through the uncertain motions of life in the province.
Starring: Shin Min Ah, Kim Woo Bin, Lee Byung Hun, Uhm Jung Hwa