Movies

Must-Watch Korean Dramas on Netflix That Will Take 2025 by Storm!

BBG News

After nine years since its debut in South Korea, Netflix has successfully demonstrated that the barrier imposed by subtitles on Korean content has been surmounted.

Take a peek at the sophomore run of beloved series Squid Game, debuting during the winter holidays in 2024: In mere weeks, it climbed to be the second most-watched non-English season ever, amassing over 1.24 billion hours of viewership, trailing only its inaugural season, which had garnered a staggering 2.2 billion hours. (For context, the streaming service boasts approximately 301 million paying subscribers.)

The interest in Korean dramas has grown not just on Netflix but also on platforms like Disney+, Apple TV+, and Hulu. However, with its billion-dollar commitment to Korean content, Netflix seems poised to maintain its lead in 2025. This is particularly true with the highly anticipated finale of Squid Game planned for mid-year, along with a variety of other shows featuring some of the Hallyu wave’s top stars.

Here are the K-dramas to look forward to on Netflix in 2025:

Melo Movie

Actors Choi Woo-shik from “Parasite” and Park Bo-young from “Daily Dose of Sunshine” team up for a romantic film set around Valentine’s Day, appealing to movie enthusiasts. In this production, Choi takes on the role of Ko Gyeom, a former film fanatic turned critic, who encounters Park’s character Kim Mu-bee, a director who reenters the film industry due to her complex feelings towards her father after years apart. The director for this project is Oh Choong-hwan, known for popular shows such as “Hotel de Luna” (2019) and “Start-Up” (2020). The romantic drama titled “Melo Movie” will premiere on Netflix on February 14.

When Life Gives You Tangerines

In the upcoming series “When Life Gives You Tangerines,” set to premiere on March 7, South Korea’s beloved stars IU (from “Hotel del Luna”) and Park Bo-gum (known for “Reply 1988” and “Record of Youth”) join forces. In this heartwarming drama, IU portrays the youthful Ae-sun, a fearless and rebellious spirit, while Park plays Gwan-sik, affectionately called “unyielding iron.” The series unfolds their relationship across four seasons on the beautiful Jeju Island of the 1950s, famous for its vast tangerine orchards. The story follows their journey through life in this paradise.

Weak Hero: Class 2

In the second season of this intense series, we find ourselves delving back into the issue of bullying in South Korea, as portrayed in the popular webtoon by Seopass named “Weak Hero Class”. The story resumes from where it left off in 2022, with Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon, reprising his role) now enrolled in a new school following the violent confrontations he had in his previous institution. Among the fresh faces joining the cast are Ryeo-un (known for “Twinkling Watermelon”), Choi Min-yeong (“XO, Kitty”), and Lee Min-jae (“Uprising”). The highly anticipated sequel to “Weak Hero Class” is expected to be released in the second quarter of the year.

Squid Game 3

The thrilling conclusion to the globally acclaimed survival series, “Squid Game,” is set to drop in the middle of this year. The second season concluded with (spoiler alert) Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) in deep sorrow after his uprising against the game and its mastermind fell flat, his failure to track down the games, and the tragic death of his friend. A scene after the credits in the second season hints at even greater risks in the upcoming sequel—introducing a second colossal doll, Cheol-su, joining the iconic Young-hee doll in the lethal Red Light, Green Light game. The creator and director, Hwang Dong-hyuk, told Deadline that the third season will be nothing short of “insane.” “Squid Game 3” will premiere on June 27.

Aema

In the heart of Seoul during the golden age of South Korea’s film industry (1960s to 1990s), Chungmuro street was known as the birthplace of numerous films. This entertaining drama delves into the challenges faced by those seeking success in this bustling, Hollywood-esque neighborhood at its peak. The narrative unfolds around the creation of the 1982 erotic blockbuster “Madame Aema”. Lee Ha-nee, famous for her roles in “The Fiery Priest” and “Phantom”, portrays Jeong Hee-ran, a prominent actress from Chungmuro who loses her leading role in the movie due to disagreements with the creator. Instead, the part goes to Shin Ju-ae, played by Bang Hyo-rin, an up-and-coming talent. The release of “Aema” is scheduled for the third quarter.

Genie, Make a Wish

Kim Eun-sook, the creator behind the 2022 revenge drama “The Glory,” is not new to love stories, having written popular Korean dramas such as “Lovers in Paris” and “Descendants of the Sun.” In 2022, she has scripted a humorous fantasy romance titled “Genie, Make a Wish,” which reunites Kim Woo-bin (known for roles like “Black Knight” and “The Heirs”) and Suzy (also known as “Doona!”) who last worked together in 2016’s “Uncontrollably Fond.” The story revolves around Kim as a Genie, and Suzy as his new master, Ka-young. As per usual, the characters must deal with the three wishes rule. The anticipated release date for “Genie, Make a Wish” is set for the last quarter of 2025.

Can This Love Be Translated?

Acting star Kim Seon-ho, who gained immense fame following his supporting role in the 2020 tvN series Start-Up, has returned to our screens after his previous project on Netflix‘s show Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. In this upcoming production titled Can This Love Be Translated?, Kim will portray a multilingual individual who develops both a professional and romantic relationship with a renowned international celebrity, embodied by Go Youn-jung (known for her roles in Alchemy of Souls Part 2 and Moving). The film is set to be released during the final months of this year.

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2025-02-04 22:07

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