The 5 Best Korean Dramas of 2023 on DramaCool

The top Korean dramas of 2023 across genres like thriller, romance, comedy and more—featuring stars like Song Hye-kyo, Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-joon, etc. Streaming links included when available.

In 2023, Korean Dramas continued to expand their cultural dominance worldwide.

It’s then logical to ask—what are the Best dramacool kdrama of 2023?

To that end, Cinema Escapist has selected 2023’s top Korean dramas—across a variety of genres including thriller, romance, crime, action, comedy, superhero, and more.

These K-dramas also feature top stars like Song Hye-kyo, Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-joon, Jung Hae-in, and more.

We made our selections according to several factors. First, we picked Korean dramas that ran most of their episodes during 2023. Within those dramas, we then narrowed to titles with good entertainment value and wider availability on global streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+. Lastly, per Cinema Escapist’s editorial ethos, we included K-dramas with noteworthy social consciousness or artistic innovation.

With these factors in mind, we’ve curated 11 entries for 2023’s best Korean dramas. Check out our list, with streaming links included (when available/region dependent)!

Korean Title: 대행사 | Starring: Lee Bo-young, Jo Sung-ha, Son Na-eun, Han Joon-woo, Jeon Hye-jin | Genre: Business, Life, Workplace

The 2023 hit K-drama Agency follows the career of Go Ah-in (played by Lee Bo-young), who becomes the first female executive of a big advertising agency. Coming from a humble background, Go must face entrenched sexism to rise up amongst her corporate peers.

Agency features a good mix of fun and seriousness, touching on important topics including not just misogyny but population decline and conservative attitudes in the Korean workplace. Fans of K-pop group Apink might also appreciate the appearance of Son Nae-un as one of the drama’s characters. As a testament to Agency’s appeal, the drama’s viewership grew steadily over its television run in Korea, with over 13% of South Korean television viewers surveyed watching the show by its conclusion.

Korean Title: 최악의 악 | Starring: Ji Chang-wook, Wi Ha-joon, Im Se-mi, Bibi | Genre: Action, Thriller, Mystery, Crime

Alongside Netflix, Disney+ has been entering the Korean drama arena with original productions over these past few years. One of Disney+’s more prominent offerings in 2023 is The Worst of Evil, which stars Ji Chang-wook as an undercover police officer who’s trying to dismantle a drug operation in Gangnam.

With romance and international crime intrigue, The Worst of Evil tells a punchy and unrelentingly dark story that will hold viewers’ attention throughout its 12 episodes. Besides Ji Chang-wook, the drama also features Wi Ha-joon (of Squid Game) and singer Bibi in her drama debut.

Stream this Korean drama on Disney+ or Hulu

Daily Dose of Sunshine features Park Bo-young as a nurse named Jung Da-eun who’s staffed in the Psychiatry department of a hospital. We’re highlighting this drama primarily because of its empathetic approach towards depicting mental health issues. In each episode, Daily Dose of Sunshine focuses on a particular patient and explores their specific condition in a manner that’s both educational and entertaining.

On this front, the show is vaguely reminiscent of the 2021 Netflix K-drama Move to Heaven, which contains episodic explorations through the lens of an Aspergic trauma cleaner.

Besides its approach to mental health though, Daily Dose of Sunshine is a generally thoughtful show that offers a degree of catharsis with each episode, good editing choices, and overall dynamic production design to complement a component cast.