Need a bit more excitement in your Korean learner life? Korean dramas aren’t just great heart-wrenching entertainment—they will actually power up your language skills in ways that traditional learning materials may not be able to.
And thanks to the internet, it’s never been easier to find and watch Korean series. I put together 11 resources to help give you all the drama you need.
Viki offers a huge array of Asian movies and TV shows, including Chinese, Taiwanese, Japanese and, of course, Korean.
You can filter by region to home in on Korean options. From there, you can also filter the results to focus exclusively on TV (no need to browse through any movies when you’re ready for a long binge with plenty of continuing plot line). In total, Viki currently offers nearly 500 Korean dramas. Viki even includes a “learn mode” that provides dual subtitles in Korean and English.
Viki offers both established shows and its own original content. Some of Viki’s most popular Korean drama offerings include “별에서 온 그대” (“My Love From the Star”) and “꽃보다 남자” (“Boys Over Flowers”).
Viki has an array of viewing options. You can watch content from the comfort of your computer, but Viki also offers apps for Roku, Android TV, Apple TV, Fire TV and Chromecast. You can also watch on your favorite Android device, Apple device or Fire device.
While Viki offers a lot of shows for free, there are ads with free viewing. If you prefer your TV shows ad-free in HD and want greater access to new programs, you may want to consider subscribing.
Even if you’re short on cash, you don’t need to be short on Korean dramas. AsianCrush offers over 20 Korean TV series, some of which you can watch for free online or on your favorite device.
Many of AsianCrush’s offerings are relatively current, including recent programs. Shows on AsianCrush usually offer English subtitles, so they’re approachable even for beginning Korean students.
For more comprehensive access to AsianCrush’s collection and to remove ads, you may also consider subscribing AsianCrush’s premium service.
OnDemand Korea focuses solely on all things Korean, so you won’t have to filter through other options to get your fix of the Korean language. Not only can you find plenty of Korean dramas on OnDemand Korea, you’ll also have access to an array of music videos, news, sports, variety shows and movies.
Subtitling options vary between programs. Some programs offer English subtitles, some offer Korean subtitles and some offer Chinese subtitles. Up for a challenge? Some programs have no subtitles. If you have a subtitling preference, however, you can filter through programs to find your preferred scheme.
If you’re not ready to go all-in on viewing programs without subtitles or with Korean-only, some popular shows with English subtitles include “내과 박원장” (“Dr. Park’s Clinic”) and “나의 위험한 아내” (“My Dangerous Wife”).
You can watch most of OnDemand Korea’s drama options for free. However, a few require a premium membership, which also removes the ads and allows you to watch online, on a mobile device, on a tablet or on your Apple TV. Plus, you can even watch new shows within one hour of their broadcast in Korea—perfect for giving you something fun to talk about with your Korean conversation partner.
Kocowa is all about Korean TV, from music-related programming to athletic competitions to your favorite Korean dramas.
And Kocowa has plenty of Korean dramas to round out your viewing options, with English subtitles to make watching a little easier. Popular programs include “오렌지 마말레이드” (“Orange Marmalade”) and “화랑” (“Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth”). There’s also “복수가 돌아왔다” (“My Strange Hero”), a popular recent series that follows a protagonist who tries to resolve a misunderstanding from his past.
You can access many shows for free online. With a subscription, you get unlimited access and no ads.
If you want to access some shorter clips from your Roku, mobile device, smartphone or smart TV, you can also check out Kocowa’s YouTube channel.
Do you hate discovering that the show you want to watch requires a subscription? Do you wish you could just get all your Korean content for free? Well, Tubi is just the service you’re looking for. With dozens of great (and completely free) Korean dramas that you can watch online or on your favorite device, it’s hard to go wrong with Tubi.
The simple interface makes it easy to browse for your next favorite show. Once you’ve made your selection, you can decide whether or not you want to include English subtitles. As long as you’re cool with the occasional ad, Tubi might be your next favorite Korean learning tool.
While there are enough options to suit virtually anyone’s interests, “메디컬 탑팀” (“Medical Top Team”) is a particularly good choice if you want to learn some Korean medical vocabulary.
If you need a fresh excuse for your next Netflix binge, “studying” might be just the one.
And Netflix has no shortage of Korean dramas for you to study diligently. To find your new favorite, just search “Korean dramas.” From there, you can even narrow down to more specific categories, like “romantic Korean TV dramas,” “Korean supernatural TV dramas” and “Korean TV dramas about friendship.”
Some popular Korean dramas on Netflix include gems like “미스터 션샤인” (“Mr. Sunshine”).
All of Netflix’s Korean dramas offer English subtitles. Some also offer Korean subtitles.
Korean dramas are available with your Netflix subscription, and Netflix allows you to watch on your computer, Roku, smart TV or favorite device.
To find them, you can simply search “Korean dramas” or type in the name of the show you’re looking for.
Popular dramas that Korean students might love include “당신이 잠든 사이에” (“While You Were Sleeping”) and “오 마이 비너스” (“Oh My Venus”).
You can watch your favorite Korean dramas on Hulu with a subscription. It’s reasonably priced as well—as of July 2022, a monthly subscription can be as low as $6.99.
Conveniently, Hulu works on a variety of devices, so you can take your favorite dramas with you wherever you go.
OK. Some of the material on YouTube will definitely come and go due to copyright issues, but if you search, you’re bound to find some Korean programs lurking around at any given moment.
To find them, you can search “Korean dramas” or “Korean dramas full series.” Otherwise, read up on Korean dramas, see which show seems most appealing, and try searching its name in YouTube. Many videos are subtitled in English, though you’ll also find some without subtitles, particularly if you use Korean-language search terms, like 드라마 or 한국드라마 (both phrases refer to Korean dramas).
Do you love binge-watching shows on your phone? Viu is a handy app that hosts a ton of Korean dramas for free with ads.
Unfortunately, Viu is only available in a handful of mostly Asian countries. If you use a VPN (virtual private network) you may be able to access Viu from another country. It can be well worth your time, since Viu has a lot of shows that you may not be able to find elsewhere.
Viu doesn’t offer a ton of English subtitles for their Korean dramas, so it would best suit advanced learners as a resource for learning Korean.
Some awesome choices available on Viu include “그녀는 예뻤다” (“She Was Pretty”) and “역도요정 김복주” (“Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo”).
Although primarily focused on Chinese TV series, iQIYI also includes some Korean dramas. It’s likely that the platform will bump up its roster over time.
Some good options include “지리산” (“Mount Jiri”) and “간 떨어지는 동거” (“Frightening Cohabitation” or “My Roommate is a Gumiho”).
You can expect multi-lingual subtitles for most of the videos. Sometimes the translations can be a bit iffy, so keep an eye out for anything that sounds amiss. You can consider it a nice test of your own Korean skills.
Although you could watch some episodes for free, most of your options will involve signing up for the VIP subscription. Luckily, there’s currently a “new member” special in which you can sign up for a standard monthly subscription for less than a dollar.
Amazon can be a tricky source for Korean students. Sometimes, Korean dramas will be available for free with an Amazon Prime subscription, but they can also come and go pretty quickly, so it’s hard to keep up. However, you can access Amazon Prime shows on your computer, device or smart TV, so if you can find a Korean drama, watching it is convenient.
You can browse Amazon Prime’s Korean content, but unfortunately, the list combines movies and TV, so finding Korean drama series requires some hunting. Additionally, some options charge an additional fee for viewing.
At the time of publication, “신감독의 슬기로운 사생활” (“The Sensible Life of Director Shin”) was one Korean drama available for free with an Amazon Prime subscription, but you’ll have to check Amazon for the current availability. The show follows a man making how-to videos.
Additionally, you may be able to find some Korean TV show DVDs for sale on Amazon. For instance, you can check the availability of the English-subtitled DVD of “태양의 후예” (“Descendants of the Sun”), which follows a romance in a fictional war-torn country.
VPN Servers You Can Use for South Korea
What if you want to watch a certain show on a certain platform, but there are geographical restrictions on your ability to do so? The solution: Use a VPN (Virtual Private Network).
Essentially, a VPN allows you to use the internet safely and privately by sending your connection through a server. Certain VPNs, like the ones we’ll be covering, are specifically designed to hide your IP address to make it seem like your connection is coming from a specific country when, in fact, it isn’t.
For Korean learners who want to access media content only available in South Korea, a VPN can be quite the handy little tool. And we’ve found six of the best Korean VPN servers around so you don’t have to lift a finger (except when installing them, of course).
VyprVPN.VyprVPN is definitely one of the most popular Korean VPNs you’ll find. You could, among other things, use it to access Korean dramas from almost anywhere in the world, and enjoy unlimited server switching and IP address changes.
HMA(Hide My Ass).Aside from accessing content from South Korea, HMA also allows you to schedule IP address changes. It’s also super easy to use and navigate.
NordVPN. This VPN is great for newbies who need something with a setup that takes literally no know-how and only seconds to set up. It also gives you server recommendations based on your physical location and device.
CyberGhost. CyberGhost VPN offers access to 100 countries, including South Korea. It has all the basic features, from a wide range of servers to in-depth server recommendations.
ExpressVPN Korea. Unlike many VPN services, which log your activity and connections, ExpressVPN allows users to browse with unlimited bandwidth and no activity or connection logs.
hide.me. hide.me. is one of the most well-known proxy sites on this list. If you use the premium version, you can have a VPN that works on all devices, is extremely fast, doesn’t lag and has around 2,400 servers worldwide.
Why Watch Korean Dramas Online?
First of all, K-dramas do two things for Korean language learners. K-dramas are rich in drama and comedy, and they can even offer insightful commentary on modern life and society within Korea.
In that way, they can be much more than entertainment: K-dramas become fruitful lessons not only on the Korean language, but also on Korean culture. With so many K-dramas to choose from, you’re bound to find one that improves your competence in Korean—and entertains you along the way.
Further, online resources allow you to watch your favorite shows wherever you are. Different online viewing options allow you to watch on your computer, through your Roku or smart TV and/or on your favorite device. Being able to watch wherever you are is not only convenient, it also makes it much more likely that you’ll work regular viewing (and learning!) into your busy schedule.
Additionally, watching on a computer or device gives you easy access to additional resources. While most dramas have subtitles, you may still want to look into what you’re hearing a little more. Watching online allows you to pause quickly to look up words, phrases or grammar rules that you’re unsure about.
There are also resources out there that you can use to help you make using subtitles even more effective. For example, FluentU provides interactive subtitles to each short video clip in its library of Korean content.
FluentU takes authentic videos—like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks—and turns them into personalized language learning lessons.
You can try FluentU for free for 2 weeks. Check out the website or download the iOS app or Android app.
Finally, watching Korean dramas online gives you access to a broader array of programs. Being able to watch a wider variety of dramas means that you can more easily select programs that target specific thematic vocabulary sets. Plus, with so many Korean TV shows available, you’ll have a virtually endless amount of Korean learning material.
So why not add a little Korean drama into your life? These eleven resources will give you all the drama you crave.
FluentU makes it possible to learn with K-pop videos, funny commercials, entertaining web series and more. Just a quick look will give you an idea of the variety of FluentU videos on offer:
FluentU really takes the grunt work out of learning languages, leaving you with nothing but engaging, effective and efficient learning. It's already hand-picked the best videos for you (which are organized by level and topic), so all you have to do is simply choose any video that strikes your fancy to get started.
Each word in the interactive captions comes with a definition, audio, image, example sentences and more.
Access a complete interactive transcript of every video under the Dialogue tab, and easily review words and phrases from the video under Vocab.
You can use FluentU’s unique Quiz Mode to learn the vocabulary and phrases from the video through fun questions.
FluentU keeps track of what you're learning, and tells you exactly when it's time for review, giving you a 100% personalized experience.
Review sessions use video context to help embed the words in your memory.
