Here are the top 10 most popular Korean dramas of 2022:
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (ENA)
Woo to the Young to the Woo! EnA’s Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) made everyone fall in love with the fictional character Woo Young Woo and Park Eun-bin’s brilliant performance. The warm legal series has attracted several viewers from South Korea and other parts of the world. It has surpassed 600 million views on Netflix, becoming the most-watched Korean title on the streaming giant, while achieving the highest viewership ever recorded on South Korea’s ENA cable channel. Dolphins, gimbap, and also the adorable relationship between Lawyer Woo and Jun-ho were the most talked about topics on social media. Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) is a heartfelt legal drama that explores a wide variety of courtroom cases handled by a brilliant attorney with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
All Of Us Are Dead (Netflix)
Netflix’s All Of Us Are Dead (2022) was a hot topic during its zombie-themed show with teenagers as the main players trying to survive the apocalypse while also trying to deal with coming of age issues. All the young actors became famous overnight and achieved an increased number of followers on Instagram. It reached the Top 10 in the TV category on Netflix in 94 countries with a record 659.5 million hours watched in 11 weeks and ranked fourth in the most popular non-English TV shows worldwide based on hours watched in the first 28 days.
A Business Proposal (SBS)
SBS’ A Business Offer (2022) has gained huge popularity in South Korea and globally through Netflix for its refreshingly entertaining approach to romance. Kim Se-jeong steals the show with her outstanding performance as Shin Ha-ri, an ordinary office lady who goes on a blind date to replace her boyfriend, only to find herself meeting the CEO of the company where she works. She made the iconic song “Samantha and Rachel,” while Ahn Hyo-seop also popularized his romantic stories like “Do you know what my love for you and this credit card have in common? Both have no limitations.”
Big Mouth (MBC)
MBC’s Big Mouth (2022) is one of the most popular K-Drama discussions among viewers. The story follows a dysfunctional lawyer, played by Lee Jong-suk, who becomes embroiled in a murder case and is branded “Big Mouse”, a notorious con artist. Lee Jong-suk’s great performance, his beautiful relationship with his wife, the crazy plot twists, and the ending were popular topics. The crime drama also became the most watched Korean title on Disney+ in 2022.
Little Women (tvN)
TVN’s Little Women (2022) is the story of three sisters from a poor family whose lives are turned upside down after encountering the mysteries surrounding the powerful and wealthy people in Korea. The Oh sisters, who have different personalities and stunning plot twists and turn of events, have been extremely popular topics on social media. The risk-taker Oh In-joo, who does everything for money and family, was also the iconic Kim Go-eun.
Twenty-Five Twenty-One (tvN)
tvN’s Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) captured people’s attention with a nostalgic experience of youthful dreaming and young love set in the late 1990s. The story is engaging and the characters are fun to watch. Kim Tae-ri, in particular, stole everyone’s hearts with her outstanding performance as Na Hee-do, a fencing prodigy who expresses her opinions with charisma and sincerity. The weekends were full of fun topics about her adorable personality, her relationship with Baek Yi-jin, and drama in general. In fact, they dominated the most buzzworthy drama and actors rankings during their run and revealed that they are the second most talked about Korean drama on Twitter in 2022.
Alchemy Of Souls (tvN)
tvN’s Alchemy Of Souls (2022-2023) is a historical-fantasy series that has gained popularity in South Korea and the world for its engaging story of young mages in the fictional country of Daeho. Some of the most talked about topics were “soul alchemy,” a forbidden magic spell that switches bodies, ice stone, royal star Jang Uk played by Lee Jae-wook, and more. Jung So-min was also extremely popular for her excellent performance in three different roles.
One Dollar Lawyer (SBS)
The ongoing drama, SBS’ One Dollar Lawyer (2022) is making waves and attracting huge attention among viewers for its excellent story and interesting characters. As always, Namgoong Min is a legend that makes his dramas popular and his roles iconic. In this legal drama, he plays a competent lawyer who only charges 1,000 won for his service and looks cool with his curly hair, sunglasses, and smart tactics.
My Liberation Notes (JTBC)
JTBC’s My Liberation Notes (2022) is a heartfelt story of three siblings with a mysterious man and their deepest search for meaning and purpose in life, set in the quiet and slow landscape of fictional Sanpa. All the actors made their characters iconic, especially Mr. Gu, the foreigner played by Son Su-kku, and his swoon-worthy relationship with Mi Jeong, played by Kim Ji-won, dubbed the “Worshipping Couple.” Several related lines were extremely popular, such as “I don’t know where I’m stuck, but I want to break free” and “I’m not unhappy, but I’m not happy either.”
Reborn Rich (JTBC)
JTBC’s Reborn Rich (2022) hasn’t officially aired yet, but it’s already attracting huge attention and anticipation for top actor Song Joong-ki’s performance. In this drama, he will portray a loyal employee who is accused of embezzling funds and murdered by his employer. He is reborn and returns as the killer’s youngest son with a revenge plan to take over the entire chaebol family. It will premiere on JTBC in South Korea and Viu for international viewers on November 18.