Korean dramas have been making waves in Asia for some time now and are gaining popularity elsewhere in the world. Other than Netflix's dedicated K-dramas category, it may be a little tricky narrowing down the best legal sites for streaming these shows because there are plenty of options with expansive libraries to choose from. These five services are a few of the best ways to stream one's favorite K-dramas, as well as other Korean content.
Netflix
Netflix has a huge selection of K-dramas with their own specific category, unlike other streaming services that group them under broader titles like "International" or "Asian." Its catalog is broken down further into subcategories, such as "Popular," "Relentless Crime," "Oddballs & Outcasts," "TV Sci-Fi & Horror" and "Heartfelt," among many others.
There's enough variety here to cover most tastes, whether one's in the mood for a politically charged romance, such as Crash Landing on You, or a post-apocalyptic horror, like Sweet Home. More obscure titles such as Chicago Typewriter and Rugal can also be found here. Netflix is probably the best option available to American viewers who enjoy K-dramas since they come with everything else the service has to offer.
Kocowa
The top three Korean networks – Seoul Broadcasting System, Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation and Korean Broadcasting System – teamed up to create this streaming service centered on Korean entertainment. Kocowa has its own translation department, so its programming with subtitles reaches international audiences faster than its crowd-sourced counterpart, Viki, with shows airing as soon as six hours after their broadcast in Korea.
Kocowa's drama offerings come in several subgenres, from romantic comedy to telenovela, and it features popular shows like Delayed Justice, Painter of the Wind and Korean Ghost Stories. As it specializes in Korean content, Kocowa is a good option for those also looking for Korean pop music, variety shows and reality television. In addition, Viki (see below) offers a package that includes Kocowa programming.
Viki
Rakuten's Viki is a portmanteau of video, using a community of volunteers to help subtitle the videos with the company's proprietary technology. Viki specializes in East Asian entertainment, so Chinese, Taiwanese and Japanese shows and movies can be found here, in addition to Korean titles.
Several Viki exclusives are available, such as the K-dramas True Beauty, Replay, Mr. Queen and L.U.C.A: The Beginning, as well as originals like To My Star, How to Be Thirty and Gaduri Restaurant. For those looking for an East Asian-focused provider, Viki is definitely worth a look.
AsianCrush
AsianCrush bills itself as, "the No. 1 streaming service dedicated to Asian entertainment in North America." AsianCrush is pan-Asian, similar to Viki, but it includes content from a broader range of places, including Mongolia, Singapore, Thailand and the US. Everything from anime, to cult films, to indie movies, to documentaries can be found here.
In terms of Korean dramas, there is an impressive number of shows to be streamed, including Big Picture House, Job Seeker from the North and the mockumentary series Employment War, which follows five young people chasing their dreams in Seoul. Lesser known Korean films are another point of interest, and these include titles such as 6D Theater, Coinroom and My Mother the Mermaid.
Hulu
Hulu's Korean dramas can be found in its "International" section under the heading "Asian Dramas." Big time hits like While You Were Sleeping, The Legend of the Blue Sea and Oh My Venus are available here.
Hulu used to have a bigger list of K-dramas; however, that all ended when its licensing partner, DramaFever, closed down its services. This left Hulu with several of the more well-known titles, but it now has a shorter list of less popular options. Compared to Netflix, Hulu has less to offer in this genre, but it may be the right choice of provider for those who dabble in Korean dramas and prefer Hulu's services overall.