Top 16 Underrated Korean Dramas That Are Less-Known

There are a lot of dramas that goes under the radar. These are less-known dramas that have been watched a few people.

Korean dramas are now popular & watched by people all over the world. Thanks to platforms like Netflix, Viki, Kdramas are getting much recognition & people are loving them.

You are aware that Kdramas are addictive. It’s impossible to quit watching them once you start. They can help you reduce stress and escape from the actual world into a happy one.

Kdramas come in different genres like romance, thriller, comedy, a slice of life, mystery, action & more. But, you know that whatever may be the theme, they always entertain us, that’s the fact.

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Underrated Korean Dramas

While many dramas are popular worldwide that got good ratings & reviews, there are still good dramas that are struggling to be recognized by the audience. Only a few of them know these gems.

Underrated korean dramas

Everyone knows the most-watched dramas, but only some of them have also watched these less-known Kdramas that are even better than these popular ones.

Kdramas of all genres has been mentioned in this list. Even though you may have watched some of them, they are still unknown to many watchers. So, share this with your friends & let them know.

1. Misaeng: Incomplete Life

Geu Rae played the board game go since he was a child. But he failed to become a professional go player. By an acquaintance’s recommendation, he begins working in a company. He does his best at his new job while trying not to lose his humanity along the way.

misaeng incomplete life kdrama 11

Cast –

  • Im Shi Wan as Jang Geu Rae
  • Lee Sung Min as Oh Sang Shik
  • Kang So Ra as Ahn Young Yi
  • Kang Ha Neul as Jang Baek Ki

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

2. Run On

The drama tells the love story of Seon Gyeom, a former sprinter who is working to become a sports agent, and Mi Joo, a subtitle translator. Dan Ah is the CEO of a sports agency. Young Hwa, a university art major who enjoys movies and drawing soon enters her life.

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Cast –

  • Im Shi Wan as Ki Seon Gyeom
  • Shin Se Kyung as Oh Mi Joo
  • Choi Soo Young as Seo Dan Ah
  • Kang Tae Oh as Lee Young Hwa

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix

3. Kairos

The drama centers around two persons. A man whose daughter is kidnapped and a woman whose mother is missing. They both contact each other through a phone call and help each other but they are a month apart in time and can only speak for 1 minute.

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Cast –

  • Shin Sung Rok as Kim Seo Jin
  • Lee Se Young as Han Ae Ri
  • Ahn Bo Hyun as Seo Do Gyun
  • Nam Gyu Ri as Kang Hyun Chae

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Viki

4. Hyena

Yoon Hee Jae and Jung Geum Ja are lawyers who work for the top 1% of society. Jung Geum Ja is a lawyer, who is after money only. She wins her cases using any means necessary. Yoon Hee Jae is an elite lawyer, who is smart and confident at his job.

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Cast –

  • Joo Ji Hoon as Yoon Hee Jae
  • Kim Hye Soo as Jung Geum Ja
  • Lee Kyung Young as Song Pil Joong
  • Kim Ho Jung as Kim Min Joo

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix

5. The Guardians

The story of a group of five people who team up to serve justice themselves after losing their loved ones to criminals. They monitor criminals 24 hours a day and rescue potential victims before the crime is committed.

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Cast –

  • Lee Si Young as Jo Soo Ji
  • Kim Young Kwang as Jang Do Han
  • Kim Tae Hoon as Kim Eun Joong
  • Kim Seul Gi as Seo Bo Mi

No. Of Episodes – 32

Watch On – Viki

6. Hot Stove League

The drama focuses on a baseball team that is at the bottom & preparing for an extraordinary season upon the arrival of their new general manager, and each episode will focus on a problem they have as they prepare to become a stronger team.

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Cast –

  • Namgoong Min as Baek Seung Soo
  • Park Eun Bin as Lee Se Young
  • Cho Byeong Kyu as Han Jae Hee
  • Oh Jung Se as Kwon Gyung Min

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix, Viki, YouTube, MX Player

7. Life On Mars

Hangul: 라이프 온 마스

Year: 2018

One day, Tae Joo has an accident while he is looking into a case. When he wakes up, he is in the winter of 1988. He is now a detective who works at a small city’s police station. He tries to solve the case so that he can get back to the present.

life on mars kdrama 11

Rating:

4 star rating

Main Cast (Characters):

  • Jung Kyung Ho as Han Tae Joo
  • Park Sung Woong as Kang Dong Cheol
  • Go Ah Sung as Yoon Na Yeong
  • Oh Dae Hwan as Lee Yong Gi

No. Of Episodes: 16 (65 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

Free streaming sites button

Short Review: You will like how the series has both crime and science fiction elements. The drama did a good job of making the 1980s feel like we are actually in that period. It has perfect amount of suspense and comedy that makes it worth watching. Read Life On Mars Review.

8. Queen For Seven Days

Based on the tragic Joseon legend, this drama is about the love story between King Jung Jong and his Queen Dangyeong, daughter of a powerful politician who was crowned and deposed within a week due to rival political factions that controlled the king’s rule.

queen for seven days kdrama 11

Cast –

  • Park Min Young as Shin Chae Kyung
  • Yeon Woo Jin as Yi Yeok
  • Lee Dong Gun as Yi Yoong
  • Jang Hyun Sung as Shin Soo Geun

No. Of Episodes – 20

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

9. Sell Your Haunted House

Ji Ah is a real estate broker and an exorcist. She offers to clean out buildings in which ghosts frequent. In Beom is a con artist who wants to make money. Can the two get along well and deal with house prices, ghosts, and their sorrowful stories?

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Cast –

  • Jang Na Ra as Hong Ji Ah
  • Jung Yong Hwa as Oh In Beom
  • Kang Hong Suk as Heo Ji Cheol
  • Kang Mal Geum as Joo Hwa Jung

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix, Viki

10. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

A detective takes on a female university student murder case. He has a sister who meets a man who is not a good person, but she has sympathy for him. The detective tries to push him away from his sister as he suspects that the man is somehow involved in the murder case.

the smile has left your eyes kdrama 11

Cast –

  • Seo In Guk as Kim Moo Young
  • Jung So Min as Yoo Jin Kang
  • Park Sung Woong as Yoo Jin Gook
  • Seo Eun Soo as Baek Seung Ah

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Viki

11. Player

Hangul: 플레이어

Year: 2018

A con artist, a fighter, an expert hacker, and a skilled driver make up an elite team that works with a good prosecutor to solve crimes. Together, they get rid of illegal money and make sure that people who make money by breaking the law are caught.

player kdrama 11

Rating:

3 5 star rating

Main Cast (Characters):

  • Song Seung Heon as Kang Ha Ri
  • Krystal as Cha Ah Ryung
  • Lee Si Eon as Im Byung Min
  • Tae Won Seok as Do Jin Woong

No. Of Episodes: 14 (65 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

Viki button
Wetv button
Viu button
Iqiyi button
Prime video button
Free streaming sites button

Short Review: The drama is worth watching as it has a good storyline with a lot of action, high stakes, and complicated character growth. It’s a must-see because it is fast-paced and has a great cast with excellent acting and comedy.

12. Train

Seo Do Won is a detective who tries to save Seo Kyung. There are two different worlds in this drama. Do Won travels to the other world through a mysterious train that shows up in the abandoned station to track the serial killer with the help of the other Seo Kyung.

train kdrama 11

Cast –

  • Yoon Shi Yoon as Seo Do Won
  • Kyung Soo Jin as Han Seo Kyung
  • Shin So Yool as Lee Jung Min
  • Lee Hang Na as Oh Mi Sook

No. Of Episodes – 12

Watch On – Viki

13. Doctor John

This is medical drama that talks about two talented doctors Cha Yo Han & Kang Shi Young who are anesthesiologists, who work to diagnoses patients with mysterious pain others cannot help, while moving on from their pasts.

doctor john kdrama 11

Cast –

  • Ji Sung as Cha Yo Han
  • Lee Se Young as Kang Shi Young
  • Lee Kyu Hyung as Son Suk Gi
  • Hwang Hee as Lee Yoo Joon

No. Of Episodes – 32

Watch On – Netflix, Viki, YouTube, MX Player

14. 365: Repeat The Year

Hangul: 365: 운명을 거스르는 1년

Year: 2020

The story of a group of people who are given the opportunity to relive a year of their lives in order to prevent a tragic accident from happening. Along the way, they uncover hidden truths about themselves and those around them, and must confront their past mistakes.

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Rating:

4 star rating

Main Cast (Characters):

  • Lee Joon Hyuk as Ji Hyung Joo
  • Nam Ji Hyun as Shin Ga Hyun
  • Kim Jee Soo as Lee Shin
  • Lee Sung Wook as Park Sun Ho

No. Of Episodes: 24 (35 min. each)

Streaming Options (region-specific):

Viki button
Viu button
Prime video button
Kocowa button
Free streaming sites button

Short Review: The drama explores themes of destiny, atonement, and the value of second chances. The acting is excellent, and the story is well-written. The drama also got praise for its original premise and for how it keeps the audience guessing right up to the very end.

15. A Piece Of Your Mind

A romance between Moon Ha Won, an AI programmer and the founder of M&H Company, and Han Seo Woo, who works as a classical music recording engineer. Her life is unstable without a family or house, but she is a positive person.

a piece of your mind kdrama 11

Cast –

  • Jung Hae In as Moon Ha Won
  • Chae Soo Bin as Han Seo Woo
  • Lee Ha Na as Moon Soon Ho
  • Kim Sung Gyu as Kang In Wook

No. Of Episodes – 12

Watch On – Viki

16. Be Melodramatic

Three 30-year-old best friends, Jin Joo, Eun Jung and Han Joo each pursue different paths in both career and love. Despite life’s difficulties, the three friends can always return home at the end of the day and support each other.

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Cast –

  • Chun Woo Hee as Im Jin Joo
  • Jeon Yeo Bin as Lee Eun Jung
  • Han Ji Eun as Hwang Han Joo
  • Ahn Jae Hong as Son Beom Soo

No. Of Episodes – 16

Watch On – Netflix, Viki, MX Player

Wrapping Up

So, these were some of the Underrated Kdramas that you should add to your watchlist. Share this article with your friends & let them know about these dramas so that they can also freshen their mood!

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Hi! I'm Lily Park from USA. I started watching dramas as a hobby & now I'm addicted to them. Just can't stop watching them. My favorite drama is Business Proposal.

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