Top 3 Romantic K-Dramas of 2023 to Stream on Netflix in November

Netflix is betting big on South Korean series, which have been winning the hearts of subscribers around the world for years thanks to their deep and original plots, distinctive visual style, and acting. Even those who have no interest in K-dramas have heard of such pop culture phenomena as Kingdom, Crash Landing on You, Itaewon Class, and certainly Squid Game.

And K-dramas only continue to grow in popularity, with writers offering even more compelling stories that cleverly play on established tropes and clichés. In 2023, Netflix released three excellent romantic K-dramas that we just couldn't keep quiet about.

3. King the Land (2023, 16 episodes, Rotten Tomatoes score 80%)

Release date: June 17

This light-hearted romantic comedy series revolves around a wealthy heir to a conglomerate, Goo Won, who meets an employee, Cheon Sa-rang, that has worked her way up to a prestigious position at the hotel. The first has lost his ability to feel emotions and romantic feelings, focusing only on business and trying to regain memories of his long-lost mother. The second is charismatic and always smiling — only her expression changes instantly when Goo Won appears. This is the beginning of a wild story of animosity that turns into friendship and then true love.

Review aggregators give insane and misleading scores: while critics praise the show highly, the reviews of ordinary viewers are either incredibly low or incredibly high. Folks who disliked the show criticized it for its slow burn and overabundance of clichés, while many others noted that this is what makes King the Land a great classic K-drama that provides a sense of comfort, fun, and relaxation. With a unique combination of character chemistry and brilliant humor, King the Land is sure to win the heart of a K-drama fan.

2. Doona! (2023, 9 episodes, Rotten Tomatoes score 83%)

Release date: October 20

Just a month ago, a new romantic drama was released on Netflix, starring the beloved Bae Suzy and Yang Se-jong, who won several prestigious awards for Temperature of Love. The series follows the former leader and vocalist of a popular K-pop girl band who has retired and now lives out of the public eye. Her roommate in the shared house is an ordinary university student who turns out to be the only one willing to show her warmth and empathy.

Many people were pleased with the complex characters and their development, as well as how well it portrayed the psyche of people who have been influenced by the Korean entertainment industry and are now living with burnout and anxiety.

1. Crash Course in Romance (2023, 16 episodes, Rotten Tomatoes score 100%)

Release date: January 14

Crash Course in Romance stars Jeon Do-yeon, who won the Best Actress award at the 2007 Cannes Film Festival for Lee Chang-dong's Secret Sunshine, and Jung Kyung-ho, a 40-year-old heartthrob and K-drama veteran (One More Happy Ending, Prison Playbook, Hospital Playlist). It was directed by Yoo Je-won, who worked on another Netflix hit, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.

The series follows a retired handball player who had to give up her career to run the family grocery store specializing in banchan dishes. Along the way, she meets her daughter's math tutor, who becomes a regular at the store. The series is a breath of fresh air in the world of K-dramas, because amidst the glut of romantic stories about young people, Crash Course in Romance proves that passion and love are possible after 40.