tvN has proven to be an indispensable channel providing South Korean and foreign viewers with original and excellent content. Here is a list of the 30 best dramas of the channel so far in my opinion.
30. Stranger (비밀의 숲)
Story: Hwang Shi Mok (Cho Seung Woo) is a cold prosecutor, who can’t feel emotions. He meets Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doo Na), who is a police officer. Together, they fight against corruption and try to solve a serial murder case.
Genre: Murder/Action/Thriller
P.S.: There are currently 2 seasons
29. Arthdal Chronicles (아스달 연대기)
Story: Arthdal Chronicles tells the story of three children of the destiny twins Eum Sum and Sa Ya (Song Joong Gi) and Tanya (Kim Ji Won). Set in a fantastic and mythical land Arthdal, our three characters now adults have to fulfill their fate, while navigating through a power struggles.
Genre: Fantastic/Mythology
28. Oh My Ghostess (오 나의 귀시님)
Story: Na Bong Sun (Park Bo Yeong) is a cook. She is very shy and works under a difficult boss Kang Sun Woo (Cho Jeong Seok). One day, a virgin ghost takes possession of her and tries to seduce Sun Woo. Surprised by her radical change of personality, Sun Woo starts taking interest in Bong Sun.
Genre: Fantastic/Romance
27. Live (라이브)
Story: The drama depicts the real life and struggles of Han Jung Oh (Jung Yoo Mi) and Yeom Sang Soo (Lee Kwang Soo), who both work as police officers.
Genre: Life
26. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (하늘에서 내리는 1억 개의 별)
Story: Kim Moo Young (Seo In Gook) has led a difficult life. He has done bad things and doesn’t quite remember his past. One day, he meets Yoo Jin Kang (Jung So Min) to whom he is immediately drawn to. Jin Kong’s adoptive brother is a detective working on a murder case and suspects Moo Young. Thus, he tries to separate then.
Genre: Life/Drama/Romance
25. My Mister (나의 아저씨)
Story: Lee Ji An (IU) is a contract worker, very shy, cold and distant. She has a lot of problems and struggles financially. At some point, she happens to get involved in Park Dong Hoon’s life (Lee Sun Gyun). Dong Hoon is going through a mid-life crisis. As they both feel burdened by life, they end up developing a connection.
Genre: Life/Drama
24. Mr Sunshine (미스터선샤인)
Story: In 1871, Eugene Choi (Lee Byung Hun) leaves Joseon for the USA. Years later, he comes back in a divided Korea as a officer of the American Army. Surrounded by enemies and allies from different sides (Japan, USA, Korea), he meets a young aristocrat Go Ae Shin (Kim Tae Ri), who seems to hide many secrets.
Genre: Romance/Historical/Drama
23. Mother (마더)
Story: Kang Su Jin (Lee Bo Young) is a cold biology teacher, who doesn’t have strong ties with anyone. One day, she finds one of her young pupils, abandoned in a trash in front of her house. Su Jin decides to rescue her and flees with the kid, she seems to connect with.
Genre: Life/Drama
22. Romance Is a Bonus Book (로맨스는 별책부록)
Story: Kang Dan I (Lee Na Young) is a freshly divorced woman, who struggles to make ends meet Seeing his childhood friend in such a tough situation, Cha Eun Ho (Lee Jong Suk) decides to let her live at his house. Meanwhile, Dan I is hired by Eun Ho’s publishing company. At work, they hide their connection, while slowly falling in love.
Genre: Romance
21. Chicago Typewriter (시카고 타자기)
Story: Han Se Joo (Yoo Ah In) is a famous writer. He happens to be in a slump, when he meets Jeon Seol (Lim Soo Jung). She hates his books but he feels, as if they are somehow connected. One day, he acquires an old typewriter, from which a ghost Yoo Jin Oh (Ko Gyung Pyo) appears. The three of them actually realize that they are reincarnations of their past selves from the 1930s. Together, they try to discover what happened to them during the independence period.
Genre: Romance/Historical
20. Because This Is My First Life (이번생은 처음이라)
Story: Nam Se Hee (Lee Min Ki) and Yoon Ji Ho (Jung So Min) decide to get married, based on a contract, in order to avoid financial and/or familial problems. In the process, they rapidly discover marriage life and its ups and downs, having to deal with each other’s family. In the mean time, they start falling in love.
Genre: Romance
19. Twenty Again (두번째 스무살)
Story: Ha No Ra (Choi Ji Woo) is a 40-year-old woman, unhappy in her marriage and dissatisfied with her housewife life. She got pregnant at 19 and had to abandon her dreams, plus 20 years later, she believes that she is sick with cancer. Thus, she decides to go back to college without her family knowing.
Genre: Romance/School
18. Familiar Wife (아는 와이프)
Story: Cha Joo Hyuk (Ji Sung) is married to Seo Woo Jin (Han Ji Min) and have two children together. They are struggling financially and have problems in their relationship, causing them to resent each other. One day, Joo Hyuk is given two coins in the subway by an old man, that enable him to travel back in time. When he wakes up, he is married to another woman and has a completely different life.
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
17. Her Private Life (그 녀의 사생활)
Story: Sung Deok Mi (Park Min Young) works in an art galery. Her newly-appointed boss, Ryan Gold (Kim Jae Wook) suddenly becomes interested in her, especially in her private life. Indeed, Deok Mi is a fan of an idol Cha Si An (One) and runs his fan club.
Genre: Romance
16. The Crowned Clown (왕이 된 남자)
Story: Ha Seon (Yeo Jin Goo) is a dancer in a group of clowns. One day, he is asked to act as the king, who has gone mad, because they have the exact same face. Ha Seon becomes the Crowned Prince, married to Yoo So Soon (Lee Se Young), for whom he develops feelings, while trying to hide his real identity.
Genre: Drama/Historical/Romance
15. Another Oh Hae Young (또 오해영)
Story: Park Do Kyung (Eric Mun) is a sound engineer. On his wedding day, his bride Oh Hae Yeong (Jeon Hye Bin) left him. One year after, discovering she is to marry another man, he sabotages her future husband’s business; not realizing that Oh Hae Young (Seo Hye Jin) is another woman with the same name. She looses everything. Shortly after, Do Kyung and Hae Young become entangled, as Do Kyung starts having strange dreams about her.
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
14. Prison Playbook (슬기로운 감빵생활)
Story: Kim Je Hyuk (Park Hae Soo) is a famous baseball player. One day, trying to protect his sister, he ends up injuring a man and is sent to prison. There he discovers an entirely new microcosm, in which he tries to survive until his release.
Genre: Life
13. Memorist (메모리스트)
Story: Dong Baek (Yoo Seung Ho) is a police officer, who has the ability to read people’s memories. He chases a serial killer called the Eraser, who also happens to have special capacities, while trying to uncover his own past.
Genre: Action/Thriller
12. Signal (시그널)
Story: Park Hae Young (Lee Je Hoon) is a police officer, working on cold cases. One day, he gets his hand on a special walkie-talkie, enabling him to discuss with other police officers from the past, working on the exact same cases. Together, they try to solve them.
Genre: Action/Thriller/Fantasy
11. The Great Show (위대한 쇼)
Story: Wi Dae Han (Song Seung Heon) is a politician, whose reputation has suffered because of his familial problems. Resolute to get his political career on track, he decides to publicly adopt 4 children, because the oldest pretends to be his real daughter.
Genre: Family/Life
10. Crash Landing on You (사랑의 불시착)
Story: Yoon Se Ri (Son Ye Jin) is a rich South Korean heiress. While doing paragliding, she is taken away by a tornado that sends her up to the North Korean border. There, she meets Ri Jung Hyuk (Hyun Bin), a North Korean officer. With the help of Ri Jung Hyuk, Se Ri tries to go home, while falling in love with him at the same time.
Genre: Romance
9. Hi, Bye Mama! (하이 바이 마마)
Story: Cha Yu Ri (Kim Tae Hee) died when she was pregnant. Her daughter survived and Yu Ri became a ghost. 5 years later, she is brought back to life. She tries to hide her identity from her loved ones, while trying to get close to her daughter.
Genre: Life/Family
8. Lawless Lawyer (무법 변호사)
Story: Bong Sang Pil (Lee Joon Ki) is an attorney, who witnessed the death of his mother, when he was still a child. Years later, he goes back to his hometown where the tragic accident occurred in order to get revenge for his mother. In his fight, he is helped by Ha Jae Yi (Seo Ye Ji), whose mother also died for unknown reasons.
Genre: Law/Action/Romance
7. A Piece of Your Mind (반의 반)
Story: Moon Ha Won (Jung Hae In) has always been in love with Kim Ji Soo (Park Joo Hyun). Unfortunately for him, she doesn’t reciprocate his feelings and gets married to someone else. Because Ji Soo cut ties with Ha Won, he gets closer to Han Seo Woo (Chae Soo Bin),using her to reconnect with Ji Soo.
Genre: Life/Romance
6. Goblin: The Lonely and Great God (도깨비)
Story: Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) used to be a war general during the Goryeo era. However, manipulated by his advisers, the young king decides to kill Kim Shin and all of his relatives. Dishonored, Kim Shin is cursed to become a goblin. Years later, Kim Shin saves a woman from an accident and the baby she carries. This generous gesture turns the baby Ji Eun Tak (Kim Go Eun) into Kim Shin’s bride, the only one who can lift his curse. Eun Tak and Shin meet again as adults.
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
5. Search WWW (검색어를 입력하세요 : WWW)
Story: Bae Ta Mi (Lim Soo Jung) works for a big search engine company. However, she quits after a feud with her friend and manager Song Ga Kyung (Jeon Hye Jin). Ta Mi is then hired by the competitor and is tasked to become the number 1 search engine company on the market. We follow the competition, friendship and love stories of Ta Mi, Ga Kyung and Cha Hyun (Lee Da Hee), three strong women.
Genre: Romance
4. What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim (김비서가 왜 그럴까)
Story: Lee Young Joon (Park Seo Jun) is an eccentric and peculiar CEO. Kim Mi So (Park Min Young) has been his secretary for 8 years. One day, she announces that she wants to quit, without explanation. Young Joon then tries his best to conquer his secretary to make her stay, while falling in love with her in the process.
Genre: Romance
3. Hotel Del Luna (호텔 델 루나)
Story: Man Weol (IU) has been cursed 1000 years ago because of her bad deeds. She has been given the direction of a special hostel, whose clients are only ghosts. Because of a promise made in the past with his father, Man Weol forces Koo Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Goo) to become the manager. Terrified at first, Chan Sung progressively accepts, while discovering more about Man Weol’s past.
Genre: Romance/Fantasy
2. Hospital Playlist (슬기로운 의사생활)
Story: We follow 5 doctors: Lee Ik Hoon (Cho Jung Seok), Ahn Jeong Won (Yoo Yeon Seok), Kim Jun Hwan (Jung Kyung Ho), Yang Seok Hyung (Kim Dae Myung) and Chae Song Hwa (Jeon Mi Do); as they go through the ups and downs of life at Yulje Medical Center.
Genre: Life/Romance
1. Reply Series (응답하라 1997/1994/1988)
Story: Set in 1997, 1994 and 1988 respectively, each Reply follows the life of adolescents and young adults, as they navigate through life, as well as political, social and cultural events, that imprinted the South Korean society.
Genre: Life/Romance
Once Upon a Drama 