Collider has ranked seven K-dramas from the past 20 years, highlighting titles including Princess Hours, Doctor Slump, Itaewon Class, SKY Castle, Squid Game and When Life Gives You Tangerines.
01Summary
- 01The list is presented as a ranking of the best K-dramas of the last 20 years, spanning romance, revenge, satire and thriller genres.
- 02Princess Hours follows Shin Chae-kyeong and Crown Prince Lee Shin in an arranged marriage and is described as one of the early K-dramas to reach international audiences.
- 03Doctor Slump stars Park Hyung-sik and Park Shin-hye as former school rivals who reunite after a career scandal and personal burnout.
- 04Itaewon Class centres on Park Sae-ro-yi’s revenge against Jangga Group and is praised for its diverse cast, including a transgender chef and a Guinean-Korean employee.
- 05SKY Castle is described as a darkly funny look at South Korea’s obsession with academic success and elite university admissions.
02Why it matters
The ranking points readers towards major K-dramas that helped shape the genre’s global reach and variety. It also shows how these series reflect wider social themes such as class, ambition and belonging.
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