Hallyu, aka the Korean wave, has spread all over the world, especially after many movies and dramas earned recognition. Some of the award-winning K-dramas include Squid Game, Crash Landing on You, and The Glory.
While Lee Jung-Jae’s life and death-themed drama received honors internationally, the other two won South Korea’s prestigious awards. All these award-winning K-dramas provide unique storylines that engage viewers till the end. Many of the series have even been renewed for more seasons after gaining popularity.
Take a look at a few of the award-winning K-dramas below.
Squid Game
Squid Game is a 2021 K-drama that garnered appreciation worldwide. The popular series bagged several prestigious awards, such as Screen Actors Guild Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, Hollywood Critics Association TV Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards, and many more.
The K-drama follows 456 players participating in a strange game to earn money to pay their debts. They participate in the competition thinking of earning a whopping cash prize but soon find out it is a life-and-death game. The winner to survive till the end will receive 45.6 billion won (over $38 million).
Available on Netflix, the Emmy-winning Squid Game has been renewed for season 2. The second installment will be premiering this year.
Crash Landing On You
Crash Landing On You is a 2019 Korean drama starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-Jin in lead roles. It is one of the award-winning K-dramas that bagged the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards. It also won the 7th APAN Star Awards, the 15th Seoul International Drama Awards, and the Asian Academy Creative Awards.
The K-drama is a love story of a South Korean chaebol heiress and a North Korean army captain. Due to a tornado, Yoon Se-Ri crash-landed in North Korea from Seoul. Captain Ri Jeong-Hyeok rescues her and keeps her safe until he finds a way to transport her to her homeland. Amid the chaos, the two fall in love.
The Glory
Starring Song Hye-Kyo in the lead role, The Glory is another award-winning K-drama that became a sensation last year. It bagged Baeksang Arts Awards, Asian Academy Creative Awards, Blue Dragon Series Awards, and Critics’ Choice Awards.
The K-drama is one of the best revenge dramas revolving around Moon Dong-Eun (Song Hye-Kyo). She was brutally bullied in high school and thus dropped out. As an adult, she seeks revenge on her tormentors. She becomes a teacher at a school where one of her bullies’ kids studies.
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
Extraordinary Attorney Woo is a heartfelt 2022 K-drama featuring Park Eun-Bin. The series has won several awards, including the APAN Star Awards, Baeksang Arts Awards, Critics’ Choice Television Awards, Seoul International Drama Awards, and Busan International Film Festival – Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards.
The story revolves around Woo Young-Woo (Park Eun-Bin), a woman on the autism spectrum. She is a young lawyer with a high IQ and incredible memory but lacks social interactions. In a world full of challenges, she finds love, friendship, and a great career.
Beyond Evil
The 2021’s crime thriller series Beyond Evil is one of the award-winning K-dramas that have gained much traction. It was nominated for APAN Star Awards and won three Baeksang Arts Awards in the following categories: Best Drama, Screenplay, and Actor.
Starring Shin Ha-Kyun and Yeo Jin-Goo, the K-drama is the story of a cop and a detective joining forces to catch a serial killer. In the course of finding the criminal, they revise their own morality and the innocence of those involved in the case.
All the aforementioned Korean dramas are streaming on Netflix.
