Top 5 most-loved K-dramas around the world based on 2025 Global Hallyu Survey

The Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism has collaborated with the Korean Foundation for the International Cultural Exchange to release the Global Hallyu Survey, revealing the most-loved K-dramas around the world. It highlights the perception and usage of Korean Wave content overseas.

The yearly survey has received responses from 26 countries, including Japan, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, India, Brazil, and other regions. The top-ranked K-dramas based on the national survey include:

Squid Game
Queen of Tears
Crash Landing on You
True Beauty
Lovely Runner

Overall, 26,400 individuals have participated in the Global Hallyu Survey, conducted between the period November 29 and December 27, 2024. It covers the areas related to the Korean Wave, including drama, entertainment, movies, music, animation, webtoons, beauty, food, and others.

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Squid Game, Queen of Tears, Crash Landing on You, and other K-dramas which topped the Global Hallyu Survey

1) Squid Game

Squid Game poster (Image via NetflixSA/X)

According to the survey, Squid Game is the most preferred K-drama among international users, as it has scored 9.7%. Season 1 and 2 premiered on September 17, 2021, and December 26, 2024, respectively.

The dystopian series revolves around a secret contest where 456 players have to play life-threatening games to win a whooping sum of $39.86 million. It features Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-joon, Lee Byung-hun, Park Hae-soo, and Jung Ho-yeon.

Helmed by director and screenwriter Hwang Dong-hyuk, the third season is slated to premiere on June 27, 2025.

2) Queen of Tears

A still from Queen of Tears (Image via CJndrama/X)

Queen of Tears is ranked second most preferred K-drama on the Global Hallyu Survey, garnering 6.5%. It features a star-studded cast, including Kim Ji-won, Kim Soo-hyun, Park Sung-hoon, Kwang Dong-yeon, and Lee Joo-bin. The series is directed by Jang Young-woo and Kim Hee-won. The script is written by screenwriter Park Ji-eun.

The romance K-drama follows the love story of Baek Hyun-woo and Hong Hae-in, who were once madly in love. However, after marriage, everything changes. Hyun-woo wants a divorce, while Hae-in is diagnosed with a terminal disease.

3) Crash Landing on You

Crash Landing on You featuring Son Ye-jin (Image via @CJndrama/X)

Crash Landing on You has emerged as the third most preferred K-drama on the Global Hallyu Survey, amassing 2.2% score. This 2019 drama is led by Hyun Bin, and Son Ye-jin, along with Seo Ji-hye, and Kim Jung-hyun. It is helmed by director Lee Jung-hyo and penned by Park Ji-eun.

The plot focuses on a rich chaebol heiress, Yoon Se-ri, who mistakenly lands in North Korea following a paragliding incident. In the neighboring country, she meets a North Korean soldier named Ri Jeong-hyeok and falls in love with him. He decides to help her return to her home country.

4) True Beauty

True Beauty featuring Cha Eun-woo (Image via CJndrama/X)

The high school and teen K-drama True Beauty is placed fourth on the Global Hallyu survey, scoring 2.1%. Released in 2020, this drama stars Cha Eun-woo, Moon Ga-young, Hwang In-youp, and Park You-na. It is directed and written by Kim Sang-hyub and Lee Shi-eun, respectively.

True Beauty revolves around the story of a high school girl, Lim Ju-gyeong, who rises to fame after learning how to do makeup properly. She is not confident with her bare face due to a past trauma associated with her being bullied for her appearance. After she changes schools, she gets entangled in a love triangle, where Lee Su-ho and Seo-joon fall for her internal beauty.

5) Lovely Runner

Lovely Runner featuring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon (Image via CJndrama/X)

The 2024 drama Lovely Runner has received 1.8% on the Global Hallyu Survey. It features Byeon Woo-seok, Kim Hye-yoon, Song Geon-hee, and Lee Seung-hyub in prominent roles. The script of this time travel and romance K-drama is penned by screenwriter Lee Shi-eun.

Directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Tae-yub, the series follows the journey of an ardent fan girl, Im Sol. She time travels in the past to protect her favorite K-pop idol, Ryu Seon-jae, who dies in the present time. The show depicts a blooming love story of Seon-jae and Im Sol, who try to give up on their lives for each other.

Global Hallyu Survey also features the most preferred K-movies by the international audience, including Parasite, Train to Busan, Exhuma, and others.

About the author

Kirti holds a Bachelor's degree in Journalism & Mass Communication and has been a Kpop writer at SK POP since 2022. She has been following Kpop and Kdramas since the last 6 years and but has worked in the genre only in the last 3-4 years donning several several caps - social media intern, copywriter, article writer and academic writer.

Kirti likes to pen down insightful features based on Korean dramas, especially the 'Ending Explained' categories. It gives her the satisfaction of creating the most authentic content rather than simply replicating what media outlets generally do.

Her process of creating content is time-consuming, yet methodical; she prefers to use original sources of information, which in her case are Korean outlets. She watches entire episodes, writes them down, cross-checks/fact-checks the details/event timelines off the web and eventually creates her copy.

Kirti likes Lee Je-hoon, IU, and Kim Seon-ho since she feels that their dramas are inspiring and have good plotlines. When she is not writing about K-dramas, she can be found watching them.

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Edited by DEEPALI