Entertainment
Movies and TV
Yearender: Critics, journalists pick the best Korean series of 2025
Yearender: Critics, journalists pick the best Korean series of 2025
Which Korean series emerged as the best in 2025?
Korean media outlet Cine21, which has documented the trends of film and popular culture since its launch in 1995, conducted a year-end survey among 22 film critics, journalists and TV critics to select the best Korean series of 2025.
Selections were made based on series aired between Dec. 9, 2024, and Dec. 8, 2025, including short dramas.
The criteria was whether the final episode aired within that period (“Taxi Driver” season 3, which has yet to conclude, was excluded from the survey).
Cine21 reported that “while series based on webtoons and web novels have been gaining traction in the drama market, original dramas have been gaining ground, achieving both success and buzz.” It said the top 5 on the list are all original series.
The critics and journalists chose Park Bo-young's “Our Unwritten Seoul” as the No. 1 Korean series in 2025. The series starred Park Bo-young, Park Jin-young, and Ryu Kyung-soo.
“‘Our Unwritten Seoul’ is a drama that ‘through the 'life exchange' of identical twins, comprehensively explores the complexities of the youth condensed within the confines of Seoul, including the anxiety and social isolation of the younger generation, workplace bullying and inequality between regular and non-regular workers, and the issues of social minorities such as people with disabilities and sexual minorities," Cine21 stated.
Cine21’s Top 10 Best Korean Series of 2025
1. Our Unwritten Seoul (tvN)
2. You and Everything Else (Netflix)
3. When Life Gives You Tangerines (Netflix)
4. Aema (Netflix)
5. The Art of Negotiation (JTBC)
6. The Dream Life of Mr. Kim (JTBC)
7. Way Back Love (TVING)
8. The Price of Confession (Netflix)
9. Friendly Rivalry (U+ Mobile TV)
10. Hyper Knife (Disney)
Critics praised “You and Everything Else” (second place), starring Kim Go-eun and Park Ji-hyun, for its dense character development, according to Cine21.
One critic said, "In a time when portraying characters who are easy to sympathize with because they are light and stereotypical is considered a virtue of popular dramas, this series stands out for its skill in delicately portraying the nuances of emotion by creating characters with more complexities."
“When Life Gives You Tangerines” (third place), starring IU and Park Bogum, was commended by one participant as an “all-time standard of K-drama” that “unifies all ages and generations.”
Cine21 said “Aema” (fourth place), starring Lee Hanee and Bang Hyo-rin, garnered acclaim for its "retrospective perspective that Korean cinema needed" as the series creatively reinterpreted the making of the film “Madame Aema” (1982).
“The Art of Negotiation” (fifth place), starring Lee Je-hoon, was described as "an office drama that very simply addresses the somewhat difficult topic of M&A."
Persons of the Year
The critics and journalists also named the Persons of the Year. The winners are:
Director of the Year - Jo Young-min, "You and Everything Else"
Screenwriter of the Year - Lee Kang, "Our Unwritten Seoul"
Production Company of the Year - Pan Entertainment, "When Life Gives You Tangerines"
Actor of the Year - Ryu Seung-ryong, "The Dream Life of Mr. Kim"
Actress of the Year - Park Bo-young, "Our Unwritten Seoul"
Rookie Actor of the Year - Choo Young-woo, "The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call," "The Tale of Lady Ok"
New Actress of the Year - Bang Hyo-rin, "Aema"
Staff of the Year - Art directors Ryu Sung-hee, Choi Ji-hye, "When Life Gives You Tangerines"
In an interview with Cine21, Park Bo-young described 2025 as “a year filled with hard work, intensity, and yet filled with happiness and gratitude. ‘Our Unwritten Seoul’ was a constant battle with myself. Even before filming began, I often questioned myself, ‘Can I really do this?’ and even while filming, ‘Can I finish this well?’ I even doubted myself. However, thanks to the love and empathy shown by so many people, those doubts were transformed into pride. I'm happy that this year has given me the confidence to believe that I'm making good progress and that I can continue to push myself further.”
Choo Young-woo told the media outlet, “I greeted you with various works this year, but ‘The Tale of Lady Ok’ and ‘The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call,’ which kicked off 2025 with me, will be remembered as works that have a very meaningful meaning to me. I will return with a more mature appearance and better acting to repay all the support and love you have sent me. I hope you all have a warm year-end and a healthy and happy new year in 2026. Thank you!”