7 Lesser-Known K-Dramas of 2023 to Watch on Netflix in January 2024

Netflix continues to add more and more South Korean shows, offering subscribers fascinating and often unique stories full of Korean cultural context, witty references to modern society, and just plain lighthearted romance.

In 2023 alone, there have been a number of K-dramas that have become instant hits, such as the romantic comedy Crash Course in Romance and the second season of the action-horror series Sweet Home.

But unfortunately, some Korean shows have been overshadowed by more popular ones, even though they have received critical acclaim. We rectify this unfair situation by introducing you to seven excellent but under-discussed 2023 K-dramas available for streaming this January.

7. Behind Your Touch (16 episodes)

IMDb rating: 7.4/10

Genre: Comedy drama, suspense thriller, fantasy

Our list kicks off with a hilarious comedy with police procedural elements. Ye-bun, who has always dreamed of becoming a vet, gets psychometric powers during one of her odd jobs at a cow farm. The protagonist gets involved in a series of mysterious murders, which she helps hot-blooded detective Jang-yeol solve with the assistance of her newfound abilities.

6. Divorce Attorney Shin (12 episodes)

IMDb rating: 7.5/10

Genre: Legal drama

Even today, divorce in South Korea is still perceived with prejudice and even outright hostility because of the post-Confucian mindset, but South Korean society is not stagnant and more people are taking the plunge. The main character is a former pianist turned divorce lawyer who is willing to go to great lengths to protect his clients.

5. Miraculous Brothers (16 episodes)

IMDb rating: 7.6/10

Genre: Mystery, fantasy

Despite its supernatural overtones, Miraculous Brothers is a drama in the truest sense of the word. The story revolves around the friendship that develops between a debt-ridden writer who scrapes by doing odd jobs and an enigmatic boy who has lost his memories but is able to experience the pain and feelings of others.

4. Like Flowers in Sand (12 episodes)

IMDb rating: 7.8/10

Genre: Romantic comedy, sports drama

Like Flowers in Sand is a feel-good romantic coming-of-age story about a talented traditional Korean wrestler whose team's failures lead to his decision to abandon his career. However, a childhood friend and first love suddenly intervenes and becomes his team manager.

3. Love to Hate You (10 episodes)

IMDb rating: 7.9/10

Genre: Romantic comedy

Love to Hate You features a self-aware and humorous screenplay that mocks both gender discrimination in Korean society and other romcoms built on similar tropes. The story centers on a free-spirited protagonist with a strong sense of justice who can't stand men for their bigotry and looks for any chance to beat them up. By fate, she is forced to take a position at a male-dominated law firm, where one client becomes her new target of hatred, a Korean celebrity.

2. Welcome to Samdal-ri (16 episodes)

IMDb rating: 8.1/10

Genre: Comedy drama

Welcome to Samdal-ri is a sweet love story between a photographer returning from Seoul to her hometown on Jiju Island after her career derailed, and an aspiring but stubborn forecaster whose mother was killed because of a wrong weather forecast. They were once best friends who had a ridiculous falling out, but rekindled feelings bring them back together.

1. The Good Bad Mother (14 episodes)

IMDb rating: 8.4/10

Genre: Crime drama

The Good Bad Mother is the story of a talented prosecutor who, after an accident, loses his memory and is forced to return to his mother, with whom he had a strained relationship due to the strict conditions of his upbringing. The protagonist's consciousness has returned to its childlike state, and now he and his mother must rethink their lives and learn to love each other again.