‘The Roundup’ and ‘Squid Game 3’ Lose Out! The Champion of Netflix’s All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Top 10: Dominating the Globe with 260 Million Views, a Record That Still Stands

Korean dramas on Netflix have recently sparked a global binge-watching frenzy, captivating audiences with diverse themes ranging from school bullying and medical rescues to human survival games. According to Netflix's official data on all-time viewership for original Korean dramas, the 'Squid Game' series occupies the top three spots, with the first season securing the championship with a staggering 260 million views. 'The Roundup,' 'All of Us Are Dead,' and 'The Glory' also made it into the upper ranks, driven by school-related themes, revenge plots, and deeply satisfying storytelling. Meanwhile, 'Trauma Center: The Breakthrough,' starring Ju Ji-hoon, and 'When Life Gives You Tangerines,' featuring IU and Park Bo-gum, have earned strong acclaim for their passionate pacing and delicate emotional depth. Below is a complete list of Netflix’s all-time top 10 Korean dramas, including plot summaries and audience reviews.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #10: Ju Ji-hoon, Chu Young-woo – 'Trauma Center: The Breakthrough' / View count: 26.6 million

'Trauma Center: The Breakthrough' follows Baek Kang-hyuk, a genius surgeon with battlefield rescue experience, who is recruited as a professor at a university hospital’s trauma center in Korea. Despite his exceptional surgical skills and assertive demeanor, he faces institutional rigidity, budget shortages, and internal hospital factionalism. Nevertheless, he leads rookie doctor Yang Jae-won and the medical team in saving critically injured patients, transforming the once-defunct trauma unit into a life-saving powerhouse.

The series was widely embraced by viewers for its fast pace, intense rescue sequences, and comic-book-like character designs that make it easy to binge. While some medical scenarios were criticized as exaggerated, and Baek Kang-hyuk seemed almost invincible, Ju Ji-hoon skillfully blended arrogance, professionalism, and vulnerability, making the genius surgeon surprisingly likable. Audiences also appreciated the team dynamics within the trauma center, and the eight-episode format left many wanting more.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #9: Yoo Ah-in, Kim Hyun-joo – 'Hellbound' / View count: 27.7 million

'Hellbound' is set in a world where supernatural phenomena suddenly emerge: people receive premonitions of their death time—'Hell Declarations'—and when the moment arrives, they are executed by mysterious monsters. A new religious group, 'New Truth Church,' rises in power, packaging fear as divine will and expanding its influence. Lawyer Min Hye-jin attempts to uncover the truth behind these events and confront the forces manipulating society through faith.

Audiences were divided on the monster designs and narrative pacing, but many agreed that the supernatural elements were merely an entry point—the real horror lies in how people lose their judgment under fear. When religion, media, and power define good and evil for unknown events, ordinary people can quickly become participants in vigilante justice. Yoo Ah-in’s calm yet oppressive performance made the cult leader highly convincing, driving the story toward a climax of societal collapse.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #8: IU, Park Bo-gum – 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' / View count: 29 million

'When Life Gives You Tangerines' begins in 1960s Jeju Island, following Oh Ae-sun, a strong-willed woman who dreams of becoming a poet, and Yang Gwan-sik, who remains by her side through poverty, family pressure, and societal changes. Spanning decades, the story portrays how this ordinary couple supports each other through life’s hardships and separations.

What resonates most is how the drama tenderly and authentically portrays the often-overlooked struggles of family life. Through the lives of Ae-sun, her mother, and daughter, viewers see how generations of women endure hardship while striving to give the next generation more choices. The series avoids dramatic conflicts for tears, instead embedding emotion in everyday moments—meals, work, farewells. Gwan-sik’s near-ideal companionship makes many envious, yet it also highlights the immense weight Ae-sun has carried throughout her life.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #7: Han So-hee, Park Hee-soon – 'My Name' / View count: 29.4 million

'My Name' tells the story of Yoon Ji-woo, who witnesses her father’s murder and joins a crime organization led by Choi Mu-jin to uncover the killer. She undergoes brutal training and infiltrates the police force as an undercover agent. While helping the organization evade police investigations, she gathers clues in the narcotics unit, only to gradually discover her father’s death is deeply tied to someone she trusted.

The revenge plot is somewhat predictable, and some emotional developments felt abrupt to viewers. However, the gritty action scenes and cold atmosphere remain highly compelling. Han So-hee transformed her physique and acting style for the role, delivering powerful close-combat performances and conveying sorrow and vigilance in her eyes, successfully anchoring this female-led gangster action drama. Park Hee-soon’s portrayal of Choi Mu-jin exudes dangerous yet calm charisma, and the complex relationship of trust, deception, and control between him and Ji-woo becomes the most intense part of the series.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #6: Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun – 'The Glory' / View count: 39.7 million

'The Glory' follows Moon Dong-eun, who suffered severe physical and psychological trauma from prolonged bullying by classmates in high school, forcing her to abandon her education and original life path. Years later, she becomes a teacher at the school attended by the ringleader’s daughter, quietly infiltrating the lives of her former tormentors. With the help of doctor Ju Yeo-jeong and others, she executes a meticulously planned revenge.

Audiences were quickly drawn into Dong-eun’s long-term revenge strategy, many staying up late to finish the series. This revenge isn’t impulsive—it’s built through years of studying, exams, work, and observation, slowly closing in on the perpetrators’ lives. Song Hye-kyo shed her usual soft, romantic image, using a low voice and restrained expressions to portray a hollowed-out soul. The addition of housekeeper Kang Hyun-nam brought rare warmth to the压抑 narrative, making the mutual support between two wounded women deeply moving.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #5: Park Ji-hu, Yoon Chan-young – 'All of Us Are Dead' / View count: 55 million

'All of Us Are Dead' is set in Hyosan High School, where a virus from a school experiment rapidly spreads, turning the infected into mindless zombies. Trapped students, cut off from outside help, must use limited resources in classrooms, hallways, and gyms to survive, while facing mutated classmates, group conflicts, and the lingering dangers of school bullying.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #4: Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Sung-min – 'The Roundup' / View count: 57.8 million

'The Roundup' is set in a fictional society where school order has collapsed and teacher authority has vanished. The government establishes the 'Education Rights Protection Agency,' dispatching inspectors like Na Hwa-jin and Choe Kang-seok to problem schools. They confront school bullying, delinquent students, and abusive parents, using unconventional methods to protect victims and forcefully restore order to the chaotic education system.

'The Roundup' resonated strongly with teacher viewers, evoking real-life experiences of student defiance, parental complaints, and institutional constraints. While solving problems with fists carries a strong fantasy element, it provides a cathartic emotional release. As the story progresses, it expands beyond punishing students to examine parental responsibility, teacher accountability, and the education system itself, adding a layer of helplessness beneath the satisfaction: people desire strong figures because normal channels have already failed in reality.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #3: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun – 'Squid Game 3' / View count: 140 million

'Squid Game 3' continues after the failed rebellion in the previous season. Seong Gi-hun is forced back into the game arena to participate in even more brutal survival games. Having lost his closest friends and allies, he still tries to dismantle the deadly system, while the game’s mastermind continues to force him to choose between humanity, sacrifice, and survival. The ideological clash between the two reaches its final showdown.

Season 3 received sharply divided reviews—some couldn’t accept the consecutive character deaths, while others felt the ending maintained the series’ consistent cruelty. Several new games retained high tension, and themes like motherhood, childbirth, and survival of the weak forced painful choices. Gi-hun doesn’t become the hero who destroys the system but uses his own life to preserve the last shred of humanity. This ending may not be satisfying, but it fits his clumsy, kind, and stubborn nature, concluding the series on a tragic note.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #2: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun – 'Squid Game 2' / View count: 190 million

'Squid Game 2' follows Seong Gi-hun, who, after winning a massive prize, chooses not to start a new life abroad but instead investigates the game’s mastermind. He uses his winnings to track down recruiters and re-enters the game as Player 456, planning to dismantle it from within—unaware that the game’s director has already infiltrated as a contestant.

The biggest controversy was the season ending at a pivotal moment of rebellion, leaving many subplots unresolved. Some viewers felt it was merely a setup for the next phase. Others argued that this season focused on voting, factional conflict, and crowd choices, turning the game into a microcosm of politics and power. Gi-hun has money and experience but still can’t persuade everyone or control the chaos. His failure lacks heroic catharsis but reflects the helplessness ordinary people feel when challenging a massive system.

Netflix All-Time Korean Drama Viewership Rank #1: Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo – 'Squid Game' / View count: 260 million

'Squid Game' follows 456 debt-ridden, desperate individuals invited to a mysterious location to compete in a series of traditional Korean children’s games turned deadly.