A variety of K-dramas were released this year – some so thrilling they surpassed our expectations, with others falling flat and leaving us scrolling in search of a new binge. Joy News 24, a high-profile entertainment magazine in Korea, conducted an internal survey to see which dramas were the worst of 2025.
After posting, the Korean public seemed to be in agreement and seconded the motion of the survey’s results. See which shows were deemed terrible and unwatchable here.
Twelve (28 Votes)
Ma Dong Seok and Park Hyung Sik united on screen to create quite possibly an unforgettable collaboration, but the chemistry of Twelve was disappointing. It attracted attention due to its difference between Western superheroes represented by Marvel and the 12 gods of the Orient. The fantasy storyline was brought to life with a whopping budget that exceeded 20 billion won. Despite the initial anticipation and bodacious cost, viewers expressed their disappointment with bad reviews such as, “There are many scenarios, but there is no core content, the development is long and dragged out.”
When The Stars Gossip (15 Votes)
The extraterrestrial tvN thriller When The Stars Gossip was another drama with stellar expectations, but crash landed like a meteor. Starring Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, the otherworldly masterpiece took five years to prepare and cost 50 billion won to produce. It is Korea’s first space office set on a space station and garnered interest even before production. However, viewers complained about the overuse of poorly done CGI, an inescapably cliche love plot, no story deviation, and, in the end, a viewership rating of 2.6% for the final episode.
Squid Game Season 2 and 3 (10 Votes)
A lot of hype went behind the promotion of Squid Game. The unforgettable first season launched Korean entertainment to the forefront, and Netflix became a giant recognized for creating global content. Despite these achievements, seasons 2 and 3 of the series left viewers feeling unsatisfied. Particularly, player 222’s child became a player and winner of the finale, which left people enraged, questioning, “What did I just watch,” and “Make the plot make sense.” Many felt it lacked impact and was a horrible decision to end the story with Lee Jung Jae’s character Gi Hoon’s death, unjustified. Netflix is said to have invested approximately 100 billion won in the production of Squid Game 2 and 3, but fans felt the story lacked the most detail. Although a game is anticipated to be held in America, some may opt out of watching any future seasons.
Tempest (7 Votes)
As for other poorly ranked dramas, Disney Plus’s Tempest, starring Kang Dong Won and Jun Ji Hyun, also fell flat and ranked fourth with seven votes. With a production cost of 70 billion won, viewers hoped the political drama would soar and the on-screen chemistry of two popular actors would reel them in. However, viewers’ evaluations were sharp, saying, “The drama had no impact and a bitter ending.”
In addition, the final poorly ranked shows of the year included MBC’s Crushology 101 (6 votes), KBS 2TV’s Kick Kick Kick Kick (5 votes), Netflix’s Gyeongseong Creature 2 (4 votes) and TV Chosun’s Confidence Queen (3 votes) ranked last.
What did you think of the final list? Do you agree with these rankings? Share your thoughts in the comments.
>> PICK: The Best K-Dramas of 2025, Chosen by Industry Insiders
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