Hong Kong–based South China Morning Post (SCMP) has unveiled its list of the 15 best Korean dramas of 2025, naming When Life Gives You Tangerines as the No. 1 series of the year.
Announcing the ranking on the 28th, SCMP introduced what it called “our 15 favourite Korean dramas from the past year.”
SCMP described When Life Gives You Tangerines, starring IU and Park Bo Gum, as “unquestionably the best show of the year.” The outlet noted that the series spans the years following the Korean War, following the struggles of a resilient family on Jeju Island while offering “a front-row seat to Korea’s rapid and tumultuous economic and social advance during the 20th century.”
Taking second place was Way Back Love, led by Kim Min Ha and Gong Myung, which SCMP described as the story of a detached grim reaper and a girl who has lost her smile.
Third place went to The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call, earning praise for “a commanding star turn from Ju Ji Hoon.” Rounding out the top five were Aema, starring Lee Ha Nee, Bang Hyo Rin, and Jin Sun Kyu, at No. 4, and Nine Puzzle, led by Kim Da Mi and Son Suk Ku, at No. 5.
At No. 6 was Squid Game Season 3. SCMP noted that after topping its 2024 list, the series dropped several spots with its third and final season. It elaborated, “The games remained breathlessly intense and the deaths were as gut-wrenching as ever, but some viewers were frustrated by an unsatisfying climax that failed to cap off the spectacular narrative momentum of last year’s episodes.”
Seventh place went to You and Everything Else, starring Kim Go Eun and Park Ji Hyun. The Price of Confession, starring Kim Go Eun and Jeon Do Yeon, ranked eighth. Ninth was The Dream Life of Mr. Kim, led by Ryu Seung Ryong and Myung Se Bin, followed by Typhoon Family, starring Kim Min Ha and Junho, at No. 10.
The remaining titles on SCMP’s list were Dear X (11), Our Unwritten Seoul (12), Friendly Rivalry (13), Weak Hero Class 2 (14), and Melo Movie (15).
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