How To Watch The Best K-Dramas For Free

After the enormous success of shows like "Squid Game" with international audiences, streaming services have steadily been building up their libraries of K-dramas. The common term for scripted television produced in South Korea, no matter the genre, K-dramas continue to win over viewers worldwide. And while platforms like Apple TV+ and Netflix certainly have a great selection of K-dramas to watch, there is a service where fans can legally stream Korean shows for free. In fact, the American streaming platform Rakuten Viki has consistently offered great foreign programming in its library, including an impressive array of K-dramas to check out.

To be clear, Rakuten Viki does feature a paid subscription option for those interested in an ad-free viewing experience, with a wider library and higher video quality for select programming. But the free user model offers an impressive library of K-dramas to choose from, for those looking to watch Korean shows without having to take on another premium subscription. Shows marked with free episodes available can be streamed as long as users have a base Viki account. Other titles offer only a small selection of episodes without a premium Viki Pass or are completely inaccessible unless users have shelled out for the paid subscription.

Here is a selection of some of the K-dramas that you can currently only stream through Rakuten Viki in the United States.

An easy way to access the K-dramas that are completely free on Rakuten Viki is to select the "Watch Free" option on the category drop-down menu. This includes classic romantic K-dramas like "Descendants of the Sun" and "The Legend of the Blue Sea," with both shows needing paid subscriptions through other services. Viki also has a growing number of original K-dramas that are available to stream for free on the platform, including "Lovers of the Red Sky" and "Queen: Love and War." Keep in mind that Viki additionally has a library of free shows to watch from mainland China, Taiwan, Japan, and Thailand that curious audiences should definitely check out.

By far, one of the best K-dramas currently available exclusively on Rakuten Viki in the U.S. is "Guardian: The Great and Lonely God." Also known as "Goblin," the show combines fantasy romance and comedy in effective measure and is a must-watch for fans of star Gong Yoo. However, free users can only watch the series' first two episodes without shelling out for a premium subscription. The free Rakuten Viki subscription offers a wide selection of free samples, in addition to the free complete shows, with plenty of K-dramas to justify a paid subscription tier.

With an expansive library of K-dramas available on Rakuten Viki, including a number of streaming exclusives in North America, Viki is a must for fans of Korean shows.