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Top 4 Korean Drama Streaming Services
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Korean dramas are so addictive; once you start, you will never be able to stop. I mean, of course, unless you look for a certain K-drama and fail to find it. That is, hands down, one of the worst things to ever happen to a Korean drama fan!
As a K-drama enthusiast, I've taken it upon myself not to let anyone go through this. So, below, I will list the best three platforms for Korean drama streaming and how to access each one no matter where you are.
Korean Drama Streaming Platforms
"Where can I watch Korean dramas legally?" is one of the most asked questions in 2021. And we have the answer.
1. Viki
Viki is the best Korean drama streaming service; you can find countless Korean dramas from all genres, old and new, many for free, and some paid ones.
Viki can be considered a free Korean drama streaming site. So if you can find your favorite dramas on Viki for free, then YAY! But if they need the Viki Pass, then don't worry; Viki's premium plan is very affordable for $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year (that's two months for free).
Viki is compatible with iPhones and iPad (iOS 13 and above), Android phones, tablets, Chromebooks (OS 6 and above), Android TV, Google TV, Apple TV HD (4th generation and newer), Amazon Fire TV, Roku, and Chromecast.
Viki's Learn Mode
Learn Mode is what makes Viki my favorite Korean drama streaming service. I personally find it a brilliant feature!
In Viki's Learn Mode, you get to augment your language by enabling subtitles in the language you're learning. Viki's subtitles are interactive; you can hover over a word or an expression to know its meaning, and you can repeat certain segments to hear their pronunciation. For example, you can watch a Korean drama with English subtitles and Korean subtitles for the Learn Mode.
Viki's Learn Mode is available for select shows in Korean, Chinese, Taiwanese, and Japanese. It is also only available on Viki web and the iOS app only.
Viki Translator
If you want to become a Viki translator, you can join Viki's volunteer community. All you have to do is go to contribute.viki.com and get started from there.
By becoming a translator, or a qualified contributor, you gain many prizes, as shown below.
How to access Viki from anywhere
Viki is a region-locked streaming service; shows are bought for each region separately. So, while Viki might be available in your country, some shows might not be on your list. This is due to licensing agreements and copyrights.
To fix this issue, all you gotta do is to use a VPN. A VPN will mask your actual IP address and give you a fake one from any server you choose, namely a server that has the Korean drama you want to watch. We have a list of the best VPNs for you to choose from.
2. Netflix
Netflix is one of the best Korean drama streaming services. Netflix shows old and new K-dramas besides producing many Netflix originals.
A Netflix monthly subscription costs $8.99 for the Basic plan (one person can stream), $13.99 for Standard (two simultaneous streams), and $17.99 for Premium (four simultaneous streams).
Korean drama streaming on Netflix requires buying the streaming license from the content owners beforehand. Netflix buys the streaming licenses for each region separately based on some criteria like the target audience's needs and the competition Netflix has with other streaming services.
Streaming licenses are quite expensive; for example, in 2019 only, Netflix spent an estimated $14.7 billion on licensed content. So, to compensate for what it pays, Netflix needs to make sure that its revenue is greater than the losses. To ensure this, Netflix uses data mining to survey the audience's interest to determine what shows should be bought for each region.
So, if you have a Netflix subscription but can't find a certain K-drama on it, you can use a VPN to mask your IP address and switch to a different server (e.g., Netflix US). We have a list of the best VPNs for you to choose from.
3. Hulu
Hulu is an American streaming service. It is a huge streaming platform with an extensive library of shows, including countless K-drama.
Hulu offers a 30-day free trial where you can enjoy your favorite Korean dramas before paying a penny. After the free trial, you can subscribe for $5.99/month or $11.99 for the Hulu (No Ads) plan.
Hulu is only available in the United States currently. However, you can mask your actual IP address and get an American IP address to enjoy Korean drama streaming on Hulu with a good VPN. We have a list of the best VPNs for you to choose from.
4. Kocowa
Kocowa is another American streaming service. Kocowa is specialized in Korean drama streaming. However, it also has a wide variety of K-pop shows, docuseries, and K-variety shows.
Kocowa has a 14-day free trial. After the free trial ends, you can renew your subscription with any of their plans:
- Daily - $0.99
- Monthly - $6.99
- Yearly - $69.99
Kocowa is only available in South and North America regions, including the United States, Puerto Rico, Canada, Brazil, and Mexico.
However, you can join the fun from anywhere around the world by downloading a VPN and switching to the American server. We have a list of the best VPNs for you to choose from.
Choosing the Right VPN
Features in a good VPN
We have certain criteria we use to evaluate VPN services before we make a list of the best ones. When it comes to Korean drama streaming, speed is vital; you don't want to be interrupted while watching a K-drama right when a cliffhanger happens. So, to make things clear, all of the VPNs in the list have been tested by us, and all scored top points when it came to speed.
Some of the other features that need to be in a good VPN include:
- AES-256-bit Encryption: This is the strongest data encryption; it is so strong that governments, banks, military bases, and other official parties use it to protect their most confidential info.
- Zero-logging Policy: A no-log policy denies third-party apps access to your info, as the VPN itself will never save your login info and internet traffic.
- Servers run on RAM (No data is written on hard drives): This gives you more security by storing your data on RAM servers that get erased every time the server is rebooted.
- Kill-Switch: A kill switch is a feature that severs your internet connection if your VPN connection drops suddenly, preventing your real IP address from being exposed.
- Split Tunneling: This feature will allow you to choose which apps run on the VPN server and which ones stay on the public network.
- Unblocking streaming services, such as Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, Prime Video, BBC iPlayer, HBO Go, and so on.
Choosing a good VPN also depends on the quality of the customer service of the company, the devices the VPN is compatible with, the languages supported by the VPN provider, and the prices.
But we know it can be such a pain to go through every single VPN service on the internet to look for these features. So, we did the work for you and summarized what we found in a list of the best VPNs for Viki, Netflix, Hulu, and Kocowa.
The Best VPNs for Korean Drama Streaming
1. StrongVPN
StrongVPN is the top pick for a VPN for Korean drama streaming.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - StrongVPN has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - StrongVPN does NOT have RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - StrongVPN has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - StrongVPN has this feature only on the mobile app.
- StrongVPN unblocks content for Viki, Netflix, Hulu, Kocowa, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, and more.
StrongVPN works across iOS, Windows, Android, macOS, and Linux. It also has a Firefox and Chrome extension.
StrongVPN supports four languages; Chinese, Spanish, Russian, and English. It also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, phone support, emails & tickets, and the knowledge base.
StrongVPN offers two plans, both allow up to 12 devices:
- A one-month plan for $10/mo.
- A 12-month plan for $41.99/year ($3.50/mo).
Both plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
2. Private Internet Access
Private Internet Access is another great choice to access Korean streaming platforms.
Private Internet Access is reportedly the fastest VPN for streaming (and gaming); it scores top points in speed tests.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - PIA has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - PIA has RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - PIA has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - PIA has this feature on both the mobile app and desktop.
- PIA unblocks content for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney+.
PIA works across iOS, Windows, Android, macOS, and Linux. It also has a Firefox, Opera, and Chrome extension.
PIA supports many languages, including Arabic, English, French, German, and Chinese. PIA also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, emails & tickets, community threads, and the knowledge base.
PIA offers three plans:
- Monthly - $11.95/mo.
- Yearly - $39.95 ($3.33/month).
- Biyearly - $69.95 ($2.69/month).
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
3. IPVanish
IPVanish is another good option for Korean drama streaming.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - IPVanish has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - IPVanish does NOT have RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - IPVanish has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - IPVanish has this feature.
- IPVanish unblocks content for Netflix, Hulu, SkyTV, Fox Go, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, Spotify.
IPVanish works across iOS, Windows, Android, macOS, ChromeOS, FireOS, and Linux. It also has a Firefox and Chrome extension.
IPVanish supports English and French. IPVanish also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, phone support, emails & tickets, FAQs, and the knowledge base.
IPVanish offers two plans:
- Monthly - $3.49/month for the first month; $9.99/month for renewal.
- Yearly - $2.62/month ($31.49/year) for the first year; $89.99/year for renewal.
Both plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
4. CyberGhost
Cyberghost is a very safe choice for Korean drama streaming; it is as hidden as a ghost.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - CyberGhost has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - CyberGhost has RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - Cyberghost has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - CyberGhost has this feature for mobiles and desktop/laptop devices.
- Cyberghost unblocks content for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, ESPN, Hulu, Kodi, BBC iPlayer, and HBO Max.
Cyberghost works across Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, Linux, TVs, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, and Roku. It also has a Firefox and Chrome extension.
Cyberghost supports many languages, including English, Spanish, French, and Italian. It also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, emails & tickets, FAQs, and the knowledge base.
Cyberghost offers three plans:
- A one-month plan for $12.99.
- A 12-month plan for $47.88/year ($3.99/mo).
- A three-year plan for $87.75/year ($2.25/mo) + three months for free.
The first plan has a 14-day money-back guarantee. The other plans come with a 45-day money-back guarantee.
5. Surfshark
Last but not least, Surfshark.
Features checklist:
- AES-256-bit Encryption - Available.
- No-log Policy - Surfshark has a true no-log policy.
- Servers run on RAM - Surfshark has RAM-based servers.
- Kill-Switch - Surfshark has a kill-switch.
- Split Tunneling - Surfshark has this feature only on Windows and Android.
- Surfshark unblocks content for Netflix, Hulu, SkyTV, Fox Go, BBC iPlayer, DAZN, and Spotify.
Surfshark works across Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, iOS, Fire OS, Routers, Playstation, and Xbox. It also has a Firefox and Chrome extension.
Surfshark supports many languages, including Korean, English, Chinese, and Japanese. Surfshark also offers 24/7 customer service through live chat, emails & tickets, blogs, and the knowledge base.
Surfshark offers three plans:
- A one-month plan - $12.95/mo.
- A 6-month plan - $38.94 ($6.49/month), billed every 6 month.
- A 24-month plan - $59.76 ($2.49/month), billed annualy.
All plans come with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
How to Use a VPN
1. Choose a good VPN. We recommend one of the VPNs in the list above, as they have all been tested by us.
2. Install the VPN app on your phone.
3. Sign Up by entering your email address. You might receive a temporary password which you can change later.
4. Choose a plan and complete your payment.
5. Choose a server from the list and connect.
6. Install the Korean drama streaming app or go to the Korean drama streaming website and log into your existing account or create a new account.
7. Explore the Korean drama options and start with your favorite drama!