Korean Dramas Streaming on Viki (Jan–Mar 2025)

Rakuten Viki (aka Viki) kicked off 2025 with a strong lineup of Korean dramas, with a variety of genres – romance, comedy, thriller, historical period, etc. Some are Viki Originals, and some are not. All are great viewing! Here’s a chronological list of the Korean dramas that premiered on Viki from January through March 2025.

♦

Love Scout (Premiered January 3, 2025)

• Genre: Romantic Drama
• Episodes: 12
• Memorable Quote: “You don’t need a compass when your heart already knows the way.”
• TRAILER: LoveBreak_Official. “Love Scout.” YouTube, Video, 3 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctha7kX82Y0.

Plot Summary: Kang Ji Yun(played by Han Ji-Min, “Miss Baek”, “Behind Your Touch”, “Yonder”, “Rooftop Prince”) is a successful CEO of a headhunting firm, but her personal life is a mess. Kang Ji-Yun is known for poaching top talent with irresistible offers. Her relentless work ethic masks deep emotional scars from traumatic events, and despite collapsing from exhaustion, she refuses to slow down. Her coping mechanism is work. It’s how she deals with the trauma.

Enter Yu Eun-Ho, a talented and respected professional whose life takes a turn when he chooses to care for his sick daughter instead of advancing his career. His decision cost him his job. Desperate for employment, he lands a role as Kang Ji-Yun’s assistant. They had met each other, and he criticized her method of getting clients as unethical. How did he know that later on, he would end up applying for a job at her firm? Despite the initial bad impression he made during their first encounter, Ji-Yun hired him anyway. Their relationship progresse,d and he became so much more than her assistant.

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated this series 9.8 out of stars

♦

The Queen Who Crowns (Premiered January 6, 2025)

• Genre: Historical Romance (Inspired by Joseon-era royal diaries.)
• Episodes: 14
• Memorable Quote: “A crown weighs heavier when worn by a woman.”
• TRAILER: K.-WORLD HIGHLIGHTS. “THE QUEEN WHO CROWNS (2025) Korean Drama.” YouTube, Video, 3 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yytMzUHd3bU.

Plot Summary:  Set during the Joseon Dynasty, the story is inspired by the relationship between King Lee Bang Won and Queen Won Gyeong (played by Cha Joo Young, “The Real Has Come”, “The Glory 1 and 2”, “The Heavenly Idol”, “Wok of Love”, “Jugglers”). The king seizes the throne by killing his half-brother, fracturing his relationship with his father, and earning a reputation as a usurper. But his wife, Lady Min – later Queen Won Gyeong – uses her family’s wealth and influence to secure his rise to power, believing they would build a better Joseon together.

Their passionate union defies Confucian norms, which dictated sex only for producing heirs, not pleasure. The king secretly beds the queen’s most trusted maid, who later returns with a son claiming royal blood. When confronted, Lee Bang Won admits the child is his and reveals his deep resentment toward Lady Min’s family. He claimed she never truly honored him as king. His affair was a calculated act to humiliate her, as he believed that she seemed to think that if it weren’t for her he couldn’t possibly manage his kingship.

Her influence indeed shaped Joseon’s politics. But the queen had envisioned a new world that she and her husband would build together. Also, she had always been loyal to the king and had made great sacrifices for him. Lee Bang Won’s betrayal shattered their marital bond but did it destroy her dream of a better Joseon? “The Queen Who Crowns” is a gripping tale of ambition, loyalty, and the cost of power.

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated this series: 9.7 out of 10 stars

♦

Motel California (Premiered January 10, 2025)

• Genre: Romantic Drama (Based on: Novel “Home, Bitter Home” )
• Episodes: 12
• Memorable Quote: “Sometimes the only way forward is to go back.”
• TRAILER:  LoveBreak_Official. “Motel California.” YouTube, Video, 10 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dTpo-izG2k.

Plot Summary: Ji Kang Hee returns to her rural hometown after 12 years to run her family’s motel. She reconnects with Cheon Yeon Soo, her first love, now a local veterinarian. As they rekindle old feelings, they confront unresolved pain and rediscover what home truly means. “Motel California” is a tender exploration of memory, forgiveness, and second chances.

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated this series 9.7 out of 10 stars

♦

Study Group (Premiered January 23, 2025)

• Genre: Action Thriller (based on Webtoon)
• Episodes: 10
• Memorable Quote: “Brains win battles that fists can’t.”
• TRAILER:  CJ ENM Global. “Study Group.” YouTube, Video, 1 Feb. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx0piV_Uf4E.

Plot Summary:  Youn Ga Min(played by Minhyun, “Alchemy of Souls 1 and 2”, “My Lovely Liar”) is a student with exceptional fighting skills but poor academic performance. At a notoriously rough high school, he forms a study group to survive both exams and gang fights. “Study Group” blends high-octane action with heartfelt moments, showing that knowledge can be just as powerful as strength. Great fight scenes. You have to root for this kid!

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated the series 9.8 out of 10 stars

♦

For Eagle Brothers (Premiered February 1, 2025)

• Genre: Family Rom-Com
• Episodes: 50
• Memorable Quote: “Family is brewed with patience and love.”
• TRAILER: K.-WORLD HIGHLIGHTS. “PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THE FIVE EAGLE BROTHERS (2025) Korean Drama.” YouTube, Video, 22 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEbosgK6hi8.

Plot Summary: Ma Gwang-Sook (played by Uhm Ji-Won, “Jung_E”, “The Cursed”), a 45-year-old post office employee, finds unexpected love with Oh Jang-Soo, the owner of a brewery who had postponed love and marriage in his life to raise his younger brothers after their mother’s death. He finally decides it’s his time and pursues Ma Gwang-Sook romantically. They marry, and his brothers warmly welcome her into the family.

Life was perfect until it wasn’t. Tragedy struck just days after their honeymoon. Jang-Soo died in a car accident, leaving Ma Gwang-Sook a grieving widow. Her grief was compounded when people accused her late husband of being a scammer. She knew nothing about his financial affairs, but she defended him. The brothers wanted to sell the brewery, but she insisted on taking over the business and preserving her husband’s honor and legacy. Through resilience and loyalty, Ma Gwang-Sook proves that love, honor, and courage can endure even in the face of heartbreak. She also finds love again, although she wasn’t looking.

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated the series 9.1 out of 10 stars

♦

KICKKICKKICKKICK (Premiered February 5, 2025)

• Genre: Sitcom, Comedy
• Episodes: 12
• Memorable Quote: “Creativity is chaos with a deadline.”
• TRAILER: K.-WORLD HIGHLIGHTS. “KICK KICK KICK KICK (2025) Korean Drama.” YouTube, Video, 25 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8OnBq0yRw0.

Plot Summary: A washed-up actor and a former variety show producer team up to launch a new content company. Their journey is filled with hilarious missteps, creative clashes, and unexpected success. “KICKKICKKICKKICK” is a meta-comedy that pokes fun at the entertainment industry while celebrating second chances.

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated this series 7.3 out of 10 stars

♦

The Witch (Premiered February 15, 2025)

• Genre: Romantic Mystery
• Episodes: 10
• Memorable Quote: “They called her a witch, but she was just misunderstood.”
• TRAILER: Kdrama Zone. “The Witch (2025) Official Trailer.” YouTube, Video, 13 Jan. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GzTdSbYU94.

Plot Summary: Park Mi-Jeong appears to be an ordinary girl, but her life is shadowed by eerie misfortunes. At first, she believed the tragic incidents that happened with boys were accidental. But eerie, tragic incidents kept occurring as she grew up. Rumors spread, and people branded her a witch. She withdrew from school and chose to be isolated. Her father asked her to come with him and help him plant potatoes. He died that very day. The townspeople whispered that she had even killed her father. Park Mi-Jeong couldn’t take the rumors anymore and moved away.

Years later, Lee Dong-Jin (played by Jin Young, “Yaksha: Ruthless Operations”, “Yumi’s Cells”, “Chicken Nugget”, “The Devil Judge”, “He is Psychometric”), a former classmate who had always quietly admired her, saw her on a train being harassed by a drunk man. After she got off the train and went on her way, the man collapsed. Oh no! Lee Dong-Jin couldn’t believe it, but he had just witnessed everything. Unexplained tragedies were still plaguing her.

Lee Dong-Jin refused to believe the rumors that she was a witch. There had to be a logical explanation and he set out to uncover the truth. He believes Park Mi-Jeong may be haunted by a mysterious curse: a “law of death” that follows her. He believes that if there is such a rule or curse, it can be broken. Is he right? If he’s not, he might end up being another unexplained tragic event.

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated this series 9.7 out of 10 stars

♦

The Art of Negotiation (Premiered March 8, 2025)

• Genre: Corporate Business Drama
• Episodes: 12
• Memorable Quote: “Every deal has a heartbeat, find it.”
• TRAILER: @sd-wm1sq. “[Trailer] The Art of Negotiation.” YouTube, Video, 1 Mar. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HyFo16Murc.

Plot Summary: Sanin Group faces a financial crisis with 11 trillion won in debt, prompting a top executive to recruit legendary M&A expert Yoon Joo No (played by Lee Je-Hoon, “Escape”, “Collectors”, “Time to Hunt”, “Chief Detective 1958”, “Taxi Driver 1 and 2”, “Move to Heaven”, “My Paparotti”, “An Ethics Lesson”, “Tomorrow With You”, “The Front Line”). Yoon Joo No had left the job on bad terms. Now, with the corporation is on the brink of a fire sale, he has been called back to save it. The chairman agrees to bring Yoon Joo No back, but the CFO, formerly Yoon Joo No’s mentor, is livid.

The CFO has his own rescue plan and aims to become CEO. He thinks there is no need for Yoon’s expertise and refuses to collaborate. The chairman agrees for Yoon Joo No to head up an independent team. Under his leadership, the team, “Project: M,” defies the CFO’s rescue strategy by selling the Construction division instead of the subsidiaries. His plan succeeded, and from that point forward it’s WAR! The CFO is determined to make Project: M fail. But Yoon Joo No anticipated the conflict and advised his team: “This isn’t a boardroom. It’s a battlefield. And our weapons? Contracts.”

• Where to Watch: Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

♦♦

LINKS OF INTEREST:

The 40 Most Exciting K-Dramas Releasing In 2025 | TheReviewGeek Recommends | The Review Geek

11 New K-Dramas To Watch In May 2025 | Soompi

June 2025 Korean Dramas: “Mercy For None”, “Our Movie”, Head Over Heels” & More – kdramadiary

Take Your Pick: 9 New K-dramas Coming Out in July 2025! | The Blossom Review

♦