11 Best Streaming Services for Korean TV Shows

With the Hallyu Wave crashing through the west, it's no surprise that the demand for Korean content has been steadily growing. TV shows, in particular, are getting more popular thanks to their charm and variety. But that said, Korean content isn't as easy to access as you'd think. Not all streaming services carry Korean shows, which is why we thought we'd make a list of those that do.

Netflix is by far your best bet when it comes to Korean fare. Not only has it partnered with local studios like JTBC and tVN, but it also produces Korean content in-house (Squid Game, anyone?). If you're looking to take a very deep dive into this category, you might also want to check out Asian sites KocowaTV and Viki, which have the most number of titles and recent releases from the country. We've also included the likes of AppleTV+ which, while only having two Korean series at the moment, show a lot of quality and promise with what they have (Pachinko remains one of the best shows, in our book). Read on to see which streaming services made our cut.

Hulu is an on-demand service that is currently only available in US territories. You can get access to Hulu's on-demand content library for $7.99 a month with commercials, and $14.99 without. There's also an option to pay for an annual subscription starting at $79.99.

Price: $7.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG TV, Nintendo Switch, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung TV, Xbox

Disney Plus is a streaming on-demand service owned by the Walt Disney Company available in 59 countries at the time of writing. 

Pricing starts at $8 a month in the US, while plans differ from region to region. New theatrical releases cost up to $30 in addition to the subscription fee.  

Disney Plus can be accessed via a full range of services including Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Fire TV, Roku, Xbox One and is compatible across Apple and PC computers, and Android and Apple phones and tablets. 

Price: $7.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, PlayStation, Roku, Xbox

Apple TV+ is an ad-free on-demand stream from Apple that costs $9.99 per month and is accessible in about 150 countries. The Apple TV+ app is accessible via Apple devices (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac) and Apple TV. While Android phones and tablets are not supported, you can access Apple TV+ via Android-powered TV devices like Chromecast. It can be accessed via web browser and supported by PC, as well as Roku devices, Amazon Fire TV devices, PlayStation, and Xbox.

Price: $9.99/month

Free Trial: 7 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku TV, Samsung TV

Netflix is an ad-free streaming platform that operates on a monthly, or annual, subscription. There are three pricing plans – Basic, Standard and Premium – and the one you choose will determine the number of devices that you can simultaneously use to watch Netflix, in case you want to share the account with someone else. There are three plans, though pricing differs from region to region. First up is the Basic plan, which allows you to watch on one device at a time. Upgrading to the Standard plan allows you to watch shows and movies, and download them for offline viewing, on up to 2 different devices at a time. The top-tier Premium plan lets you watch and download on up to 4 different devices, and comes with the options to watch videos in HD and Ultra HD. Once subscribed, you can watch movies and TV shows directly on your browser via Netflix.com. You also have the option of downloading the app on pretty much any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on computers using Windows XP or later and Macs with OS X Tiger or later.

Price: $6.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG TV, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung, Samsung TV, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

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Amazon's premium membership program is an all-in-one bundle that includes access to the streaming platform Prime Video, more commonly referred to in this publication as “Amazon Prime.” A subscription entitles you not only to Amazon Prime's thousands of films and TV shows, but also to Amazon's delivery benefits, which include discounted fees, free shipping, and same-day delivery on select items. The membership bundle costs $14.99/month, but you can access the streaming service as a standalone for just $8.99.

Depending on where you live, access to Amazon Prime might differ. If you live in the US, UK, or Germany, you have the option of paying a yearly or monthly subscription fee for an Amazon Prime account. Users from the US, UK, France, and Brazil likewise have access to Amazon Prime's sports content which, depending on the season, may include live and on-demand coverage of basketball, football, and baseball events. Meanwhile, people in countries where Amazon is not operating may only be able to access it from a browser.  

In addition to on-demand streaming, you can rent or buy titles that are not on the service or purchase add-on channels like HBO, Starz, and MLB.TV to watch on the Amazon Prime platform. And apart from Amazon devices, the app is available on any mobile device, including iOS, Android, or Windows. The app also works on Apple and Windows computers, a wide range of TVs, mobile devices, and gaming consoles.

Price: $8.99/month

Free Trial: 30 days

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Changhong, Chromecast, Haier, Hisense, iOS, LG, Nvidia SHIELD, Panasonic, Philips, PlayStation, Roku, Samsung, Sharp, Skyworth, Sony, TiVo, Vestel, Vizio, Wii, Xbox

Dubbed "The Free Netflix," Tubi is one of the best options for streaming quality movies and TV shows online. The completely free, ad-supported service has one of the most extensive title lineups, plus it's compatible with most devices, making it an extremely popular option for cord-cutters. Though it has been noted to have a less than stellar resolution, most viewers don't mind due to its easy interface, constantly updated library, and of course free titles. Parents will also be glad to know that the service has parental control features.

Price: free for 78 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, iOS, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Roku, Samsung Smart TV, Sony, TiVo, Vizio, Website, Xbox One

Channel lineup: 21 Jump Street, ABC Localish, ABC News, ACC Digital Network, AFV Family, All Real, Baywatch, Bein Sports XTRA, bein Sports Xtra en Espanol, Bloomberg, Bloomberg Quicktake, Brat TV, BUZZR, Caught in Providence, CBC News, Cheddar, CINEVAULT: 80's, CINEVAULT: Classics, CINEVAULT: Westerns, Circle, Comedy Dynamics, Cosmos, Deal or No Deal, Dove Channel, El Rey, Estrella News, EuroNews English, Fear Factor, FilmRise Classic TV, FilmRise Westerns, Forensic Files, FOX, Fox Deportes, FOX SOUL, Fox Sports, Fox Weather, fubo Sports Network, Game Show Central, Gordon Ramsay, Heartland, Johnny Carson TV, live now from Fox, Lone Star, Masked Singer Channel, MLB, Moviesphere Free, My Time Movie Network, Mystery Science Theater 3000, NBC News Now, Newsy, NFL Channel, NHRA TV, Nosey, Pac-12 Insider, Pattrn, People TV, Real Madrid TV, REELZ, So Real, Sports Wire, Stadium, Supermarket Sweep, The Biggest Loser, The Bob Ross Channel, The Carol Burnett Show, The Dick Van Dyke Show, The Grio, the NFL Channel, The Only Way is Essex, TMZ, TODAY All Day, Tubi Originals, Unsolved Mysteries, USA Today, Vice, Wanted: Dead or Alive, Weather Nation, Wipeout Xtra

If you like Korean drama or Asian content any general, this is the platform for you. There are even watch parties so you can feel like you are attending events for your favorite shows.

A lot of content is free, but most of the new releases are paid. So you will have to either get a paid subscription or wait until what you want to watch goes free.

Price: $4.99/month

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Samsung TV

Whether you're a Korean expat living in North America or a true-blue Hallyu fan, you'll find much to like in OnDemandKorea, also sometimes known as Korea on Demand. The streaming service has both live TV and on-demand content, which it makes available in three tiers. The basic plan is ad-supported and free, the premium plan costs $10.99/month and gives you exclusive ad-free content, while the premium + box plan costs $19.99/month and gives you all the benefits of the previous plans plus five simultaneous viewings and 100 live channels. Korea on Demand also gives you the option to pay yearly to help you save up to $200 in costs. In terms of content, the platform has an impressively wide range. On the on-demand side, it has more than 500 films that range from mainstream to indie, while on the live TV side, it has multiple channels that cover news, entertainment, variety, and sports. It's important to note, however, that the entire site is in Korean and not all titles have English subtitles, making it most suited to native or advanced speakers of the language.

Price: free for 9 channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Apple TV, Google TV, Hisense, iOS, LG, LG Smart TV, Philips, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung, Samsung Smart TV, Samsung TV, Sony, TCL, Website

Channel lineup: Channel A, JTBC, K Movie, MBN, News 1, News 2, TV Chosun, Yonhap News, YTN

KocowaTV is a streaming service for K-dramas and Korean content in general. Once a new TV episode airs in Korea, you can get it in as little as 12 hours - the time it usually takes for translation and subtitling. Non-paid users do complain quite a bit about the ads, but if that's something that doesn't bother you, this is a good way to access a variety of Korean content.

Price: free for channels available

Free Trial: 14 days

Device availability: Website

Largely known as China's Netflix, iQiyi is a popular and wide-ranging streaming platform that hosts the best of East Asian content. Among its catalog are Asian blockbusters, Chinese variety shows, Japanese anime, and of course, Korean dramas. iQiyi also has multiple deals with studios all over the world, including Netflix, so it's able to stream global content to its Chinese audiences. 

Perhaps the best part about iQiyi is that it comes for free; no need to pay to see its plenty and diverse titles, although you will be subject to some ads. To avoid ads and avail of perks such as concurrent viewing and download privileges, iQiyi offers a VIP membership that costs $2 per month.

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Apple TV, iOS, Roku, Website

Asiancrush is a streaming service that brings plenty of Asian content, especially Korean, Japanese, and Thai content, to Western audiences. The lineup is pretty extensive, ranging from popular movies and beloved dramas to classics and indies (our favorites include Burning, House of Hummingbird, and All About Lily Chou-chou). They also have exclusive collections composed of shows, shorts, and K-pop showcases you won't find anywhere else on this side of the Globe. Asiancrush is mostly free, and therefore ad-supported, but users can opt for a paid monthly plan that costs $4.99 for no ads and more content. Notably, the service also has a live TV section, but as of this writing, it only hosts two channels: an Asiancrush live feed and Retrocrush. 

Price: free for channels available

Device availability: Amazon Fire TV, Android, Android TV, Chromecast, iOS, LG, Roku, Roku TV, Samsung Smart TV, Vizio, Website

Ready to cut the cord? Here are the 14 live TV streaming services that offer a free trial.

More lists

The streaming services on this page were chosen by our editors. If you choose to subscribe to a streaming service we recommend as a result of our research, analysis, and curation, our work is sometimes (but not always) supported by an affiliate commission from the streaming service when you make a purchase.

That's all from us for the 9 Best Streaming Services for Korean TV Shows!