Gjurgjica Panova
Updated on: December 15, 2024
Fact-checked by Kate Davidson
Short on time? Here’s the best free K-drama site in 2024:
- Rakuten Viki. Rakuten Viki offers the largest collection of free K-dramas worldwide. The K-dramas have subtitles in multiple languages including English, French, and Spanish, and there are also dubbed versions. Plus, you don’t have to create an account — you can start watching your favorite K-dramas right away!
Most free K-drama websites host copyrighted material, putting you at risk of legal issues. What’s more, many of these sites are loaded with intrusive and sometimes malicious ads. These aren’t just annoying — they can compromise your device’s security.
I did some research and found the best free K-drama sites that are safe and legal. These platforms offer free access to a wide range of K-dramas, from the latest hits to timeless classics.
Pro Tip: A VPN is the best way to protect your devices and data while streaming K-dramas on free sites. My top choice is ExpressVPN — it works with all free sites I recommend here, and 100+ streaming platforms. It also has industry-leading security and privacy features. Secure VPNs (like ExpressVPN) don’t see or record what you watch online or where, but I always recommend following all applicable laws. At SafetyDetectives, we don’t condone streaming unauthorized copyrighted content.
Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
7 Best Free K-Drama Sites in 2024
1. Rakuten Viki
Rakuten Viki is my favorite site for streaming K-dramas. Its extensive library includes a variety of older and popular K-dramas, such as Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo. Plus, the streaming site is available in multiple countries worldwide, including the US.
It offers K-dramas in different genres like comedy, romance, fantasy, and even animations. Many titles have multilingual subtitles, including English and Spanish, which are created by the Viki community. Some dramas are also dubbed.
You don’t have to create an account to use the free version, but it does come with ads. I generally encountered 2 ads at the beginning of an episode and occasional interruptions mid-way.
2. KOCOWA
KOCOWA is an excellent choice for watching exclusive K-dramas you won’t find on other platforms. Owned by South Korea’s 3 major broadcasters KBS, MBC, and SBS, it provides a vast selection of the latest titles, including hits like The Penthouse: War in Life. However, it’s currently limited to viewers in North and South America, Europe, and Oceania.
The platform has multilingual subtitles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. It’s also great that the video quality options include up to 1080p HD, so you can watch your favorite K-drama with crisp visuals.
To watch free K-dramas, you must create an account, and the free version also includes ads. Unfortunately, site isn’t available in Asia and Africa.
3. YouTube
YouTube has tons of K-dramas available for free. Official channels by popular networks like SBS, TVN, and more regularly upload K-drama episodes with subtitles in various languages on their channels.
Plus, many K-drama fans upload older episodes or series not available on other platforms to YouTube. Please note that although YouTube is very diligent about copyrighted content on the platform, some of this content may be uploaded without permission.
YouTube also isn’t the most private platform. It doesn’t sell your data directly, but it does collect your data and activity to target you with ads and recommend relevant videos.
4. OnDemandKorea
OnDemandKorea offers relatively older K-dramas for free like My Love from the Star, Boys Over Flowers, and The Heirs. Similar to KOCOWA, it’s only available in North and South America.
The site has K-drama shows with subtitles in English, Korean, and Chinese. However, most of the content is in Korean, so some videos may not feature subtitles at all, which could be a drawback if you rely on them.
I like that you don’t have to create an account to watch free K-dramas, but you will have to deal with frequent ad pop-ups.
5. AsianCrush
AsianCrush is a free site available in the US and Canada with a wide selection of K-dramas. The site is very user-friendly, especially if you’re new to K-dramas.
It recommends shows if you don’t know what to watch, offers live streams of curated content, and lets you create a Watchlist to save your favorite shows for later viewing. Plus, English subtitles are available for non-Korean speakers.
Another bonus is that you don’t need to sign up to watch the free content on AsianCrush. The platform is ad-supported and the ads are relatively frequent, but they’re not overly intrusive. They typically play before episodes.
6. WeTV
WeTV is a relatively new K-drama streaming platform that hosts popular K-dramas like True Beauty. Plus, the platform even has its own original productions, such as My Girlfriend is an Alien.
When it comes to subtitles, the platform provides them in multiple languages, including English, Mandarin, Thai, and Bahasa Indonesia. That said, the availability of subtitles depends on the content.
Accessing free content on WeTV doesn’t require creating an account. Like the other sites on this list, WeTV is ad-supported, so you can expect to encounter a moderate number of ads while streaming.
7. Tubi
You can watch Tubi in the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Mexico, and other nearby regions like Costa Rica and Panama. You don’t need to sign up for an account to start streaming. However, Tubi collects some personal information, including your viewing activity and IP address. This data may be shared with third-party advertisers and business partners.
Here’s a Quick Guide to Streaming K-Dramas Safely:
- Choose a trustworthy streaming site. Go for a streaming site that has permission to stream K-dramas legally. The sites that I recommend are all safe — my top choice is Rakuten Viki.
- Download & install a VPN. I recommend ExpressVPN, as it works with 100+ streaming sites and has super-fast speeds. Once you create your account, just download the desktop app from the provider’s official site or the mobile apps from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
- Download & install an antivirus. It’s best to get yourself a good antivirus to protect your device from malicious pop-up ads and shady links. My top pick is Norton because it comes with a top-notch malware scanning engine and ransomware protection.
- Start streaming. Launch the VPN app, connect to a server, and start streaming securely!
Not all free K-drama sites are safe. Many of these platforms host copyrighted content without proper authorization from the copyright holders, which can lead to legal trouble. In most countries, only the site owners would be legally responsible, but in some places, the website users can face legal troubles too.
To avoid this risk, it’s best to stick to streaming platforms that are both legitimate and secure, like the free K-drama sites I recommend.
Still, even the safe free ones can collect data about your activity on the site and more personal information if you create an account. This is why I also recommend using a VPN when visiting free K-drama sites — it’s the best way to protect your privacy. A VPN scrambles your traffic through a process called encryption, which makes it unreadable to your ISP (Internet Service Provider) and any third party that tries to spy on your online activities.
My top choice for streaming is ExpressVPN. It’s fast, secure, and easy to use, and it supports over 100 streaming services. Plus, its excellent ad blocker helps protect against malicious ads and pop-ups.
Another issue with some free K-drama sites that host copyrighted content is that they are often loaded with ads and pop-ups. These may contain malicious links that could infect your device with malware.
If you see suspicious pop-ups or banner ads, don’t click on them — they can lead to harmful sites or trigger the download of malicious software. If given the choice, don’t download files from untrusted sources either, as malware can be disguised as legitimate content.
I recommend investing in a reputable antivirus program, such as Norton, which can help detect and remove threats that may compromise your device’s security.
Editors’ Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which website is best for watching K-dramas for free?
Rakuten Viki is the best site for watching K-dramas free of charge. It offers access to a large library of K-dramas with subtitles in multiple languages, and there are dubbed versions too. On top of that, you don’t have to create an account to start watching free K-dramas on the site.
Where can I watch K-drama in English?
You can watch K-drama dubbed in English on Rakuten Viki for free. The other free K-drama sites that I recommend also offer access to popular K-dramas like Start-Up with subtitles in English and other languages.
Do I need a VPN to watch free K-drama sites?
I recommend using a VPN when accessing free K-drama sites to ensure your data and privacy are protected. A VPN encrypts your internet traffic, which makes it nearly impossible for anyone to monitor your online activities, including your ISP. By masking your IP address, a VPN also prevents websites from detecting your actual location.
Are free K-drama sites legal?
The free K-drama sites that I recommend are legal to use. These platforms secure partnerships and sign contracts with copyright holders to legally stream K-dramas on their sites.
However, some free sites illegally broadcast copyrighted content, which can lead to legal and security risks. To avoid such shady platforms, I highly recommend sticking to the reputable sites listed in this guide, which ensure a safer, legal, and higher-quality streaming experience.
