15 Legal K-Dramas You Shouldn’t Object To Streaming
Gripping courtroom sequences aside, they give us something of irrefutable value: a group of people coming together for the common good
There’s something about justice that is oh-so-sexy—especially when those fighting for it are whip-smart lawyers, prosecutors, and judges played by Korean celebrities in smart suits and flowing robes tailor-made to perfection. All things sexy aside, legal dramas are made of genuinely good stuff. There’s more heart to them than meets the eye.
In most cases, they tell stories of principled law practitioners defending the innocent against the powerful corrupt. Gripping courtroom sequences and heart-stopping murder attempts aside, they give us something of irrefutable value: a group of people coming together for the common good.
As Cornel West famously said, “Justice is what love looks like in public.”
We’ve compiled a list of some of the best legal K-dramas available to stream. Brush up on your legalese (optional) and put on your best suit (optional but fun)—it’s time to head to court and fight for what’s right!
15 Legal K-Dramas You Shouldn’t Object To Streaming
15 Legal K-Dramas You Shouldn’t Object To Streaming
Vincenzo (2021)
Song Joong-ki plays the titular character Vincenzo Cassano, an Italian lawyer and mafia consigliere of Korean descent. After his adoptive father passes away, Vincenzo travels to Korea to collect a stash of gold he helped smuggle and hide underneath Geumga Plaza. Trouble comes in the form of Babel Group when a real estate company under its conglomerate acquires ownership of the building.
Photo Credit: tvN, Netflix
Vincenzo (2021)
Supporting him is the feisty Hong Cha-young (Jeon Yeo-been), the CEO of Jipuragi Law Firm who helps Vincenzo foil his enemy’s plans at every possible turn.
Photo Credit: tvN, Netflix
Vincenzo (2021)
The unlikely thorn in their side is Jang Jun-woo/Jang Han-seok (Ok Taec-yeon), the scheming CEO of Babel Group masquerading as a dumb-as-a-doorknob intern at Wusang Law Firm. Zumba enthusiast Choi Myung-hee (Kim Yeo-jin), the extremely corrupt corporate fixer and legal counsel to Babel Group, is the epitome of Big Villain Energy.
Photo Credit: tvN, Netflix
Vincenzo (2021)
This wildly entertaining dark comedy has no shortage of big moments. From the best supporting cast ever to the world’s most persistent pigeon, from exciting courtroom clashes to out-of-this-world heists, Vincenzo leaves no stone unturned and no loose ends untied.
Photo Credit: tvN, Netflix
Law School (2021)
Slick, stylish, and elegantly nail-biting, Law School takes viewers deep into the intricacies of an unusual murder case and the lives of those involved in the investigation. The authorities are quick to implicate Yang Joon-hoon (Kim Myung-min), an eccentric prosecutor-turned-professor, and several of his criminal law students. The pilot alone is strong enough to get you hooked, ready to pull you under and drive you crazy, as its catchy theme promises.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Law School (2021)
We meet cool-as-a-cucumber Han Joon-hwi (Kim Bum), a top student with an enviable resume and his fair share of secrets. On the other hand, Kang Sol A (Ryu Hye-young) always tries her best but is constantly overwhelmed by the workload.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Law School (2021)
The show strikes a great balance between the murder investigation and the students’ daily struggles. Some have bigger issues on their plate than others, but each character is given his or her due. It’s entertaining to see them grapple with Yang’s tough-as-nails Socratic methods—hence the nickname “Yangcrates”—but inspiring to journey with them as they grow into law professionals dedicated to contribute meaningfully to society.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Lawless Lawyer (2018)
This legal thriller follows the exploits of Bong Sang-pil (Lee Joon-gi), a former gangster turned lawyer seeking to avenge his mother and go against the powerful corrupt. He is joined by Ha Jae-yi (Seo Ye-ji), a young lawyer who is temporarily disbarred after fighting an unscrupulous judge. Together with several other colleagues, they form the Lawless Law Firm.
Photo Credit: tvN
Lawless Lawyer (2018)
Lawless Law’s primary opponent is Cha Moon-sook (Lee Hye-young), a highly respected judge that appears noble and just, but manipulates people and events with antagonistic ease. Supporting her is Ahn Oh-joo (Choi Min-soo), a gangster-turned-fixer whose charismatic ways conceal a dark past.
Photo Credit: tvN
Lawless Lawyer (2018)
There’s plenty of excitement to be found outside the courtroom as well. Far from a by-the-book law practitioner, Sang-pil isn’t afraid to use his fists to his advantage—expect some elaborately choreographed action scenes every now and then.
Photo Credit: tvN
Lawless Lawyer (2018)
His romance with Jae-yi is also well-executed—mature, but not devoid of the humor and tenderness we love to see.
Photo Credit: tvN
Suspicious Partner (2017)
Suspicious Partner is a thriller, comedy, and romance story all rolled into one thoroughly watchable package. It tells the story of prosecutor Noh Ji-wook (Ji Chang-wook), who switches professions to serve as judicial trainee Eun Bong-hee’s (Nam Ji-hyun) defense attorney when she becomes a suspect in her ex-boyfriend’s murder. Ji-wook’s actions earn the ire of the District Attorney, which forces him to resign as a public prosecutor. He then establishes his own law firm and brings Bong-hee and a few others from his old office onboard.
Photo Credit: SBS
Suspicious Partner (2017)
Things start to get dangerous when they take on the high-profile murder case of a famous chef. They agree to defend suspect Jung Hyun-soo (Dong-ha), but Ji-wook soon realizes that some things don’t quite add up.
Photo Credit: SBS
Suspicious Partner (2017)
Though the legal angle holds sway over the drama’s major plot line, the romance subplot carries plenty of weight as well.
Photo Credit: SBS
Suspicious Partner (2017)
The two leads have terrific chemistry, and the plucky Bong-hee—who is a Taekwondo athlete as well—is a great foil to the awkward and bookish Ji-wook.
Photo Credit: SBS
Hyena (2020)
This courtroom drama casts the spotlight on legal professionals who work only for the top 1% of society. Jung Geum-ja (Kim Hye-soo) is a ruthless firebrand, not at all concerned with crossing the boundaries between law and lawlessness, and moral high ground and corruption to get what she wants. On the other hand, Yoon Hee-jae (Ju Ji-hoon), an elite lawyer with a prestigious background, is confident in his abilities to work within the system.
Photo Credit: SBS
Hyena (2020)
The cases serve as more of a window dressing than anything else; the intra-firm power play and the rivalry between the two leads take center stage. Because they’re morally ambiguous, it’s always a guessing game as to which side they’re on. Encounters are laced with sexual tension rather than intimate moments, which also makes it a different watch on the romance front.
Photo Credit: SBS
Hyena (2020)
Major props go to the wardrobe. Hee-jae is always dressed for success in his earth-toned suits and casual home attire. Geum-ja, far from the typical K-drama leading lady, cuts a stylish figure in her androgynous tailored pieces and quirky tracksuits.
Photo Credit: SBS
Remember: War of the Son (2015)
Born with a superior memory that allows him to remember things in perfect detail, Seo Jin-woo (Yoo Seung-ho) becomes the youngest lawyer in South Korea to prove the innocence of his father, who was wrongfully convicted of murder. His mission to put the real killer behind bars becomes an arduous and heartbreaking task, as Jin-woo’s father is suffering from Alzheimer’s.
Photo Credit: SBS
Remember: War of the Son (2015)
Time isn’t on his side, but fortunately, several highly capable legal professionals are. A lawyer with a hundred percent success rate, Park Dong-ho (Park Sung-woong) is initially reluctant to take on Jin-woo’s father’s case due to a high probability of losing, but develops a soft spot for our hero and allies with him nonetheless. Prosecutor Lee In-ah (Park Min-young) also believes in Jin-woo’s father’s innocence and fights for him in court. A firm believer in justice and the truth, she is frustrated by her superiors, who take bribes from the corrupt head honchos at Il-Ho Company.
Photo Credit: SBS
Remember: War of the Son (2015)
Remember: War of the Son paints a clear picture of how the real life justice system functions. It is a sobering reminder that justice is an uphill battle. No matter how pure the intentions of the good guys are, no matter how hard they fight for what is right, the bad guys will fight just as hard—often using unscrupulous methods—to have it their way.
Photo Credit: SBS
Suits (2018)
Adapted from the highly rated first two seasons of the American legal drama, the Korean version combines the best elements of the original with ideas that are very much its own. Go Yeon-woo (Park Hyung-sik) is a down-on-his-luck rookie lawyer gifted with a photographic memory. By sheer force of luck, he winds up at a hotel where top lawyer Choi Kang-seok (Jang Dong-gun) is conducting interviews for a new associate for his firm. The series follows them taking on cases together, and things escalate when work matters start hitting a little too close to home for our main characters.
Photo Credit: KBS
Suits (2018)
As with the original, Kang-seok and Yeon-woo’s mentor-mentee relationship is a huge draw. Throughout the course of the series, they learn to care for each other and become as close as blood brothers. While Kang-seok, who tends to be cold and aloof towards others, can be harsh on his new recruit, but we can be sure he has Yeon-woo’s best interests at heart. (No one does bromances the way K-drama does.)
Photo Credit: KBS
Suits (2018)
If you’re looking for romance, there’s a sprinkle of it here, too. Kim Ji-na (Go Sung-hee) doesn’t have as much sass as Meghan Markle’s Rachel Zane does, but her character’s quiet confidence works well in steering her relationship with Yeon-woo.
Photo Credit: KBS
Your Honor (2018)
Yoon Shi-yoon flexes his acting chops as twins Han Kang-ho and Han Soo-ho, two young men who couldn’t be more different from each other. When top judge Soo-ho mysteriously disappears, his brother Kang-ho, a criminal convicted on multiple counts, takes his place. Being the younger one, Kang-ho always lived in his brilliant brother’s shadow, which was instrumental in his taking up a life of crime.
Photo Credit: SBS
Your Honor (2018)
While the central plot revolves around the strained relationship between the twins, there are several cases that keep Kang-ho and judicial trainee Song So-eun (Lee Yoo-young) occupied throughout the series. These cases become integral to Kang-ho’s character development, as he grows to realize how each situation can greatly affect someone’s life, and that things aren’t always black-and-white where the law is concerned.
Photo Credit: SBS
Your Honor (2018)
It’s worth noting—or worth a warning—that Yong Shi-yoon uses an exaggerated, overly dramatic comedic style in this series. The actor hams it up quite often, but also tones it down when he plays Soo-ho or when circumstances call for some sobriety.
Photo Credit: SBS
Miss Hammurabi (2018)
Written by Moon Yoo-seok, the former chief judge of Seoul Eastern District Court, this drama follows the lives of three judges in Civil Department 44 and the disputes they have to settle. Rookie Park Cha Oh-reum (Go Ara) is enthusiastic and idealistic, never one to compromise her morals. Elite judge Im Ba-reun (Kim Myung-soo) is a by-the-book type and is a stickler for the rules. Guiding them is Han Se-sang (Sung Dong-il), a wise chief judge with a wealth of experience and an understanding of the harsh realities of life.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Miss Hammurabi (2018)
Miss Hammurabi presents a closer look on how the judicial system functions and how power corrupts people. The judges, who are often portrayed as all-knowing, are made more human here. We see them struggling to weigh options to be able to reach fair and just verdicts, which, again, isn’t often given much thought in typical dramas.
Photo Credit: JTBC
Miss Hammurabi (2018)
It focuses on the lives of ordinary people and depicts their struggles in such a way that audiences can easily relate. Workplace issues such as gender discrimination and the clash between traditional methods and new ones are also given appropriate thought.
Photo Credit: JTBC
While You Were Sleeping (2017)
Merging legal action with fantasy elements, this drama revolves around young adults who acquired the ability to predict the future through their dreams. Field reporter Nam Hong-joo’s (Bae Suzy) precognitions often involve unfortunate events, but she is unable to change the outcome. Rookie prosecutor Jung Jae-chan (Lee Jong-suk) has the same power, but he, for some reason, is able to alter reality.
Photo Credit: SBS
While You Were Sleeping (2017)
Han Woo-tak (Jung Hae-in) is a selfless police officer who graduated at the top of his class. He was spared from dying in a car accident by one of Jae-chan’s precognitions, consequently granting him similar abilities. This inspires him to work with Jae-chan and Hong-joo to prevent their bad dreams from coming true. The big bad is Lee Yoo-beom (Lee Sang-yeob), Jae-chan’s former private tutor turned lawyer who does whatever it takes—no act is too evil for this one—to get what he wants.
Photo Credit: SBS
While You Were Sleeping (2017)
Leaning heavily on how fate impacts the foundations of human connection, While You Were Sleeping explores how much or how little we can change and how to make good use of the time given to us.
Photo Credit: SBS
The Devil Judge (2021)
Set in a dystopian South Korea, people here live in chaos and wear their hatred for their leaders on their sleeves. Courtroom trials are held via a live show and aired on television for the world to see. Welcome to the world of The Devil Judge. At the center of it all is Kang Yo-han (Ji Sung), a head judge with mysterious intentions. He punishes the dishonest with no mercy, earning a hero’s reputation in the public eye. What they don’t know is that he is a vigilante harboring a deep hatred for the powerful corrupt.
Photo Credit: tvN
The Devil Judge (2021)
The live courtroom trials are the very highlight of this drama. There’s plenty of theatrics to go around, and Yo-han chews the scenery with his swagger and eccentricities. He raises hell on those who have wronged him, oftentimes in rather violent ways. It’s easy to paint him as a villain, but there are others with far less noble intentions.
Photo Credit: tvN
The Devil Judge (2021)
Jung Sung-ah (Kim Min-jung) is the Chairwoman of the Social Responsibility Foundation and Yo-han’s greatest rival. She seduced and murdered her way through the ranks, and will stop at nothing to throw Yo-han off his course. Throw in an equally corrupt president, justice minister, and business despots, and you’re in for a gripping drama that’ll keep you on the edge of your seat.
Photo Credit: tvN
Touch Your Heart (2019)
Famous actress and CF sweetheart Oh Yoon-seo (Yoo In-na) is struggling to return to the limelight after getting embroiled in a drug scandal with a third-generation chaebol. Determined to make her comeback by securing a lead role in an upcoming legal drama, she takes a short-term secretarial job at Always Law Firm. To Yoon-seo’s dismay, she must work for Kwon Jung-rok (Lee Dong-wook), a straitlaced elite lawyer with severe workaholic tendencies.
Photo Credit: tvN
Touch Your Heart (2019)
The drama boasts a spectacular ensemble cast often caught up in the craziest things. Oh Jung-se is great as Yeon Joon-kyu, the larger-than-life CEO of Always Law Firm and a major Oh Yoon-seo fanboy. Shim Hyung-tak is Choi Yoon-hyuk, a well-dressed and eccentric divorce lawyer, and a mama’s boy.
Photo Credit: tvN
Touch Your Heart (2019)
Park Kyung-hye is Dan Moon-here, a civil defense attorney who falls for every good-looking man she encounters. (Keep an eye out for cameos from Song Kang and 2PM’s Chansung!)
Photo Credit: tvN
Touch Your Heart (2019)
Light on the legalese, the cases we do get to see serve as growth points for the characters, especially the once-vapid Yeon-seo. She develops a sincerity towards a job she had no interest in, and romantic feelings for a workaholic she once disliked.
Photo Credit: tvN
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
Everyone is in love with this ongoing legal drama—and for good reason, too. Extraordinary Attorney Woo puts a refreshing, heartwarming spin on the genre, telling the story of Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin), a lawyer with autistic spectrum disorder (ASD) working at Hanbada Law Firm. Despite her poor social skills and low emotional intelligence, she boasts an IQ of 164, a photographic memory, a unique way of thinking that helps her get down to the bottom of her cases, and an endearing affection for whales.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
Young-woo is, by all means, extraordinary—yet the show doesn’t seek to frame its main character in such a way that she merely elicits sympathy from the viewer. Rather, we find ourselves cheering Young-woo on as she proves to her peers and the rest of the South Korean judicial community that she is just as capable as every other excellent lawyer.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
As with any other show tackling sensitive issues, there is some form of debate going around whether the drama is helpful or detrimental in addressing the experiences of neurodivergent individuals. Extraordinary Attorney Woo approaches the subject matter with sensitivity even as it explores Young-woo’s life outside the courtroom: how she responds to prejudice and how she is able to form genuine relationships.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022)
It is worth noting that it isn’t that heavy on the legalese, which may aid in your overall experience as an audience. Easy on the brain cells and warm to the heart, it’s no surprise that this drama continues to top Netflix viewership week after week.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Juvenile Justice (2022)
“I detest young offenders,” is what Judge Shim Eun-seok (Kim Hye-soo) says to a journalist during an interview. It’s clear from the get-go that she isn’t here to reform these youngsters; she doesn’t stand in support of South Korea’s juvenile protection laws that cite only light sentencing and the lack of prison time for crimes committed by individuals 13 or younger.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Juvenile Justice (2022)
This drama is a hard-hitter and is almost procedural in nature, examining the juvenile justice system through a gritty, intriguing lens. We find ourselves wrapped up in several cases—some more compelling than—just as motivated to understand why Eun-seok is so cold and harsh as we are in how the courtroom proceedings play out.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Juvenile Justice (2022)
Juvenile Justice also strives to present the case in a balanced manner, sharing the story from the points of view of the offender and the other party to help the viewers see both sides. It benefits from a strong cast as well. Fellow judge Cha Tae-joo (Kim Mu-yeol), a compassionate, kind-hearted man who served time in a juvenile reformation center, is Eun-seok’s polar opposite. He believes in second chances and reformation, often checking in with the kids to see how they are progressing after they stand trial.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Juvenile Justice (2022)
Veteran actors Lee Sung-min and Lee Jung-run round up this stellar quartet as Juvenile Justice Division Chief Gang Won-joong and his successor, Na Geun-hee, respectively.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Witch’s Court (2017)
This gripping courtroom drama stands out because it focuses on women’s issues and crimes against women. Jung Ryeo-won stars as Ma Yi-deum, a feisty ace prosecutor who does not hesitate to toe the line between what is ethical and morally ambiguous, often resorting to personal attacks and evidence fabrication to win her cases.
Photo Credit: KBS
Witch’s Court (2017)
Years ago, her mother, a key witness to a harassment case involving mayoral candidate Cho Gap-soo (Jun Kwang-ryul), vanished without a trace. As Yi-deum proceeds with her investigation, she and her team work on various women-related crimes, all of which link up to her mother’s disappearance. It’s not all that common to watch stories that highlight women’s issues, especially in a South Korean setting.
Photo Credit: KBS
Witch’s Court (2017)
There’s a smattering of romance, too, courtesy of newbie prosecutor Yeo Jin-wook (Yoon Hyun-min). A former pediatric psychiatrist, he has no interest in the glitzy and glamorous aspect of his profession, opting to use his skills to distinguish between what is true and what is not by combing through people’s testimonies.
Photo Credit: KBS
Witch’s Court (2017)
Though he dislikes Yi-deum at first, he warms up to her throughout the course of the series, eventually developing feelings and falling for her.
Photo Credit: KBS
Which courtroom K-drama is your all-time favorite? Let us know if we missed any!
Lead photos from Vincenzo, The Devil Judge, and Lawless Lawyer courtesy of Netflix, tvN
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