How Watch Netflix Korea in 2021: Get Your KDrama Fix From Abroad

You'll need to use a VPN if you want to watch Korean Netflix from abroad. Here's our top three VPNs to watch Netflix Korea from anywhere in the world.

Nicole Brooks
By Nicole Brooks (Writer)
— Last Updated: 2020-11-05T18:44:06+00:00 Facts checked by: Andrea Babic

If you’ve ever wanted to watch a TV series on Netflix Korea, you’ll know that Netflix makes it difficult. That’s because the content available with your Netflix subscription changes based on which country you live in. This means a user in the United States will only see American Netflix, and a user in South Korea will only see Netflix Korea.

However, we have an easy solution to unblock Netflix in a different country: use a VPN. A VPN — or virtual private network — will hide your IP address. This can make Netflix think that you’re located in the same country as the VPN server, giving you access to all the internet content in that region. It’s a quick and easy way to start watching Korean shows and movies.

This guide on how to watch Korean Netflix goes into detail about every step required to use a VPN. However, if you’re looking for a quick answer, download ExpressVPN — we consider it to be the best VPN out there. It has a huge range of servers, including in Korea, and it’s more than fast enough to watch your favorite TV shows on Netflix. Its refund policy even gives you 30 days to try it out.

  • If you are an American watching Netflix while living in South Korea, you won’t see your American Netflix library. Instead, you’ll see all Korean content. To unblock Netflix from another country, you’ll have to connect to a VPN.

  • There’s tons of great Korean content on Netflix. If you’re looking for something specific to check out, try one of their amazing dramatic shows. The KDrama scene has exploded, especially lately, and it’s a great place to start.

Step by Step: How to Watch Netflix Korea

  1. Download a VPN

    Choose and download a VPN. We recommend ExpressVPN to unblock Netflix, but any of the services listed below are also a good choice. Once you’ve chosen a VPN, download and install it.

    download a vpn
    Download a VPN, like ExpressVPN.

  2. Choose a server

    Select a server in Korea. This server connection will make Netflix believe that your IP address is Korean. If you encounter any errors while trying to watch Netflix, try choosing a different server in the same region.

    netflixkorea-step2
    Choose a server.

  3. Connect and watch Netflix

    Connect to the internet while using your VPN server of choice and open Netflix on your device. The content on your Netflix account will now be from Netflix Korea.

    watch netflix with a vpn
    Enjoy Netflix with a VPN.

How to Watch Netflix Korea: Use a VPN

There are a few criteria we look for when it comes to the best VPNs for Netflix, including Korean Netflix. The first point is speed. With a slow connection, streaming services will lag and stutter. We also take into account cost and server spread, both in Korea and globally.

The final criterion is successful evasion of the Netflix proxy ban. Netflix doesn’t like having VPN services bypass its geoblocking, and it tries to block every IP address it can identify as connected to a VPN server. All of our options below had few or no issues with this VPN ban.

1. ExpressVPN

Netflix Korea ExpressVPN
How to watch Netflix Korea ExpressVPN.

ExpressVPN is usually our top choice on our list of the best VPNs, and for good reason. It is the fastest VPN we’ve tested, and it has more than 3,000 servers in 94 countries, which means you can access Netflix from almost anywhere, including Korea.

Using ExpressVPN, we’ve never had an issue with the Netflix proxy ban. Its servers are reliable and fast for Korean Netflix, which is exactly what you need when you’re connecting to a streaming service. Check out our full ExpressVPN review for a full overview of the other features it offers.

Its only downside is the cost. ExpressVPN is one of the more expensive VPN services, although it is the best VPN to access South Korean Netflix. If you’re looking for a no-mess solution that just works, ExpressVPN is the best VPN for you — just connect and watch.

Pros:

  • Fast
  • Reliable
  • Wide server spread

Cons:

  • Costly

2. NordVPN

Netflix Korea NordVPN
How to watch Netflix Korea NordVPN.

NordVPN is another solid choice when it comes to watching South Korean Netflix with a VPN. We didn’t have any issues with the Netflix proxy ban, and it has more than 5,700 servers around the world, including 10 South Korean servers.

However, a few of the available NordVPN servers had very slow speeds. Slow speeds are a death sentence for streaming movies and TV shows, even if it can access the services. However, it’s easy to pick another server that works much faster, so this was more of an inconvenience.

NordVPN is also cheaper than many of its competitors, such as ExpressVPN. If you’re just trying to watch Netflix in another country, it might be a good idea to choose NordVPN, the less costly VPN. Read the full NordVPN review for more details on its features.

Pros:

  • No issues with the Netflix proxy ban
  • Affordable

Cons:

  • Inconsistent server speeds

3. CyberGhost

Netflix Korea CyberGhost
How to watch Netflix Korea CyberGhost.

CyberGhost is another affordable VPN with its own benefits. Its most notable feature is its optimized streaming servers. You can watch any streaming service on these servers, including Netflix and BBC iPlayer.

However, we encountered similar problems with streaming speed as NordVPN. Some of the available servers were simply too slow to stream any content, including South Korea Netflix. CyberGhost has 24 servers in Korea, so you might have to try a few of them to find one that’s fast enough. 

However, it does have a generous 45-day money-back guarantee if you subscribe for a year or more, though its monthly plan has a shorter refund time period. However, CyberGhost is one of the few VPNs to have a free trial. Check out our CyberGhost review for more details on its features.

The other benefit of CyberGhost is that you can use up to seven devices at the same time. This means you can access your Netflix library on your Android phone while someone else watches on a smart TV or another device.

Pros:

  • Plenty of Korean servers
  • Free trial
  • No issues with the Netflix proxy ban

Cons:

  • Inconsistent server speeds

Best Free VPN to Access Korean Netflix

Unfortunately, we can’t recommend any free VPN providers to access Netflix in South Korea. Even the best free VPNs available present a few issues that make them unsuitable for watching streaming services in other countries, especially in South Korea.

The first issue is server spread. Most free VPNs offer only a few popular servers around the world to unpaid users. That means that you can access countries like Canada or France, but not less common ones such as South Korea.

Netflix Korea Windscribe
How to watch Netflix Korea Windscribe.

The second issue is data usage. Most free VPN providers have a data cap, and Windscribe is the most generous with up to 15GB free if you talk about the service on social media. However, watching high-quality movies can suck up a lot of data. You might get five to 10 hours of streaming time from 15GB.

Because of these issues, we recommend that you pay for your VPN. Even if you find one that offers a server in South Korea for free, you won’t be able to watch many movies before you run out of data.

Free Trials and Refund Policies

Fortunately, all three of the options above have generous refund policies. Both ExpressVPN and NordVPN have 30-day money-back guarantees available if you contact support, no questions asked. It’s a great opportunity to try out either of our favorites to see which one you prefer.

CyberGhost is even more generous, as long as you put down some cash up front. If you pay for a month-to-month subscription, you have 14 days to request a full refund from customer support. However, if you subscribe for a year or more, you have 45 days. It also offers a free trial.

Final Thoughts

Watching Netflix in South Korea isn’t as difficult as it sounds. By just downloading a VPN, such as ExpressVPN, you can access the library of movies and shows that Korea offers with almost no effort at all. You can even try a different server for movies from around the world.

Plus, the 30-day money-back guarantees for ExpressVPN and NordVPN mean there’s no harm in giving them a try. All you have to do is contact support and request a refund, no questions asked.

Have you used a VPN to watch shows or a movie in other countries? What was your experience, especially with multiple devices? Contact us and let us know in the comments. As always, thanks for reading.