Shocking high-budget K-dramas that flopped in 2025

Did you know that few of the Korean series released this year were made on an insanely high budget, but unfortunately, they miserably failed to impress the audience?

From Lee Min ho starrer When the Stars Gossip to Divorce Insurance starring Lee Dong-wook; these shows despite having big budgets and star-studded casts tanked miserably due to various reasons.

Let’s have a look at high-budget Korean dramas that flopped in 2025:

1. When the Stars Gossip

The Netflix series stars Lee Min Ho, Gong Hyo Jin, and Oh Jung Se.

Made on a budget against 43 billion Korean won, the science fiction romance series features a fateful encounter between an astronaut and a space tourist on a space station that leads to love.

The drama despite everything glamorous failed to impress audiences and did not live up to the hype due to weak plot and lack of chemistry between the leading stars.

2. The Divorce Insurance

The romantic comedy workplace series stars prominent actors such as Lee Dong-wook, Lee Kwang-soo, Lee Joo-bin, and Lee Da-hee.

The drama was about Noh Ki-Jun, a three time divorce man’s efforts to create this unique insurance product for an increasingly divorcing society, facing skepticism while building a dedicated team.

Considering the well known cast, it's likely that the production had a substantial budget, however, it became one of the lowest-rated Korean dramas of 2025.

A 0.9 percent viewership rating was recorded nationwide for the series' penultimate episode, making it one of the lowest in the network's history.

3. Dear Hongrang

The South Korean mystery melodrama series features well-known actors like Lee Jae-wook and Jo Bo-ah.

The series follows how Jae-yi searches and uncover the truth behind Hong-rang's disappearance and the man claiming to be him.

Moreover, it was produced by Studio Dragon and EO Contents Group, one of the reputable production companies in South Korea.

Considering these factors, it's possible that the series had a substantial budget, however, it received mixed reviews from audiences and critics, making it to the category of a straightforward flop.

4. Newtopia

The romantic fantasy zombie comedy series starred Park Jeong-min and Jisoo.

The series' financial reports indicate substantial investments in technology, development, sales, marketing, and personnel with investing $2.3 million in technology and development, $1.4 million on sales and marketing, and had a revenue of $9.8 million.

Newtopia received mixed reviews, not living up to the expectations and the budget invested into it.