This year’s slate features world-class titles, returning beloved series, and exciting new treats for K-Drama fans!
Fan favorites are finally returning this year on Netflix! Recently announced, K-Drama fans are ready for a new round of Squid Game.
Likewise, Sweet Home Season 3 will premiere this summer, as monsterization ends and a new humanity begins.
The second season of Gyeongseong Creature transports Park Seo-jun and Han So-hee to present-day Seoul, and Hellbound Season 2 delves into the aftermath of the chaos in Season 1.
Doses of Different K-Drama Flavors For Everyone
Serving a myriad of addicting love stories, Netflix continues its mission in the enemies-turned-lovers story of Captivating The King.
In Queen of Tears, an estranged couple is reunited featuring the long-awaited return of Kim Soo Hyun (It’s Okay Not to Be Okay) and Kim Ji Won (My Liberation Notes).
Currently airing, Doctor Slump provides healing and love notes while Resident Playbook (WT) features Go Youn Jung (Alchemy of Souls) in the spin-off of Hospital Playlist.
Inventive stories are also set to be unleashed on Netflix. In Mr. Plankton, an unhappy woman accompanies her ex-boyfriend on the final journey of his life to search for his biological parents. Hierarchy highlights a teen revenge romance.
Lastly, The Trunk starring Gong Yoo (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God) traverses dark secrets from a secret matchmaking service come to light.
For suspense enthusiasts, The Bequeathed weaves murders and dark secrets with foreboding family burial grounds.
In A Killer Paradox, Choi Woo-sik (Parasite) and Son Suk-ku (D.P.) play an intricate game of chasing each other, while The Frog takes viewers to a motel deep in the woods to solve a case.
K-dramas this year not only involve solving crimes, but The Whirlwind also introduces a political feud to be settled.
Laugh out loud with Chicken Nugget and delve into black comedy with The 8 Show, both based on popular webtoons.
Parasyte: The Grey will further bring the world of the beloved manga by Hitoshi Iwaaki to life in an all-new setting and story: Korea.
Check out more details about the upcoming dramas below!
The Bequeathed
After the death of an unknown uncle, a woman inherits a burial ground and finds herself at the center of a string of murders and dark secrets. Yeon Sang-ho helms the planning and screenplay of this unexpected tale that infuses a family’s history into the deep-rooted Korean traditions of burial grounds.
Captivating the King
King Lee In, the most powerful man with the most impoverished heart, and Kang Hee-soo, a woman who develops feelings for him despite her plan to wreak vengeance, come together in a cruel twist of fate.
Doctor Slump
Burnouts and lawsuits in the range of 10 billion won abound in this rom-com drama about resuscitating the joie de vivre of doctors, each facing the worst slump of their lives for different reasons.
A Killer Paradox
An ordinary man begins to commit more murders after inadvertently killing someone, and a police detective pursues him relentlessly. A Killer Paradox is based on a megahit webtoon written and illustrated by Kkomabi, who starkly contrasts a shocking story against delightful cartoon images.
Queen of Tears
Marriage or war of the century? Hong Hae-in, the third-generation heiress to Queens Group and the queen of department stores, has been married for three years to Baek Hyeon-u, Yongdu-ri village chief’s son and the prince of supermarkets. As the couple weathers a marital crisis, they discover a miraculous new beginning that rewrites their love story.
Chicken Nugget
A woman enters a mysterious machine and turns into a chicken nugget, with her father and her secret admirer desperately trying to restore her in this comical mystery drama. Ryu Seung Ryong (Extreme Job, Kingdom) plays Choi Sun-man, the owner of the company, More than Machines.
When one of his machines turns his daughter Min-ah into a chicken nugget, Sun-man struggles to restore her back to a human being. Ahn Jae Hong (Mask Girl, Be Melodramatic, Reply 1988) plays the quirky intern Ko Baek-joong who is secretly in love with Min-ah. Ahn and Ryu create perfect synergy together through their charming, colorful portrayals.
Kim Yoo Jung (20th Century Girl, The 8th Night, My Demon, Lovers of the Red Sky, Love in the Moonlight) plays Min-ah, who experiences the major mishap. Director Lee Byeong-heon, who has delivered witty repartees and captivating storylines in works such as Dream, Extreme Job, Twenty, and Be Melodramatic, takes a beloved webtoon with a novel premise and turns it into an exciting
live-action series, toggling between sharp humor and mystery.
The 8 Show
Eight individuals trapped in a mysterious 8-story building participate in a tempting but dangerous game show where they earn money as time passes. The series is based on the hit Naver Webtoons
Money Game and Pie Game written by Bae Jin-soo. With its portrayal of primitive human greed clashing against a capitalistic society, the politics and finance-themed webtoons reached a total global viewership of 300 million.
The 8 Show is the first Netflix series project by director Han Jae-rim, whose box-office hits drew 20 million viewers with his films The Face Reader, The King, and Emergency Declaration.
Han worked with Ryu Jun Yeol (Reply 1988, The Night Owl) on The King and is reuniting with the accomplished actor for the series. Seven other bankable actors with distinctive charm round out the cast: Chun Woo Hee (Unlocked, Delightfully Deceitful); Park Jung Min (Time to Hunt, Deliver Us From Evil, Smugglers); Lee Yul Eum (Nevertheless,); Park Hae Joon (12.12: The Day, The World of the Married); Lee Zoo Young (Believer 2); Moon Jeong Hee (The Limit, Cart, Hide and Seek); and Bae Seong Woo (The Swindlers, The Great Battle, The King).
These eight actors will captivate viewers as eight participants who must collaborate and compete while confined to an unequally divided space with envy and betrayal lurking in every corner.
Parasyte: The Grey
As unidentified parasitic life-forms that live off human hosts strive to grow their power and start to disrupt society, a group of humans wage war against the rising evil. The story is based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga “Parasyte” in which parasites take over human brains to control their bodies.
With its imaginative ideas and philosophical probing, the manga has sold over 25 million copies in 20 countries and regions, and has spawned various anime and film adaptations. Director Yeon Sang-ho, a genre master creator behind JUNG_E, Hellbound, Peninsula, and Monstrous, develops a new storyline for the Netflix series based on the world of this seminal manga.
Jeon So Nee (Our Blooming Youth, When My Love Blooms, Soulmate) plays Jeong Su-in, who begins a strange coexistence with a parasitic organism. Koo Kyo Hwan (D.P., Kill Boksoon, Escape From Mogadishu, Peninsula, Monstrous) plays Seol Kang-woo who pursues the parasites to find his missing young sister. Lee Jung-hyun (Decision to Leave, Peninsula, The Admiral: Roaring Currents) plays Choi Jun-kyung, the leader of Team Grey, the task force on parasitic organisms.
Kwon Hae Hyo (Peninsula, Tazza: One Eyed Jack, Under the Queen’s Umbrella) plays Kim Chul-min, a police detective in the Special Operations Unit of Namil Police Station. Kim In Kwon (The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey, The Battle of Jangsari, Cleaning Up) plays Kang Won-seok, a police sergeant and Chul-min’s partner.
This stellar ensemble cast of Parasyte: The Grey will bring the imaginative spirit of the original story to life in the live-action series.
Sweet Home Season 3
The long-awaited Season 3 of Sweet Home presents a world where monsterization ends and new humanity begins. It’s a world teetering on the boundary between monsters and humans, where people
desperately struggling to survive and face difficult choices. The previous season ended with the shocking return of Lee Eun-hyeok (played by Lee Do Hyun) whom no one had known to be dead or alive.
In Season 3, the characters who had been scattered regroup to face conflicts motivated by greed: Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) who wakes up and finds a monster version of himself; Pyeon Sang-wook (Lee Jin Wook) whose body is taken over by Jung Ui-myeong; Seo Yi-kyung (Lee Si Young) who becomes half-monster and half-human; Lee Eun-hyeok (Lee Do Hyun) who fell out of a violently shaking monster cocoon; Lee Eun-yu (Go Min Si) who never stops looking for her brother Eun-hyeok; Private Park Chan-yeong (Jinyoung) who returns to the stadium; Master Sergeant Tak In-hwan (Yoo Oh Seong) who keeps his monster transformation a secret; Dr. Lim (Oh Jung Se) who reveals an overly keen interest in monster transformations; Sergeant Kim Yeong-hu (Kim Mu Yeol) who meets new people in Bamseom; and the Girl who has the power to turn other people into monsters (Kim Si A).
These Sweet Home characters will continue to captivate audiences as their journey further unfolds. Director Lee Eung-bok, who has helmed all the seasons of this hit K-creature series about monsters born out of greed, plans to deliver a grand finale with big reveals.
Resident Playbook (WT)
This spin-off of Hospital Playlist showcases the intense but heartfelt lives of OB-GYN residents learning the ropes at Jongno Yulje Medical Center.
Hierarchy
The top 0.01% of students control law and order at Jusin High School, but a secretive transfer student chips a crack in their indomitable world.
Roh Jeong Eui (Our Beloved Summer, 18 Again) plays Jung Jae-i, the queen among queens at the school and the firstborn heiress of Jaeyul Group, a rival conglomerate to Jusin Group. Lee Chae Min (See You in My 19th Life, Crash Course in Romance, Love All Play) plays Kang Ha, a transfer student hiding secrets behind a radiant smile.
Kim Jae Won (King the Land, Stealer: The Treasure Keeper, Our Blues) plays Kim Ri-an, the heir to Jusin Group who rules at the top of the food chain in Jusin High School. Chi Hae Won (The Sound of Magic, My Perfect Stranger) plays Yoon He-ra, a girl gripped by jealousy, who is the youngest daughter of the prominent trading company International Yoon.
Lee Won Jeong (My Perfect Stranger, Extraordinary Attorney Woo) plays Lee U-jin, the good-looking and amiable second son of an influential political family.
Hierarchy is director Bae Hyeon-jin’s first solo drama series. Bae has co-directed notable works such as Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow, Big Mouth, and Start-Up.
Against the backdrop of a high school founded by Korea’s top conglomerate, Bae unravels a coming-of-age story interwoven with love, friendships, revenge and empathy among 18-year-olds.
Gyeongseong Creature Season 2
Set in 2024 Seoul, Season 2 uncovers the never-ending ties — the good and the bad — that fate weaves in Gyeongseong via Ho-jae, a man deceptively similar in looks and demeanor to Tae-sang, and Chae-ok, a survivor of the Gyeongseong spring. Season 1 showcased a compelling story that combined historical fiction and the creature genre, masterminded by beloved writer Kang Eun-kyung, known for her genre-defying scripts such as Dr. Romantic and Kang Chi, the Beginning, and director Chung Dong-yoon who is lauded by the public and critics alike for Hot Stove League.
While Season 1 explores the many facets of a society through a creature borne of greed and the dark splendors during the turbulent spring of 1945, Season 2 transports us to Seoul in 2024. The strong chemistry between the two leads (Park Seo Jun and Han So Hee), the next-level action and the addition of new faces Lee Mu Saeng and Bae Hyun Sung are sure to make for a dynamic and spectacular tale.
The Whirlwind
A clash ensues when the deputy prime minister of economy stands up to the prime minister who aims to uproot the corrupt powers that be. Sul Kyung Gu (Kill Boksoon, Yaksha, The Book of Fish) portrays Prime Minister Park Dong-ho, a man who makes a crucial decision to change the political landscape and bring the president colluding with the chaebols to justice.
The gentle but charismatic Kim Hee Ae (Queenmaker, Herstory, Moonlit Winter) portrays Jung Su-jin, the strong-minded deputy prime minister of economy who opposes the PM with her brilliant
intellect.
The clash between their respective values results in a veritable whirlwind so powerful that it leaves the viewers breathless and hooked. The show is penned by writer Park Kyung-soo, who is
revered in the political fiction genre for his “power trilogy” of The Chaser, The Empire of Gold, and Punch, and directed by the illustrious Kim Yong-wan, who was awarded for his web drama
Love Cells, defying genres with his numerous popular works, including but not limited to the drama The Cursed and films Champion and The Cursed: Dead Man’s Prey.
The year 2024 is a prime time for politics with the upcoming elections, and The Whirlwind will surely entertain the viewers with this gripping alternative to reality.
The Frog
One man’s life begins to crumble when a mysterious woman shows up at his motel one summer, leaving him to cling dearly to his former ways of life in this mystery thriller series. One
of Korea’s leading actors, the acclaimed Kim Yun Seok ( Escape From Mogadishu, 1987: When the Day Comes, The Thieves) stars as Jeon Yeong-ha, the owner of a motel deep in the woods.
The limitless Yoon Kye Sang (Spiritwalker, MAL·MO·E: The Secret Mission, The Outlaws), who transforms himself with each performance, plays Gu Sang-jun, the previous owner of the motel in question, and the versatile Go Min Si (Sweet Home, Love Alarm, Jirisan, Youth of May), who boasts an impressive range of genres and characters, plays Yoo Seong-a, the mysterious woman who disrupts Yeong-ha’s life.
Trusted go-to actress Lee Jung Eun (Daily Dose of Sunshine, Juvenile Justice, When the Camellia Blooms) portrays Yoon Bo-min, a former ace detective from the homicide department who is now an inspector relentlessly pursuing the case.
Masterminded by director Mo Wan-il, whose work in The World of the Married and Misty was highly praised for its nuanced psychology and strong dramatic mood, this unique mystery thriller will keep the viewers on the edge of their seats with its chilling twists and turns.
Mr. Plankton
A man who should not have been born and the unhappiest woman in the world are forced to accompany one another on the final journey of his life. The prolific Woo Do Hwan (Bloodhounds, Joseon
Attorney: A Morality, The King: Eternal Monarch) portrays Hae-jo, a man born out of wedlock thrown into a wandering life without family.
The role of Jae-mi, Hae-jo’s ex-girlfriend and the world’s unhappiest bride-to-be goes to Lee Yoo Mi (All of Us Are Dead, Strong Girl Nam Soon). Jae-mi’s groom-to-be Eo-heung, the only son of an illustrious and traditional fifth-generation jongga family (the head family of a respected clan), is played by Oh Jung Se (Seoul Vibe, Cobweb, Revenant, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay) who has shown unparalleled characterization in every role he undertakes.
Mr. Plankton is penned by writer Jo Yong (It’s Okay to Not Be Okay) and directed by Hong Jong-chan (Juvenile Justice, Dear My Friends).
Hellbound Season 2
Season 2 unleashes a chaotic world exacerbated by the continuous hellbound decrees, where lawyer Min Hyejin of Sodo, The New Truth Society, and the Arrowheads get entangled amidst the sudden resurrections of The New Truth’s Chairman Jung Jinsu and Park Jungja. Kim Hyun Joo returns as Min Hyejin, a lawyer in a fight against the group of fanatics who worship Jung Jinsu and The New Truth Society called the Arrowheads.
Kim Sung Cheol slips into the role of Jung Jinsu, the founding chairman of The New Truth Society, who hid his own hellhound past to protect its doctrines and institution. Actors Kim Shin Rock, Lee Dong-hee, Yang Ik June and Lee Re resume their roles from Season 1 as Park Jungja, Chairman Kim Jeongchil, Jin Kyunghun and Jin Heejung, bringing to Season 2 the backstories of those who took center stage in the previous season.
Additionally, Im Seong Jae plays a Sodo member who lost a loved one to the Executors, and Hong Euy-jun portrays a Sodo leader who guides the organization along with Min Hyejin. Cho Dong In and special guest Moon Geun Young will respectively take on the roles of Windmill and Ms. Sunshine as the chiefs of the Arrowheads.
Hellbound is a Netflix series based on the legendary comics created by the comic book artist Choi Gyu-seok (webtoon Songgot) and director Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Peninsula), fiercely admired by the fans for its unconventional themes and probing questions about life and death, crime and punishment and autonomy and coercion.
The Trunk
A clandestine marriage service is uncovered when a trunk washes up on the shore of a lake, bringing to light the strange marriage between a couple in the thick of it all. The versatile Seo Hyun-jin
(Another Miss Oh, Temperature of Love, The Beauty Inside, Black Dog, Why Her), who is known to perfectly embody every character she plays, is set to portray In-ji, an employee of a company called NM that matches couples for short-term marriages.
Gong Yoo (TheSilent Sea, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Seobok, The Age of Shadows, Train to Busan), who defies genres with his explosive range, will portray Jeong-won, a music producer who suffers from anxiety and loneliness stemming from a painful past. With only a year left on their contract, as mandated by the premium matchmaking service that promises the perfect spouse, In-ji and Jeong-won slowly adjust to one another—until a trunk that washes up on a lake shore reveals the secrets and pains they have been keeping dormant.
Based on the novel of the same name by writer Kim Ryeo-ryeong, who is touted as a remarkable storyteller in the Korean literature world for her works Punch and Thread of Lies, The Trunk is directed by director Kim Gyu-tae (Our Blues, It’s Okay, That’s Love, Live), known for his sensitive and delicate direction, and written by Park Eun-young (Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth), bringing to viewers a tale that is as fresh and shocking as no other.
Squid Game Season 2
Squid Game tells the story of a group of desperate contestants who risk their lives to become the final winner in a mysterious extreme survival game with a 45.6 billion won cash prize.
A heart-pounding finale clip presented at the Next On Netflix event features Gi-hun making a critical decision. Portrayed by Lee Jung Jae, who won Lead Actor in a Drama Series at the 74th Primetime Emmys®, Gi-hun abandons his US plans after a mysterious call and embarks on a chase with a motive.
The new season will also welcome other beloved characters back like Front Man (Lee Byung Hun) and Recruiter (Gong Yoo). Adding to the intrigue, a new character played by Park Gyu Young makes her debut, sparking curiosity about the new character.
Visionary director Hwang Dong-hyuk returns to steer the ship once again. Following his historic win at the 74th Primetime Emmys® as the first Asian to clinch Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series, Hwang resumes his role as director, writer, and producer. With a dream ensemble cast by his side, expectations are high for the mastermind behind the Squid Game juggernaut.
Correspondingly, a solid cast of actors including Im Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, Park Gyu Young, Lee Jin Wook, Park Sung Hoon, Yang Dong Geun, Kang Ae-sim, Da-wit, Choi Seung Hyun, Noh Jae Won, Jo Yu Ri, and Won Ji An will be joining the series.
*Press Release
