It may only be March, but 2024 has already seen several K-dramas from various streaming platforms such as Netflix and Disney+ making headlines. To satisfy your cravings and keep your watchlist packed with upcoming K-dramas, we’ve curated a list of must-watch K-dramas based on genres to indulge in this year.
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It has been four years since popular actor Kim Soo Hyun last appeared in a K-drama ‒ his previous acting project was It’s Okay Not To Be Okay in 2020. Now, he is making a comeback with the romance drama Queen of Tears, which also stars popular actress Kim Ji Won.
Queen of Tears tells the story of a married couple navigating a relationship crisis. It’ll be interesting to see how Hong Hae In (Kim Ji Won), a third-generation chaebol who manages a department store, and Baek Hyun Woo (Kim Soo Hyun), a lawyer hailing from a rural area, overcome their lifestyle differences and fall back in love.
Queen of Tears is available on Netflix.
If you’ve enjoyed Bitch x Rich and Gossip Girl, Hierarchy might just be your cup of tea. This teen K-drama follows Kang Ha, a poor student who transfers to Jooshin High School, a private school that admits students based on their family status. Simply put, the wealthier and more influential your family, the greater your chances of admission.
Not only is KangHa “different” from the other students, but he also holds a secret that could shake the social hierarchy in Jooshin High School.
Hierarchy will be available on Netflix in the first half of 2024.
Inspired by planktons which are unable to stay in one place, Mr Plankton tells the story of a wanderer Hae Jo, portrayed by Woo Do Hwan. He feels that he never belongs anywhere, and doesn’t have anyone he cares about. Amidst his negativity, Hae Jo dreams of living a colourful life, vastly different from his current situation.
Fortunately, this is when Jo Jae Mi, played by Squid Game’s Lee You Mi, enters his life and shows him love.
Mr Plankton will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
Chances are, you’ll feel that the world is against you when you learn that you have terminal cancer and discover that your husband is cheating on you with your best friend.
Despite all hope being lost, Park Min Young, as Kang Ji Won in Marry My Husband, was given a second chance to live after her husband Park Min Hwan (Lee Yi Kyung) accidentally murdered her. She wakes up 10 years earlier and starts to live her “second” life, determined to set things straight.
Watch Marry My Husband on Amazon Prime Video.
Ask any K-drama fan, and they’d surely know Park Shin Hye ‒ one of the most popular Korean actresses. Ever since she went on a hiatus in 2021, fans have been eagerly waiting for her return to the small screen, and now, she is back with Doctor Slump after getting married and giving birth to her daughter.
Acting alongside Park Hyung Sik as Yeo Jeong Woo, Park Shin Hye plays Nam Ha Neul. Both of them are forced to quit their job as doctors after encountering a slump, and they discover the blooming romance between them that they never knew existed.
Doctor Slump is available on Netflix.
When Squid Game first premiered in 2021, no one expected it to become an award-winning series.
Now, the hit series is returning with a second instalment that is said to delve into the backstory of Frontman, portrayed by A-list actor Lee Byung Hun. Since Netflix has teased us with still cuts of Lee Jung Jae who plays Seong Gi Hun, the second season suggests his plan to shut down the merciless playing ground for good.
Of course, new characters played by Yim Si Wan, Kang Ha Neul, The Glory’s Park Sung Hoon and Yang Dong Geun are said to appear as well.
Squid Game 2 will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
Leaving viewers on a cliffhanger, Gyeongseong Creature is set to return with a second season in the latter half of 2024. Unlike the first season, this one features the lead characters Jang Tae Sung and Yoon Chae Ok, played by Park Seo Joon and Han So Hee respectively, in present-time Seoul.
Since many questions were left unanswered in the first season, such as “Did Yoon Chae Ok become a monster?” and “Why does Ho Won look like Jang Tae Sung?”, viewers might finally get answers and satisfy their curiosity this time around.
Gyeongseong Creature 2 will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
No worries if you find yourself missing Song Kang for the next two years while he serves in the military ‒ you can still “see” him in the third season of Sweet Home. After making a minimal appearance in the previous season, fans can look forward to seeing more of him in the new instalment.
Furthermore, Lee Do Hyun as Eun Hyeok makes a surprise return, suggesting that more mysteries are about to unfold.
Sweet Home Season 3 will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
Fans of director Yeong Sang Ho, who directed Netflix’s Hellbound and award-winning movie Train To Busan are in for a treat ‒ Parasyte: The Grey is his next project. This series is a live interpretation of the popular manga Parasyte, which focuses on three characters and their attempts to survive in a parasite-infested world.
You might also recognise Koo Gyo Hwan from D.P. who plays Seol Gang Woo, a character chasing after the parasites in search of his missing sister.
Parasyte: The Grey will be available on Netflix on 5 April 2024.
What are the odds of accidentally murdering evildoers over and over again? Probably zero for most of us, but Lee Tang, portrayed by Choi Woo Shik in A Killer Paradox, is cursed with the ability to do so.
Based on a webtoon of the same name, A Killer Paradox presents viewers with a moral question ‒ Is Lee Tang serving justice by ending the lives of criminals, or is he evading justice by being on the run?
A Killer Paradox is available on Netflix.
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If you’re in the mood for a mystery K-drama, don’t miss out on The Frog. While Netflix hasn’t shared many details about the show yet, what we know is that the series dives into the stories of two pension owners in different periods, 2000 and 2021.
Hopefully, Netflix will share more about this mystery K-drama in the near future.
The Frog will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
Keep your eyes peeled for The Trunk as the upcoming K-drama stars A-listers such as Seo Hyun Jin and Gong Yoo. Both are known for their celebrated works such as The Beauty Insider and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God respectively.
The K-drama tells the story of secrets and mysteries that unfold after a trunk is found deep in a lake. Seo Hyun Jin plays In Ji, who works as an employee of a matchmaking service, while Gong Yoo depicts Jeong Won, who finds himself tied to a marriage contract with In Ji.
The Trunk will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
When the legal system of a country doesn’t help you seek justice, you take matters into your own hands.
In Wonderful World, Kim Nam Joo portrays Eun Soo Hyun, who tries to avenge her son’s unjust death while losing hope in the world. Along the way, she encounters Kwon Seon Yul played by Cha Eun Woo, who also suffers from similar pain and despair. Together, they help each other through grief and heal as individuals.
Watch Wonderful World on Disney+.
You know things are going to get ugly when differential treatment based on popularity ranking happens in an all-girl high school.
In Pyramid Game, Kim Ji Yeon plays Seong Su Ji, a transfer student who suffers from school violence after receiving a low ranking. She tries to go against the system and her perpetrators such as Baek Ha Rin, played by Jang Da Ah.
Fun fact: This drama also marks Shin Seul Ki’s acting debut, known from Single’s Inferno 2.
Watch Pyramid Game on Viu.
In The Impossible Heir, Lee Jun Young portrays Kang In Ha, who enters a new phase of his life after learning that he is the illegitimate child of a conglomerate owner. He enlists the help of his close friend Han Tae Oh, played by Lee Jae Wook, to rise as the heir of the company Kango Group.
Watch The Impossible Heir on Disney+.
The Whirlwind explores the strife between the Prime Minister of South Korea Park Dong Ho, played by Sol Kyung Gu, and the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Jung Soo Jin, played by Kim Hee Ae. Unlike the typical romance and comedy found in K-dramas, the upcoming drama entails an exciting political feud.
The Whirlwind will be available on Netflix in the second half of 2024.
Adapted from Korea’s popular webtoon, Chicken Nugget is a fantasy and comedy K-drama that follows the journey of a father trying to recover his daughter, who was turned into a chicken nugget after entering a mysterious machine. The quirky storyline and teasers have no doubt garnered attention from netizens, and many have commented that they can’t wait to see how the story unfolds.
As a cherry on top, the K-drama features renowned celebrities like Squid Game’s Jung Ho Yeon and Mask Girl’s Ahn Jae Hong.
Chicken Nugget is available on Netflix from 15 March 2024.
Here’s the truth about sex life between a couple ‒ things won’t be as spicy as before unless you’re willing to put in the effort to switch things up. Long Time No Sex tells the story of a couple, Woo Jin and Rim Park Samuel, played by Esom and Ahn Jae Hong respectively, whose sex life hits a roadblock.
They begin to investigate cheating couples and help them to restore their relationships, also realising through the journey their renewed passion for each other.
Watch Long Time No Sex (LTNS) on Viu.
In Flex X Cop, Ahn Bo Hyun as Jin I Soo is a third-generation chaebol who became a detective in the violent crimes investigation team just for some excitement in life. He taps into his connections and resources, proving himself capable of solving crimes that others can’t.
Meanwhile, Park Ji Hyun plays Lee Gang Hyun, a veteran detective who sees Jin I Soo as a disruption in her life. However, they become partners after an incident, and Lee Gang Hyun begins to see him in a different light.
Watch Flex X Cop on Disney+.
The Tyrant tells the story of a bioweapon developed by the Korean government to enhance human abilities. U.S. intelligence later discovered it by accident and demanded that the Koreans hand over the bioweapon. However, things went south when an unknown party intercepted the handover, causing both the Korean and U.S. governments to work together
The Tyrant will be available on Disney+ in the second half of 2024.
With this list of K-dramas, you’ll be spoiled with choices for the entire year of 2024. While we wait for the release of some of the aforementioned K-dramas, check out other reality shows such as Single’s Inferno and Siren: Survive The Island.
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