The extra time spent indoors means more shows for the K-drama junkie to binge on. If you’re waiting for a new series to come your way after finishing Record of Youth, or are actively searching for more dramas to watch, here are 42 upcoming K-dramas set to be released in the second half of 2020.
Rumoured to be the successor of record-breaking dramas such as Sky Castle (2018) and World of the Married (2020), Graceful Friends is about a group of friends who have known one another for 20 years. After a murder takes place, they suddenly find their lives in turmoil.
Actors Bae Soo Bin, Yoon Jun Sang, Han Eun Jung, as well as Kim Hye Eun from Itaewon Class, make for a promising line-up, so stay seated as the K-drama pulls you in for a riveting ride.
Release date: 10 July 2020
Available on: OnDemandKorea, Viu
Seo Do Won (Yoon Si Yoon) is a detective who stumbles across corpses buried in an abandoned train station. Han Seo Kyung (Kyung Soo Jin) investigates the case with Do Won and ends up getting killed. Chancing upon a mysterious train at the station, Do Won travels to another world to track the serial killer down, with the help of the other Seo Kyung.
Release date: 11 July 2020
Available on: Viki
Chip In tells the tale of Yoo Bit Na, played by Kim Hye Joon from Kingdom on Netflix. As the daughter of a famous painter, Kim Hye Joon (Sky Castle’s Oh Na Ra), she finds herself getting dragged into an intense dispute over property rights.
Release date: 22 July 2020
Available on: Viu, Viki
Flower of Evil is a thriller K-drama featuring veteran actor Lee Joon Gi as Baek Hee Sung. Actress Moon Chae Won plays his wife, Cha Ji Won.
Baek Hee Sung is a man whose past is dotted with crime, and he hides it all to marry Cha Ji Won. Cha Ji Won, however, is a detective, and takes on a case that makes her suspect her husband as the murderer.
Release date: 29 July 2020
Available on: iQIYI, Viu, Viki
Love is in the air in the upcoming K-drama, Can’t Be Bothered to Date, But Don’t Want to Be Lonely. As housemates, psychiatrist Cha Kang Woo (Ji Hyun Woo) and freelance editor Lee Na Eun (Kim So Eun) both want love, but don’t fancy commitment.
Release date: 11 August 2020
Available on: To be confirmed
Stranger 2 (aka Forest of Secrets 2) comes 3 years after its first season in 2017, which was highly raved about for being one of the best in the crime thriller genre.
While the plot details for season 2 have not been specified, it’s expected to be a continuation of the previous series. The first season saw Cho Seung Wook as a cold prosecutor and Bae Doo Na as a warmhearted lieutenant, working together to solve a corruption case.
Release date: 15 August 2020
Available on: Netflix
SF8 is a Korean sci-fi drama starring a number of popular actors including Kim Bo Ra from Sky Castle and K-pop idols Super Junior’s Choi Si Won and EXID’s Hani. The series will touch on themes such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Be prepared to have your mind blown by one of the mostly highly anticipated upcoming K-dramas of 2020.
Release date: 17 August 2020
Available on: Viu
Source
The classic love triangle is back and even better in When I Was The Most Beautiful, with 2 brothers vying for the same woman. Oh Ye Jin (Im Soo Hyang) is a ceramic artist who gets stuck between 2 brothers, architect Seo Hwan (Ji Soo) and race car driver Seo Jin (Ha Seok Jin).
Release date: 19 August 2020
Available on: Viu
Park Jin Kyum (Joo Won) is an emotionless detective who discovers a device called “Alice” that allows time travellers to arrive from the future. As he tries to fix the issues that arise due to the device, he meets Yoon Tae Yi (Kim Hee Sun), a genius physicist who died in the past.
Release date: 28 August 2020
Available on: Viu
Kim Wook (Ko Soo) commits frauds to make a living but nothing is going his way when he tries to pull off his usual mischief in the mysterious Duon village. Kim Wook forms an alliance with Jang Pan Seok (Heo Joon Ho), a shady character who searches for missing people.
The men investigate the village’s dark secrets together and are soon joined by Lee Jong Ah (Ahn So Hee), a public officer, and Shin Joon Ho (Ha Jun), a policeman on a desperate mission to find his missing fiancee.
Release date: 29 August 2020
Available on: Viu
In Do You Like Brahms?, world-renowned pianist Park Joon Young (Kim Min Jae) and violin major Chae Song Ah (Park Eun Bin) navigate through life to achieve their dreams and find love.
Release date: 31 August 2020
Available on: Viki
Lies of Lies follows Ji Eun Soo (Lee Yoo Ri) and her tragic story as she marries into a chaebol family and gets convicted for the murder of her husband when he dies. While in prison, she gives birth to her daughter, and tries to get her back after serving her time.
Release date: 4 September 2020
Available on: Viu
Source
18 Again might be a familiar watch for many, since it’s a K-drama remake of the American movie 17 Again (2009) starring Zac Efron. In 18 Again, 37-year-old Hong Dae Young (Yoon Sang Hyun) is on the verge of a divorce with his wife Jung Da Jung (Kim Ha Neul), and suddenly finds himself in the body of the 18-year-old Ko Woo Young (Lee Do Hyun) one day.
Release date: 7 September 2020
Available on: iQIYI, Viki
Here’s a lighthearted youth drama all the millennials and Gen-Z kids will be able to relate to. Record of Youth is a story about youths trying to find their footing in the entertainment industry. Park Bo Gum will play a model who is trying to make his breakthrough as an actor.
And if you remember the catchy Jessica jingle from the Parasite movie, you’ll be thrilled to know Park So Dam will also star in this drama, playing the role of a makeup artist.
Release date: 7 September 2020
Available on: Netflix
Man in a Veil is a story about hardships and miracles. After a childhood accident, Lee Tae Poong (Kang Eun Tak) has the intelligence of a 7-year-old. He meets two sisters who are polar opposites, the warm-hearted Han Yoo Jung (Uhm Hyun Kyung) and her twin, Yoo Ra (Lee Chae Yeong).
Release date: 7 September 2020
Available on: Viu
The gumiho (9-tailed fox) is a familiar favourite in Korean classic folklore. Tale of the Nine Tailed will feature actor Lee Dong Wook as the gumiho in this K-drama series. He will star alongside actress Jo Bo Ah, who will play a feisty producer seeking to find him for her TV show called “Finding Urban Legends”.
Release date: 15 September 2020
Available on: iQIYI, Viu
After all the intense mysteries and thrillers, here’s a heartwarming drama for you. Homemade Love Story is about three families who live under one roof at a boarding house called Samgwang Villa. Each family has their own unique background and stories.
Release date: 19 September 2020
Available on: Viu
In the world of K-dramas, anything is possible. In this drama, a zombie called Kim Moo Young (Choi Jin Hyuk) partners with a human writer, Kong Sun Ji (Park Joo Hyun) to look for the traces of his lost memories together. Their fates intertwine after Seon Ji quits her job as a writer of a current affairs complaint programme and joins Moo Young’s private detective office.
Release date: 21 September 2020
Available on: Viu
Unrequited love is something most people would have experienced at least once in their lives. This is exactly what happens to Kyung Woo Yeon (Shin Ye Eun). She confesses twice to her 10-year-long crush Lee Soo (Ong Seong Woo) and gets rejected both times. Things get complicated when she meets Joon Soo (Kim Dong Jun) and Lee Soo realises he has feelings for Woo Yeon.
Release date: 25 September 2020
Available on: iQIYI, Viu and Viki
After acting as a Water God in Bride of Habaek, Nam Joo Hyuk is back with another fantasy character. In The School Nurse Files, Nam Joo Hyuk stars as a teacher with superpowers alongside Jung Yu Mi who plays a character that can see monsters. The two end up joining forces in order to protect their students.
Release date: 25 September 2020
Available on: Netflix
SF8 is a sci-fi drama similar to Netflix’s Black Mirror, in which there are 8 episodes with different storylines. Given its sci-fi genre, you can expect this series to touch on themes such as virtual reality, augmented reality and artificial intelligence.
On 2 October 2020, episode 8, Empty Body was released. Set in a futuristic world, SF8: Empty Body tells the story of Ga Hye Ra (Moon So Ri) using artificial intelligence to bring back her dead son, Kim Young In (Jang Yoo Sang).
Release date: 2 October 2020
Available on: Viu
Source
With so many upcoming K-dramas in 2020, Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol may be quite a handful to remember. But it’s a catchy title befitting the name of the main character Goo La La (Go Ara), a pianist who goes bankrupt. She falls in love with Sun Woo Joon (Lee Jae Wook), a mysterious guy who works part-time jobs to support himself.
Release date: 7 October 2020
Available on: Netflix
Fans of Girls Generation can catch the girl group’s former member Seohyun back in action on Private Lives. The drama revolves around con artists making use of their skills and techniques to disclose the nation’s major secret.
Seohyun plays Cha Joo Eun who learns how to be a con artist from her parents. She then falls in love with Lee Jung Hwan (Go Kyung Pyo) who hides his swindler identity by pretending to be a regular employee.
Release date: 7 October 2020
Available on: Netflix
No Matter What follows the lives of Bo Ra (Na Hye Mi), a rising weathercaster; Dae Ro (Choi Woong), a delivery boy; Ah Ri (Jung Min A), a broadcasting writer; and Jun Soo (Kim Jung Hun), a competent CEO of a start-up. The 4 young men and women struggle to overcome their hardships while battling modern-day prejudices.
Release date: 12 October 2020
Available on: Viki
For suckers of the cross-border setup between North and South Korea like the one in Crash Landing On You, here’s a DMZ-themed drama for you. Search is a military thriller starring Krystal Jung and Jang Dong Yoon. The pair join forces to form a search party to discover the truth behind a murder along the DMZ.
Release date: 16 October 2020
Available on: iQIYI, Viki
In Start-Up, romance blossoms between Nam Do San (Nam Joo Hyuk), a young and smart man who is trying to save his failing start-up, and Seo Dal Mi (Suzy), an aspiring entrepreneur. Look out also for Kim Seon Ho, who steals the show as “Good Boy”, Han Ji Pyeong.
Release date: 17 October 2020
Available on: Netflix
Source
The Spy Who Loved Me starts off strong with its intriguing premise. The K-drama is about a wedding dress designer Kang Ah Reum (Yoo In Na) who gets caught up in the world of spies thanks to her ex-husband Jeon Ji Hoon (Eric), a secret agent in the Interpol, and her current husband Derek Hyun (Lim Ju Hwan), an industrial spy.
Release date: 21 October 2020
Available on: iQIYI
Penthouse taps on the issue of social status, wealth, power and prestige through the setting of a luxury penthouse apartment in Seoul with 100 floors called Hera Palace.
Sim Su Ryeon (Lee Ji Ah), who was born into wealth, is the queen of the penthouse apartment. Cheon Seo Jin (Kim So Yeon), the prima donna of the residence, strives to be a part of the upper class for her children. Oh Yoon Hee (Eugene) comes from a poor family background. She is determined to enter high society by becoming the queen of the penthouse, which is the epitome of success to her.
Release date: 26 October 2020
Available on: Viki, Viu
Based on Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation’s (MBC) 2004 hit drama series Phoenix, the 2020 remake features a script by the original writer.
In the 2020 version, the drama depicts the story of Ji Eun (Hong Soo A) and Se Hoon (Lee Jae Woo). Ji Eun comes from a wealthy family. Unlike Ji Eun, Se Hoon comes from a poor family background so this is not your typical rich guy poor girl K-drama plot. The lovebirds get married but eventually find themselves getting a divorce because of Ji Eun’s father’s interference. The pair end up meeting again with their financial situations reversed. If you are looking for a unique twist to the cliche Cinderella storyline, you can add this drama to your list.
Release date: 26 October 2020
Available on: Viki
Source
Kairos is a romantic fantasy thriller in which the characters are able to communicate with each other despite living in different time periods. Kim Seo Jin’s (Shin Sung Rok) daughter gets kidnapped, and he attempts to change the past by calling Han Ae Ri (Lee Se Young), who is then living a month in the past. At the time Han Ae Ri receives the call from Kim Seo Jin in the future, her mother has just gone missing.
Ahn Bo Hyun, the antagonist from Itaewon Class will also be acting in the series as Seo Do Gyun.
Release date: 27 October 2020
Available on: Viu
Not all heroes wear capes. Park Tae Yong is a public defender who is empathetic and full of justice. His partner Park Sam Soo is a soft-hearted reporter who looks for stories that are ignored by other reporters.
Release date: 30 October 2020
Available on: Viu
Source
Birthcare Centre is a story about Oh Hyun Jin (Uhm Ji Won), the youngest executive at her workplace but the oldest in a postnatal care centre, trying to navigate through motherhood along with other mums in the facility.
Release date: 2 November 2020
Available on: Viki
In a list of upcoming K-dramas in 2020 that revolve around working adults, Live On is a high school drama that you can add to your youth romance drama list. It follows the lives of a popular kid, Baek Ho Rang (Jung Da Bin) and her only friend Go Eun Tak (Minhyun). The duo makes use of their broadcasting club identities to uncover the mysterious figure who is trying to disclose Da Bin’s past.
Release date: 17 November 2020
Available on: Viki
Kang Hae Ra (Kim Sa Rang) is adamant on getting her revenge after her influencer’s reputation is negatively affected by a fake scandal. Meanwhile, Cha Min Joon (Yoon Hyun Min) is a lawyer who is working to avenge his family who was wrecked by a scheme.
Release date: 21 November 2020
Available on: To be confirmed
True Beauty tells the story of Im Joo Kyeong (Moon Ga Young) who rises to fame with the makeup skills that she masters from watching tutorials on YouTube. She gets involved with 2 charming men, Lee Soo Ho (Cha Eun Woo) and Han Seo Joon (Hwang In Yeop). This drama is based off a popular webtoon and may be one of the most anticipated romance K-dramas of 2020.
Release date: 25 November 2020
Available on: Viki, Viu
Source, source
Based on a webtoon, Extraordinary Rumor is about a group of demon hunters called the Counters, who disguise themselves as employees of a noodle restaurant. Actor Jo Byeong Gyu from Sky Castle and K-pop idol Kim Se Jeong will star in this K-drama.
Release date: 28 November 2020
Available on: To be confirmed
Awaken adds to the list of upcoming romantic mystery K-dramas in 2020. A detective (Nam Goong Min) and a police officer (Seolhyun) join hands to solve the mysterious events happening in the present that occurred in a village 28 years ago.
Release date: 30 November 2020
Available on: Viu
“Cheating” and “comedy” are not words that you would associate together. Cheat On Me If You Can is a comedy-mystery thriller drama about betrayal and marriage. Kang Yeo Joo (Jo Yeo Jeong) is a bestselling crime novelist with a penchant for writing brutal punishments to her cheating male characters. Her successful divorce lawyer husband, Han Woo Sung (Go Joon), married her after signing a memorandum stating “If I cheat, I die.”
Release date: 2 December 2020
Available on: Viu
Having acted alongside Lee Min Ho in The Heirs (2013), Song Joong Ki in Descendants of the Sun (2016) and Park Seo Joon in Fight For My Way (2017), Kim Ji Won is now co-stars with another classic K-drama oppa, Ji Chang Wook, in City Couple’s Way of Love.
In this short-form romance drama, Ji Chang Wook plays Park Jae Won, an architect who falls in love with a woman whom he refers to as the “camera thief”. Meanwhile, Kim Ji Won’s character, Lee Eun Oh, is a freelance marketer who ends up falling in love with Park Jae Won while posing as her false identity, Yoon Sun Ah.
Release date: 8 December 2020
Available on: KakaoTV
Girls Generation fans will have a hard time choosing between all the upcoming K-dramas in 2020. Another member of the girl group, Yoona, stars in the K-drama, Hush. Adapted from a novel called “Silence Alert”, which takes places in a newspaper company, Hush touches on the dilemma between the survival and conscience of journalists.
Release date: 11 December 2020
Available on: To be confirmed
It seems like you can’t catch a break from romance-themed dramas out of all the upcoming K-dramas in 2020. Run-on recounts the love story between a sports agent, Ki Sun Gyeom (Im Si Wan) and a subtitle translation writer, Oh Mi Joo (Shin Se Kyung).
Former Girls Generation member, Sooyoung, will also be appearing in this drama. She plays the CEO of a sports agency who fights relentlessly to be the successor of her father’s company, Seomyung Group, in a sexist society.
Release date: 16 December 2020
Available on: Netflix
For Love Alarm (2019) fans who cannot wait for the release of Season 2 next year, you will be glad to see actor Song Kang, who played Hwang Sun Oh in the show, on this list of upcoming K-dramas in 2020. Even though Love Alarm Season 2 will not be released this year, you can occupy yourself with his soon-to-be-released thriller K-drama, Sweet Home.
Sweet Home is a Netflix Original series based on a webtoon that tells the story of a troubled high school student, Cha Hyun Soo (Song Kang). One day, he loses his whole family to an accident and moves into a small apartment. When a mysterious phenomenon of humans evolving into monsters emerges, he teams up with his neighbours to fight the monsters and save humanity.
Release date: 23 December 2020
Available on: Netflix
Tide through the rest of 2020 with several upcoming K-dramas from this list, and watch this space for updates on where and when you can watch the series.
Also read:
Just girly tings.
A K-beauty lover's dream.
Take notes if you're looking to plan a smaller wedding.
Another way to doll up your Labubu.
One month of discounts?! Yes please.