10 Most Exciting K-Dramas Releasing In 2024 & Beyond (2024)

The most exciting K-dramas releasing in 2024 and beyond include webtoon adaptations, prestige web series that are perfect to binge, and weekly releases from across all genres. The list of best K-dramas of all time reveals just how wide-ranging Korean TV shows can be, ranging from romantic comedies to action-packed thrillers. 2023 was a great year for K-dramas, starting with surprising hits like The Glory and ending with the return of Sweet Home.

2024 has already seen a couple of great Korean shows streaming in the US, including the first season of Gyeongseong Creature. Netflix’s Korean shows represent a significant portion of the best K-dramas currently available to stream, but other platforms like Disney+ also have highly anticipated titles coming up. The best K-dramas premiering in 2024 and 2025 include brand-new shows but also second or third seasons of established hits.

10 The Judge From Hell (September 21, Disney+ In Select Regions)

Starring Park Shin-hye and Kim Jae-young

While international K-drama audiences are likely more familiar with the romantic comedies coming out of South Korea, that’s not the only television genre K-dramas have to offer. Mysteries and supernatural series are seeing a huge resurgence in K-dramas right now. That’s why The Judge From Hell has such an interesting premise.

Kang Bit-na (Park Shin-hye) is actually a demon. To anyone else who meets her, however, she appears as a judge since she inhabits the body of a human. Her job is to send souls to Hell who have killed others with no remorse or repentance for their crimes. She crosses paths with a detective (Kim Jae-young) who appears warm and very observant but also hides a secret.

The intrigue will certainly come from the interactions between the two, not unlike the series Lucifer, which has a similar concept, though likely a more comedic tone.

9 Gyeongseong Creature Season 2 (September 27, Netflix)

Starring Han So-hee and Park Seo-jun

Gyeongseong Creature

TV-MA

Action

Horror

Thriller

Gyeongseong Creature is an action horror-thriller television series that Kang Eun-kyung and Chung Dong-yoon created for Netflix. Set in 1945 during the Japanese occupation of Korea, Jang Tae-Sang, a wealthy informant in the heart of Gyeongseong, and Yoon Chae-ok, a highly skilled investigator, come together to face a literal creature created from the cumulative greed of humanity.

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*Availability in US

Cast

Park Seo-joon , Han So-hee , Soo Hyun Kim , Kim Hae-sook

Release Date

December 22, 2023

Seasons

1

Creator(s)

Kang Eun-kyung , Chung Dong-yoon

Though the first season of the series was set in 1945, the second season of the series will be set in the present day. The original series saw scientific experimentation lead to the creation of monsters that had to be tracked down. Season 2 implies that history might be repeating itself as biological experiments are again happening in Seoul.

Park Seo-jun returns for season 2, but playing a character named Jang Ho-jae, who, of course, looks almost exactly like his season 1 counterpart, which will likely play into his storyline. Han So-hee also returns for the second season, but still playing her same character from the 1945 storyline, though it’s not yet clear how that will work within the show’s narrative.

What little else is known about the second season is that it will include an elite group of secret agents and a man who has tentacles for arms. Even those who weren’t blown away by the first season are likely to be intrigued.

8 Squid Game Season 2 (December 2024, Netflix)

Starring Lee Jung-jae, Wi Ha-jun, Lee Byung-hun, Gong Yoo, Park Gyu-young, and Lee Jin-uk

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Squid Game

TV-MA

Adventure

Drama

Action

In Squid Game, a mysterious invitation to join a competition is sent to people at risk who are in dire need of money. Four hundred fifty-six participants from all walks of life are locked into a secret location where they play games to win 45.6 billion won. Games are selected from traditional Korean children's games, such as Red Light and Green Light, but the consequence of losing is death. To survive, competitors must choose their alliances carefully - but the further they go in the competition, the more likely betrayal will rear its ugly head.

Where to Watch

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*Availability in US

Release Date

September 17, 2021

Cast

Wi Ha-joon , Anupam Tripathi , Oh Yeong-su , Heo Sung-tae , Park Hae-soo , Jung Ho-yeon , Lee Jung-jae , Kim Joo-ryoung

Showrunner

Hwang Dong-hyuk

A pop culture juggernaut, Squid Game was a massive success for Netflix and arguably played a role in the rising number of Korean shows on American streaming platforms. Even though Sweet Home would have worked perfectly as a standalone series, the show was unsurprisingly renewed for season 2. However, although Lee Jung-jae is returning as Gi-hun for Squid Game season 2, the show is set to be very different from the first season.

The surprise element of Squid Game’s first games cannot be replicated, as audiences already know what to expect. This creates a tricky challenge for Netflix’s most successful K-drama. The most recent news for Squid Game season 2 is that production has begun and Netflix revealed that the season will drop in December 2024. It began shooting in July 2023 and had a 10-month schedule, not including effects work.

7 All Of Us Are Dead Season 2 (TBA, Netflix)

Starring: Yoon Chan-young, Cho Yi-hyun, Park Ji-hu, and Lomon

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See Also

12 new K-dramas to look forward to in 2024

All Of Us Are Dead

TV-MA

Fantasy

Drama

Action

All of Us Are Dead is a horror-thriller series based on the webtoon from creator Jeon Bae-soo. Set in a South Korean high school, a scientist father trying to find a way to protect his son from bullies accidentally creates a serum that uses the fear within humans to turn them into zombies. Set loose in the school, the surviving students and staff find themselves cut off from the outside world and must now fight to survive the infected onslaught - and each other.

Where to Watch

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• rent
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Not available

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*Availability in US

Release Date

January 28, 2022

Cast

Park Solomon , Cho Yi-hyun , Park Ji-hoo , Yoo In-soo , Yoon Chan-young

Seasons

2

One of Netflix’s most successful Korean shows, All of Us Are Dead season 1 took the zombie genre by storm with a captivating story set almost entirely in one location. Although the destruction of the school and the apparent death of Cheong-san would have made for a solid ending, All of Us Are Dead season 2 is happening. The series was renewed for a second season not too long after the first one premiered in January 2021.

Cho Yi-hyun, Park Ji-hu, and Lomon are also set to reprise their roles as Nam-ra, On-jo, and Su-hyeok. There are dozens of All of Us Are Dead season 2 theories, which show how anticipated the series’ next chapter is. Considering most of the city and school were destroyed in season 1, it will be interesting to see how All of Us Are Dead 2 will work in terms of tone and pacing. Although not much is known about season 2, the show is expected to be different now that the school is no more.

6 Aema (TBA, Netflix)

Starring Lee Na-hee and Bang Hyo-rin

Aema is a Netflix original that went into production in 2023. Unlike most Netflix original K-dramas, however, this series is not completely a work of fiction. It’s inspired by real events. Aema is set to chronicle the production of the film Madame Aema. The 1982 movie is a Korean classic.

The production of the movie was fraught with difficulties as casting changes were made. The fiery lead actress is replaced right before the movie begins filming with an up-and-comer who is best known for being a nightclub dancer. This series, however, is being billed as a comedy, so it’s likely it will take a light-hearted approach to the difficulties behind-the-scenes of the movie, leaning into the more absurd aspects of the production than the dramatic.

It’s possible that the series could be ready to stream by the end of 2024, but with no official word from Netflix, it’s much more likely that it won’t appear on the platform until 2025.

5 Wise Resident Life (TBA)

Starring Go Youn-jung and Shin Si-ah

Hospital Playlist

TV-14

Drama

Comedy

Hospital Playlist is a South Korean television series that follows the lives of five doctors working at a hospital. It explores their personal and professional struggles as they navigate the challenges of their jobs and personal relationships. The series delves into themes of friendship, love, and growth as the characters face various medical cases and personal struggles.

Cast

Cho Jung-seok , Yoo Yeon-seok , Jung Kyung-ho , Kim Dae-Myung , Jeon Mi-do

Release Date

March 12, 2020

Seasons

2

Creator(s)

Lee Woo-jung , Shin Won-ho

Hospital Playlist is one of the most beloved series to come out of South Korea in the last 20 years. It’s a unique take on a medical drama as the doctors reform a band together that they last had when they were students. While there are plenty of fans who would like to see another season of that, it doesn’t appear to be in the cards just yet. Instead, Wise Resident Life is a spinoff of Hospital Playlist.

Wise Resident Life focuses on a group of interns working at the same medical center in the departments of obstetrics and gynecology. The catch is that they’re all interning at a time when the specialty is unpopular because of low birth rates.

Filming was originally scheduled for 2023, but there have been no updates since it was originally delayed.

4 The Trunk (2024, Netflix)

Starring Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun-jin

The Trunk

Drama

Mystery

Romance

Cast

Gong Yoo , Seo Hyeon-jin

Seasons

1

Directors

Kim Kyoo-tae

Netflix’s The Trunk is among the platform’s most promising upcoming K-dramas. The series, which will see a series of strange encounters tied to the discovery of an old trunk that washed ashore on a lake, is described as a mystery but is expected to include elements of comedy. This is because Gong Yoo, known for his roles in Squid Game, The Silent Sea, and Train For Busan, will play a character whose covert marriage will be arranged by his actual ex-wife, Seo-yeon.

She will be played by Seo Hyun-jin, known for her roles in Another Miss Oh, Dr. Romantic, The Beauty Inside, and You Are My Spring.This is one of two series that Gog Yoo will appear in during 2024 after taking a two-year break from anything releasing. The second of these series is Squid Game season 2, so there will be a lot for fans of the young actor to enjoy. The Trunk is based on Kim Ryeo Ryeong's novel of the same name.

3 Ask The Stars (2024, TBA)

Starring Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin

Ask The Stars

Comedy

Romance

Ask the Stars is a South Korean romantic comedy series that follows two travelers, an OB-GYN and an astronaut, who meet and begin to fall in love at an international space station.

Cast

Lee Min-ho , Kong Hyo-jin , Oh Jung-se , Han Ji-eun , Alex Hafner , Lee El , Kim Joo-hun

Seasons

1

Writers

Seo Sook-Hyang

Directors

Park Shin-woo

Love at first sight K-dramas tend to be great, which seems to be what Ask the Stars will deliver. The show, which will air on tvN but does not have a confirmed streaming home in the U.S. yet, will tell the story of a Korean-American astronaut (Gong Hyo-jin) and an obstetrician-gynecologist tourist (Lee Min-ho) who fall in love on a space station. ALso appearing in supporting roles are Han Ji-eun, Oh Jung-se, and Kim Joo-hun.

Even though there have been dozens of movies and TV shows set in space in recent years, a K-drama love story that takes place in a space station sounds very intriguing. Ask the Stars features Lee Min-ho, most know for Boys Over Flowers, and Gong Hyo-jin, from Jeaoulsy Incarnate and Sang Doo. Park Shin Woo (It's Okay To Not Be Okay) directs the romantic comedy.

The series wrapped filming in 2023, and the premiere date is still up in the air.

2 Everything Will Come True (2024, TBA)

Starring Kim Woo-bin and Suzy

Everything Will Come True

Comedy

Fantasy

Romance

Cast

Kim Woo-bin , Bae Suzy , Ahn Eun-jin , Noh Sang-hyun , Ko Kyu-Pil , Lee Joo-young

Seasons

1

Writers

Kim Eun-sook

Directors

Lee Byeong-Hun

There have been a few K-dramas about falling in love with a demon or with Death itself, including 2023’s My Demon starring Song Kang. Everything Will Come True, however, is doing something unique – a potential love story between a human woman and a genie. Suzy’s character, Ga-young, liberates a genie and is granted three wishes. However, the genie, played by Kim Woo-bin, has a personality of their own and will interact with Ga-young.

Everything Will Come True, which doesn’t have an official American streaming home yet, will be the second time Kim Woo-bin and Suzy star together in a K-drama – they first worked together in Uncontrollably Bond. Filming on the series began in February 2024 and is supposed to run until October 2024. This will make a 2024 release hard, but the series could arrive in early 2025.

1 When Life Gives You Tangerines (2025)

Starring IU and Park Bo-gum

When Life Gives You Tangerines has gone by many names since it was first announced in 2023 including Life, Thank You For Your Hard Work, and You Have Done Well. The final title appears to be When Life Gives You Tangerines, and the series isn’t expected to premiere until 2025.

The series follows Ae Soon (IU) who is a nervous rebel who longs to be a poet. She appears alongside the quiet Gwan Shik (Park Bo-gum) who loves her fiercely, but isn’t strong in the romance department. Their story is told over three time periods - as children, as young adults, and as middle-aged adults - giving fans a comprehensive love story.

Much of the excitement for the series surrounds IU in one of the lead roles. The singer/songwriter is also a popular actor in South Korea. Her last few projects have been in music and feature films, so her fans see this show as something of a television comeback for her, making an exciting addition to the upcoming K-drama slate.

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