Romances, murder mysteries, fantasy action thrillers — 2024 is poised to be huge for fans of K-dramas. From Park Min-young’s webtoon-based romance Marry My Husband to sequels to Squid Game and Sweet Home, here is your must-watch guide for K-dramas in 2024.
While 2023 was a fantastic year for Korean dramas with hit shows like The Glory Part 2 and Gyeongseong Creature, 2024 will have the stage set for Glass Slippers’ Kim Hyun-joo, who will be grappling with mysterious forces that threaten to unravel her family secrets in The Bequeathed.
Meanwhile, Lee Ha-nee and Bang Hyo-rin will draw star power to Aema on Netflix. The 2024 K-drama promises to offer a scathing critique of the dark draw of fame. Written and directed by Lee Hae-young of Believer, Aema will draw viewers to Chungmuro, an area in Seoul that was considered the heart of Korean cinema during the 1980s.
Furthermore, in Queen of the Scene, veteran Gong Hyo-jin will be seen crafting a testament to the sheer human will to fight and survive.
Sequels of hit K-dramas to watch out for in 2024
While multiple new shows will grace 2024, sequels of many hit K-dramas released in the past few years are ready to dominate the year, too.
Directed by Hot Stove Leaguefame Jung Dong-yoon, Gyeongseong Creature season 2 promises to delve deeper into human greed and remains one of the highly anticipated historical fantasy K-dramas to watch out for in 2024.
The new year will also see the return of the webtoon-based K-drama Sweet Home. After a successful first season, which was viewed by 22 million Netflix subscribers worldwide in the first four weeks of its release, according to Variety, the horror mystery returns for its second instalment on 1 December 2023. Adding onto the hype, Netflix revealed during the season 2 finale credits that Sweet Home fans can look forward to the third instalment of the hit series in the summer of 2024.
These exciting K-dramas will keep you hooked in 2024
Marry My Husband
Directed by: Park Won-gook
Cast: Park Min-young, Na In-woo, Lee Yi-kyung, Song Ha-yoon
Episodes: 16
Release date: 1 January
Synopsis: Kang Ji-won (Park) and Park Min-hwan’s (Lee) peaceful married life is turned upside down when Ji-won finds out that she is suffering from cancer and has very little time left. She eventually accepts her fate and looks forward to spending her last days with her husband, Min-hwan (Lee), who is having an affair with her best friend, Jung Soo-min (Song). When Ji-won gets to know about the affair, she confronts him. However, the altercation sets off a series of events that set her life back by 10 years.
About the show: This 2024 K-drama is based on the 2021 romantic webcomic Nae Nampyeongwa Gyeolhonhaejweo by Seong So-jak.
The Bequeathed
Directed by: Min Hong-nam
Cast: Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon, Park Byung-eun
Episodes: 6
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: After the sudden death of her uncle, Yoon Seo-ha (Kim) inherits the seonsan (Korean for a mountain where one’s ancestor’s grave is located) and gets involved in a series of unsettling incidents. This leads the town’s detective, Choi Sung-joon (Park), to take an interest in the investigation of the case.
Aema
Directed by: Lee Hae-young
Cast: Lee Ha-nee, Bang Hyo-rin, Jin Sun-jyu, Cho Hyun-chul
Episodes: TBA
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: Jeong Hui-ran (Lee), who is hailed as the best actress of her generation, is preparing hard for the lead role in the film, Madame Aema. However, her fiery temperament leads to her ouster from the movie, and she is replaced by a newcomer Shin Joo-ae (Bang), who is a nightclub dancer.
About the show: One of the widely anticipated 2024 romantic comedy K-dramas, Aema is loosely based on the true story of making the sensational film Madame Aema that swept Korea during the early 1980s.
Everything Will Come True
Directed by: Lee Byeong-hun
Cast: Bae Suzy, Kim Woo-bin
Episodes: 12
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: An overly emotional Genie (Kim) meets the cold-hearted Ga-young (Bae) and grants her three wishes when the latter releases the genie from a lamp. However, she is unaware that when her wishes are granted, they can either bring her good luck or act as a punishment for her sins.
Hierarchy
Directed by: Bae Hyun-jin
Cast: Roh Jeong-eui, Lee Chae-min, Kim Jae-won
Episodes: 7
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: Jeong Jae-yi (Roh) and her friend Kim Ri-an (Kim) come from wealthy families and were chosen at birth to study in South Korea’s most prestigious high school, Jooshin. However, when transfer student Kang Ha (Lee) joins the school, the established order at Jooshin starts to shift.
The Trunk
Directed by: Kim Kyu-tae
Cast: Seo Hyun-jin, Gong Yoo, Jung Yun-ha
Episodes: 8
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: Noh In-ji (Seo) is the head of a fixed-term marriage service agency named NM that arranges dream spouses for its clients. Meanwhile, music producer Han Jeong-won (Gong) firmly believes all marriages lead to deceit. What happens when the two opposites start falling for each other?
About the show: This new 2024 K-drama is an adaptation of the 2022 novel The Trunk by C.M. Castillo.
Mercy for None
Directed by: Choi Sung Eun
Cast: So Ji-sub, Lee Joon-hyuk, Ahn Kil-kang,
Episodes: 8
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: Nam Ki-joon (So) leaves the crime world when he sees his brother Nam Ki-seok (Lee) take over a rival gang. Years later, when Ki-seok is mysteriously ambushed and killed, Ki-joon returns to avenge his brother’s death.
About the show: One of the most popular mystery thriller K-dramas to watch out for in 2024, Mercy for None is also known as Plaza Wars and is based on the webtoon Gwangjang, written by Oh Se-hyung and illustrated by Kim Kyun-tae.
All of Us Are Dead season 2
Directed by: Lee Jae-kyu
Cast: Cho Yi-hyun, Park Ji-hu, Lomon, Yoon Chan-young
Episodes: TBA
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: The end of the first instalment saw multiple infected individuals, including Nam-ra (Cho), learning to preserve their humanity while gaining heightened senses and strength. Season two promises the unravelling of Nam-ra’s new journey as a hybrid.
About the show: One of the most popular Zombie K-drama sequels to watch out for in 2024, All of Us Are Dead season 2 is based on the Naver webtoon of the same name, created by Joo Dong-geun.
Queen of the Scene
Directed by: Lee Won-suk
Cast: Gong Hyo-jin, Park Ha-sun
Episodes: 6
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: Korean drama writer Kim Ma-ri (Gong), known for her complex stories with unexpected twists, suddenly finds herself thrust into a series of comic situations while she tries to break away and return to the real world.
Sweet Home season 3
Directed by: Lee Eung-bok
Cast: Song Kang, Go Min-si, Lee Jin-wook
Episodes: TBA
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: After fighting off mysterious creatures in the first two seasons, Cha Hyun-soo (Song) and the other survivors of the Green Home apartment will find their safety compromised once again. Will the group be able to take on a monster-dominated world?
About the show: One of the most anticipated K-dramas to watch out for in 2024, this apocalyptic horror story is a webtoon adaptation of the same name by Kim Carnby and Hwang Young-chan.
Squid Game season 2
Directed by: Hwang Dong-hyuk
Cast: Lee Jung-jae
Episodes: TBA
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: Season one revealed that out of the 456 competitors, only one survived. Seong Gi-hun (Lee), who, after making it out of the game alive, found himself getting tempted to rejoin after seeing someone else being recruited for the life-threatening game once again. While the details of season 2 are yet to be revealed, the return of Gi-hun can be expected.
Gyeongseong Creature season 2
Directed by: Jung Dong-yoon
Cast: Park Seo-joon, Han So-hee, Kim Su-hyun, Bae Hyun-sung
Episodes: TBA
Release date: TBA
Synopsis: While the debut season focuses on protagonists Jang Tae-sang (Park) and Yun Chae-ok’s (Han) journey to investigate a series of missing person cases in the mysterious Ongsung Hospital, details of season 2 have been kept under wraps by the makers as of now.
About the show: Both seasons of the new K-drama in 2024 are written by the Dr. Romantic fame writer Kang Eun-kyung.
(Hero and featured image credit: Netflix)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Why do K-dramas make you cry?
While K-dramas mostly focus on happy endings and clichéd love stories, a few, like the Lee Jong-suk starrer The Hymn of Death, often mirror real-life experiences and offer viewers an emotional purge. Some of the saddest K-dramas also don’t shy away from exposing the harsh realities of Korean society.
– Which new 2024 K-drama stars Bae Suzy?
The new 2024 K-drama that stars Bae Suzy is Everything Will Come True.
– Who is the most popular Korean drama actor?
Some of the most popular K-drama actors are Kim Hye Soo, Son Ye-jin, Kim Soo-hyun, Lee Min-ho, Bae Suzy, Shin Joon-young, Park Ji-hyun, Gong Gyo-jin, Jo Bo-ah, Kwon Sang-woo, Choi Ji-woo, Kim Moo-young, Kim Hye-ja, Song Hye-kyo, Lim Ji-yeon, Yeo Jin-goo and Lee Je-hoon.
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
