40 New Korean Dramas You Should Watch in 2022

South Korea is trying its hand in another zombie flick following the successes of Train to Busan and Netflix’s very own, Kingdom. This 2022, Netflix is kickstarting the new year with an adaptation of the popular webtoon, All of Us Are Dead.

The upcoming horror drama will follow a group of high school students who become trapped inside the school when a zombie virus spreads through the populous.

Cast: Yoon Chan-young, Park Ji-hoo, Jo Yi-hyun, Park Solomon, Yoo In-soo

Release: January 28

Don't miss: Why You Should Watch Netflix’s New Zombie K-Drama, ‘All of Us Are Dead’

Rom-com queen, Park Min-young is teaming up with the ‘Son of Netflix’ Song Kang for this workplace drama. Weather People is about the work and romance of people who work at a weather forecast service.

Cast: Park Min-young, Song Kang, Yura, Yoon Park

Release: February 12

Read more: Song Kang and Park Min-Young Get Candid About Their New K-Drama, ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’

Twenty-Five, Twenty-One is about two people who meet when they are 22 and 18. The drama will explore the joy of youth, growth and friendship.

Cast: Kim Tae-ri, Nam Joo-hyuk, WJSN’s Bona, Choi Hyun-wook, Lee Joo-myung

Release: February 12

See also: Why Netflix K-Drama ‘Twenty Five, Twenty One’ Is Going to Be a Heart-Fluttering Watch

Seo Kang-joon returns to grace our screens on Disney+ after two years. Grid is about a mysterious being who initially saved mankind from a crisis. However, it suddenly reappears and helps a murderer. A government official and detective delve into the secrets to uncover the truth.

Cast: Seo Kang-joon, Kim Ah-joong, Lee Si-young

Release: February 16

Don’t miss: Why Disney+’s New Korean Mystery Drama, ‘Grid’ Is a Must-Watch

Powerhouse actress Kim Hye-soo will be putting on a judge’s robe for her new drama, Juvenile Justice next year. Kim will be playing a newly appointed judge to the juvenile court who just also happens to hate, juvenile offenders. But her hatred is rooted in her past as she was a victim of a juvenile crime.

With her new role, she will face a lot of cases involving young delinquents which will open her eyes to what it means to truly be an adult.

Cast: Kim Hye-soo, Kim Mu-yeol, Lee Sung-min, Lee Jung-eun, Park Jong-hwan

Release: February 25

Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong team up for this romantic comedy about an office employee who goes on a blind date with her company’s CEO in place of her friend. She must hide her real identity from him while working at the same company.

Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jong, Kim Min-kyu, Seol In-a, Lee Deok-hwa

Release: February 28

After impressing viewers in Itaewon Class, My Name and Yumi’s Cells, Ah Bo-hyun is showcasing his versatility as a greedy military prosecutor in Military Prosecutor Doberman.

Do Bae-man is a military prosecutor who chose money over the law. But when Cha Woo-in (Jo Bo-ah), a fellow military prosecutor joins him, they work together to fight evil and become real prosecutors.

Cast: Ahn Bo-hyun, Jo Bo-ah, On Yeon-soo, Kim Young-min

Release: February 28

Krystal Jung and Kim Jae-wook team up for the first time in Crazy Love. It tells the story of mathematical genius CEO, Noh Go-jin (Kim) who begins to receive death threats from an unknown person. He hatches a plan to track them down.

Lee Shin-a (Krystal) is a hard-working secretary at Noh’s company who has recently been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease. Before she quits, she plans to take revenge on her boss for treating her poorly but instead finds Noh in an unusual situation. What ensues is a sweet, grisly romance between the two.

Cast: Krystal Jung, Kim Jae-wook, Ha-joon, Yu In-young, Lim Won-hee

Release: March 7

Read more: Why Disney+’s Crazy Love’ Is the New Romantic K-Drama You Need to Watch

Described as a music drama, Soundtrack #1 will follow best friends Han Sun-woo (Park Hyung-sik) and Lee Eun-so (Han So-hee). After staying in the same house for two weeks, they learn about each other’s true feelings.

Cast: Han So-hee, Park Hyung-sik, Yoon Byung-hee, Lee Jung-eun, Park Hoon, Kim Joo-hun

Release: March 23

See also: Disney+’s ‘Soundtrack #1’ Is the New K-Drama to Warm Our Hearts

Tomorrow follows Choi Joon-wong, who’s been jobless for three years. Tired, he attempts to take his own life. Just as he was about to do it, he encounters someone else doing the same and convinces the person to stop but the two end up falling off the bridge together.

Choi ends up in a three-year coma and during this time, his soul becomes half alive and half dead. When he wakes up, he gets a job in crisis management where he takes care of people who are at a high risk of committing suicide.

Cast: Rowoon, Kim Hee-sun, Lee So-hyuk, Kim Hae-sook, Yoon Ji-on

Release: March 25

Don’t miss: Exclusive: Rowoon and Nam Yoon-Su on Being the Leading Men of Netflix’s ‘The King’s Affection’

While not a full-fledged Korean drama, we still recommend this series. Pachinko is the TV series adaptation of Min Jin Lee’s best-selling novel of the same name. The series will chronicle the hopes and dreams of a Korean immigrant family across four generations as they leave their homeland in a quest to survive and thrive.

With a star-studded cast to boast including Oscar-winning actress, Youn Yuh-jung, Pachinko is one of the highly-anticipated dramas to come out this year especially as it promises to be epic in scale.

Cast: Youn Yuh-jung, Lee Min-ho, Minha Kim, Jin Ha, Anna Sawai, Soji Arai, Kaho Minami, Steve Sanghyun, Jung Eun-chae, Jung Woong-in, Han Joon-woo

Release: March 25

Read more: Exclusive: ‘Pachinko’ Stars Lee Min-ho and Kim Min-ha Get Personal About Their Roles

Our Blues will see the first project of the real-life couple, Kim Woo-bin and Shin Min-a. It also boasts a star-studded cast that includes the likes of Lee Byung-hun, Han Ji-min, Cha Seung-won and more. This drama will look at the sweet, sour and bitter stories in Jeju Island throughout different stages of their life.

Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Shin Min-a, Kim Woo-bin, Han Ji-min, Lee Jung-eun, Cha Seung-won, Uhm Jong-hwa

Release: April 9

See also: Kim Woo-Bin on Being Jaeger-LeCoultre’s New Ambassador and What’s Next for Him

After his impressive performance in D.P. (which was just announced for a second season), Koo Kyo-hwan is helming the K-drama, Monstrous alongside Hospital Playlist’s Shin Hyun-bin, Vincenzo’s Kwak Dong-yeon and The Great Shaman Ga Doo Shim’s Nam Da-reum.

Monstrous will follow the people who have been lured by a curse from a mysterious creature that shouldn’t have come into the world. A group of archaeologists led by Jung Ki-hoon and Lee Soo-jin will try to uncover the case as villagers get swept into the disaster.

Cast: Koo Kyo-hwan, Shin Hyun-bin, Kwak Dong-yeon, Nam Da-reum

Release: April 29

Don’t miss: The Cast of ‘D.P.’ Talks About the New Netflix K-Drama

Hwang In-yeop gets his due as the leading man in Why Oh Soo Jae? opposite romantic comedy star Seo Hyun-jin. The story is about a woman who always makes the wrong choices in life. But it changes when she falls in love with a young man.

Cast: Hwang In-yeop, Seo Hyun-jin, Bae In-hyuk

Release: May 2

Read more: ‘You Are My Spring’: 5 Reasons the Netflix K-Drama is a Must Watch

The year wouldn’t be complete without a saeguk (historical) drama and one of the most anticipated is Bloody Heart. It tells the story of Lee Tae, who becomes the king of Joseon and dreams of absolute monarchy.

Cast: Lee Joon, Kang Hana, Jang Hyuk

Release: May 2

The Sound of Magic revolves around Yoo Ah-yi, who’s making ends meet as she supports herself and her younger sister. Abandoned by her parents because of debt, Yoo balances her part-time job and studies and still manages to become a top student.

But all she wants is to grow up quickly so she can find a stable job. Desperate for change, Yoo reveals her dream to the magician Lee Eul and her life begins to change.

Cast: Ji Chang-wook, Choi Sung-eun, Hwang In-yeop, Nam Da-reum, Hong Seo-hee

Release: May 6

See also: Choi Sung-Eun and Ji Chang-Wook are Starring in Netflix’s ‘The Sound of Magic’

This fantasy drama follows Eun Gye-hoon (Yeo Jin-goo) and Noh Da-hyun (Moon Ga-young) who are linked to each other and experience the same emotional state.

When one of them cries of laughs, the other will feel the same.

Cast: Yeo Jin-goo, Moon Ga-young

Release: May 16

Following her departure from Island, Seo Ye-ji will be starring in Eve instead. Eve tells the story of a chaebol family KRW2 trillion divorce lawsuit that shocks the entire nation, of which, at the centre of the lawsuit is Lee La-el (Seo Ye-ji), the daughter of the chaebol family.

Cast: Seo Ye-ji, Park Byung-eun, Yoo Sun, Lee Sang-yeob

Release: June 2

Kang Ha-neul will be gracing our screens in action-suspense drama, Insider. It will follow the life of Kim Yo-han, a judicial trainee whose life turns upside down while working undercover for an investigation.

Cast: Lee Yoo-young, Kang Ha-neul, Kim Sang-ho

Release: June 8

Gong Soo-kwang (Na In-woo), is a fishmonger at a traditional market who does his best to make an honest living. Unfortunately, he has a reputation for being incredibly unlucky and as a result, people try to avoid him at all costs. but his life wasn’t always this bleak. Seven years ago, Soo-kwang had a perfectly normal, happy life but all that changed when he happened to chance upon Lee Seul-bi (SNSD's Seohyun).

Seul-bi is a curious woman with the ability to see the future of anybody she touches–a special ability she inherited from her mother. When fate allows Soo-kwang and Seul-bi to meet again, will Soo-kwang help Seul-bi on her mission or become her worst enemy? 

Cast: Seohyun, Na In-woo, Jun Kwang-ryul, Yoon Ji-hye

Release: June 15

The hit Spanish show La Casa de Papel has recently just concluded after five seasons—now, South Korea will be helming an adaptation of the well-loved show.

Set in an alternate world where North and South Korea have reunited, the new country without borders comes with the printing of a new unified currency that will act as the groundwork to build a stable joint economy. That is, until a crew of thieves—led by the Professor—band together to accomplish a heist without limits. A heist that will go down in history as a revolutionary crime.

The star-studded cast will be led by Yoo Ji-tae as the Professor, Park Hae-soo as Berlin, and Jeon Jong-seo as Tokyo.

Cast: Yoo Ji-tae, Jeon Jong-seo, Park Hae-soo, Lee Won-jong, Kim Ji-hoon

Release: June 24

Don’t miss: First Look: Netflix’s ‘Money Heist’ Korean Remake Reveals Title and Teaser

Written and directed by Lee Joo-young, Anna tells the story of a woman who lives a completely different life starting with a small lie. Bae Suzy plays Yu-Mi, a mysterious woman living with two different personalities. 

Cast: Bae Suzy, Jung Eun-Chae, Kim Joon-Han, Park Ye-Young

Release: June 24

Led by Seo In-guk and Oh Yeon-seo, Minamdang: Case Note is a mystery-comedy that revolves around former profiler Nam Han-joon who becomes a male shaman. Later on, he crosses paths with the violent crimes division’s team leader, Han Jae-hee.

Cast: Seo In-guk, Oh Yeon-seo, Kwak Si-yang, Kang Mina, Kwon Soo-hyun

Release: June 27

Read more: Seo In-Guk: 8 Things to Know About the ‘Doom at Your Service’ Actor

Extraordinary Attorney Woo follows Woo Young-woo (Park Eun-bin), a rookie but genius lawyer with Asperger's Syndrome at Hanbada Law Firm. While she faces prejudicial treatment at work and in her daily life, she effortlessly cracks cases by focusing on details and legal loopholes that nobody else spots. The K-drama breaks the mould in representing disability in film and television, and offers a glimpse into the life of someone on the autism spectrum. 

Cast: Park Eun-bin, Kang Tae-oh, Kang Ki-young

Release: June 29

See also: 5 Things We Loved About Netflix’s K-Drama ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’

This eight-episode Korean drama takes place at an exclusive matchmaking agency called Rex, which caters to the affluent in society. The members here are all desperate to climb the social ladder by marrying into the ranks of the elite, particularly those listed under the Black tier—an elite group that consists of only 0.001 per cent of the population.

Cast: Kim Hee-soon, Lee Hyun-wook, Jung Eugene, Cha Ji-yeon, Park Hoon

Release: July 15

Big Mouth is the highly anticipated return of Lee Jong-suk to the small screen following his military service. The noir drama is about a third-rate lawyer who becomes in charge of a murder case that turns him into a conman known as Big Mouth to catch the killer. He must expose a huge conspiracy among the affluent in society.

Cast: Lee Jong-suk, YoonA, Kwak Dong-yeon, Kim Joo-heon, Ok Ja-yeon, Yang Kyung-won

Release: July 29

Don’t miss: Lee Jong-Suk: 7 Most Stylish Looks From the Korean Actor

Little Women is the Korean adaptation of the 1868 eponymous novel by Louisa May Alcott. The series depicts the story of three poor sisters who are close, their involvement in the case of KRW70 billion won which goes missing, and how they bravely face members of Korea's richest family who are their opponents.

Cast: Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, Park Ji-hoo, Wi Ha-joon

Release: September 3

Read more: South Korean Screenwriter Chung Seo-Kyung Talks Park Chan-Wook, Hong Kong and What’s Next

Narcos-Saints, also known as The Accidental Narco, sees the return of some of South Korea’s biggest stars to the small screen including Ha Jung-woo and Hwang Jung-min. Squid Game’s Park Hae-soo and Hospital Playlist’s Yoo Yeon-seok are also set to star. The Korean drama is based on true events and takes place in South Korea where a drug lord has caught the attention of the National Intelligence Service.

To capture him, the intelligence service asks an entrepreneur for help as he’s seeking to expand his business in Suriname. But he, himself falls into the world of drug crime.

Cast: Ha Jung-woo, Hwang Jung-min, Park Hae-soo, Jo Woo-jin, Yeo Yeon-seok

Release: September 9

Read more: 8 Thrilling Facts About Netflix’s ‘My Name’

They say that nothing in life comes for free, but when struggling Lee Seung-cheon is offered a new life full of wealth and riches in exchange for the purchase of a golden spoon that is affordable, he will soon learn that there’s more to that expression than meets the eye. Referred to as 'dirt spoon' by those who know him best, Lee and several others will soon have their lives completely transformed in unexpected and irreversible ways in The Golden Spoon.

Cast: Yook Sung-jae (of BtoB), Lee Jong-won, Jung Chae-yeon, Yeonwoo

Release: September 23

Cheer Up centres on the story of Do Hae-yi, a bright student who, driven by earning money, decides to join the cheering squad because of her family's poor financial situation. The coming-of-age K-drama, which combines mystery, comedy, and romance, follows Do as she navigates friendship and love along the way. 

Cast: Han Ji-hyun,  Bae In-hyuk, Kim Hyun-jin, Jang Gyu-ri, Lee Eun-saem, Yang Dong-geun

Release: October 4

See also: The Penthouse Hangover: 5 Similar K-Dramas You Should Watch

Commemorating Do Kyung-soo's comeback from military service is K-drama Bad Prosecutor, in which he stars as Jin Jung, a troublemaking prosecutor of the Central District Office who'd give it his all to bring bad guys to justice and often, punish them more than they deserve. He clashes with Shin Ah-ra, a charismatic senior prosecutor who's always objective and handles cases with a clean finish, and elite prosecutor Oh Do-hwan, who believes that money and power are everything. In a world thick with corruption, they're forced to work together to serve justice.

Cast: Do Kyung-soo aka D.O. (of EXO), Lee Se-Hee, Ha-joon

Release: October 6

After impressing viewers in Vincenzo, rising actress Jeon Yeo-bin is returning to Netflix as Hong Ji-hyo for the drama, Glitch. She’s tracking down her missing boyfriend with the help of the members of the UFO club.

The highly-anticipated drama will be penned by writer Gin Han-sai who worked on Netflix’s Extracurricular.

Cast: Jeon Yeo-bin, Nana, Lee Dong-hwi, Ryu Kyung-soo

Release: October 7

Don't miss: Jeon Yeo-Bin: 10 Things To Know About The ‘Vincenzo’ Actress

Based on the eponymous webtoon, Hunting Dogs will mark Woo Do-hwan’s comeback to the screen after finishing his military service. He’ll be joined by Kim Sae-ron, Lee Sang-yi and Heo Joon-ho. The live-action adaptation follows three men who try to get out of debt and their fates become intertwined.

Cast: Woo Do-hwan, Kim Sae-ron, Lee Sang-yi, Heo Joon-ho

Release: TBC

To four “Ride or die!” best friends who are dedicated to pursuing their passions in the fashion world, falling down means standing right up. The upcoming K-drama The Fabulous captures the hustle and bustle of the fashion industry as the backdrop of the dreams, love, and friendship of the main characters, who work in the fashion industry as a marketer, a photographer, a designer, and a model. 

Cast: Chae Soo-bin, Choi Min-ho (of SHINee), Lee Sang-woon, Park Hee-jung

Release: November 4

After the success of Vincenzo, Song Joong-ki is set to star in this revenge-driven fantasy drama. Based on the webtoon The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate, Reborn Rich tells the story of a poor man named Yong Hyun-woo (Song Joong-ki) who was framed for embezzlement by the wealthy family of Sunyang Group, which he had loyally served for over 10 years. He’s eventually betrayed and murdered by the family’s youngest son, Jin Do-joon, only to wake up to find out that he has been reincarnated into the body of Jin. He then plans to take revenge on the family by secretly plotting a hostile takeover.

Cast: Song Joong-ki, Shin Hyun-bin, Lee Sung-min

Release: November 18

See also: ‘Chaebol Family’s Youngest Son’: 4 Things to Know About Song Joong-Ki’s New K-Drama

Please Send a Fan Letter is a romantic comedy-drama that tells the story of popular actress Hang Kang-hee, a top celebrity in South Korea, who faces the biggest crisis in her life after accidentally receiving a fake fan letter from Bang Jeong-seok. a single father who is desperate to grand his sick daughter's wishes of receiving a reply from the actress.

Cast: Choi Soo-young (of Girls' Generation), Yoon Park, Kang Da-hyun, Kim Sang-woo

Release: November 26

Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) dreamed of one day becoming an architect. However, she became a victim of school violence, which forced her to drop out of high school. Years later, the perpetrator gets married and has a child that attends the same elementary school where Moon now works as a homeroom teacher. She then plots revenge on her tormentors and also the bystanders of her bullying days.

Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon, Park Sung-hoon, Son Sook, Shin Ye-eun

Release: December 30

Lee Da-hee scoops in to take on the role of Won Mi-ho alongside Kim Nam-gil and Cha Eun-woo. The drama is adapted from the eponymous webtoon and follows Won Mi-ho, the only heiress to Daehan Group.

But selfish and spoiled, her father banishes her to Jeju Island as punishment. There, she starts working as a high school ethics teacher. Little does she know, evil lurks on the island. She starts to meet people and join forces in order to survive.

Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Lee Da-hee, Cha Eun-woo, Sung Joon

Release: December

Based on a true story, Recipe For Farewell follows the life of Chang-rae, a 40-year-old man who works as a translator and a humanities instructor. His wife Da-jung has difficulties eating as she's suffering from terminal colon cancer. She asks Chang-wook to cook for her every day although the only thing he knows how to make is ramen. Chang-wook begins to learn to cook for Da-jung with love and care.

Cast: Han Suk-kyu, Kim Seo-hyung, Jin Ho-eun

Release: December

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