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KDrama
2020 has been one of the worst years in recent memory, but don’t worry it will all soon come to a close. For Kdrama fans, the coming year will be filled with joy and laughter with a plethora of great Korean dramas to watch.
So let’s turn our sights to the coming year and see what new Kdramas are in store for us.
1. Mouse
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Network: tvN
Release Date: 3 March 2021
No. of Episodes: 20
Main Cast
- Lee Seung-gi as Jung Ba-reum
- Park Joo-hyun as Oh Bong-yi
- Lee Hee-joon as Ko Moo-chi
If psychological issues could be screened for in the womb, how would that affect our ability to correct sociopathic behavior before it’s too late? Would parents still want to give birth to a potentially dangerous person or decide on abortion?
These questions are at the center of the kdrama Mouse which tells the stories of police officers trying to catch a murderer who has terrified the entire nation. Jung Ba-reum (Lee Seung-gi), a rookie police officer whose life changes after a confrontation with the psychopathic serial killer. After a dangerous encounter with the psychopath, he and his partner, Ko Moo-chi (Lee Hee-joon) are moved to discover the truth behind psychopathic behaviour.
2. She Would Never Know
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Network: JTBC
Release Date: 18 January 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Ro-woon as Chae Hyun-seung
- Won Jin-ah as Yoon Song-ah
- Lee Hyun-wook as Lee Jae-shin
- Lee Joo-bin as Lee Hyo-joo
She Would Never Know is another kdrama based on a popular web novel published in 2017. It tells the sweet love story between a lovely senior and a bold junior who is sexy and sincere.
Yoon Song-A (Won Jin-ah) works as a marketer for a cosmetic brand who dreams to start on her own cosmetic brand. Meanwhile, Chae Hyun-Seung (Ro-woon) works with Yoon Song-A as a marketer and becomes attracted to Yoon Song-A while he tries to develop a romantic relationship with her. Will there be any challenges as they slowly develop feelings for each other?
3. Sell Your Haunted House
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Network: KBS2
Release Date: 14 April 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Jung Na-ra as Hong Ji-a
- Jung Yong-hwa as Oh In-bum
Sell Your Haunted House is about a real estate agent and a con artist who team up to exorcise ghosts and evil auras from haunted properties.
Hong Ji-ah (Jung Na-ra) is a real estate broker, owner of Daebak Real Estate and an exorcist. She cleans out buildings in which ghosts frequent and people have died in. She inherited the ability to exorcise from her mother. While Oh In-beom (Jung Yong-hwa) is a con-artist who uses ghosts as a way of earning money. These two start working together to solve the secret behind her mother’s death 20 years ago.
4. Hello, Me!
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
Network: KBS, Netflix
Release Date: 17 February 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Choi Gang-hee as Ban Ha-ni (37 years old)
- Kim Young-Kwang as Han Yu-hyeon
- Lee Re as Ban Ha-ni (17 years old)
- Eum Moon-suk as Anthony
Hello, Me! is a heart-warming drama that tells the story of self-discovery and evolution. Ban Ha-ni (Choi Gang-hee) is 37 years old and single. One day, she travels back to meet her enthusiastic, passionate and fearless 17-year-old self. With her younger self, she heals her wounds and learns how to love again.
5. Sisyphus: The Myth
Genre: Thriller, Action, Sci-fi
Network: JTBC, Netflix
Release Date: 17 February 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Jo Seung-woo as Han Tae-sul
- Park Shin-hye as Seo Hae
- Sung Dong-il as President Park
Sisyphus: The Myth tells the story of Han Tae-sul (Jo Seung-woo), a brilliant engineer who tries to discover the truth behind his older brother’s death, and Gang Seo-hae (Park Shin-hye), a mysterious woman who travels back in time to assist him in saving the world from imminent danger.
If you like sci-fi mystery kind of korean drama, this would be one of the best kdrama to watch out in 2021!
6. Beyond Devil
Genre: Thriller, Psychological
Network: JTBC
Release Date: 19 February 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Yeo Jin-goo as Han Joo-won
- Choi Sung-eun as Yoo Jae-yi
- Shin Ha-kyun as Lee Dong-sik
Beyond Evil focuses on the interactions between an ordinary old policeman who is way past his prime and spends time doing tedious chores in the office, and the son of the new high-ranking official. They team up to catch a serial killer ravaging a small countryside town.
What is it that makes such monsters? Are they formed by society or are they born that way? This drama explores these questions and more.
As Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun) and Han Joo-won (Yeo Jin-goo) solve the murderer’s identity mystery, they are forced to question all suspects, even those who appear innocent – including themselves. The two work together to solve the 20-year-old case, but they soon discover each other’s secrets and become engrossed in a mind game to figure out who the true “freak” is.
7. Monthly House
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Network: JTBC
Release Date: 16 June 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Kim Ji-suk as Yoo Ja-sung
- Jung So-min as Na Young-won
The premise for this kdrama will bring attention to a fairly persistent issue in Korea these days: real estate and the difficulty of acquiring your own home. Monthly House is a story about the romance of two people: Yoo Ja-sung (Kim Ji-suk), a wealthy man who runs a real estate investment firm and a magazine, and Na Young-won (Jung So-min), a magazine editor. After meeting Ja-sung, Young-won decides to look for a home of her own and develops an interest in the real estate industry.
If you love to watch sweet loving romance shows, check this drama out!
8. Taxi Driver
Genre: Action, Horror, Crime
Network: SBS
Release Date: 9 April 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Lee Je-hoon as Kim Do-gi
- Esom as Kang Ha-na
- Lee Na-eun as Go Eun
- Kim Eui-sang as Jang Sung-chul
Taxi Driver is an upcoming 2021 Korean drama that was modified from a webtoon. This drama’s main topic in question is justice and how to define the word in the corrupt society we live in. It shows the story of Dogi, a deluxe taxi driver, who fights and avenges on behalf of victims who have been treated unfairly.
Kim Do-gi (Lee Je-hoon), whose mother was murdered, works for Rainbow Taxi Company as a mysterious driver alongside Go Eun (Lee Na-eun), an IT specialist. On the other hand, Kang Ha-na (Esom) is a passionate attorney who soon becomes involved in the mysterious workings of the taxi company.
9. Law School
Genre: Law, Drama
Network: JTBC
Release Date: 14 April 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Kim Myung-min as Yang Jong-hoon
- Ryu Hye-young as Kang Sol
- Kim Bum as Han Joon-hwi
- Lee Jung-eun as Kim Eun-sook
Law School depicts the trials and tribulations of law students and professors at South Korea’s top law school. This new Korean drama from 2021 is the first to focus on life in a law school.
Yang Jong-Hoon (Kim Myung-min) is a former prosecutor who now works as a law professor at a university. He is well-known for his tough approach to teaching, which he believes is necessary for developing successful candidates for the legal profession. However, the entire university is embroiled in a murder investigation in which everyone is a suspect.
The rest of the supporting cast is made up of well-known and successful actors and actresses who will no doubt ensure that this drama, at least in terms of acting, delivers quality to viewers.
10. River Where The Moon Rises
Genre: Historical, Romance
Network: KBS
Release Date: 15 February 2021
No. of Episodes: 20
Main Cast
- Kim So-hyun as Princess Pyeonggang/Yeom Ga-jin
- Ji Soo as On Dal
- Lee Ji-hoon as Go Geon
- Choi Yoo-hwa as Hae Mo-yong
River Where the Moon Rises is a classic folk tale about Princess Pyeonggang (Kim So-hyun) and On Dal’s love story (Ji Soo).
On Dal lives with his protective mother, who warns him not to go beyond the woods where his hut is located. Curiosity gets the best of him and one day, he decides to visit the village market, where he meets Princess Pyeong-gang.
Following their chance meeting, Princess Pyeong-gang pays a visit to his hut, stating that she wishes to live with him and will teach him martial arts as well as how to read and write.
11. Voice 4
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Crime
Network: TvN
Release Date: Summer 2021
No. of Episodes: TBA
Main Cast
- Lee Ha-na as Kang Kwon-joo
- Song Seung-heon
Excited for the comeback of Voice? Following 3 successful seasons with a great lineup of actors including Lee Jin-wook and Jang Hyuk, Voice 4 will star Song Seung-heon as the main character along with Lee Ha-na, who has led all the seasons.
A new director will shoot the drama while the plot will take place on the stunning island of Jeju-do.
Kang Kwon-joo (Lee Ha-na) is a talented police officer who works at an emergency call center. She solves crimes using her psycho-acoustic and voice profiling abilities and works alongside Detective Derek Jo (Song Seung-Heon) to apprehend the serial killer. For the first season, Kwon-joo’s partner was Moo Jin-hyuk (Jang Hyuk) and Do Kang-woo (Lee Jin-wook) in Season 2 and 3.
12. Hospital Playlist Season 2
Genre: Comedy, Medical, Friendship
Network: tvN, Netflix
Release Date: 17 June 2021
No. of Episodes: 12
Main Cast
- Jo Jung-suk as Lee Ik-joon
- Yoo Yeon-seok as Ahn Jeong-won
- Kim Dae-myung as Yang Seok-hyung
- Jung Kyung-ho as Kim Joon-wan
- Jeon Mi-do as Chae Song-hwa
One of the best kdramas of 2020, Hospital Playlist was simultaneously popular on television and on Netflix. The final episode laid the groundwork for a stellar season two, which we’re all happy to see come to fruition.
The drama revolves around the lives of five doctors and nurses who work at Yulje Medical Center. They’ve all known each other since the beginning of their college careers. It’s around 1999, and they’ve been best friends since then. The last season revolves around Lee Ik-joon’s (Jo Jung-suk) emotions as he is finally ready and motivated to propose to Song Hwa. He has had feelings for her for a long time and is about to express them.
In the coming season, you can expect him to answer all the questions that are left in the first season. It will not only continue the previous season but will also continue with a fresh plot.
13. Red Sky
Genre: Historical, Romance, Fantasy
Network: SBS
Release Date: Second half of 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Kim Yoo-jung as Hong Chun-gi
- Ahn Hyo-seop as Ha Ram
- Gong Myung as Lee Yul/Prince An Pyeong
- Kwak Shi-yang as Prince Soo Yang
Red Sky is based on a novel written by Jung Eun-gwol. She also wrote the original novels for the kdramas Sungkyunkwan Scandal and The Moon Embracing the Sun.
This drama is still very early in production. But it is already known to focus on the Joseon time period and center around a love story between Hong Chun-gi (Kim Yoo-jung), Joseon’s only female painter who possesses an excellent memory, and Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo-seop), an astrologer.
14. Love Alarm Season 2
Genre: Friendship, Comedy, Romance, School
Network: Netflix
Release Date: 12 March 2021
No. of Episodes: 6
Main Cast
- Song Kang as Hwang Sun-oh
- Kim So-hyun as Kim Jo Jo
- Jung Ga-ram as Lee Hye-young
The first season of Love Alarm has received overwhelmingly positive reviews when it aired on Netflix with its novel concept of confessing via an app that sends a notification when an admirer is within a 10-meter radius. The second season will develop the love triangle between Hwang Sun-oh (Song Kang), Kim Jo Jo (Kim So-hyun), and Lee Hye-young (Jung Ga-ram), who are now adults.
Let this relaxing kdrama full of sweet romance bring some joy to your every day.
15. Doom At Your Service
Genre: Supernatural, Drama
Network: tvN
Release Date: 10 May 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Seo In-guk as Kim Sa-ram/Myeol Mang
- Park Bo-young as Tak Dong-kyung
- Lee Soo-hyuk as Cha Joo-ik
- Kang Tae-oh as Lee Hyun-gyu
- Shin Do-hyun as Na Ji-na
Doom At Your Service is most recent kdrama centred on Kim Sa-ram (Seo In-guk). He is also known as “Myeol Mang”, which means “ruin” or “destruction” in Korean. Sa-ram was born between the dark and the light, and his destiny causes him to bring misfortune to the world. His presence alone brings misfortune and ruin to people’s lives, even when he has no intention of doing so.
One day, he meets Tak Dong-kyung (Park Bo-young), who decides to bet her life and love on an unexpected fate that intervenes in her ordinary life.
16. Vincenzo
Genre: Crime, Comedy, Romance
Network: tvN
Release Date: 20 February 2021
No. of Episodes: 20
Main Cast
- Song Joong-ki as Vincenzo Casano/Park Joo-hyung
- Jun Yeo-bin as Hong Cha-young
- Ok Taecyeon as Jang Jun-woo
Vincenzo is a romance-comedy about 2 lawyers – Park Joo-hyung (Song Joong-ki) and Hong Cha-young (Jun Yeo-bin).
At the age of 8, Joo-hyung moves to Italy after being adopted and takes on the name Vincenzo Casano. He begins working for the mafia. However, when a war breaks out between mafia groups, he’s forced to flee to South Korea.
After fleeing to South Korea, he gets involved with a lawyer, Yeo-bin and he uses their relationship to start delivering his own brand of justice.
17. Dear M
Genre: Romance, School, Drama
Network: KBS2
Release Date: 26 February 2021 (postponed)
No. of Episodes: 12
Main Cast
- Park Hye-soo as Ma Joo-ah
- Jung Jae-hyun as Cha Min-ho
- Roh Jeong-eui as Seo Ji-min
- Bae Hyun-sung as Park Ha-neul
Building on the success of web-dramas like Love Playlist, KBS is preparing this new drama titled Dear M, hoping to capture a similar audience.
Bringing together Park Hye-soo and NCT’s Jaehyun, as well as other successful cast members, there’s no shortage of familiar faces.
This drama will focus on 4 students from different departments – Ma Joo-ah (Park Hye-soo), Cha Min-ho (Jung Jae-hyun), Seo Ji-min (Roh Jeong-eui), and Park Ha-neul (Bae Hyun-sung) navigating their life in Seoyeon University after a mysterious “M” on the campus bulletin sends the school reeling.
18. Jiri Mountain
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Action
Network: tvN
Release Date: June 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Jun Ji-hyun as Seo Yi-kang
- Ju Ji-hoon as Kang Hyun-jo
- Sung Dong-il as Jo Dae-jin
- Oh Jung-se as Jung Goo-young
One thing to look forward to in this kdrama is the reunion of Jun Ji-hyun and Ju Ji-hoon, who first captured the screen in the amazingly popular drama, Kingdom.
Jiri Mountain will tell the story of park rangers who work and rescue people at Jiri Mountain National Park. Seo Yi-kang (Jun Ji-hyun) is the best ranger at Jiri Mountain National Park. She knows virtually everything about the area, including where to climb the mountain. On the hand, Kang Hyun-jo (Ju Ji-hoon) is a rookie ranger who graduated from the military academy and was once an army captain. He has a secret that he can’t tell anyone about.
Although the plot is tried and true, the performances are sure to be spectacular. Maybe there will be some zombie crossover?
19. The Silent Sea
Genre: Horror, Sci-fi, Mystery, Thriller
Network: Netflix
Release Date: 2021
No. of Episodes: 8
Main Cast
- Gong Yoo as Yoon-jae
- Bae Doo-na as Ji-an
- Lee Joon as Tae-seok
Sci-fi fans will rejoice for this kdrama, The Silent Sea. Set in the future when Earth is facing apocalyptic scarcity of food and water, a team of scientists have to embark on a mission to the moon to retrieve a special package from an abandoned station.
Yoon-jae (Gong Yoo) is a soldier assigned to the space agency while Ji-an (Bae Doo-na) is his teammate on the same lunar mission.
Among the many things to be excited about, Gong Yoo’s return to the small screen is the one that has piqued the most interest. His previous release was the well-received Guardian (Dokkaebi).
20. School 2021
Genre: Comedy, Youth, School, Romance
Network: KBS2
Release Date: August 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Kim Yo-han as Joo Do-bin
- Kim Young-dae as Kim Tae-jin
- Jo Yi-hyun as Na Geum-young
This popular drama anthology makes its return to the KBS timeslots. After yearly outing from 1999-2002, there was a decade long hiatus before a subsequent season was filmed. Finally, a 2021 version is slated for production.
School 2021 follows the life and growth of students at a vocational high school, including Kim Tae-Jin (Kim Yo-han) and Na Geum-Young (Jo Yi-hyun). It tells a story of them pursuing their own dreams rather than going off to college. It will delve into how these students learn about love, friendship, the things they like versus the things they’re good at, and growing up in an intense environment.
21. Kingdom: Ashin Of The North
Genre: Political, Horror, Thriller
Network: Netflix
Release Date: 2021
No. of Episodes: TBA
Main Cast
- Jun Ji-hyun as Ashin
- Park Byung-eun as Min Chi-rok
We were all passionately waiting on season 3 of the zombie drama, and it’s really exciting to hear of a new spin-off titled Kingdom: Ashin Of The North will release on Netflix sometime this year.
Writer Kim Eun-hee says that Ashin is one of the most significant characters in the story and that she wanted to make special episodes to share the world of Ashin (Jun Ji-hyun). The story will reveal the origin of the resurrection plant and the mystery behind Ashin’s identity.
22. All Of Us Are Dead
Genre: Suspense, Horror, Zombie
Network: Netflix
Release Date: First half of 2021
No. of Episodes: 8
Main Cast
- Park Ji-hoo as On-zo
- Yoon Chan-young as Chun-san
- Jo Yi-hyun as Nam-ra
- Yoo In-soo as Gwi-nam
- Park Solomon as Su-hyuk
This kdrama is one of the Netflix original dramas that we are especially curious about because it is the next zombie drama following the success of Kingdom.
Adapted from a webtoon, All of Us Are Dead is about a group of high school students who are faced with an extreme crisis situation when they become trapped in their school, while a zombie virus spreads like a wildfire.
In a school with nowhere to escape, how will the relationship between the students develop? How will they work together to survive? Who will live and who will die? All these questions will be addressed once you start watching this!
23. Round Six
Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Mystery
Network: Netflix
Release Date: 2021
No. of Episodes: TBA
Main Cast
- Lee Jung-jae as Ki-hun
- Park Hae-soo as Sang-woo
- Heo Sung-tae as Duk-su
- Wi Ha-joon as Joon-ho
Round Six depicts a story about people who fail in life for a variety of reasons, but then receive a mysterious invitation to take part in a survival game for a chance to win ten million US dollars.
But what is the truth behind this game? And what will people gain and lose after participating?
Ki-hun (Lee Jung-jae) seems defeated by life after being fired from his job. He decides to join the survival game to win prize money. Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) is Ki-hun’s childhood friend and he also joins the game as he gets in trouble at work despite all the hard work he has done to be where he is at now. The game takes place in an unknown location, and the participants are imprisoned until a final winner is determined.
The story will incorporate popular Korean children’s games from the 1970s and 1980s, such as the squid game, which is a type of tag in which offense and defense use a squid-shaped board drawn in the dirt.
24. Youth Of May
Genre: Melodrama, Period Drama
Network: KBS2
Release Date: 3 May 2021
No. of Episodes: 12
Main Cast
- Go Min-shi as Kim Myung-hee
- Lee Do-hyun as Hwang Hee-tae
- Lee Sang-yi as Lee Soo-chan
- Geum Sae-rok as Lee Soo-ryun
Are you excited to see the chemistry between Go Min-shi and Lee Do-hyun, who played siblings in the drama Sweet Home? Here is another new kdrama that will feature both Go Min-shi and Lee Do-hyun.
Youth of May is a retro human melodrama that takes place in May 1980 where Hwang Hee-tae (Lee Do-hyun), a medical student, and Kim Myung-hee (Go Min-shi), a nurse, fatefully fall for each other amid a whirlwind of history.
25. Fly High Butterfly
Genre: Drama, Life
Network: JTBC
Release Date: May 2021
No. of Episodes: 16
Main Cast
- Choi Daniel as Kwang-soo
- Kim Hyang-gi as Gi Bbeum
- Oh Yoon-ah as Michelle
Fly High Butterfly revolves around the workers and patrons of a hair salon called “Fly High”. The drama will capture the daily routine of people who work in hair salons, as well as the personal growth and development that they go through.
Gi-Bbeum (Kim Hyang-gi) is an assistant intern in her early 20s while Kwang-soo (Choi Daniel) is an enthusiastic hairstylist. Both of them work under the salon’s director, Michelle (Oh Yoon-ah).
The ensemble cast has already piqued interest, particularly Choi Daniel’s return to the small screen. He has appeared in a few minor roles on various kdramas, but he is finally making his long-awaited return to stardom.
KDrama
There you go! We hope that our list of 25 Best Korean Dramas To Look Out For would keep you entertained amidst the pandemic!
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