Korean dramas on Netflix have been drawing a massive fan following around the globe with their gripping storylines that never fail to create a buzz in the entertainment industry. The plot and characters are written in such a way that they keep you hooked till the wee hours if you are binge-watching.
Some of the most popular entertainment content on OTT platforms includes Korean dramas and the new titles arriving on Netflix will keep K-drama fans busy through 2023. Some of the most anticipated series like Crash Course in Romance, The Glory season 2, Bloodhounds and Goodbye Earth are slated to release this year, along with many others. While some of them are second instalments of the critically acclaimed series, others are fresh releases with new stories and concepts. So, enjoy this little sneak peek at the Korean dramas on Netflix and find out what these shows have in store for you.
Here are the Korean dramas on Netflix to watch in 2023
1. Crash Course in Romance
Directed by: Yu Je-won
Cast: Jeon Do-yeon, Jung Kyung-ho, Lee Bong-ryeon
Release date: 14 January 2023
Genre: Comedy, romance
Synopsis: Former national athlete, Nam Haeng Seon (Jeon) is financially struggling with her store. She decides to shut down the shop and enter the field of private education. There, she falls for Choi Chi Yeol (Jung) who is a famous math instructor.
2. Love to Hate You
Directed by: Kim Jung-kwon
Cast: Kim Ok-vin, Yoo Teo, Kim Ji-hun
Release date: 10 February 2023
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: The series is a classic example of an “opposite attracts” tale where a well-known actor (Yoo), who never trusts women and a lawyer (Kim Ok-vin) who hates losing to men are forced to date.
3. The Glory season 2
Directed by: An Gil-ho
Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Lee Do-hyun, Lim Ji-yeon
Release Date: 10 March 2023
Genre: Thriller
Synopsis: Moon Dong-eun (Song) vows vengeance on Park Yeon-jin (Lim) and her gang of pals, who harassed her during her teenage years. After the successful first season, the show will now return with a sequel that will reveal Dong-eun’s plan.
4. Bloodhounds
Directed by: Jason Kim
Cast: Woo Do-hwan, Lee Sang-yi, Park Sung-woong, Heo Jun-ho
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Thriller, crime
Synopsis: Three courageous young people decide to enter the money-lending industry in order to pay off their debt while taking on the wealthy and powerful people who take advantage of the helpless.
5. Celebrity
Directed by: Kim Cheol-kyu
Cast: Park Gyu-young, Kang Min-hyuk, Lee Chung-ah
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: In Seoul’s dazzling and controversial influencer industry, one young woman Seo A-ri (Park) competes to become the next biggest celebrity.
6. Black Knight
Directed by: Cho Ui-seok
Cast: Kim Woo-bin, Song Seung-heon, Kang You-seok
Release date: TBA
Genre: Sci-fi, adventure
Synopsis: The Black Knights, who are not your typical delivery men, are essential to humanity’s survival in a dismal 2071 world plagued by air pollution.
7. Queenmaker
Directed by: Oh Jin-seok
Cast: Kim Hee-ae, Moon So-ri, Ryu Soo-young
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Political
Synopsis: A PR prodigy named Hwang Do-hee (Kim) actively participates in an election campaign and helps Oh Kyung-sook (Moon), a human rights attorney, win the election for Seoul mayor.
8. Song of the Bandits
Directed by: Hwang Jun-hyuk
Cast: Kim Nam-gil, Seohyun, Yoo Jae-myung
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Action, adventure
Synopsis: Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the story is about bandits who gather in the lawless land of Gando and rebel against the imperial power.
9. A Time Called You
Directed by: Kim Jin-won
Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Jeon Yeo-been, Kang Hoon
Release Date: TBA
Genre: Romance
Synopsis: This show has a mix of romance and time travel. Here, a woman named Jun-hee (Jeon) suddenly reaches back to 1998, where she encounters a man Si-heon (Ahn) who strikingly resembles her late boyfriend.
10. Mask Girl
Directed by: Kim Yong-hoon
Cast: Ko Hyun-jung, Ahn Jae-hong, Yeom Hye-ran
Release date: TBA
Genre: Thriller
Synopsis: Not comfortable with her looks, Kim Mo-Mi (Ko) is leading a double life — an office worker during the day and a masked personality on the internet by night. However, she soon finds herself in a series of unfortunate circumstances.
11. Gyeongseong Creature
Directed by: Chung Dong-yoon
Cast: Park Seo-jun, Han So-hee, Claudia Kim
Release date: TBA
Genre: Horror
Synopsis: A young man Jang Tae-Sang (Park) and a woman Yoon Chae-Ok (Han) battle demons created by human greed, as they struggle for existence in the spring of 1945.
12. D.P. season 2
Directed by: Han Jun-hee
Cast: Jung Hae-in, Koo Kyo-hwan, Kim Sung-kyun, Son Suk-ku
Release date: TBA
Genre: Military fiction, action and adventure
Synopsis: Appointed to the Deserter Pursuit unit, Jun-ho (Jung) and Ho-yeol (Koo) encounter numerous situations that reveal the realities of the Korean military. After its first release in 2021, the show will return with a second season.
13. Sweet Home season 2
Directed by: Lee Eung-bok
Cast: Song Kang, Lee Jin-uk, Lee Si-young
Release date: TBA
Genre: Horror
Synopsis: In the midst of a mysterious catastrophe that seems to turn humans into monsters, the residents of apartment complex Green Home are figuring out ways to survive.
14. Daily Dose of Sunshine
Directed by: Lee Jae Gyoo
Cast: Park Bo-young, Yeon Woo-jin and Jang Dong-yoon
Release date: TBA
Genre: Emotional
Synopsis: A young nurse Da-eun (Park) navigates the complex issues of mental health and tries to offer some hope to those in her care.
15. Destined With You
Directed by: Nam Ki Hoon
Cast: Rowoon, Jo Bo-Ah
Release date: TBA
Genre: Thriller
Synopsis: The fantasy drama shows a romance between a woman named Lee Hong Jo (Jo), who has a centuries-old book that was sealed 300 years ago, and a man, Jang Shin-yu (Rowoon), who has become a victim of the book.
16. Goodbye Earth
Directed by: Kim Jin-min
Cast: Ahn Eun-jin, Yoo Ah-in, Jeon Seong-woo
Release date: TBA
Genre: Sci-fi, dystopian
Synopsis: One tenacious teacher (Ahn) strives to protect her former students at all costs, as an asteroid hurtles toward Earth with nothing to stop it.
17. Doona!
Directed by: Lee Jung-hyo
Cast: Bae Suzy, Yang Se-Jong
Release date: TBA
Genre: Romantic
Synopsis: Living with a stunning former K-pop sensation (Bae) presents a unique set of challenges for a college student (Yang) who must also manage life and school.
18. King the Land
Directed by: Im Hyun Wook
Cast: Lee Jun-Ho, Lim Yoon-A
Release date: TBA
Genre: Romantic comedy
Synopsis: The drama centres around King Group’s successor, Gu-won (Lee), who hates fake grins, and Cheon Sa-rang (Lim), a dedicated worker at the group’s hotel. Sa-rang has to smile even when she doesn’t want to and yearns for a day she can actually smile.
19. The Good Bad Mother
Directed by: Shim Na Yeon
Cast: Ra Mi Ran, Lee Dohyun, Ahn Eun-jin
Release date: TBA
Genre: Drama
Synopsis: Young Soon (Ra) runs a pig farm and raises her son, Kang Ho, (Lee) by herself. She pushes herself to be a strict “bad mother” in order to make Ho become a strong man. Ho becomes a prosecutor as an adult, but after an accident, he loses his memories and reverts to being seven years old.
20. See You in My 19th Life
Directed by: Lee Na-jung
Cast: Shin Hye-sun, Ahn Bo-hyun, Ha Yoon-Kyung, Ahn dong-goo
Release date: TBA
Genre: Comedy, drama
Synopsis: Based on a webtoon of the same name, the drama narrates the tale of Ban Ji-eum (Shin), a character with the capacity to remember her prior incarnations. She already encountered Moon Seo-ha (Ahn) in her 18th incarnation; thus, she is destined to run into him again.
(Main and featured image credit: Luca Sammarco/Pexels)
