If you’re looking for dark, suspense, and mind-blowing psychological thrillers, here are recommended Korean dramas from IMDb user ratings:
8. Save Me (2017) | 8.0%
Synopsis: A young girl coming to a small town with her family. And through tragic events getting involved with a religious cult.
Based on: Out of the World by Jo Geum-san
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
No of episodes: 16
Starring: Ok Taec-yeon, Seo Yea-ji, Jo Sung-ha, Woo Do-hwan
Written by: Jung Shin-kyoo
Directed by: Kim Sung-soo
Date: August 5 – September 24, 2017
Network: OCN, Netflix
7. The Penthouse: War In Life (2020-2021) | 8.1%
Synopsis: A woman attempts to enter high society by becoming the “queen” of a luxury 100th floor penthouse apartment in Gangnam.
Genre: Drama, Thriller, Revenge, Suspense, Mystery, Crime film
No of episodes: 14
Starring: Lee Ji-ah, Kim So-yeon, Eugene, Um Ki-joon, Yoon Jong-hoon, and Park Eun-seok
Written by: Kim Soon-ok
Directed by: Joo Dong-min
Date: June 4 – September 10, 2021
Network: SBS, iQIYI, Viu, Netflix
6. God’s Gift: 14 Days (2014) | 8.2%
Synopsis: Soo Hyun is set to commit suicide. She sees herself as a failure of a mother after her daughter Saet Byul is murdered by a serial killer. Just as she drowns herself in the river and her life flashes back before her eyes, she wakes up away from the water fourteen days before her daughter’s cremation. She received a 14-day gift from God. She now has a second chance to save her daughter’s life.
Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Fantasy
No of episodes: 16
Starring: Lee Bo-young, Cho Seung-woo, Kim Tae-woo, Jung Gyu-woon and Kim Yoo-bin
Written by: Choi Ran
Directed by: Lee Dong-hoon
Date: March 3 – April 22, 2014
Network: SBS, Viki
5. White Christmas (2011) | 8.2%
Synopsis: Students from an exclusive high school in Gangwon, South Korea, fear for their lives after they receive death threats from a mysterious murderer.
Genre: Thriller, Mystery
No of episodes: 8
Starring: Kim Sang-kyung, Baek Sung-hyun, Kim Young-kwang, Lee Soo-hyuk
Written by: Park Yeon-seon
Directed by: Kim Yong-soo
Date: January 30 to March 20, 2011
Network: KBS2, Viki
4. Beyond Evil (2021) | 8.2%
Synopsis: As a killing resembling a cold case resurfaces in a small town, the chase for the truth falls on two policemen who each harbour secrets of their own.
Genre: Psychological thriller, Procedural drama
No of episodes: 16
Starring: Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo Jin-goo
Written by: Kim Su-jin
Directed by: Shim Na-yeon
Date: February 19 – April 10, 2021
Network: JTBC, Netflix
3. Signal (2016) | 8.6%
Synopsis: Detectives from the present and a detective from the past communicate via walkie-talkie to solve a long-time unsolved case.
Based on: Frequency by Toby Emmerich
Genre: Procedural, Thriller, Fantasy, Drama
No of episodes: 16
Starring: Lee Je-hoon, Kim Hye-soo, Cho Jin-woong
Written by: Kim Eun-hee
Directed by: Kim Won-seok
Date: January 22 – March 12, 2016
Network: TVN, Netflix
2. Flower Of Evil (2020) | 8.7%
Synopsis: Baek Hee Sung changes his identity and hides his past from his detective wife, until she discovers he has secrets while investigating a series of unexplained murders.
Genre: Melodrama, Suspense
No of episodes: 16
Starring: Lee Joon-gi, Moon Chae-won, Jang Hee-jin, Seo Hyun-woo
Written by: Yoo Jung-hee
Directed by: Kim Cheol-kyu
Date: July 29 to September 23, 2020
Network: TVN, Netflix, Viu, iQIYI, Viki
1. Mouse (2021) | 8.7%
Synopsis: Bareum is a novice police officer of Gudong Police office, taking care of all the town’s misbehaviors. One day, however, he teams up with a notorious detective Muchi to arrest a psychopathic criminal.
Genre: Thriller, Science fiction, Suspense, Mystery, Crime fiction
No of episodes: 20
Starring: Lee Seung-gi, Lee Hee-joon, Park Ju-hyun and Kyung Soo-jin
Written by: Choi Ran
Directed by: Choi Joon-bae and Kang Cheol-woo
Date: March 3 – May 20, 2021
Network: TVN, Viu
KORB 