The year 2022 is about to end and soon we will be welcoming another year with newly produced Korean shows. A long list of good Korean drama series await us but there are some titles that raise high anticipation and excitement among viewers for the exploration of a new genre in drama, an interesting story that is never seen before, the lineup of cast or new pairings, as well as a drama comeback of much awaited talented actors. Check it out:
The list is in alphabetical order.
A Good Day To Be A Dog
The fans of popular singer-actor Cha Eun-woo look forward to the new fantasy-romantic series, A Good Day To Be A Dog (2023) and his chemistry with co-star, Park Gyu-young. It is a webtoon-based drama of the same name by Lee Hye that tells the story of two teachers, a cursed woman who transforms into a dog everytime she kisses a man and a traumatized man who is terrified of dogs due to an incident in the past. Meanwhile, the woman’s curse will be broken alone by a man who is afraid of dogs. Park Gyu-young is best known for her role as a nurse in tvN’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020) and Dali And Cocky Prince (2021) while Cha Eun-woo starred in tvN’s True Beauty (2020) and will be playing a priest who performs exorcisms in TVING’s Island (2022).
Arthdal Chronicles 2
The viewers who have been eagerly waiting for the follow-up saga of tvN’s Arthdal Chronicles are more than excited upon hearing the good news of production for the second season, which is scheduled to be released in 2023. The part 2 story is set more than a decade later when Tagon’s Kingdom of Arthdal and Eun-seom’s Ago Union will face an inevitable great war. While actors Jang Dong-gun and Kim Ok-vin will return as Tagon and Tae Alha, the adult version of Eun-som and Tanya will be portrayed by Lee Joon-gi and Shin Se-kyung. Fans anticipate the chemistry and performance of the two new cast members who are both talented and good-looking actors. Lee Joon-gi performed excellence in the psychological-thriller series Flower Of Evil (2020) and displayed great action skills in SBS’ Again My Life (2022). Meanwhile, Shin Se-kyung is best known for her role in MBC’s Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (2019) and JTBC’s Run On (2020).
Ask The Stars
tvN’s Ask The Stars (2023) is a romantic-comedy series about a female Korean-American astronaut and a male obstetrician-gynecologist who visits the space station as a tourist. It stars top actors Lee Minho and Gong Hyo-jin, gaining much attention and excitement among fans. The drama’s director, Park Shin-woo is known for the successful series It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020) while screenwriter Seo Sook-hyang worked for the hit drama Pasta (2010). Talented stars Oh Jung-se in tvN’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020), Lee El in JTBC’s My Liberation Notes (2022), and Han Ji-eun in the movie Rampant (2018) will also play supporting roles, drawing more anticipation as they are expected to enrich the romantic story that will unfold in the space.
A Time Called You
Business Proposal (2022) star Ahn Hyo-seop and Vincenzo (2021) actress Jeon Yeo-been will work together in Netflix’s time travel-themed series, A Time Called You (2023). It is based on Taiwan’s television series, Someday Or One Day (2019-2020) by Huang Tien-jen that tells about a woman who can’t seem to forget her boyfriend who died a year ago. So she travels back in time to 1998 and meets a male student who resembles her deceased boyfriend. Kang Hoon who appeared in tvN’s Little Women (2022) and played the role of Oh In Kyung’s bestfriend, was also confirmed to join the drama.
Call It Love
Call It Love (2023) is a Disney+ original series about the encounter between a woman who is hurt by family affairs and a workaholic man who lives a desolate life, starring Lee Sung-kyung in tvN’s Sh**ting Stars (2022) and Kim Young-kwang in Netflix’s Somebody (2022). The romantic story depicts the process of transformation from feelings of revenge to understanding each other, growing mature together in life and love. Fans anticipate the chemistry and performance of the two stars who both have the talent and good visuals.
Doona!
Netflix’s Doona! (2023) also known as “The Girl Downstairs” is based on the popular webtoon, “Lee Doona!” by Min Songah, which tells the romantic story of a male college student who moves into a new apartment, meeting a beautiful lady who lives downstairs and happens to be a celebrity idol, retiring from her career to pursue studies. The anticipation is high as it stars Bae Suzy who will play the famous ex-idol and serves as the drama comeback of Yang Se-jong who was discharged from his military duties in November 2021 and is known for his roles in Dr. Romantic (2016) and Still 17 (2018). The drama will also be directed by Lee Jung-hyo who is known for the worldwide hit Crash Landing On You (2019).
Gyeongseong Creature
For the first time, top star Park Seo-joon and talented actress Han So-hee who impressed with her performance in JTBC’s The World Of The Married (2020) and Netflix’s My Name (2021) will work together in Netflix’s historical-thriller series, Gyeongseong Creature (2023). The story is set in the spring of 1945 in Gyeongseong where two young adults, a wealthy man who prioritizes money over justice and a female specialist in finding missing people, confront a strange creature born of greed, and fight fiercely against it for survival. Talented actors Kim Hae-sook in tvN’s Under The Queen’s Umbrella (2022), Jo Han-chul in JTBC’s Reborn Rich (2022), Wi Ha-joon in tvN’s Little Women (2022), and Soo Hyun also known as Claudia Kim in Marvel’s Avengers: Age Of Ultron (2015) are also part of the star-studded cast.
Hash’s Shinru
Kim Seonho who managed to deliver an excellent performance as an intelligent investor in tvN’s Start-Up (2020) and a charming countryside man in tvN’s Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (2021) may be starring as a crown prince in the new historical series Hash’s Shinru (2023). The main casting has not been confirmed yet but it is already gaining massive attention among fans who have been eagerly awaiting for his drama comeback. The story is based on the web novel of the same name written by the famous novelist Yoon Yi-soo who will also pen the drama’s script that is set during the reign of King Sejong, also referred to as the “Joseon Renaissance” period. It depicts the fate of Joseon under the leadership of crown prince Lee Hyang, a genius scientist who loves the stars and happens to meet a mysterious woman named Hae Roo who can see the future. The writer is also known for her novel Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, which was adapted for the drama Love In The Moonlight (2016) that received several awards. Meanwhile, Kim Seonho is positively reviewing his appearance for the series according to his agency.
Joseon Lawyer
Woo Do-hwan impressed the audience with his excellent performance for a dual role in SBS’ The King Eternal Monarch (2020), and fans are excited to see him back on the small screen after his military duties. This time, he will portray a lawyer and will work with Bona who played a fencer in tvN’s Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022), and Cha Hak-yeon also known as singer N who played a police officer in tvN’s Bad And Crazy (2022). The three young stars will lead MBC’s webtoon-based drama Joseon Lawyer (2023) that follows the story of a lawyer in Joseon Dynasty who takes revenge against the perpetrator who caused his parent’s death. Eventually, he transforms into an attorney with a heart for people and becomes involved with a princess and a judge. The drama will be directed by Kim Seung-ho known for his work in the hit series Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022) and Lee Han-joon who helmed the fantasy series The Golden Spoon (2022).
King The Land
The anticipation is high when it was officially announced that the award-winning actor of MBC’s hit series The Red Sleeve (2021), Lee Jun-ho and talented singer-actress Yoona who starred in MBC’s Big Mouth (2022) and box-office hit Confidential Assignment (2017 & 2022) will work together in JTBC’s romantic-comedy series, King The Land (2023). The story follows two complete opposites, an elegant chaebol heir who cannot stand fake smiles and a bright hotel employee whose job is to smile for customer service. The female employee is transferred to the VVIP business lounge of King The Land, a dream location for hoteliers and where she meets the chaebol heir. Fans are excited to see the onscreen chemistry and rom-com performance of the two popular and talented actors.
Kokdu: Season Of Deity
Kim Jung-hyun impressed with his roles in tvN’s hit series Crash Landing On You (2019) and Mr. Queen (2020), and fans are more than excited for his drama comeback through MBC’s Kokdu: Season Of Deity (2023) where he will play a double character, a grim reaper and a doctor. The story follows a death god or cursed grim reaper named Kkok-du who comes down to the earth every 99 years to punish humans and lead the dead to the afterworld. This time, he enters the body of a human and starts working as a visiting doctor where he meets a doctor who struggles with her career but possesses mysterious abilities. Han Gye Jeol, the female character will be played by Im Soo-hyang who starred in SBS’ Woori The Virgin (2022) and MBC’s Doctor Lawyer (2022). The fantasy-medical drama is slated to premiere on January 27, 2023.
Moving
Moving (2023) is a star-studded superhero series by Disney+ that is based on a webtoon of the same name by Kang Full. The fantasy-action story revolves around teenagers who try to hide their superpowers from people and their parents who try to hide their painful past. It will showcase the superhuman powers of speed, strength, electricity, the ability to fly and more in a battle against powerful dark forces that threaten multiple generations across different eras. The show stars Ryu Seung-ryong known for his role in Miracle in Cell No.7 (2013), Han Hyo-joo in tvN’s Happiness (2021) and Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure (2022), Jo In-sung in SBS’ It’s Okay, That’s Love (2014), Kim Shin-rok in Netflix’s Hellbound (2021) and JTBC’s Reborn Rich (2022), Go Youn-jung who played Naksu in tvN’s Alchemy Of Souls (2022), Park Hee-son in Netflix’s My Name (2021) and Trolley (2022), and more talented actors will appear in the said series.
Murder DIEary
Two amazingly talented actors, Son Sukku and Choi Woo-shik will work together in Netflix’s crime-thriller series, Murder DIEary (2023), a webtoon-based drama of the same name by NOMABI that won a special Korea Content Award from the Korean Creative Content Agency in 2011. The story follows a college student who murders people with a record of criminal deeds, becoming a dark hero. It will be portrayed by Choi Woo-shik who impressed with his performance in The Witch: Part 1. The Subversion (2018), Parasite (2019), and SBS’ Our Beloved Summer (2021). Son Sukku who is known for his amazing work in JTBC’s My Liberation Notes (2022) and the box-office hit The Roundup (2022) will be playing a cold-blooded and charismatic police detective who investigates the killings, chasing after the murderer. They will also be working with Lee Hee-joon who played a detective in tvN’s Mouse (2021).
Payback
Lee Sun-gyun in the hit series My Mister (2018) and award-winning film Parasite (2019), and Moon Chae-won who played a female detective in tvN’s Flower Of Evil (2020) will be starring together in SBS’ thriller-revenge series, Payback (2023). Also known as “Law Money”, the drama tells the stories of people who refuse to remain silent in the face of unjust authorities. They will risk everything by fighting against a money (jjeon) cartel that has conspired with the law (beop). Moon Chae-won will portray an army major who will fight against political monsters while Lee Sun-gyun will play a reclusive money dealer who plots revenge for someone. The show is set to premiere on January 6, 2023.
Our Blooming Youth
The fans of Park Hyung-sik are thrilled to know that the actor will be starring in a new historical series through tvN’s Our Blooming Youth (2023). He will be paired with Jeon So-nee who played roles in tvN’s Encounter (2018) and When My Love Blooms (2020). The story follows two people who will help save each other from their dark fate. Park Hyung-sik will play an ill-tempered yet lonely crown prince who is suffering from a mysterious curse while Jeon So-nee will portray a genius daughter of a prestigous family who is falsely charged of murder. It is anticipated on how the story will unfold and how romance develops as they overcome trials. The drama is set to premiere on February 6, 2023.
Queen Of Tears
For the first time, top stars Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won will work together as a married couple in the new series, Queen Of Tears (2023), which is written by the famous screenwriter Park Ji-eun who penned the hit dramas My Love From The Star (2013), The Producers (2015), and Crash Landing On You (2019). The drama tells the miraculous and humorous love story of a husband and wife who overcome trials and stay together against all odds. Fans are excited to see their onscreen chemistry and performance as a couple. Kim Soo-hyun played a worker in a psychiatric hospital in tvN’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020) and a student falsely charged of murder in Coupang Play’s One Ordinary Day (2021) while Kim Ji-won recently starred in JTBC’s My Liberation Notes (2022) as an introvert woman who seeks freedom from the mundane.
See You In My 19th Life
After two years, talented actress Shin Hye-sun will finally return on the small screen through tvN’s See You in My 19th Life (2023) and be paired with Ahn Bo-hyun who showed excellent performances in Netflix’s My Name (2021), tvN’s Yumi’s Cells (2021-2022) and Military Prosecutor Doberman (2022). The webtoon-based drama of the same name by Lee Hey follows a woman with an extraordinary ability to recall her past lives. Her 18th life was cut short due to a tragic accident so she sets out to reconnect with a man he met in the past in her 19th life. Shin Hye-sun impressed with her performance as a queen who has the soul of a man trapped inside her body in tvN’s hit series Mr. Queen (2020) and fans are excited to see her perform on TV again.
Song Of The Bandits
Netflix’s Song Of The Bandits (2023) draws attention for its interesting story and lineup of cast. The historical-action series will talk about Koreans who have been deprived of their own place to live in the 1920s during the Japanese colonial period. While others are expelled to Japan, those who are headed to Gando, China gather and unite as one to protect Joseon. It will highlight a former Japanese soldier who becomes a bandit protecting Koreans against the Japanese military, which will be played by the outstanding actor Kim Nam-gil. Other actors who will be joining him in the series are Soohyun who starred in Love And Leashes (2022) and Jinxed At First (2022), Yoo Jae-myung who played the antagonist in JTBC’s Itaewon Class (2022), Lee Hyun-wook who played a role in Mine (2021), and Lee Ho-jung who is best known for her role in Nevertheless (2021). Meanwhile, the broadcast date is not yet confirmed but viewers are already looking forward to this series.
The Deal
Anticipation is high for Wavve’s The Deal (2023), a crime-thriller series that is based on the webtoon “Deal” by Woonam20 that won the Excellence Award at the 2020 NAVER webtoon and webnovel competition. It stars young veteran actors Yoo Seung-ho in KBS2’s Moonshine (2021), Kim Dong-hwi in tvN’s Missing: The Other Side 2 (2022), and Yoo Su-bin in tvN’s Start-Up (2020). They will portray three high school friends who got together for drinks after a long time but end up getting trapped in a kidnapping trick done by them.
The Demon
Baeksang winners Kim Tae-ri in tvN’s Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022), Oh Jung-see in tvN’s It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020), and Hong Kyung in the film Innocence (2020) will be starring together in SBS’ horror-thriller series, The Demon (2023). The story tells about evil spirits and mysterious deaths that a lady named Goo San-young keeps encountering and transforms her gradually into a different person, which will be played by the talented Kim Tae-ri. Equally talented Oh Jung-se will play a folklore professor who has the special abilities to see spirits. He happens to meet Goo San-young and recognizes the demon who killed his mother. Hong Kyung will play a police officer who gets embroiled in unrealistic events upon meeting Goo San-young and the professor.
The Worst Of Evil
Disney+ The Worst Of Evil (2023) raises anticipation as it will present two talented actors, Ji Chang-wook and Wi Ha-joon in a crime-action genre. The story is set in the 1990s that revolves around police investigators and a massive criminal organization. Ji Chang-wook will play a police officer who goes undercover, infiltrating a gang to investigate drugs alongside his wife who is a narcotics officer to be portrayed by Im Semi. Wi Ha-joon will be playing the rising mob boss and leader of a criminal organization that is responsible for the drug trafficking triangle that runs between Korea, Japan, and China. He impressed with his roles in Netflix’s Squid Game (2021) and tvN’s Little Women (2022) while Ji Chang-wook showed an excellent performance in Netflix’s The Sound Of Magic (2022) and KBS2’s If You Wish Upon Me (2022).
Uncle Sam-sik
After 32 years, award-winning movie star, Song Kang-ho will be returning to the small screen, drawing high anticipation among viewers. He will portray an uncle who survived the turbulent times in the early 1960s in Korea in the new drama, Uncle Sam-sik (2023). Byun Yohan who impressed with his roles in tvN’s Mr. Sunshine (2018) and Hansan: Rising Dragon (2022) will join him as Kim San, an elite student from the Korea Military Academy who is training in the United States and returns to Korea with a dream for the country. The story depicts the friendship of these two men who have the same dream of transforming Korea to an industrial economy. The audience is already excited to see them present their characters from the script onto the screen.
Useless Lies
After a successful mage role in tvN’s Alchemy Of Souls (2022), we shall see Hwang Min-hyun in a new drama with the young veteran actress, Kim So-hyun. They will star together in a mystery-romantic series, Useless Lies (2023) that revolves around a woman who has lost faith in other people due to her supernatural ability to detect lies and an innocent man who hides himself from the world after being framed for murder. Their lives transform as they meet and get to know each other. Kim So-hyun is best known for her role in MBC’s Moon Embracing The Sun (2012), Netflix’s Love Alarm (2019 & 2021), and KBS2’s River Where The Moon Rises (2021).
Vigilante
The viewers are excited to see Nam Joo-hyuk play a role in a crime-action genre through Disney+ Vigilante (2023). The drama is based on a webtoon of the same name by CRG and Kim Kyu-sam that follows a mysterious dark hero who is being chased by the Metropolitan Investigation Team Unit. Nam Joo-hyuk will be playing the vigilante who enters the police force as a university student with the intention of finding his parents’ enemy while hunting down criminals who escaped the law. While the actor is set to enlist for his military duties soon, the filming of the said series is already finished and fans can’t wait to see him again on the small screen with the role of a dark hero. He played a genius mathematician in tvN’s Start-Up (2020) and a reporter in tvN’s Twenty-Five Twenty-One (2022).
See full list of Korean drama series in 2023 here.
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