The most exciting upcoming K-dramas streaming in 2023 and beyond include brand-new series, long-awaited sequels, and the continuation of hit shows that dominated pop culture in the last couple of years. 2022 saw dozens of hit Korean dramas streaming globally across different platforms, including but not limited to All of Us Are Dead, Extraordinary Attorney Woo, The Glory Part 1, Pachinko, Little Women, and Alchemy of Souls. The first quarter of 2023 also saw some incredible K-dramas, including but not limited to The Glory Part 2, Payback, and Black Knight.
The most anticipated 2023 Korean dramas are mainly new releases, although a few of those are K-dramas based on webtoons. Some hit Korean shows from the past three years are also set to receive a second season in late 2023 and 2024. From new stories to highly anticipated sequels, here are the 10 most exciting upcoming K-dramas premiering in 2023 and beyond.
11 Bloodhounds (June 9, 2023)
Described as an action-packed drama, Bloodhounds will follow two young boxers who end up allying with a loan shark in search of money to take on an even bigger threat. Bloodhounds stars Woo Do-hwan (Save Me, Mad Dog) and Lee Sang-yi (Once Again, Youth of May). Promising action, drama, and comedy, Bloodhounds premiers globally on Netflix on June 9, 2023. An official Bloodhounds trailer has been released, teasing the show’s intense boxing action and high stakes.
10 The Devil (June 23, 2023)
The Devil will follow Ku San-young, played by Kim Tae-ri (The Handmaiden, Mr. Sunshine), as she comes across five magical artifacts left by her father. Those five magical objects share a mysterious connection to the unknown world, serving as doors to a different plane of existence. Combining mysticism with a multi-generational mystery, The Devil also stars Oh Jung-se (Camellia Blooms) and Hong Kyung (Innocence). The Devil will stream in the U.S. on Disney+, starting June 23, 2023
9 Celebrity (2023)
Seo A-ri acquires fame and joins the extremely competitive and often dangerous world of celebrities in Celebrity, a Korean drama that premiers on Netflix in 2023. Celebrity is set to explore the world of internet influencers and will show that quick, instant fame is not always as good as it sounds. Celebrity‘s release date remains to be announced, but the show is expected to drop in the second quarter of 2023. Celebrity stars Park Gyu-young (It’s Okay Not To Be Okay, Sweet Home) in the role of Seo A-ri.
8 Gyeongseong Creature (2023)
Gyeongseong Creature, a period piece set in a key year for Korea, will take place in 1945. The show is being described as a creature thriller centered on a young couple as they have to face a mysterious monster whose origins may be more human than they imagine. Combining horror with a love story, Gyeongseong Creature has the potential to be one of the best 2023 Korean shows. Neither a trailer nor a specific release date for Gyeongseong Creature has been revealed, but the show will stream on Netflix in late 2023. Gyeongseong Creature stars Park Seo-joon, who will join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Yan D’ Aladna in The Marvels, and Han So-hee (Money Flower).
7 A Time Called You (2023)
Time travel meets a love story in A Time Called You, an upcoming Korean drama about a woman who travels back in time to 1998. There, she meets a man who looks exactly like her late boyfriend, who passed less than a year ago. A Time Called You is a remake of the 2019 Taiwanese TV show Someday or One Day, based on a Taiwanese book of the same name. A Time Called You stars Ahn Hyo-seop (Business Proposal, Abyss) as Si-heon and Jeon Yeo-been (Vincenzo, Anomalia) as Jun-hee. A Time Called You’s release date has yet to be announced, but the show premiers on Netflix in 2023.
6 The Worst Of Evils (2023)
The Worst of Evils is set to be a high-stakes crime drama set in the world of drug lords. Ji Chang-wook (Backstreet Rookie, K2) stars as detective Park Joon-mo, who infiltrates a massive criminal operation involving multiple countries. The Worst of Evils also stars Im Se-mi (True Beauty) as Yoo Ui-jung, Park Joon-mo’s wife and police partner, who is part of the same investigation as her husband. With both Joon-mo and Ui-jung working undercover, their relationship will be put to the test amidst an intense thriller. A “Mr. And Mrs. Smith” type of story, The Worst of Evils will stream in the U.S. on Disney+. The Worst of Evil premiers in late 2023.
5 Song of the Bandits (2023)
Song of the Bandits will be a period piece set in the early 20th century, with the Japanese rule over Korea as the backdrop of an action-packed drama. Song of the Bandits will follow a group of bandits from different backgrounds who all end up in the region of Gando. There, they will have to step up to survive a lawless city and protect the people they love. Song of the Bandits’ ensemble cast includes Kim Nam-gil (Island, Through the Darkness), Yoo Jae-myung (Vincenzo, The Beast), and Seohyun (Private Life, Jinxed at First). Song of the Bandit premiers on Netflix in the latter half of 2023.
4 D.P. Dog Day Season 2 (2023)
D.P. Dog Day premiered on Netflix on August 27, 2022, starring Jung Hae-in as An Joon-ho and Koo Kyo-hwan as Han Ho-yeul. With strong political comments and intense action sequences, D.P. Dog Day season 1 saw Hae-in and Joon-ho on a mission to capture army deserters. However, the duo soon realized that things were not as simple as they looked and that following orders is not always easy. D.P. Dog Day season 1 ended on a massive cliffhanger, teasing that one of the main characters could become a deserter himself. Fortunately, audiences will get to see the continuation of that story, as D.P. Dog Day season 2 releases on Netflix in 2023.
3 Sweet Home Season 2 (2023)
Almost three years later, viewers will finally see the continuation of Sweet Home, as Sweet Home season 2 arrives on Netflix in 2023. Sweet Home season 1 premiered on December 18, 2020, following the story of Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang) in a world where people were turning into monsters. A post-apocalyptic story combining zombie tropes with monster movies, Sweet Home was an instant hit and secured a season 2 and a season 3. Sweet Home is based on a webtoon, but the show has made changes to the source material. Sweet Home season 1’s release broke records for Korean shows on Netflix, and the anticipation for Sweet Home season 2 couldn’t be higher.
2 Squid Game Season 2 (Release Date T.B.A.)
Squid Game season 1’s enormous success meant that a sequel or some sort of Squid Game spinoff was bound to happen. Even though Squid Game season 1 worked as a self-contained story, perhaps except for Gi-hun’s final scene, the show became too successful not to receive a sequel. To put things in perspective, Squid Game season 1 became Netflix’s most-watched show of all time within 12 days. On June 12, 2022, Netflix announced that Squid Game season 2 was in the works. Squid Game season 2’s release date has yet to be announced, but filming for the next chapter of Gi-hun’s story begins in Summer 2023.
As such, Squid Game season 2 could be eying a late 2024 release. Given the nature of the story – a battle royale where only one participant could win it all – most of the Squid Game season 1 cast will not return for season 2. That said, Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) and the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) are both returning in Squid Game season 2. The official Squid Game season 2 announcement promised a “whole new round” of deadly games, suggesting that there will be another edition of the competition. Squid Game season 2’s story will surely differ from season 1, though, as Gi-hun now wants to take the entire operation down.
1 All Of Us Are Dead Season 2 (Release Date T.B.A.)
All of Us Are Dead season 1 premiered on Netflix on January 28, 2022, and delivered a simple yet captivating zombie story. Most of the show took place inside a school, where the zombie outbreak began. This K-drama introduced multiple characters as they had to battle zombies and humans to survive the first few hours of the apocalypse. All of Us Are Dead season 1’s ending was a huge cliffhanger teasing season 2. On June 6, 2022, Netflix announced that All of Us Are Dead season 2 was happening, although no release date was informed. Su-hyeok (Park Solomon), On-jo (Park Ji-hoo), and Nam-ra (Cho Yi-hyun) are expected to return.
