25 upcoming Korean Drama (Kdrama) in 2023: Woo-hoo! Can you believe it’s already the fourth month of 2023? But don’t worry because plenty of incredible Korean dramas are waiting to be watched this year! Get ready to jump for joy as I present to you a whopping 25 new and exciting Korean dramas that you absolutely cannot miss out on. So get your watch list ready and prepare to be blown away by these fantastic Kdramas releasing in 2023! Let’s go!
1. Black Knight
One of the highly anticipated Kdramas of 2023 happens to be Netflix Original Korean TV series starring a handsome young lad – Kim Woo Bin, who was last seen in ‘Our Blues.’
Black Knight is a dystopian sci-fi show that stars Kim Woo Bin, Kang Yoo Seok, and Jin Kyung. The story is set in 2071 in a brutal world where people don’t leave their homes because of toxic air pollution destroying the planet and leaving only 1% of the population alive.
The only people protecting this world are delivery agents, known as Knights delivering packages. It is a story of a legendary Knight (Kim WooBin) helping Sa Wol achieve his dreams by becoming a Knight himself.
Releasing: May 12, 2023
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2. A Time Called You
This upcoming Kdrama is an adaptation of a Taiwanese TV series called ‘Someday’ or ‘one day.’ It’s a romantic time travel show starring Ahn Hyo-seop of Business Proposal. The plot revolves around the romantic relationship between Jeon Yeo-been’s character, Han Jun-hee, and Ahn Hyo-seop’s character, Ko Yeon Jun. After her boyfriend’s death, Han Jun-hee cannot move on from her grief. One day, she finds herself transported back in time to find herself as a high school student. To her amazement, she encounters Ko Yeon Jun, a student who resembles her late partner.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
3. Destined With You
Destined with You is a romantic show starring Rowoon from Extraordinary You and Jo Bo-ah from Tale of the Nine-Tailed. The viewers will get to watch the magnetic romance between the characters. The story is set in a fantasy-like world where a woman gets her hand on a book sealed 300 years ago, causing trouble to Shin-yu (Rowoon) since the book is cursed.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
4. All That We Loved
This Korean TV series is a youth romantic drama exploring concepts like love and friendship that is set to release in May 2023. The story revolves around three main characters Go Yoo, Go Joon-Hee, and So-Yeong. So-Yeong is a transfer student with secrets that make her stay away from people, Go-Yoo is an excellent basketball player, and Go Joon- Hee has an incredible academic record. Go Joon-Hee suffers from cellular memory syndrome (memories from cells are transferred after an organ transplant) after he got a kidney transplant from Go Yoo. Their friendship is tested when both of them fall in love with So-Yeong at the same time.
Releasing: May 5, 2023
5. Oh! Youngsimi
Oh! Youngsimi is a comedy romance starring Song Ha Yoon from Fight for My Way. It tells the story of a 30-year-old woman passionate about making people laugh through her TV shows, but she cannot achieve her dream because of low popularity ratings. She is allowed to produce a live entertainment show. As a guest, she invites start-up founder Mark Wang (Lee Dong Hae). She knew Mark Wang from childhood; he had a crush on her when they were little. They lost touch as he moved to the United States. After 20 years, they have reunited.
Releasing: May 15, 2023
6. Park Ha Kyung’s Journey
Kdrama staring Lee Na Young from ‘Romance Is a Bonus Book’ and Park Se Wan from ‘So Not Worth It’ will release in May 2023. The series follows Park Ha Kyung (Lee Na Young) on her Saturday expeditions as she travels, eats good food, and meets new people. Park Ha Kyung lives an ordinary life as a Korean language teacher, and to break this monotony, Park Ha Kyung takes Saturday trips. Through these one-day trips, she realized she felt comfort and empathy. The story is set in the ’90s.
Releasing: May 24, 2023
7. Happiness Battle
The show stars Lee El from ‘My Liberation Notes,’ Cha Ye Ryun from Perfume, and Jin Seo Yeon from ‘Tell Me What You Saw,’ in a modern Thriller Mystery Drama. This show takes a current turn in portraying mothers who are enraged while in a heated social media battle. Each mother aims to destroy the other’s happiness for their happiness. They go into this battle to free themselves of the oppression that they each face in their own life. When one dies, things take a nasty turn, and the story of unraveling the truth begins. This show takes the olden times’ real-life projection of insecurities into the social media world.
Releasing: May 31, 2023
8. Vigilante
This series is an adaption from a webtoon with the same name. The show stars Kim So Jin from Through the Darkness and Nam Joo Hyuk from Twenty-five-Twenty-One. The show follows the lead Kim Ji Yong (Nam Joo Hyuk), a student in the police academy; he wants to avenge his parent’s death. Over the weekends, he catches criminals who have done wrong, eventually becoming a social phenomenon. While this happens, a reporter and an investigator secretly track his movements.
Releasing: November 2023
9. Chicken Nugget
Chicken Nugget is a comedy mystery fantasy starring Ryu Seung Ryong from Kingdom. The story is based on a webtoon, ‘Fried Chicken.’ It’s a story about a girl who enters a machine hoping it will help her with her fatigue but ends up turning into a fried chicken. Her father’s company owns the device, and he is shocked to see his daughter as a fried chicken. He, along with an intern interested in this young girl, tries to find a way to turn her into a human. In this process, they uncover a lot of dark secrets.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
10. Daily Dose of Sunshine
The show, Daily Dose of Sunshine, comes from the director of All of Us are Dead, starring Park Bo Young from Strong Woman Do Bong Soon and Lee Jung Eun from Law School. The series is based on the actual life events of a psychiatric ward nurse. The show portrays her professional experiences from meeting various patients and the many incidents. The show depicts her journey of maneuvering through these stories and becoming a beacon of hope for all her patients. It’s a show that gives an insight into mental health.
Releasing: November 2023
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11. Death’s Game
A fantasy drama starring Seo In Guk from Doom at your service and Park So Dam from Record of Youth, a story about a man who experiences death repeatedly through 13 other lives. Choi Yi Jae (Seo In Guk) has been burdened with financial issues, failed romances, and failed career, leading him to decide to take his own life. He believed he could control death until he woke up next to Death (Park So Dam) itself. The Death’s punishment to Choi Yi Jae for thinking he could control death was that in any of these lives, if he manages to avert death, then he can live that life.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
12. Doctor Slump
This is an upcoming K-drama reuniting Park Shin Hye and Park Hyung Sik, who have previously been on-screen in the drama Heirs. It is a romantic comedy-drama about two doctors with high career prospects quitting their job and living in a rooftop house. Yeo Jung Woo (Park Hyungsik) plays a plastic surgeon whose life comes crashing down after a surgical accident. Nam Ha Neul (Park Shin Hye) plays a doctor who, one fine day, realizes that outside of her schedule, her life has no meaning in it.
Releasing: October 2023
13. Dominant Species
Dominant Species is a science fiction series starring Joo Ji Hoon of Kingdom and Han Hyo Joo from Happiness. The drama shows us a world where meat consumption has been stopped by a company called BF, which has genetically engineered a pill to replace all types of food consumption. It is a company that finally ends human domination over animals. The people start to doubt the steps taken by the company’s CEO. The company was founded by Yoon Ja Yoo (Han Hyo Joo) and On San (Lee Moo Saeng), who both have a PhD in physiology. Joo Ji Hoon plays the character Woo Chae Woon, a former soldier now serving as a bodyguard.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
14. Goodbye Earth
The show is based on the novel, “The Fool At the End of the World” by Kōtarō Isaka. Goodbye Earth is a science fiction drama set in a chaotic world where people struggle to live because of the dangers of an asteroid hitting the Earth in 200 days. Amidst this chaos, a middle school teacher Jin Se-Kyung played by Ahn Eun-Jin quits her job to volunteer and help struggling children; her boyfriend, Ha Yoon-Sang, played by Yoo Ah-In, living in the US, flies to Korea to be with her. And an assistant priest Woo Sung-Jae played by Jeon Sung-Woo, takes care of the parishioners at the church. Finally, a commander Kang In-A played by Kim Yoon-Hye, of combat support, provides transport and security.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
15. Han River
Han River is a thriller about two police officers who patrol the areas in and around Han River. This is a buddy cop drama with many stories, a thriller, and a tad bit of comedy. They face and deal with small robberies to terrorism. Both cops have opposite personalities. Han Doo-Jin, played by Kwon Sang-Woo, is short-tempered. The other, Lee Cheon-Seok, played by Kim Hee-Won, is the opposite. It is a story set against the backdrop of the Han River.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
16. Bloodhounds
Bloodhounds is an adaptation of a webtoon, and it is an action thriller starring Woo Do Hwan from The King: Eternal Monarch and Lee Sang Yi from Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha. It is a story about three men who get into the dark world of loan sharks. Gun-Woo, played by Woo Do-Hwan, is a boxer who quits, trying to repay his mother’s debts by working for a CEO, Choi, played by Heo Jun-Ho.
Releasing: June 9, 2023
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17. Doona!
Donna is a romantic drama adapted from the webtoon named ‘The girl downstairs.’ Lee Doo Na, played by Bae Suzy, is an ex-celebrity with a mysterious life. Lee Won Joon, played by Yang Se Jong, is a college student who moves into the same building as Doo Na. He immediately recognizes Doo Na, avoids her initially but eventually succumbs to his curiosity. He realizes he is growing more interested in her mysterious life.
Releasing: October 2023
18. The Worst of Evil
The show is an action-packed crime story revolving around undercover police investigators who infiltrate a vast criminal organization that trades illegal drugs between China, Korean, and Japan. Park Joon Mo, played by Ji Chang Wook, is a police officer married to Yoo Ui Jung, played by Im Se Mi. Yoo Ui Jung also gets involved in the case since she is a police officer. Together they have to deal with Jung Ki-Cheol, played by Wi Ha-Joon, the boss of the new crime organization, and his specialty is his charisma.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
19. Moving
The series is based on a webtoon with the same name. It is a fantasy series about three teenagers with superpowers that they inherited from their parents. The show portrays how the parents try to protect their children from being taken advantage of by other people. The three teenagers have unique powers. Kim Bong Seok, played by Lee Jung Ha, has the gift to fly, Jang Hee Soo, played by Go Youn Jung, can quickly heal from injuries, and Lee Gang Hoon, played by Kim Do Hoon, has the gift of speed.
Releasing: August 2023
20. Look at Me
Look at Me is a medical Kdrama about a surgeon who lost his reputation because of being involved in a surgical accident. After the accident, he starts performing plastic surgery on victims of crime. Here he meets a brilliant detective and joins hands to seek the truth. The show gives us a glimpse into the craze of plastic surgery in Korea. Lee Min Ki will be playing the character of the plastic surgeon. Han Ji Hyun plays the role of an empathetic detective.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
21. A Bloody Lucky Day
A bloody lucky day is a thriller starring Yoo Yeon Seok from Hospital Playlist and Lee Jung Eun from Law School. The series is based on a Webtoon. The story is about a Taxi driver, Oh Taek, played by Lee Sung Min. Imagine you are taking a passenger to his destination, and they offer you a million dollars, only for you to realize that he is a serial killer. That’s the plot of what this drama is about. Yoo Yoon-seok plays the killer’s character, and Lee Jung Eun plays the role of the mother of the victim.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
22. The Devil
This Korean drama has everything: horror, occult, mystery, and supernatural elements. It is a supernatural thriller about Ku San Young, played by Kim Tae Ri, possessed by an evil spirit, and Yeom Hae Sang, played by Oh Jung Se, who can see the evil spirits. Ku San Young is studying to become a public officer at night.
On one particular day, she receives mysterious items that her late father leaves behind. The day she received these objects, there seemed to be unexplainable deaths. Yeom Hae Sang meets Ku San Young and comes face to face with this evil spirit. Lee Hong Sae, played by Hong Kyung, is a lieutenant who gets tangled in these mysterious deaths.
Releasing: June 2023
23. The Price of Confession
The Price of a Confession has two main female leads Song Hye Kyo from Descendants of the Sun and Han So Hee from Nevertheless. It’s a story about how the characters An Yoon-Soo (Song Hye-Kyo) and Mo Eun (Han So-Hee) are surrounded by murder. A Yoon-Soo is an art teacher, and Mo Eun is a mysterious woman with an anti-social personality.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
24. Jeong Nyeon
Jeong Nyeon is an adaptation of a feminist webtoon. The story is about two women with contrasting personalities and backgrounds wanting to pursue the same career. Yoon Jeong Nyeon, played by Kim Tae Ri, is a girl from an impoverished background who wants to earn her place and money by becoming a gukgeuk artist. Gukgeuk is an all-female theatre where actors would play both the characters of men and women in the storytelling format. Heo Yeong Seo, played by Shin Ye Eun, is a girl who is from a wealthy background and also wants to be a gukgeuk artist. The story is set in the 1956-post Korean War era.
Releasing: Yet to be announced
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25 King the Land
King the Land is a Rom-com about Goo Won, played by Lee Jun Ho, and Cheon Sa Rang, played by Im Yoon Ah. Goo Won is an heir to a luxury hotel company called The King Group; Cheon Sa Rang is now an employee of this Hotel. Goo Woo is fighting an inheritance war and is brilliant and charming but lacks romantic skills. At the same time, Cheon Sa Rang is a bubbly girl who always smiles, reminiscing about her childhood while working at the Hotel. Soon she finds herself waking to the reality of the workforce.
Releasing: June 2023
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