Many people think that K-dramas are all about romance and nothing more. We all know the potential of Korean romance and how it makes us dizzy over feels. However, some dramas keep you on the “edge of your seats” while you’re watching them. Yes, these are thriller dramas. And Korean series has an abundance of them as well. These thriller series, just like the former, can hold you to your seat till the end. If you were also living in the misconception that Korean drama is all about romance, then here is a list of 10 Korean thriller series that will not let you go.
If you are a fan of Horror movies, here you can check the best Korean horror movies which can give you shivers.
1] City Hunter (2011):
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 8.2/10
Directed by: Jin Hyuk
Number of Episodes: 20
Watch City Hunter Trailer:
A soldier, and the only survivor of an attack lives with a stolen child that he raises as his weapon of revenge. This drama involves marines, political conspiracy, and lots of grudges. The romantic/comedy relation between the Lee Yoon-sung and Kim Na-na is sweet, especially when it comes in between thrilling scenes. Another reason to watch it is the Handsome actor Lee Min-ho, who appears as an under-cover vigilant slash revenge-seeker and Park Min-young as a brave bodyguard. Overall, City Hunter is an excellent action thriller drama with mystery and romance.
2] Voice (2017):
Available on: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Directed by: Kim Hong-sun, Kim Sang-hoon
Number of Episodes: 16+2
Watch Voice Trailer:
The series revolves around Kang Kwon-joo, a tough policewoman gifted with perfect psycho-acoustics skills, and Moo Jin-hyuk, a guilt-ridden detective. Both suffer the loss of someone close. In the course of events, they team up as the “Golden Time Team”. Together they solve cases, chasing after the serial killer who killed their loved ones. The story is not only thrilling but also emotional. If you want to go for a roller coaster ride of suspense, thrill, and emotion, then you must watch it.
3] Healer (2014):
Available on: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Directed by: Lee Jung-sub, Kim Jin-woo
Number of Episodes: 20
Watch Healer Trailer:
It is a thriller-action series with a good plot, unique style, and perfect cast. A decades-old incident brings together three people, an illegal “night courier” with codename ” healer”, a reporter from second rate news website, and a famous journalist of a major broadcast station. They try to uncover the truth of the 1992 incident. But the journey makes them real and honest reporters, who deal with truth and fate. If you are also a fan of a thriller drama, then watching it could be your best decision. Also, it has handsome actors to keep you engaged.
4] Hello Monster (2015) :
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Directed by: Noh Sang-hoon, Kim Jin-won
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Hello Monster Trailer:
This drama tells the story of two brothers with different personalities but their love towards each other. A Genius profiler (Lee Hyun)and reckless detective (Cha Ji-an) are solving a criminal case, and Lee, who was separated by his brother, comes to Korea in search of him. It’s a fantastic drama with a lot of twists and turns. It will keep you hooked throughout. Although the romance was not the focal point, the tiny bit of it will make you fall in love with the relation of the two leads. It’s a must-watch if you are a fan of police procedural genera, and a fan of crime dramas.
5] The K2 (2016):
Available on: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Directed by: Kwak Jung-hwan
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch The K2 Trailer:
A soldier Kim Je-ha becomes a fugitive and turns cold and cynical after being falsely accused of the murder of a civilian. He waits for his revenge. On the other side, exists Go Anna, an illegitimate daughter of a presidential candidate whose life is in danger because of her stepmother. Je-ha gets assigned to guard Go Anna. He protects her at all costs. This show is so intense that you can’t stop watching it. I love how it has both romance and comedy in a thriller series. I highly recommend this drama who loves action and suspense thriller series.
6] W – Two Worlds (2016):
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 8.1/10
Directed by: Jung Dae-yoon
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Two Worlds Trailer:
As the title suggests, it’s a story of two people who live in two different worlds, but end up falling for each other. That gap between the two worlds is closed by Oh Yeob-joo, who somehow goes to another world where she meets Kang Chul, her perfect man who is her teenage love interest. It’s a thriller-fantasy story blended well with suspense and twists. This drama won’t let you blink your eyes until the end of the story. I found this show to be fresh, engaging, fast-paced, and truly interesting.
7] Kingdom (2019):
Available on: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 8.4/10
Directed by: Kim Seong-Hun
Number of Episodes: 12
Number of Seasons: 2
Watch Kingdom Trailer:
This political period horror-thriller series is the first of Netflix’s Korean original series. Set in the period after the Japanese invasions of Korean, it tells the story of Lee Chang, who stumbles across political conspiracies while investigating the spread of the mysterious plague. He heads to the Southern province of Gyeonsgang to search for answers to his discovery. There he encounters another plague; the dead are coming back to life. With another physician, Yeong-shin he tries to stop it, and also prevent the royal dynasty from being overthrown. If you want some chills down your spine, then go and watch this nail-biting series.
8] Strong Women Do Bong-soon (2017):
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 8.2
Directed by: Lee Hyung-min
Number of Episodes: 16+1 (special)
Watch Strong Women Do Bong-soon trailer:
Do Bong-soon is a woman born with superhuman strength that comes from the long line of women possessing it. Ahn Min Hynk, the CEO of Anisoft, a gaming company, seeing her strength hires her as his bodyguard. It’s my all-time favorite drama, with an exceptional thrilling track, and peerless comedy, which is just flawless. If you like a romantic-thriller with a touch of comedy, then you must watch it.
9] Lawless Lawyer (2018):
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 7.1/10
Directed by: Kim Jin-min
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Lawless Lawyer Trailer:
Lawless Lawyer keenly negotiates to a study direction where the heroes ultimately reach an edifying redemption. It’s a thriller crime drama that does not suffer from pointless plot insertion and indecisive characters. The storyline is thrilling, with a lot of twists and conspiracies. It shows the past sufferings present fighting by using the law. If you want an action-packed series, with elements of humor and romance, and that has a happy ending, then I would recommend watching this series.
10] He is Psychometric (2019):
Available on: Netflix
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Directed by: Kim Byung-soo
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch He is Psychometric Trailer:
He is Psychometric is about a man (Jinyoung) who can read the secrets of people by touching their skin. Jinyoung meets a woman (Shin Ye Enu) who is trying to hide her deep secrets. They team up to solve a mystery surrounding fire that changed both of their lives when they were young. It shows the relationship of brotherhood but with a thrilling twist. It also has science fiction elements, suspense, and as a delight romance between the leads.
11] Watcher (2019)
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Directed by: Ahn Gil-ho
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Watcher Trailer:
Watcher is a crime thriller series. It revolves around three people, Do Chi Kwang, Han Tae-joo, and Kim Yeong-goon. Because of an incident, their life changes. To uncover the truth, they join hands. The series takes you to a nerve-wracking journey. From the cast to the plot, everything is perfect. If you need a thrilling, suspensive crime drama, then this is what you should be watching.
12] Children of Nobody (2018)
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Directed by: Choi Jung-kyu, Kang Hee-joo
Number of Episodes: 32
Watch Children of Nobody Trailer:
Children of Nobody is a mystery thriller that revolves around the life of Cha-Woo-kyung, a counselor who caters to children. Her life was good with her husband and children. But one day, a mysterious incident changes everything. Because of that now she faces a child, no one knows who. She has to uncover the truth, both behind the incident and the child. How will she do that?
13] Tell Me What You Saw (2020):
Available on: YouTube
IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
Directed by: Kim Sang Hoon
Number of Episodes: 16
Watch Tell Me What You Saw Trailer:
Also known as Set It as You See It, this is a thriller series about a genius profiler who cracked old cases using his skills. One day, his fiancee died in an explosion, set by a serial killer. From that time, he lived in seclusion. But, five years later, the same pattern of killings started coming up again. This time, he won’t let the killer escape. With the help of another detective, he sets to chase him. The series takes you to a suspense journey, a cat-rat race that is impossible to resist watching till the end of the last episode.
Which are your favourite korean thriller series of all time? Let us know in the comments section!
1 comment
Good post