More Investigative Crime Dramas
Crime and mystery thrillers are always a hit amongst fans of Korean dramas. Disney+ latest crime thriller starring Ji Chang-wook and Wi Ha-joon in the lead roles is The Worst of Evil. The show narrates the story of a cop named Jun-mo who goes undercover to infiltrate a drug cartel. During the process, Jun-mo learns the harsh truth that his wife, who is also a cop, has a complicated history with the leader of the drug cartel.
If you are someone who has recently watched The Worst of Evil and is looking for some great alternatives for the Korean drama, here is a list of 10 other shows about crime and investigation that you will enjoy.
My Name
Similarities: Undercover Cop, Betrayal, Gang
Similar to The Worst of Evil, this show also features a cop who goes undercover to expose a gang. The 6-episode Netflix Original, My Name, follows the story of a young girl, Yoon Ji-woo, whose father is murdered before her eyes.
Pledged to take revenge on her father’s killer, Ji-woo works for her father’s friend Choi Mu-jin under his crime group – Dongcheonpa. With Mu-jin’s help, Ji-woo becomes a mole in the police department to look for her father’s murderer who is one of the cops.
Day Breaker
Similarities: Undercover Cop, Betrayal, Gang
This Chinese drama narrates the story of Luo Xiang, a former narcotics agent who faked his death during an undercover operation. Five years later, he’s living under a new name and needs to pretend to be his old self and once again infiltrate the drug cartel.
New World
Similarities: Undercover Cop, Betrayal, Investigation
This 2013 film follows the story of an undercover cop, Lee Ja-sung who infiltrates South Korea’s largest crime organization and spends ten years rising in the ranks. When the head of the organization, Goldmoon, is killed, a conflict of power arises between the successors over the head position. Ja-sung will be torn between his duty as a police officer and fidelity to his boss Jung Chung.
Flower of Evil
Similarities: Suspense, Female Cop, Investigation
The show follows the life of Baek Hee-sung who is hiding a dark secret surrounding his true identity. On the outside, he has an established and happy family life as well as a successful career. But, his perfect façade begins to crumble when his wife, Cha Ji-won, a homicide detective, begins investigating a string of serial murders from 15 years ago that somehow are linked to Hee-sung.
Evilive
Similarities: Crime, Suspense, Violence
The 2023 show narrates the story of Han Dong-soo, a lawyer who randomly picks a prisoner to visit and picks up their case. He is usually rational and reasonable, but deep within his mind exists a dark side that triggers him to cross the line and step into the world of evil.
Dong-soo’s half-brother, Han Beom-jae works at a second-hand computer shop and also acts as a case broker for his older brother. One day, Beom-jae notices the change in Dong-soo’s behaviour after picking up a new case involving a #2 ranked member of a crime organization.
Big Mouth
Similarities: Crime, Suspense, Drug Abuse
The 2023 drama Big Mouth follows the story of Park Chang-ho who is known for his big talk and promises ever since his high school days. Now, he is an infamous lawyer with a very low rate of success.
Unfortunately, Chang-ho is framed as the notorious and mysterious swindler “Big Mouse” and sent to prison. Chang-ho’s wife, Go Mi-ho works as a nurse and promises to go to any extent to prove the innocence of her husband.
The Prison
Similarities: Undercover Cop, Investigation
The show is another undercover cop show that follows the life of a detective whose younger brother dies due to a crime. To figure out what happened to him, the detective goes to prison as an inmate. In the prison, he approaches an inmate who acts like the king of the prison.
Infernal Affairs
Similarities: Undercover Cop, Crime
The Chinese drama, Infernal Affairs focuses on the life of a police officer named Chan Wing-yan who goes undercover in a crime organisation as well as a member of the organization, Lau Kin-ming. Lau Kin-ming infiltrates the Hong Kong Police Force. Both moles are planted by the rival organisation to gain an advantage in intelligence over the other side.
The Merciless
Similarities: Gangster, Suspense, Crime
The 2017 Korean film narrates the story of Jae-ho, a prisoner who makes his own rules and wields the most power among the inmates. Outside of prison, he was the #2 guy in a criminal gang who was ambitious enough to go after the #1 spot upon his release. One day, Jae-ho meets a new prisoner Hyun-soo, who also doesn’t follow the rules of the prison or submit to anyone.
Undercover
Similarities: Suspense, Crime, Betrayal
The show narrates the story of Han Jung-hyun, an agent at the Agency for National Security Planning known for his extraordinary quickness and boldness. During a top-secret mission, he falls in love with Choi Yeon-soo and eventually marries her.
Jung-hyun leaves his old life behind and starts living as an ordinary husband and father. However, the secrets of his past get caught in an uncontrollable whirlwind when his wife becomes nominated for a high-ranking government post.
So there we have it, our 10 TV show alternatives to watch when you’re finished with The Worst of Evil.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!