The 40 Most Exciting K-Dramas Releasing In 2025 | TheReviewGeek Recommends

Korean dramas have taken over screens across the world and with good reason — stunning actors, sleek production, and captivating stories. We get scandalous affairs, political wars, magical creatures, lifelong friendships, heart-wrenching love stories, and sometimes all of these things blended into one! This year is no less. We’ve got bigger and more exciting K-dramas coming our way in 2025.

The roster for new K-dramas in 2025 includes a gumiho who loses her immortality, a tale of twins who swap lives, a decades-spanning, slice-of-life story about two friends, and several workplace dramas that dive into industries like law, insurance, and even show business. All the big names are coming out with new shows as well — Gong Yoo, Song Hye-kyo, Lee Dong-wook, Park Hyung-sik, Jun Ji-hyun, Bae Suzy, IU, Kim Woo-bin, and many more.  

Ready to dive in? We’ve listed all the biggest K-dramas releasing in 2025, along with details about their release dates, cast, plot, and where you can watch them.

PS – Bookmark this page to stay tuned with your favourite actors and dramas, as we will keep updating the article as the year moves along!


Love Scout kdrama

Love Scout  

Release Date: 3rd January

Lead Cast: Han Ji-min, Lee Joon-hyuk,  

Where to Watch: SBS TV, Viki

Plot: Love Scout turns the tables on the popular CEO-secretary trope. This time, Han Ji-min plays a successful CEO named Kang Ji-yoon whose life revolves around her work. And Lee Joon-hyuk plays the soft-hearted single father named Yoo Eun-ho who becomes her secretary.  Cue sparks flying. New episodes of the drama will air every Friday and Saturday night at 22.00 KST.


When the Stars Gossip

Release Date: 4th January  

Lead Cast: Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin, Oh Jung-se

Where to Watch: tvN, Netflix

Plot: Gong Ryong is an OB-GYN who visits a space station as a tourist and finds himself under the lead of Commander Eve Kim. A connection brews between the unlikely pair but Gong Ryong also has a secret mission that he can’t divulge. When the Stars Gossip will release new episodes every Saturday and Sunday night at 21.20 KST.


motel california

Motel California

Release Date: 10th January  

Lead Cast: Lee Se-young, Na In-woo

Where to Watch: MBC TV, Viki

Plot: Based on a novel titled ‘Home, Bitter Home’, this K-drama follows the life of Ji Kang-hee. She was raised in a small rural town, in a motel owned by her father but then left to pursue her dreams in Seoul. Now, twelve years since, she returns to the town and reunites with her past, including a veterinarian named Cheon Yeon-soo. Motel California will air every Friday and Saturday at 21.50 KST.


unmasked kdrama

Unmasked

Release Date: 15th January

Lead Cast: Kim Hye-soo, Jung Sung-il, Joo Jong-hyuk

Where to Watch: Disney+

Plot: A group of investigative journalists find themselves in hot water after releasing a controversial story. In order to save their program and their careers, they decide to solve a 20-year-old case regarding the disappearance of a renowned actor. New episodes of Unmasked will air every Wednesday.


the trauma code

The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call

Release Date: 24th January

Lead Cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Choo Young-woo

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: In this medical drama, Ju Ji-hoon plays an exceptionally skilled trauma surgeon who has a learnt lot by conducting surgeries in conflict zones across the world. He joins a university hospital where his unorthodox methods don’t quite fit in. Nevertheless, he works to make the trauma unit one of the best.


BLACKPINK Jisoo Newtopia

Newtopia

Release date: 7th February

Lead Cast: Park Jung-min, Jisoo

Where to Watch: Coupang Play, Prime Video

Plot: The roster of Korean shows can’t be complete without a zombie drama! In this one, Park Jung-min plays a soldier while Jisoo plays his girlfriend, who is a new employee in an office. Coincidentally, a zombie outbreak spreads across Seoul on the day they break up. Will the two find their way back to each other?


Buried Hearts Park Hyung Sik

Buried Hearts

Release date: 14th February

Lead Cast: Park Hyung-sik, Heo Joon-ho, Hong Hwa-yeon, Do Ji-won

Where to Watch: SBS TV

Plot: Park Hyung-sik is back with another drama and this time, he plays a cold and ambitious man named Seo Dong-ju. He is the head of the chairman’s secretary office in Daesan Group and aims to take over the company one day. On the other hand is Heo Joon-ho’s character Yeom Jang-sun, a calculating villain and former head of the National Intelligence Service who wields immense wealth and power.

The two leads will go head to head in this battle for power as well as a 2 trillion won slush fund. New episodes of this drama will release every Friday and Saturday night from the release date.


Image

Melo Movie

Release date: 14th February

Lead Cast: Park Bo-young, Choi Woo-sik, Lee Jun-young, Jeon So-nee

Where to Watch: Netflix

Plot: This reunion romance follows Kim Mu-bi, an aspiring film director who meets and falls in love with an actor named Ko Gyeom. Until he disappears without a word. Five years later, they come across each other again but this time as a film director and film critic.


Mun Ka Young Choi Hyun Wook My Dearest Nemesis

My Dearest Nemesis

Release date: 17th February

Lead Cast: Moon Ga-young, Choi Hyun-wook, Im Se-mi, Kwak Si-yang

Where to Watch: tvN

Plot: Based on the webtoon ‘That Man is Black Salt Dragon’, this K-drama will blend a workplace drama with a romantic comedy. The story revolves around Baek Soo-jung and Ban Joo-yeon who first meet as teenagers through an online game. They fell in love but things didn’t work out. Sixteen years later they meet again but this time, Joo-yeon is Soo-jung’s boss.


When Life Gives You Tangerines IU Park Bo Gum Netflix

When Life Gives You Tangerines

Release Date: 7th March 

Lead Cast: IU, Park Bo-gum

Where to Watch: Netflix

Plot: This slice-of-life romance is set on Jeju island, in the 1950s. It revolves around Ae-sun, a young nervous woman with a rebellious spirit, and Gwan-sik, the steadfast, quiet young man who has always been in love with her but doesn’t know how to be romantic. The series will follow their ups, downs, dreams and ambitions.


Hyper Knife kdrama

Hyper Knife

Release date: 19th March

Lead Cast: Park Eun-bin, Sul Kyung-gu, Yoon Chan-young, Park Byung-eun

Where to Watch: Disney+  

Plot: This one is a medical drama with a thrilling twist. The series follows Dr. Jung Se-ok, a genius neurosurgeon who finds herself disgraced and stripped of her license. She ends up working as a shadow doctor in an underground clinic but soon finds herself face-to-face with her old mentor, Choi Deok-hee, who is also the man who forced her to hit rock bottom. Hyper Knife will follow the twisted relationship between both geniuses as they clash against one another.


The Haunted Palace

The Haunted Palace

Release Date: April 2025

Lead Cast: Yook Sung-jae, Bona, Kim Ji-hoon

Where to Watch: SBS TV

Plot: The Haunted Palace is a fantasy romance drama set during the Joseon era that follows the lives of Yoon Gap, a royal inspector, and Yeo-ri, the granddaughter of a shaman. They were each other’s first love and fate brings them together again. However, Yoon Gap gets possessed by an evil imugi and Yeo-ri is tasked with saving him. In the process, they also get involved with King Yi Sung, who has great ambitions for the country. This drama is set to air in April 2025.


Kim Soo Hyun Knock Off

Knock-Off

Release Date: April 2025

Lead Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Jo Bo-ah

Where to Watch: Disney+

Where to Watch: Plot: Knock-Off follows the life of an ordinary man whose life is completely upturned by the 1997 financial crisis and leads him to start working in the counterfeit market. He uses his skills and quickly rises the ranks of the global fake market. Meanwhile, his ex-girlfriend is a police officer who begins to crack down on counterfeit goods. This drama is rumoured to be released in April, in two parts.


Slowly and Intensely

Slowly, Intensely

Lead Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Gong Yoo  

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: Stellar A-list actors Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo will star together for the first time in this series. Slowly, Intensely is a period drama set in post-war South Korea in the 1960s and 70s, exploring the world of show business. The story will depict the growth of the broadcasting industry in that era, looking at the lives of actors as well as people behind the camera.


all the love you wish for

All the Love You Wish For

Lead Cast: Bae Suzy, Kim Woo-bin

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: The iconic pairing of Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-bin returns in this K-drama! Penned by The Glory writer Kim Eun-sook, All the Love You Wish For revolves around a thousand-year-old genie and a young girl who wakes him up and gets three wishes. Expect this story to blend fantasy, romance, and comedy all together.


Song Joong Ki My Youth

My Youth

Lead Cast: Song Joong-ki, Chun Woo-hee, Lee Joo-myung, Seo Ji-hoon

Where to Watch: jTBC

Plot: Song Joong-ki makes a comeback to the small screen in this drama. He plays a former child star who was incredibly successful but went through traumatic moments due to the greed of adults. Now, he is a novelist living a quiet life. But things change when his first love — a woman who he spent some of his darkest moments with — comes back into his life after 10 years.


Made in Korea

Made in Korea

Lead Cast: Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung

Where to Watch: Disney+

Plot: Directed by Woo Min-ho, Made in Korea is a political drama that is set in 1970s Korea and covers major events from the country’s history during that time. The series will focus on Baek Ki-tae, a man determined to grow his power and wealth, and Jang Geon-young, a prosecutor who is hell-bent on stopping Baek. The two then end up involved in an incident which changes everything.


Lee Da Hee Lee Dong Wook Lee Kwang Soo Lee Joo Bin Divorce Insurance

Divorce Insurance

Lead Cast: Lee Dong-wook, Lee Kwang-soo, Lee Da-hee, Lee Joo-bin

Where to Watch: tvN

Plot: Divorce Insurance will revolve around the workings of an insurance company and highlight how they deal with divorce cases. The charismatic Lee Dong-wook will play an insurance agent who has been divorced three times himself and uses this experience to develop a new insurance product related to divorce. The office rom-com will explore how he goes about this and the effect it has on his colleagues.


wife of a 21st prince

Wife of a 21st Century Prince

Lead Cast: IU, Byeon Woo-seok  

Where to Watch: MBC

Plot: This K-drama is set in an alternate world where Korea is a monarchy. The story follows Sung Hui-ju, a chaebol heiress who has plenty of wealth but remains a commoner in status, and Prince I-an, who is a royal but is lacking in everything else. Both of their lives change when they come across each other. The drama is set to air in the latter half of 2025.


Mun Ka Young Lee Jong Suk Seochodong kdrama

Seochodong

Lead Cast: Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang Yoo-seok, Ryu Hye-young, Im Seong-jae 

Where to Watch: tvN

Plot: After Big Mouth in 2022, Lee Jong-suk is making his comeback on the small screen with Seochodong. This is a legal drama that revolves around five lawyers who work at Seochodong Judicial Town. The series will follow their ups and downs as they deal with different cases. The drama is set to premiere in the first half of 2025.


Disney Tempest Jun Ji  Hyun

Tempest

Lead Cast: Jun Ji-hyun, Kang Dong-won, John Cho, Kim Hae-sook, Lee Mi-sook, and more  

Where to Watch: Disney+  

Plot: Tempest is a spy drama that will star Jun Ji-hyun as Moon-ju, a successful diplomat and former US ambassador, and Kang Dong-won as an international mercenary shrouded in mystery. After a major incident takes place, the two unlikely collaborators are forced to work together to uncover the truth.


Ji Chang-wook Doh Kyung-soo The Manipulated

The Manipulated

Lead Cast: Ji Chang-wook, Doh Kyung-soo (EXO’S D.O.), Lee Kwang-soo

Where to Watch: Disney+

Plot: What’s a year of K-dramas without a Ji Chang-wook action drama? This time he plays an ordinary man named Park Tae-joong who finds himself sent to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. When he realises the whole thing was orchestrated by a villain named Yo-han, Tae-joong sets about getting revenge.


I’m Human From Today

I’m Human From Today

Lead Cast: Kim Hye-yoon, Park Solomon, Jang Dong-joo

Where to Watch: SBS TV

Plot: Eun-ho is a gumiho who enjoys her eternal youth as well as the pleasures of the human world but ends up losing her immortality due to an incident involving Kang Yi-seo, a famous and narcissistic football player. As an ordinary person, Eun-ho must then deal with the emotions and complexities of human life.


The Art Of Negotiation

The Art of Negotiation

Lead Cast: Lee Je-hoon, Ahn Hyun-ho, Sung Dong-il, Kim Dae-myung, Cho Gang-yun

Where to Watch: jTBC

Plot: Lee Je-hoon plays Yoon Joon-o, a corporate mergers and acquisitions specialist who is known for being an expert negotiator. The series is a workplace drama and will follow his character navigating several high-stakes situations and large-scale corporate deals with his team of lawyers.


Good Boy Park Bo Gum Kim So Hyun Heo Sung Tae

Good Boy

Lead Cast: Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun, Oh Jung-se, Lee Sang-yi, Heo Sung-tae, Tae Won-seok

Where to Watch: jTBC

Plot: Good Boy is a police drama with a twist! This story is about former Olympic medallists — in boxing, shooting, fencing, wrestling, and more — who became police officers through a special recruitment procedure. The action drama will follow the escapades the officers find themselves in as they fight violent crime and injustice.


squid game

Squid Game Season 3

Lead Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Lee Byung-hun, Wi Ha-joon, Im Si-wan, Kang Ha-neul, Park Sung-hoon, and more

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: The third and final season of Squid Game will release this year as well! Helmed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, the final instalment of the thriller series will continue to follow Seong Gi-hun’s fight to shut down the games once and for all.


two women

Two Women

Lead Cast: Kim Go-eun, Kim Gun-woo, Park Ji-hyun

Where to Watch: Netflix

Plot: As the title suggests, this drama looks at the complicated love-hate relationship between two women. Ryu Eun-jung and Cheon Sang-yeon are both, best friends and rivals. The series follows their lives over the decades, as they drift in and out of each other’s worlds. When they are both 42 years old, Sang-yeon shows up in front of Eun-jung with heartbreaking news — she has been diagnosed with cancer.


Can This Love Be Translated

Can This Love Be Translated?

Lead Cast: Kim Seon-ho, Go Youn-jung

Where to Watch: Netflix

Plot: Also known as ‘Love in Translation’, this romantic drama follows a multilingual translator named Ju Ho-jin and a global celebrity named Cha Mu-hee. They have different takes on love and butt heads often. But as they work together, sparks begin to fly. This drama has been penned by the Hong Sisters, writers of dramas like Alchemy of Souls and Hotel del Luna.


hong rang

Hong Rang

Lead Cast: Lee Jae-wook, Jo Bo-ah

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: This period drama is set during the Joseon Dynasty and revolves around Hong Rang, the son of a merchant who went missing at the age of eight. Twenty years later, he returns as an adult but with no memory of his childhood. His step-sister Jae-i struggles to find the truth behind the mystery.


Netflix Karma

Karma (working title)

Lead Cast: Park Hae-soo, Shin Min-ah, Lee Hee-jun, Kim Sung-kyun, Lee Kwang-soo, Gong Seung-yeon

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: According to the Netflix press release, this drama will follow the lives of several people who “end up repeating their karmic cycle with one another”. The series will look at the role of fate in the intertwining lives of a man who witnesses an accident, a doctor suffering from trauma, a man desperate to free himself from loan sharks, and a man who loses his job.


The Price of Confession

The Price of Confession

Lead Cast: Jeon Do-yeon, Kim Go-eun, Park Hae-soo, Jin Seon-kyu

Where to Watch: Netflix

Plot: A new mystery thriller, this K-drama kicks off with a woman named Ahn Yoon-soo whose husband is killed. She is accused of his murder and soon finds herself in prison, where she meets a mysterious woman named Mo-eun, labelled a witch by the other inmates. Things unravel when Yoon-soo strikes a dangerous deal with Mo-eun.


weak hero class

Weak Hero Class 2

Lead Cast: Park Ji-hoon, Ryeoun, Yo Su-bin, Bae Na-ra, Lee Min-jae, Lee Jun-young, Choi Min-young

Network: Netflix

Plot: In this second instalment, the drama will follow Yeon Si-eun’s transfer to Eunjang High School after the trauma of failing to protect a friend. Determined not to lose his friends again, he perseveres to showcase his resilience in the face of all new bullies who enjoy tormenting their weaker classmates.


Nine Puzzles

Nine Puzzles

Lead Cast: Kim Da-mi, Son Suk-ku

Where to Watch: Disney+, Hulu

Plot: In this crime drama, Kim Da-mi plays Yoon Yi-na, a young girl whose uncle was murdered and Son Suk-ku plays Kim Han-saem, the detective who suspected her of the crime. Ten years later, Yi-na is a criminal profiler working with the police. When a new case takes a dangerous turn, she is forced to team up with Han-saem to find the truth.


Netflix As You Stood By

As You Stood By

Lead Cast: Jeon So-nee, Lee You-mi, Jang Seung-jo, Lee Moo-saeng  

Where to Watch: Netflix  

Plot: Based on a novel, this intense drama will follow the lives of two women, one of whom suffers due to her abusive husband. The two eventually decide the only way out is by killing him. But will they succeed?


Cashero

Cashero

Lead Cast: Lee Jun-ho, Kim Hye-jun, Kim Byung-cheol, Kim Hyang-gi, Kang Han-na  

Where to Watch: Netflix

Plot: Kim Sang-woong is an ordinary government employee blessed with a very unique superpower — superhuman strength that is dictated by how much cash he owns. When a rich lawyer finds out about this, he teams up with Sang-woon and introduces him to another superhero — a woman with telekinetic powers which depend on how many calories she eats.


mercy for none

Mercy For None

Lead Cast: So Ji-sub, Ahn Kil-Kang, Lee Bum-soo, Gong Myung, Heo Joon-ho, Choo Young-woo, Jo Han-chul

Network: Netflix

Plot: An adaptation of a webtoon named Plaza Wars, this gritty crime drama set in Seoul’s underbelly follows Gijun, one of the underworld’s fiercest. However, he retires to sidestep conflict with his brother, Giseok. Years later, Giseok’s ruthless murder reignites Gijun’s thirst for vengeance and he’s convinced the culprit lurks close.


Kim Min Ha Gong Myung Way Back Love

Way Back Love

Lead Cast: Gong Myung, Kim Min-ha

Where to Watch: TVING

Plot: Hui-wan is a 24-year-old woman who has lost the will to live. One day, her old friend and first love, Kim Ram-u, turns up at her doorstep. Except, Ram-u died a few years ago. He’s now come to see her as a grim reaper and breaks the bad news — she has a week left to live.


the murky stream

The Murky Stream / Taryu

Lead Cast: Rowoon, Shin Ye-eun, Park Seo-ham

Where to Watch: Disney+

Plot: This historical drama is set in Joseon and follows the lives of three people: Si-yul, Choi-eun, and Jeong-cheon. Si-yul is a gangster with a hidden past, Choi-eun is a wise and righteous woman, and Jeong-cheon seeks to become an incorruptible official. The series will depict their intertwining lives as they navigate a lawless era. This drama is rumoured to be released in September.


Park Bo-young Got7 Jinyoung Unknown Seoul

Unknown Seoul

Lead Cast: Park Bo-young, Park Jin-young, Ryu Kyung-soo  

Where to Watch: tvN

Plot: Park Bo-young plays a double role in this drama! Unknown Seoul tells the story of twin sisters, Yoo Mi-ji and Yoo Mi-rae. Mi-ji is a former athlete and a carefree, flamboyant person while Mi-rae is a perfect corporate employee. However, after an incident, the sisters swap lives and end up exploring love, identity and the meaning of life. This romantic drama is speculated to release in the first half of 2025.


Dear X Kim Young-dae Kim Yoo-jung

Dear X

Lead Cast: Kim Yoo-jung, Kim Young-dae, Kim Do-hoon, Lee Yeol-eum

Where to Watch: TVING

Plot: Dear X has been touted as a thriller and melodrama that revolves around a popular actress named Baek A-jin, who is known for having a kind and pleasing personality. However, she has a darker, cruel side that uses other people. This side of her personality soon threatens to turn her whole life around. But she still has Yoon Joon-seo, the man who stayed beside her all this time.


twelve

Twelve

Lead Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyung-sik, Seo In-guk, Sung Dong-il, Lee Joo-bin, Ko Kyu-pil, Kang Mi-na, and more

Where to Watch: U+ Mobile TV

Plot: This fantasy drama will spark a battle between good and evil. The show revolves around 12 angels, each of whom is associated with an animal and works to protect the mortal world. However, when an evil spirit named Ogui rises again, chaos reigns and the angels must band together to protect the human world.


Which Korean drama are you most looking forward to in 2025? Which do you think could become the best of this year? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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