June brings a wonderful mix of romance, thriller and action K-dramas. Netflix leads the roaster with the release of four original dramas this month, bringing to our screens beloved faces and legendary names. With Celebrity, it teams up with Kim Cheol-kyu, who was nominated for the first Cannesseries festival in 2018 for his heartwrenching drama, Mother. Disney+ Hotstar brings Revenant, an occult mystery that stars The Handmaiden’s Kim Tae-ri and is written by Kim Eun-hee, who crafted riveting mysteries like Signal and Kingdom. All in all, it’s a great month for K-drama fans.
Where: Netflix
When: June 9
Joseon Attorney’s Woo Do-hwan teams up with Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha’s Lee Sang-yi to lead Netflix’s action-packed Bloodhounds. Based on a webtoon of the same name, Bloodhounds revolves around two boxers who must take down a ruthless loan shark using skills they picked up inside the ring. The trailer features sequences of raw, fist-on-skin violence, interwoven with glimpses of ambition, camaraderie and comedy. The series is written and directed by Midnight Runners’ Kim Joo-hwan.
Where: Viki Rakuten
When: TBD
Korean singer, rapper and actor Baro (who we also saw in Reply 1994) will star as Kang Hee-jae, a new college student hellbent on impressing everyone around him. Predictably, this becomes the very reason why he feels insignificant. As he begins spiralling into a toxic cesspool of hatred and resentment, another student Ban Yoo-jin (Ha Seung-ri, All of Us Are Dead) struggles with the fact that she can’t make a relationship last for more than 100 days. As their college days unfold, the youngsters get entangled in webs of love, loss and betrayal – occasionally becoming the “villain” in someone else’s story.
Where: Netflix
When: June 17
A third-generation conglomerate, Gu-won (Lee Jun-ho, The Red Sleeve) is thrown into an intense inheritance battle for his family’s business, King group. But distracting him is a certain employee with a charming smile, Cheon Sa-rang (Im Yoon-ah, Big Mouth). The two might have chalk-and-cheese personalities but they gradually find ways to bond. If What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim was right up your alley, King in the Land might be the one for you. The series is directed by Im Hyun Wook (Reflection of You) and written by screenwriters Chun Sung Il (All of Us Are Dead) and Choi Rom.
Where: Netflix
When: June 30
Cannesseries-nominated director Kim Cheol-kyu (who also directed Flower of Evil) brings a tantalising thriller that delves into the backstage politics of South Korea’s celebrity culture. Dali & Cocky Prince’s Park Gyu-young plays Seo A-ri, one of the country’s many overnight sensations. However, mortal danger awaits her in this world of bling and glamour. So when she begins to live streaming from her grave, it sends ripples of shock across the industry – what secrets is she going to reveal?
Where: Netflix
When: June 17
Ban Ji-eum (Shin Hye-sun, Mr. Queen) remembers each of her past lives. In her 19th life, sets out to find Moon Seo-ha (Ahn Bo-hyun, Yumi’s Cells) – her love from her 18th life, which was cut short abruptly. Seo-ha is now an adult and is stunned by how much Ji-eum reminds him of his childhood sweetheart. Based on a webcomic of the same name, the K-drama is written by Choi Young-rim and directed by Lee Na-jung (Fight for My Way).
Where: Disney+ Hotstar
When: June 23
Kim Tae-ri (Twenty Five Twenty One) stars as Ku San-young, a young woman studying to become a public officer. But when she receives a relic from her dead father, mysterious things begin happening to those around her – some disappear and some are murdered. A man (Oh Jung-se, It’s Okay to Not be Okay) pursues her relentlessly, trying to convinceher of a dark truth: That she’s possessed by a demon. The supernatural thriller is written by Kim Eun-hee.