Netflix has released the list of Korean shows that will be streaming on the platform in 2024 including the highly anticipated “Squid Game” Season 2.
(Netflix)
Here the Korean shows that are available in the first quarter of the year on Netflix:
The Bequeathed (January 19, 2024)
After the death of an unknown uncle, a woman inherits a burial ground and finds herself at the center of a string of murders and dark secrets. Yeon Sang-ho helms the planning and screenplay of this unexpected tale that infuses a family’s history into the deep-rooted Korean traditions of burial grounds. Yeon’s infinitely imaginative mind has created many notable works, such as JUNG_E, Hellbound, as well as Train to Busan. In the director’s chair is Min Hong-nam, who has worked closely with Yeon as the assistant director in Train to Busan, Psychokinesis, and Peninsula. The cast consists of talented actors with a commanding presence: Kim Hyun-joo (JUNG_E, Hellbound) plays Yoon Seo-ha who inherits the burial ground. Park Hee-soon (A Model Family, My Name, Policeman's Lineage, The Fortress, 1987: When the Day Comes) plays Choi Sung-jun, a shrewd police detective with a keen sense of problem-solving. The Bequeathed marks Kim and Park’s reunion since their strong lead performances in the drama, Trolley. Park Byung-eun (Kingdom, Eve and Lost, The Moon) plays Park Sang-min, Sung-jun's younger colleague and the department chief. Ryu Kyung-soo (JUNG_E, Glitch, Hellbound, Itaewon Class) plays Kim Young-ho, Seo-ha’s younger half-brother.
Cast: Kim Hyun-joo, Park Hee-soon, Park Byung-eun, Ryu Kyung-soo
(Netflix)
Captivating the King (January 21, 2024)
King Lee In, the most powerful man with the most impoverished heart, and Kang Hee-soo, a woman who develops feelings for him despite her plan to wreak vengeance, come together in a cruel twist of fate.
Cast: Cho Jung-seok, Shin Sae-kyeong
(Netflix)
Badland Hunters (January 26, 2024)
Years after Seoul turns into an apocalyptic wasteland, a tough huntsman takes matters into his own hands when a teenager he’s close to is abducted by a mad doctor who conducts experiments on humans. This gripping action blockbuster with an intriguing post-apocalyptic premise stars Don Lee, an international actor who has spurred the catchphrase, “Don Lee is the genre.” Lee reunites with director Heo Myeong-haeng for this project after having worked closely together in The Outlaws, a definitive Korean action film series. Heo served as the action director for The Outlaws as well as numerous other works such as The Hunt and Train to Busan. Badland Hunters marks Heo’s debut as a director. In addition to Lee, the cast includes: Lee Hee-jun (The Man Standing Next, 1987: When the Day Comes); Lee Jun-young, (Love and Leashes, Mask Girl D.P., Brave Citizen); Roh Jeong-eui (Our Beloved Summer, 18 Again); and newcomer An Ji-hye, who is deft in difficult action performances. These talented actors are expected to deliver memorable performances and create impeccable synergy.
Cast: Don Lee, Lee Hee-jun, Lee Jun-young, Roh Jeong-eui, An Ji-hye
(Netflix)
Doctor Slump (January 28, 2024)
Burnouts and lawsuits in the range of 10 billion won abound in this rom-com drama about resuscitating the joie de vivre of doctors, each facing the worst slump of their lives for different reasons.
Cast: Park Hyung-sik, Park Shin-hye
(Netflix)
A Killer Paradox (February 9, 2024)
An ordinary man begins to commit more murders after inadvertently killing someone, and a police detective pursues him relentlessly. A Killer Paradox is based on a megahit webtoon written and illustrated by Kkomabi, who starkly contrasts a shocking story against delightful cartoon images. Skilled actors with a commanding presence breathe life into the series: Choi Woo-shik (Time to Hunt, Parasite, The Witch: Part 1 - The Subversion, Our Beloved Summer) plays Lee Tang, a college student who commits his first murder accidentally and discovers his supernatural gift of discerning evildoers. Son Suk-ku ( D.P., My Liberation Notes, The Roundup) plays Jang Nan-gam, a police detective probing into Lee Tang’s murder cases. Lee Hee-jun (Mouse, Miss Baek, Oh! My Gran, The Man Standing Next, Today Back Then) plays Song Chon, the mysterious ex-detective who adds suspense to the storyline as a threatening figure to both Lee Tang and Jang Nan-gam. A Killer Paradox is directed by Lee Chang-hee (Strangers From Hell,The Vanished) and is written by up-and-coming screenwriter Kim Da-min, who received the Grand Prize award from Gyeonggi Content Agency’s Support for Screenplay Planning and Development. A Killer Paradox promises to deliver an imaginative and well-polished story, asking thought-provoking questions about crime and punishment.
Cast: Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, Lee Hee-jun
(Netflix)
Risqué Business: The Netherlands and Germany (February 20, 2024)
Risqué Business is a talk show featuring Shin Dong-youp and Sung Si-kyung, where the two meet people from the unexplored world of adult entertainment. The candid conversations, at times spicy and at times casually cool, broach various topics on sex that many are curious about but have little knowledge of. Previous episodes of Risqué Business have given a voice to many individuals involved in the adult entertainment industry. After exploring Japan’s sex cultures and talking to diverse LGBTQ individuals and medical sex experts in Taiwan, the two hosts are now ready to go beyond Asia to the European nations of the Netherlands and Germany. The unscripted, mid-form variety format featuring conversations with intriguing individuals remains the same, as well as the brisk pacing within a short running time.
Cast: Shin Dong-youp, Sung Si-kyung
(Netflix)
My Name is Loh Kiwan (March 1, 2024)
My Name is Loh Kiwan follows the journey of North Korean defector Kiwan as he seeks refugee status in Belgium and meets Marie, who has no desire to live. Song Joong-ki, a compelling actor with powerful character portrayals, steps into the role of Loh Kiwan, a desperate man who ends up in the unfamiliar European country of Belgium with nothing to his name except for the hope of obtaining refugee status. Choi Sung-eun (The Sound of Magic, Start-Up, Gentleman) plays Marie, a Belgian national and a former Korean shooting competitor. My Name is Loh Kiwan tells a touching story of two people pushed to the edge, a man clinging to life and a woman with no reason to live. Yet, the two are inexplicably drawn to each other and find themselves giving each other a new sense of living. My Name is Loh Kiwan follows the fervent journey of a man seeking to reclaim his place in life so that he can live by his own name.
Cast: Song Joong-ki, Choi Sung-eun
(Netflix)
Queen of Tears (Q1 2024)
Marriage or war of the century? Hong Hae-in, the third-generation heiress to Queens Group and the queen of department stores, has been married for three years to Baek Hyeon-u, Yongdu-ri village chief’s son and the prince of supermarkets. As the couple weathers a marital crisis, they discover a miraculous new beginning that rewrites their love story.
Cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won, Park Sung-hoon, Kwak Dong-yeon, Lee Joobeen
(Netflix)
Chicken Nugget (Q1 2024)
A woman enters a mysterious machine and turns into a chicken nugget, with her father and her secret admirer desperately trying to restore her in this comical mystery drama. Ryu Seung-ryong (Extreme Job, The Admiral: Roaring Currents, Miracle in Cell No.7, Masquerade, Kingdom) plays Choi Sun-man, the owner of the company, More than Machines. When one of his machines turns his daughter Min-ah into a chicken nugget, Sun-man struggles to restore her back to a human being. Ahn Jae-hong (Mask Girl, Time to Hunt, Rebound, Be Melodramatic, Reply 1988) plays the quirky intern Ko Baek-joong who is secretly in love with Min-ah. Ahn and Ryu create perfect synergy together through their charming, colorful portrayals. Kim You-jung (20th Century Girl, The 8th Night, My Demon, Lovers of the Red Sky, Love in the Moonlight) plays Min-ah, who experiences the major mishap. Director Lee Byeong-heon, who has delivered witty repartees and captivating storylines in works such as Dream, Extreme Job, Twenty, and Be Melodramatic, takes a beloved webtoon with a novel premise and turns it into an exciting live-action series, toggling between sharp humor and mystery.
Cast: Ryu Seung-ryong, Ahn Jae-hong, Kim You-jung (special appearance)
(Netflix)
Physical: 100 Season 2 - Underground (Q1 2024)
This is a survival reality show where 100 contestants in top physical shape compete to claim the honor of the ultimate physique. Since its release in January 2023, the series won global fans and made history by being the first Korean unscripted series to be #1 on the Netflix Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) list. It made the Top 10 list in 82 countries, accumulating 192.63 million viewing hours in six weeks. In 2024, this global hit series returns and ups the game for an even more thrilling Season 2. A new group of 100 contestants declares war against one another in meticulously planned, large-scale challenges, relentlessly pushing their physical limits to become the last person standing.
(Netflix)