The new year seems off to a good start with new k-dramas premiering this month from Kim Nam-gil, Rain and Im Si-wan. We've got a good mix of medical comedies and crime-busting shows, plus a new zombie series to kick off what promises to be another great year for k-dramas.
Jan. 3: Ghost Doctor
Fantasy and comedy combine for this medical drama about two completely opposite doctors who somehow end up merging in one body. Rain (Full House) plays the genius but arrogant surgeon whose spirit somehow possesses the body of a silver-spoon doctor, played by Kim Beom (Law School).
Where to watch: Viu and iQiyi, starting Jan. 4
Jan. 7: Tracer
With revenge dramas flooding k-dramaland, Tracer introduces a unique but relatable setting — the National Tax Service. Hwang Dong-joo (Im Si-wan, Run On), a recently-promoted team manager of the Seoul Regional Office’s Investigation Bureau, chases money hidden from the tax bureau. His brave team member, Seo Hye-young (Go Ah-sung, Life on Mars), the corrupt Commissioner In Tae-joon (Son Hyun-joo, Itaewon Class), and the lazy section chief Oh Young (Park Yong-woo, Priest) join him to create a chaotic cast of nationally-certified experts. The revenge action drama is directed by Lee Seung-young (Special Affairs Team TEN, Voice 2) and written by Kim Hyun-jung (Who Are You: School 2015, Falsify).
Where to watch: wavve.com
Jan. 14: Through the Darkness
This SBS crime thriller will take us back to the 1990s to follow the experiences of the first criminal profiler in South Korea. At a time when the term "profiling" did not yet exist, Song Ha-young (Kim Nam-gil, Fiery Priest) a member of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Criminal Behavior Analysis team, challenges norms by wanting to understand the hearts and minds of criminals.
Where to watch: Viu, starting Jan. 15
Jan 14: Dr. Park's Clinic / Internal Medicine Director Park
A popular webcomic — written by Jang Bong-soo based on his own experiences from working as a doctor for 18 years — makes for a realistic yet hilarious comedy from TVING about the "funny and sad" life of Dr. Park Won-jang (Lee Seo-jin, Times). He has big ambitions for his new internal medicine clinic, but finds few patients, struggles to keep it open, and even suffers from hair loss. Worse, his wife Sa Mo-rim (Ra Mi-ran, Honest Candidate), believes in medical TV programs more than him.
Jan. 28: All of Us Are Dead
What are you going to do if you're trapped in a school building that becomes ground zero for a zombie apocalypse? That's what the high school students in this new thriller face. Based on the popular webtoon Now at Our School, the series stars some of South Korea's brightest young actors, led by Yoon Chan-young (Doctor John), Park Ji-hoo (House of Hummingbird), Cho Yi-hyun (Hospital Playlist, School 2021), Park Solomon (Sweet Revenge), and Yoo In-soo (At a Distance, Spring is Green).
Where to watch: Netflix