Pinch us—is it Christmas already? Netflix dropped its 2025 k-drama lineup and it is stacked with thrillers, romances and everything in between.
1st QUARTER
February 14: Melo Movie
This Valentine’s Day, Choi Woo-shik (Our Beloved Summer) plays Ko Gyeom, a film buff who starts as an extra and becomes a critic. Along the way, he encounters again someone from his past, Kim Mubee (Park Bo-young, Concrete Utopia), a woman with a complicated love-hate relationship with cinema, thanks to her filmmaker father. Sounds like the makings of a heartfelt coming-of-age love story that plays out like the perfect melodrama.
March 1: The Potato Lab
Love is like a tornado potato—twisty, unpredictable, and surprisingly sweet. Mi-kyung (Lee Sun-bin, Work Later, Drink Now) runs a quirky potato-centric research lab, but her peaceful life is turned upside down when Baek-ho (Kang Tae-oh, Extraordinary Attorney Woo), a cold-hearted businessman, enters the picture. A unique healing rom-com that’s as heartwarming as a plate of fries.
March 7: When Life Gives You Tangerines
Set on the beautiful island of Jeju, this highly-anticipated drama stars IU (Hotel del Luna) as Ae-sun, a rebellious woman determined to carve her own path. Opposite her is Park Bo-gum (Record of Youth), who plays Gwan-sik, a reserved man of few words but deep emotions. As they navigate four seasons of life and love, we see their journey unfold in a heartwarming (and tear-jerking) way. With writer Lim Sang-choon (When the Camellia Blooms) and director Kim Won-suk (Misaeng: Incomplete Life) at the helm, this one’s guaranteed to be special.
2nd QUARTER
April: Resident Playbook
Hospital Playlist fans, this one’s for you! This spin-off dives into the chaotic, heartfelt world of OB-GYN residents at Yulje Medical Center’s Jongno branch. Starring Go Youn-jung (Alchemy of Souls), Shin Si-a, Kang You-seok, and more, expect slice-of-life storytelling, medical drama, and the signature humor that made the original a hit.
April: Heavenly Ever After
Imagine waking up in heaven and finding the love of your life waiting for you—but both of you are young again. This fantasy romance follows Hae-sook (played by both Kim Hye-ja and Han Ji-min of The Light In Your Eyes), who reunites with her husband Nak-joon (Son Suk-ku, My Liberation Notes), and together they embark on a second chance at love. A poetic, emotional drama that explores the afterlife in a heartwarming way.
Mercy for None
So Ji-sub (Doctor Lawyer) plays Nam Gi-jun, a former gangster who returns to the world of organized crime to investigate and avenge the death of his brother Nam Gi-seok (Lee Jun-hyuk, Love Scout). Co-starring Heo Joon-ho, Gong Myoung, Choo Young-woo, and Tiger Lee, this noir action drama is based on the webtoon “Plaza Wars: Mercy for None.”
Tastefully Yours
This culinary romance stars Kang Ha-neul (Insider) as chaebol heir Han Beom-woo, who is hunting for recipes in a bid to inherit his family corporation, and Go Min-si (Youth of May) as Mo Yeon-joo, the chef-owner of a tiny restaurant in a small town. We can already taste the fun enemies-to-lovers trope in this one.
Karma
Six lives spiral out of control in this high-stakes crime thriller about people trapped in an unbreakable karmic loop: Park Hae-soo (Squid Game) is forced into a dangerous deal after witnessing something he shouldn’t have. Shin Min-a (Hometown Cha Cha Cha) plays a doctor haunted by childhood trauma, while Lee Hee-jun (A Killer Paradox) bets everything on crypto—and loses. Lee Kwang-soo (Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure) watches his career crumble, and Kim Sung-kyun (D.P.) takes a risky job after being unfairly fired. Meanwhile, Gong Seung-yeon (Deadline) sets off a chain of devastating events.
Weak Hero Class 2
New school, same brutal fights. After failing to protect a friend, Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon, Weak Hero Class 1) transfers to a new school, only to face even worse violence. He quickly learns that The Union, a powerful gang led by ruthless new enemies, controls everything. With Ryeo-un (Twinkling Watermelon) and Choi Min-yeong (XO, Kitty) joining the fray, and Yu Su-bin (D.P.) returning for a high-stakes rematch, the battle for survival just got bloodier. If you thought Weak Hero Class 1 was intense, brace yourself for more.
Dear Hongrang
A missing Joseon heir returns after 12 years, but with no memory. Hongrang (Lee Jae-wook, Alchemy of Souls) comes home with a secret past. His stepsister Jae-yi (Cho Bo-ah, Destined with You) has spent years searching for him—but now that he’s back, their relationship takes an unexpected turn. Meanwhile, Mu-jin (Jung Ga-ram, Love Alarm), the family’s adopted son, sees Hongrang’s return as a threat to everything he’s built. With hidden agendas, forbidden emotions, and power struggles threatening to tear them apart, Dear Hongrang has all the makings of a gripping sageuk.
June 27: Squid Game Season 3
The games aren’t over. Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae) is still on the island, with the stakes higher than ever. As the Front Man (Lee Byung-hun) sets new, twisted rounds into motion, the surviving players face tougher moral dilemmas and shocking betrayals. How do you think all this will end?
3rd QUARTER
Aema
Aema takes us behind the scenes of the Korean film industry in the 1980s. Leading this workplace comedy is Honey Lee (One the Woman) in the role of top movie actress Jung Hee-ran, who finds herself losing a leading role as “Madame Aema” to a struggling new actress Shin Ju-ae, played by up-and-coming actress Bang Hyo-rin. Jin Suk-kyu and Cho Hyun-chul co-star as the fictional film’s producer and director, respectively.
You and Everything Else
Kim Go-eun (Little Women) and Park Ji-hyun (Reborn Rich) play two women whose love-hate friendship spans decades. When one is diagnosed with terminal cancer, their past rivalries, regrets, and deep bond come to the surface in this nostalgic drama.
Trigger
In a country where firearms are illegal, a sudden wave of gun-related crimes sends shockwaves through society. Kim Nam-gil (Song of the Bandits) stars as Lee Do, a military sniper-turned-detective, who is determined to track down the source of these deadly weapons. But standing in his way is Moon Baek (Kim Young-kwang, Call It Love), a calculating arms dealer who thrives in the underground market.
4th QUARTER
As You Stood By
Adapted from “Naomi and Kanako,” a critically acclaimed novel by Hideo Okuda, and directed by Lee Jung-rim of Revenant, this thriller is about two women trapped in different kinds of hell who decide to take matters into their own hands. Eun-su (Jeon So-nee, Parasyte: The Grey), a struggling department store worker, hides her own painful past, while Hui-su (Lee You-mi, Strong Girl Nam-soon), once a promising writer, is now a victim of relentless domestic abuse.
Can This Love Be Translated?
Love is universal—but what if you can’t understand each other? Kim Seon-ho (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha) plays Ju Ho-jin, a polyglot translator who can switch between multiple languages with ease—but struggles when it comes to matters of the heart. Go Youn-jung (Moving) is Cha Mu-hee, a global celebrity who needs Ho-jin’s expertise to navigate her jet-setting career. Written by the Hong Sisters (Alchemy of Souls), this is a charming rom-com with an international twist.
Cashero
What if your superpower depended on your bank balance? Lee Jun-ho (The Red Sleeve) stars as a civil worker who gains superhuman strength based on how much cash he has. Every time he fights crime, his wallet suffers! A hilarious, action-packed ride with money-powered superheroes.
Genie, Make a Wish
In this much-awaited reunion after their 2016 hit series Uncontrollably Fond, Kim Woo-bin (Alienoid) plays a genie who wakes up after 1,000 years—only to find himself bound to Suzy (Anna), a no-nonsense woman who doesn’t believe in magic. This fantastical rom-com is penned by none other than Kim Eun-sook, the award-winning writer behind Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2017) and Descendants of the Sun (2016).
The Prince of Confession
When An Yun-su (Jeon Do-yeon, Kill Boksoon) is accused of murdering her husband, her seemingly ordinary life collapses overnight. Desperate to prove her innocence, she crosses paths with Mo-eun (Kim Go-eun, Exhuma), a mysterious woman known as ‘the witch’, who seems to know more than she lets on. As the truth unfolds, dark secrets, hidden motives, and deadly choices turn their fates upside down.
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