If you're a TV fan who recently got their first glimpse at the world of Korean entertainment, odds are it came courtesy of an edge-of-your-seat thriller. South Korea has been renowned for its spine-chilling suspense and horror films for decades, and its TV industry has fully embraced global audiences's appetite for gripping tales of serial killers, zombies, and dystopian death games. Since Squid Game took the world by storm in 2021, Korean broadcasters and streaming channels have followed the wave of exciting thriller K-dramas, allowing filmmakers to depict darker societal themes than in traditional romance or historical dramas.
For fans of series like Weak Hero Class 2 who are looking for their next TV binge, here are our picks of the best thriller K-dramas to watch, from terrifying horror series to psychological crime dramas to the best superhero show we've seen in years. (Once you've dipped your toes in, check out our list of the best K-dramas to watch on Netflix.)
Action Thriller K-dramas
'A Shop for Killers' (2024– )
This action thriller begins when new college student Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun) receives word that her reclusive uncle and caretaker, Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook), had committed suicide. Once she returns to her childhood home, Ji-an is ambushed by gunfire, left to fend for herself against teams of highly-skilled assassins. She has no idea why she is being attacked, but it's clear that it has something to do with Jin-man's mysterious job, which he ran out of a hi-tech bunker underneath their home. As she uncovers her uncle's secrets, Ji-an has to lean on the survival skills he taught her to make it out of her home alive.
'Bloodhounds' (2023– )
This action-packed series takes place during the height of the COVID pandemic in Seoul, when struggling local businesses find themselves at the mercy of corrupt gangsters. Rookie boxer Kim Geon-woo (Woo Do-hwan) works several jobs to help his family stay afloat, but his mother's café is struggling. When she signs up for a hefty loan, the pair discover that she's been targeted by Smile Capital, a ruthless loan-shark business led by crime boss Kim Myeong-gil (Park Sung-woong). Geon-woo teams up with fellow boxer Hong Woo-jin (Lee Sang-yi) to take down the loan sharks, with the help of a benevolent moneylender (played by Huh Joon-ho). (Netflix announced Bloodhounds season 2 in January 2025, with Jung Ji-hoon, a.k.a. Rain, joining the series as a new villain.)
'D.P.' (2021–2023)
This multi-season Netflix drama explores South Korea's 18-month mandatory military service, focusing on cases of desertion prompted by hazing and intense bullying. (It's even inspired by real-life incidents.) After impressing his superior Park Bum-gu (Kim Seong-gyoon), an empathetic private named Ahn Joon-ho (Jung Hae-in) is assigned to the D.P. ("deserter pursuit") unit, which is tasked with bringing back rogue soldiers. As he and D.P. Han Ho-yul (Koo Kyo-hwan) face difficult cases, they have to grapple with the toxic cycles of abuse within the military.
Crime Thriller K-Dramas
'Beyond Evil' (2021)
Korean film fans should check out this cinematic, psychological crime thriller, following two unlikely partners investigating a cunning serial killer. Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun), a washed-up former detective who now works as an average cop, is paired with Han Joo-won (Yeo Jin-goo), the son of a city police captain who's surprisingly transferred to the rural town of Manyang. When they discover a corpse with connections to a 20-year-old cold case (where a young Dong-sik was once considered a suspect), the detectives become determined to stop the murderer no matter what, even if it means becoming monsters themselves.
'Signal' (2016– )
This time-traveling crime thriller sees a group of detectives as they solve crimes across time, nearly three decades to be exact. In 2015, criminal profiler Park Hae-Young (Lee Je-hoon) discovers a mysterious walkie-talkie that allows him to communicate with Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong), a detective in 2000 working to solve a cold case that affected Hae-young in his childhood. Joined by Hae-young's colleague Cha Soo-hyun (Kim Hye-soo), the officers work together to solve cold cases inspired by real-life criminal cases in Korea. (tvN is officially set to release a second season in 2026, 10 years after Signal's premiere.)
'The Worst of Evil' (2023)
In this 1990s-set crime-thriller, Ji Chang-wook plays Park Jun-mo, a rural police officer who's constantly belittled for being at a lower rank than his wife Yoo Eui-jung (Im Se-mi), a Seoul detective. Hoping for more prestige, Jun-mu agrees to go undercover in a drug ring, intending to befriend Jung Gi-cheul (Squid Game's Wi Ha-joon), a former DJ who rose through the ranks to become head of the organization. Meanwhile, Jun-mo's unaware that Eui-jung has also volunteered for the mission, and that his wife was Gi-cheul's high school first love. Bibi also stars as Lee Hae-ryeon, a Korean-Chinese drug manufacturer in business with Gi-cheul.
Revenge Thriller K-dramas
'The Glory' (2022–2023)
South Korea is known for its mind-bending revenge tales, and this thriller-melodrama from writer Kim Eun-sook is the latest tale of vengeance to take over the K-drama world. When she was a teenager, Moon Dong-eun (Song Hye-kyo) was a victim of severe school bullying and was left mentally and physically scarred by her wealthy assailants. The abuse even led her to drop out of school, leading her to dedicate the rest of her life to taking down the group, led by queen bee Park Yeon-jin (Lim Ji-yeon). 20 years later, Dong-eun's ready to finally enact her intricate plot, with the help of Yeon-jin's housekeeper Kang Hyeon-nam (Yeom Hye-ran) and lovestruck doctor Joo Yeo-jeong (Lee Do-hyun).
'My Name' (2021)
On Yoon Ji-woo's (Gyeongseong Creature's Han So-hee) 17th birthday, an anonymous attacker murders her father on their front doorstep. Orphaned and friendless, Ji-woo strikes a deal with the Dongcheon gang's kingpin Choi Mu-jin (Park Hee-soon): He'll take her in and help her get revenge if she trains to become the gangster's mole in the police force. As the dirty cop infiltrates a narcotics division and investigates her father's murder, she finds herself caught between the law and the criminal underworld, not knowing which side is responsible for her dad's death.
'Reborn Rich' (2022)
Reborn Rich, one of the most popular K-dramas of 2022, belongs to a growing sub-genre of series about fallen heroes dedicating their second chance at life to revenge. (See also Again My Life and Marry My Husband.) Yoon Hyun-woo (Song Joong-ki) is the devoted secretary to the chaebol family behind the conglomerate Soonyang Group, led by patriarch Jin Yang-cheol (Lee Sung-min). When Hyun-woo is betrayed and murdered by one of the family members during a succession battle, he's reincarnated into the body of the youngest member of the family, Jin Do-jun. With his new position, the vengeful employee-turned-heir forms a plot to take over the company and discover the identity of his killer.
Romantic Thriller K-Dramas
'Flower of Evil' (2020)
Fans of both romance and thrillers will find themselves engrossed in this gripping mystery. Police detective Cha Ji-won (Moon Chae-won) and her loving husband Baek Hee-sung (Lee Joon-gi) appear to be the perfect family with an adorable young daughter. However, while investigating a series of murders, Ji-won's sleuthing begins to point to Hee-sung himself, who has been hiding his past and living under a new identity. As the case goes on and she discovers more about her husband's history, Ji-won has to reckon with the possibility that she may be in love with a serial murderer.
'Happiness' (2021)
While this genre-bending zombie series leans more toward thriller than romance, the chemistry between the leads makes it a must-watch for viewers who love both genres. When special ops officer Yoon Sae-bom (Han Hyo-joo) learns of a homeowner assistance program, she jumps at the chance to move into a high-rise with her high-school friend, Detective Jung Yi-hyun (Park Hyung-sik), not knowing that he's secretly in love with her. Soon after they move in, an infectious disease sweeps the country, with those infected getting a craving for human blood. The apartment building ends up quarantined, with Sae-bom and Yi-hyun trying to keep the peace and protect each other as wealth inequality and paranoia tears through the building's eccentric tenants faster than the virus.
'Healer' (2014–2015)
In this action-romance drama, Ji Chang-wook plays the "Healer," a night courier who messengers illegal items and does whatever the client needs, as long as it isn't murder, with the help of a genius hacker. When he crosses paths with failed tabloid writer Chae Young-shin (Park Min-young) and successful reporter Kim Moon-ho (Yoo Ji-tae), all three learn that they're connected in several ways. Come for the intricate plot, stay for some serious romance.
'Mr. Sunshine' (2018)
This action-romance inspired by real-life historical figures takes place in early 1900s Korea, known as the Joseon era. Eugene Choi (Squid Game's Lee Byung-hyun) was an orphaned child of enslaved people who escaped to the U.S. and became a citizen and Marine Corps officer. When he returns to his home country, he meets Ae-shin (Twenty-Five Twenty-One's Kim Tae-ri), a noblewoman who's secretly a sniper in Korea’s Righteous Army, which fights for Joseon's continued independence against the Japanese. The two fall in love, despite their class differences and Ae-shin's impending marriage, and Eugene must choose whether to keep his neutral position as an American diplomat or join the effort to secure the country's future.
School Thriller K-dramas
'All of Us Are Dead' (2022– )
In this zombie K-drama, the devastating outbreak begins within the Korean city of Hyosan, as a high school science teacher (played by Kim Byung-chul) experiments with a mysterious new virus. Once chaos erupts, the students of Hyosan High quickly begin transforming into flesh-eating monsters, leaving the remaining human teens to try to survive while still dealing with romantic angst, school bullying, and wealth inequality. Leading the group are childhood friends Cheong-san (Yoon Chan-young) and On-jo (Park Ji-hu), popular kid Su-hyeok (Lomon), and class president Nam-ra (Cho Yi-hyun).
'Pyramid Game' (2024)
If Squid Game took place in an all-girls high school, would it be more or less brutal? This underrated webtoon adaptation takes place at Baekyeon Girls' High School, where a monthly popularity vote determines the social structure. When transfer student Seong Soo-ji (Kim Ji-yeon) arrives in class 2–5 at the school, she lands at the bottom of the pyramid and discovers that the lowest-voted girl becomes the target of vicious school bullying in the next poll. The new arrival becomes determined to abolish the game, coming into conflict with queen bee Baek Ha-rin (Jang Da-ah).
'Study Group' (2025– )
This fantastic webtoon adaptation is a must-watch for anyone who prefers their action dramas a bit lighter. (Think Weak Hero Class 1 but more comedic.) In Study Group, Yoon Ga-min (Hwang Min-hyun) wants nothing more than to get into college, but no matter how much he studies, his grades never improve. When he transfers to Yusung Technical High School in the hopes of rising to a better academic rank, he discovers that he'll have to literally fight to raise his standing at the notoriously violent school. Luckily, Ga-min has some advantages on his side: his excellent martial-arts skills, his single-minded goal to form the titular study group, and a kind new teacher (played by Han Ji-eun) who wants to reform the school.
'Weak Hero' (2022– )
This action-thriller is another series about the dark sides of high school, from school violence to the intense college admissions process. Yeon Si-eun (Park Ji-hoon) is a brilliant loner whose sole focus is getting into the country's top university. Though he's physically weak, Si-eun refuses to back down to his brutal bullies. When he can no longer survive on his wits alone, Si-eun finds allies, and eventual friends, in fellow class outcast Oh Beom-seok (Hong Kyung) and the school's best fighter An Su-ho (Choi Hyun-wook). After the first eight-episode season became a word-of-mouth hit, Netflix continued the series, following Si-eun as he faced a new set of bullies to protect his friends at a new school.
Sci-fi/Fantasy Thriller K-Dramas
'Death's Game' (2023–2024)
Adapted from the Naver webtoon of the same name (and sporting a truly all-star cast), this fantasy thriller centers on Choi Yi-jae (Seo In-guk), a graduate who's been struggling to find stable employment for the past seven years. Filled with despair, Yi-jae throws himself off a roof and finds himself face-to-face with Death (played by Parasite's Park So-dam). As punishment for wanting to end his own life, Death makes Yi-jae play a fatal game: He will be reincarnated 12 times, taking over the bodies of other people who are about to die. If he can prevent any of those deaths, Yi-jae may continue to live as that person instead of going to Hell.
'Hellbound' (2021–2024)
This supernatural horror-thriller from Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho takes place in an alternate Korea where people receive hallucinations with the exact times of their death, and otherworldly, smoky monsters materialize to incinerate the chosen victims. Split between the first discovery of the phenomenon and five years later, Hellbound's first season chronicled the rise of the New Truth Society, a cult rising to power by preaching that everyone afflicted by the hellbound decree is a sinner. Meanwhile, lawyer Min Hye-jin (Kim Hyun-joo) becomes determined to take down the cult.
'Moving' (2023– )
This award-winning superhero series racked up tons of awards (and a Critics' Choice nomination) in 2023, and was named "the next breakout hit from Asia after Squid Game." The contemporary series follows a group of super-powered parents with ordinary jobs (played by Zo In-sung, Han Hyo-joo, Ryu Seung-ryong, and Kim Sung-kyun), who have passed their abilities down to their high-school-aged children (Go Youn-jung, Lee Jung-ha, and Kim Do-hoon). Jumping back and forth between flashbacks of the parents' backstories and their kids' attempts to control their powers, the series's big conflict comes with the present-day arrival of Frank (Ryoo Seung-bum), a vicious Korean-born American spy operative who begins hunting the heroes down.
'Parasyte: The Grey' (2024– )
Based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s sci-fi manga series Parasyte, this series from Yeon Sang-ho follows the aftermath of an invasion of parasitic life forms that live off human hosts. As the aliens begin taking over bodies, grocery clerk Jeong Su-in (Jeon So-nee) unexpectedly develops a bond with a parasite who fails to fully inhabit her brain. Meanwhile, gangster Seol Kang-woo (D.P.'s Koo Kyo-hwan) searches for his sister, who disappeared around the time of the invasion. The series splits its time between the unlikely pairing of Su-in and Kang-woo, and the activities of a military unit tasked with eliminating all the parasites, led by Choi Jun-kyung (Lee Jung-hyun).
'Sweet Home' (2020–2024)
Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name, Sweet Home follows Cha Hyun-su (Song Kang), a reclusive high school student who moves into an apartment complex called Green Home after a tragic accident kills his entire family. He soon finds himself trapped in the building at the end of the world, as humans begin transforming into horrific, deformed monsters. As the residents of Green Home team up to survive, Hyun-su and the other survivors must face their inner demons with the hope of keeping the human race alive.
Psychological/Horror Thriller K-dramas
'Mask Girl' (2023)
This stylish, twisted thriller follows the life of Kim Mo-mi, a quiet, plain-faced office worker who has always dreamed of the spotlight. Though she has been bullied and disrespected her entire life for not being "beautiful," she finds joy in her double life, where she moonlights as a mask-wearing camgirl. When her online persona is discovered by a co-worker with a one-sided crush (played by Ahn Jae-hong), Mo-mi's life takes several chaotic, dangerous turns. One big hint that this drama is not what it seems: Mo-mi is played by three actresses throughout the series: newcomer Lee Han-byeol, Queen Seondeok star Ko Hyun-jung, and former Orange Caramel member Nana.
'Squid Game' (2021–2025)
In case you haven't heard, Squid Game is the dystopian global phenomenon about 456 desperate people who sign up to play deadly children's games for the chance to win a life-changing fortune. Season 1 centers on Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), a divorced dad and gambler who joins the game with the hope of getting custody of his daughter. He competes against a variety of other players—from childhood friend Cho Sang-woo (Park Hae-soo) to North Korean defector Kang Sae-byeok (HoYeon Jung) to octogenarian Oh Il-nam (O Yeong-su)—while struggling to survive the harsh challenges. We'll avoid spoilers, but the second and third seasons see [redacted] re-enter the Game to take it down once and for all.
'Strangers from Hell' (2019)
Also known as Hell is Other People, this underrated psychological horror-thriller stars Im Si-wan (who plays Myung-gi/Player 333 in Squid Game) as Yoon Jong-woo, a young man who moves to Seoul with a dream of becoming a crime writer. Short on funds, Jong-woo moves into an ominous goshiwon (a.k.a. a mini studio) filled with creepy characters. As strange and disturbing occurrences keep happening, Jong-woo grows more and more paranoid about everything, including his new friendship with his next-door neighbor, Seo Moon-jo (Lee Dong-wook).
-
Taylor Swift Styles a Breezy Loewe Dress for a Special Surprise VisitShe made their day.
-
After Season 2's Controversial Ending, Will 'The Devil's Plan' Return for Season 3?Fans have a lot of thoughts about where the Korean reality show should go.
-
Sydney Sweeney Makes (Faux) Fur Work for SummerShe wear anything she sets her mind to.
-
'The Devil's Plan' Season 3: Everything We Know
Fans have a lot of thoughts about where the Korean reality show should go.
-
'Love Island USA' Season 7 Voting: Here's How to Vote for Your Favorite IslandersWe need to ensure our favorite girlies stay in the villa!
-
10 Must-Read Thrillers to Inspire You to "Be Gay, Do Crime" This PrideThese murder mystery books feature acts of queer resistance—and should absolutely be on your TBR stack.
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 4: Everything We KnowThe creator has already teased her thoughts on where the show will go after that shocking finale.
-
'Ginny & Georgia' Season 3 Ending, Explained: Breaking Down the TwistsDid the "Mayoress Murderess" saga end in chaos? (Of course it did.)
-
Meet the Cast and Characters of Netflix's 'Survivors'You'll be hooked by this Australian drama—which just so happens to star the next lead on 'Bridgerton.'
-
Meet Cierra Ortega, the First Bombshell of 'Love Island USA' Season 7The latest Islander was already racking up Instagram partnerships before she even arrived at the villa.
-
'The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives' Is Getting a Reunion Special. Here's Everything We KnowHere's everything we know about the upcoming special.
