Action, mystery, thriller, period, and romantic comedies, the drama gods have something cooking for us all.

2024 was another great year for K-Dramas. With hits such as Queen of Tears, Lovely Runner, and more recently Squid Game 2, the Hallyu wave shows no signs of slowing down.

For this year, they’ve got superstar pairings and big-budget productions for us K-drama junkies. It has already started on a high note, with Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin’s fantasy rom-com When the Stars Gossip premiering on tVN and Netflix on Jan 4. This highly anticipated series starring two of South Korea’s biggest stars is just the tip of a massive iceberg, with 2025 promising something for every K-drama fan out there.

Action, mystery, thriller, period, and romantic comedies, the drama gods have something cooking for us all. And The POST gathers in this nifty little guide 10 of the most exciting series to look forward to this 2025.

“Squid Game 3”

We have barely recovered from the whiplash brought forth by the second installment of Squid Game but more episodes are coming, with the third season already completed. Forbes reported that Netflix Korea briefly had a video go live that had a specific date, June 27, 2025.

The relatively short wait gives fans much relief, given how season two ended on a major cliffhanger. We can expect more gore, violence—and perhaps even redemption, who knows?—as the phenomenal hit crescendoes to its conclusion.

“Tempest”

Over the past two years, Disney+ has been churning out understated yet highly acclaimed K-dramas such as 2023’s Moving and last year’s Jeongnyon: The Star is Born. This year, the streaming platform teamed up with Little Women (the K-drama) and Mother creator Chung Seo-kyung for the big-budget action thriller Tempest, headlined by Hallyu superstar Jun Ji-hyun (My Love from the Star) and Gang Dong-won (Uprising).

In the Tempest, Jun plays Mun-ju, a former South Korean ambassador to the United States who becomes entangled with an enigmatic elite mercenary San-ho (Gang) in the wake of a political assassination. The series will also feature Hollywood actors, including Searching’s John Cho.

“Way Back Love”

Kim Min-ha in *The Tempest*. Photo from TVING

This fantasy romantic-comedy adapted from a novel starring Kim Min-ha (who was riveting in Pachinko) and Gong Myung (Extreme Job) debuted its first few episodes to much acclaim at last October’s Busan International Film Festival.

In the series, Kim portrays Jung Hee-wan, a young recluse who has lost the will to live. A week before her death, her first love Ram Woo (Gong Myung) appears before her as a grim reaper. Described by the South China Morning Post as clever, uproarious, and heartfelt, the series is created by Noh Deok of Glitch.

“Slowly and Intensely”

Noh Hee-kyung of the series Our Blues returns with an ambitious new drama on the birth of South Korean show business after the Korean war. The series will feature the dream pairing of superstars Song Hye-kyo (The Glory) and Gong Yoo (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God). This will be Song’s third project with Noh, following their collaborations in the 2008 drama Worlds Within and 2013’s That Winter, the Wind Blows.

Originally titled Show Business, the 22-episode Slowly and Intensely is rumored to have a massive budget of some 75 billion to 80 billion won (US$51.3-55.3 million), putting it behind only Squid Game 2 and 3 as the most expensive K-drama of all time.

“When Life Gives You Tangerines”

This K-drama sees another superstar pairing in IU (My Mister) and Park Bo-gum (Record of Youth), who play Ae-soon and Gwan-sik respectively, both born on Jeju Island in the 1950s. Despite her impoverished background, Ae-soon strives to become a poet with the shy Gwan-sik setting his eyes only on her.

The series comes from writer Im Sang-choon of the sleeper hit When the Camellia Blooms, with director Kim Won-suk of My Mister reuniting with IU. When Life Gives You Tangerines will stream on Netflix.

“Nine Puzzles”

The talented duo of Kim Da-mi (Our Beloved Summer) and Son Suk-ku (A Killer Paradox and one of my all-time faves My Liberation Notes) join forces in this much-awaited thriller from Disney+. Nine Puzzles follows the story of profiler Yoon Yi Na (Kim), who was the only witness of an unresolved case from a decade ago, and detective Kim Han Saem (Son), who still suspects her as the murderer, as they unearth the secrets of a serial murder case that begins with a mysterious puzzle piece.

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“The Price of Confession”

This star-studded project is led by acting powerhouses Jeon Do-yeon (Crash Course in Romance) who plays an art teacher turned suspect in her husband’s murder, and Kim Go-eun (Little Women), playing the mysterious woman who approaches her in jail. Kwon Jong-kwan of Sad Movie wrote the script, while Lee Jung-hyo of the global phenomenon Crash Landing on You directs.

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“Divorce Insurance”

This upcoming comedy stars the perpetually youthful Lee Dong-wook (A Shop for Killers) and versatile actor Lee Kwang-soo (Running Man) as fellow divorcees. The story follows an insurance company’s product development team who create a special new divorce insurance product. The series will mark the small-screen debut of Lee Won-suk, director of the cult comedies How to Use Guys With Secret Tips and Killing Romance.

“Made in Korea”

Hyun Bin is back five years after the hit pandemic series Crash Landing on You ended with this high-profile webtoon adaptation. In this period political drama, the Hallyu A-lister collaborates once again with director Woo Min-ho after the success of their big-budget period thriller Harbin.

Set in the 1970s, the series follows the ambitious Baek Ki-Tae (Hyun), a man seeking money and power, and the fearsome prosecutor Jang Gun-young, played by Jung Woo-sung (12.12: The Day), who go head to head in the wake of a major incident.

“Two Women“

Kim Go-eun is back after a stellar 2024, with highly acclaimed performances in Exhuma and Love in the Big City. In Two Women, Kim plays opposite promising actor Park Ju-hyun (Flex X Cop). Kim plays Ryu Eun-joong, a drama series writer who suddenly reconnects with Park’s big-shot film producer Cheon Sang-yeon.

Two Women is written by Song Hye-jin, known for the Jeon Do-yeon film My Mother, the Mermaid. This is Kim’s second series slated to be shown on Netflix this 2025.

10 of the most highly anticipated K-dramas in 2025