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Korean drama reviews

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Korean drama reviews

In-depth reviews of the latest and hottest South Korean television series, also known as K-dramas, on cable and streaming services.

last updated:

9 September, 2024

Kim Hye-soo as investigative-news reporter Oh So-ryong in a still from Disney+ Korean drama series Unmasked. Jung Ji-sung and Joo Jong-hyuk co-star.

In K-drama Unmasked, Kim Hye-soo plays investigative news for laughs

Given recent events in South Korea, a K-drama about investigative-news journalism may appear timely. Unmasked mixes the heavy with the light.

17 Jan 2025 - 8:41PMvideocam

Check-in Hanyang midseason recap: hotel/period K-drama gets political

13 Jan 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

Love Scout: Han Ji-min, Lee Joon-hyuk in headhunting romcom K-drama

9 Jan 2025 - 8:34PMvideocam

Review | When the Phone Rings: formulaic K-drama follows all the tropes

This Netflix series slavishly sticks to Korean-drama stereotypes while including a clumsy, unnecessary allusion to the Israel-Gaza war.

8 Jan 2025 - 7:45PMvideocam

Yoo Yeon-seok (left) as politician Baek Sa-eon and Chae Soo-bin as interpreter Hong Hee-joo in a still from Netflix K-drama When the Phone Rings.

When the Stars Gossip: Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin in space station romcom

A hackneyed melodrama dressed up as sci-fi, Netflix romantic comedy set aboard a space station is so silly the writer may be in on the joke.

7 Jan 2025 - 7:45PMvideocam

The Tale of Lady Ok midseason recap: Lim Ji-yeon matures

While the drama set in Korea’s Joseon dynasty continues to impress with its fresh story, it’s the protagonist’s evolution that is compelling.

2 Jan 2025 - 7:15PMvideocam

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Review | Love Your Enemy: home is where the heart is in comforting romcom K-drama

The strict adherence to the genre blueprint in this romcom starring Ju Ji-hoon and Jung Yu-mi makes this Korean drama easy to watch.

1 Jan 2025 - 5:15PMvideocam

Ju Ji-hoon as Seok Ji-won (left) and Jung Yu-mi as Yoon Ji-won in a still from Disney+ K-drama Love Your Enemy.

Who Is She, spirited Miss Granny remake, adds body swap to the mix

While not as well acted as the original Miss Granny film by Squid Game’s Hwang Dong-hyuk, fantasy comedy Who Is She is an engaging watch.

1 Jan 2025 - 1:45PMvideocam

Review | The Fiery Priest 2, childish follow-up that trades logic for pratfalls

The main characters from season 1 return in crime-fighting comedy sequel that is hit and miss, the jokes not making up for its inane story.

31 Dec 2024 - 7:45PMvideocam

Check-in Hanyang, period/hotel drama mash-up with Kim Ji-eun, Bae In-hyuk

Neither lead character is who they appear to be in this tale set in the past but tapping themes usually seen in contemporary dramas.

27 Dec 2024 - 7:45PMvideocam

Kim Ji-eun masquerades as a male hotel intern, Hong Deok-soo, in a still from Netflix Korean period drama series Check-in Hanyang.

Review | Squid Game season 2 offers electrifying and pulse-pounding new games

Richer, deeper, more cohesive, with familiar characters like Lee Jung-jae’s Gi-hun and new ones, and kinetic camerawork, Squid Game is back.

26 Dec 2024 - 4:00PMvideocam

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in a still from Squid Game season 2. Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix

The 15 best K-dramas of 2024 ranked, from Queen of Tears to Squid Game 2

From a vigilante thriller to a period political drama, and Korea’s most awaited sequel, here is our pick of the top 15 K-dramas of 2024.

26 Dec 2024 - 5:06PMvideocam

Review | Light Shop: mawkish supernatural K-drama of two halves

Despite some clever subterfuge on the part of its creator Kang Full, and some affecting scenes, the show’s narrative lacks proper exposition.

19 Dec 2024 - 8:15PMvideocam

Light Shop: Ju Ji-hoon leads supernatural K-drama from Moving writer

This tale of customers at a mysterious shop that only opens at night is based on a story by webtoon author Kang Full.

6 Dec 2024 - 7:15PMvideocam

Ju Ji-hoon as store owner Jung Won-young in a still from Light Shop, a new Korean drama series on Disney+ by Kang Full, the creator of hit series Moving. Photo: Disney+.

The Fiery Priest 2 midseason recap: Kim Nam-gil in comedy overload

Slapstick humour and ludicrous scenarios take over as Kim Nam-gil fights a drug lord, in a series that has become funnier but less coherent.

4 Dec 2024 - 7:15PMvideocam

Kim Nam-gil as secret agent turned Catholic priest Kim Hae-il in a still from The Fiery Priest season 2. The show has come to rely on slapstick comedy rather than a strong storyline.

The Tale of Lady Ok, period rags-to-riches K-drama with Lim Ji-yeon

Lim Ji-yeon plays a humble servant who pretends to be a noblewoman, in this period K-drama set in the era of Joseon dynastic rule in Korea.

3 Dec 2024 - 7:26PMvideocam

Review | The Trunk: Gong Yoo, Seo Hyun-jin lead romantic thriller K-drama

A woman leaves her wealthy husband and sets him up with another woman. Meanwhile a suitcase hides a mystery in atmospheric Netflix series.

2 Dec 2024 - 7:45PMvideocam

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Review | Gangnam B-Side: K-drama crime thriller descends into a gore fest

Ji Chang-wook’s Seoul pimp and Bibi’s escort fail to surprise us in this drama with gratuitous violence inflicted on badly-drawn characters.

29 Nov 2024 - 7:45PMvideocam

Jo Woo-jin in a still from Gangnam B-Side. Photo: Disney+

When the Phone Rings: Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin in ludicrous K-drama

This story, which follows a selective mute (played by Chae Soo-bin) and her public speaker husband (Yoo Yeon-seok), lacks substance.

28 Nov 2024 - 7:15PMvideocam

Love Your Enemy, engaging romcom K-drama with Ju Ji-hoon, Jung Yu-mi

A man and woman from two feuding families are reunited after 18 years in this romcom set around a high school.

27 Nov 2024 - 7:15PMvideocam

Review | Comedy K-drama A Virtuous Business sidesteps its cheeky premise

The Korean series on Netflix, which follows women who sell lingerie and adult toys, forgets its original message but is still a good watch.

22 Nov 2024 - 6:15PMvideocam

Kim So-yeon as former beauty queen Han Jeong-suk in a still from Netflix K-drama A Virtuous Business. Yeon Woo-jin and Kim Sung-ryung co-star.

Review | In Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born, soaring performances save the show

Kim Tae-ri shines as a gifted singer who overcomes hardships in a story that has some good ideas but fails to follow through on them.

21 Nov 2024 - 4:15PMvideocam

Kim Tae-ri as singer Yoon Jeong-nyeon in a still from Disney+ K-drama Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born.

SCMP Highlights

Recap | Squid Game back for season 2, shows stir up alcohol controversy: 5 K-drama stories

Discover the latest in K-dramas, from news to reviews, in a look back at some of our recent coverage from the world of Korean entertainment.

19 Nov 2024 - 12:25PM

SCMP Highlights

Recap | Gladiator II, Love in the Big City, Cesium Fallout: our latest film reviews

We review six diverse films, from Ridley Scott’s epic Gladiator II and the empowering tale of The Last Dance, to the stellar Love in the Big City and Hong Kong blockbuster Cesium Fallout.

14 Nov 2024 - 5:09PMvideocam

The Fiery Priest season 2: Kim Nam-gil beats up sinners in action K-drama

Korea’s most temperamental priest returns for a second outing, this time delivering his unique brand of divine justice to criminals in Busan.

11 Nov 2024 - 5:05PMvideocam

Kim Nam-gil as unorthodox priest Kim Hae-il in a still from The Fiery Priest season two, a Korean drama on Disney+.

Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born midseason recap – Kim Tae-ri’s musical triumph

Kim Tae-ri’s troubled stage singer outshines her rival, played by Shin Ye-eun, in stunning performances. There is the odd far-fetched moment.

8 Nov 2024 - 7:15PMvideocam

Kim Tae-ri as prodigious singer Yoon Jeong-nyeon in a still from Jeongnyeon: The Star Is Born.

Review | In K-drama Mr. Plankton, Woo Do-hwan, Lee Yoo-mi take a road trip

A confusing start to this Korean series and a lack of chemistry between the leads makes Mr. Plankton on Netflix a far from riveting watch.

8 Nov 2024 - 4:00PMvideocam

A Virtuous Business midseason recap: Korean sexual mores challenged

Kim So-yeon’s rural adult-toys seller overcomes personal struggles to make inroads in conservative 1990s Korea. But what is her endgame?

7 Nov 2024 - 5:15PMvideocam

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