19 K-dramas to watch out for in 2025

New K-drama pairings, new plots and new OSTs are coming our way this year and we’re eagerly anticipating to see what they have in store for us!

While 2024 was a year where I got to see back to back K-dramas that only lured me into their world, I’m ready to start 2025 on a fresh slate as a K-drama fan. I’m ready for all the stories to surprise me in ways that I didn’t even know existed. I want to see new career fields being explored in the dramas as usual, I want the K-drama leads to break unrealistic beauty standards and show that people of all shapes and skin types exist. Most importantly, I want to keep falling in love with the idea of love, which is basically what the core of a K-drama is built on. Last year, we had some really unexpected new lead pairings that we didn’t even know we needed. I remember how skeptical I was to see Shin Min-Ah and Kim Young-Dae together but they instantly became one of my favorite K-drama couples of recent times! Similarly, I am intrigued to see how all the new pairings will play out this year as well. How many of them will leave us hooked? How many would make us drop a K-drama midway? Only time will tell.

Also Read: 40 films and shows in 2025 that make it a promising year to look forward to!

Check out all the new pairs and the refreshing stories coming our way this year!

The Wonder Fools - Cha Eun-Woo and Park Eun-Bin

Set in 1999, Eun Chae-Ni (Park Eun-Bin) believes the world is coming to an end soon. But when an unexpected incident ends up giving her superpowers, she crosses paths with Lee Un-Jeong (Cha Eun-Woo). Together the two fight the supernatural creature who is way more than a threat to mankind. Cha Eun-Woo and Park Eun-Bin are two extremely good looking and experienced actors who have been a part of sci-fi content like this before. I can’t wait to see how their chemistry unfolds further!

Scandal - Son Ye-Jin and Ji Chang- Wook

Two of my favorite K-drama veterans are making their comeback this year! I saw Son Ye-Jin in a K-drama three years ago and have missed her charm on-screen. While there aren’t many details about the story, the drama is said to be a historical one and is an R-rated series produced by Netflix. All the avid K-drama fans are going to be loyally waiting for this one!

When Life Gives You Tangerines - Park Bo-Gum and IU

Set for a March release, When Life Gives You Tangerines is supposed to be a slice of life rom-com starring the dove eyed Park Bo-Gum and everyone’s beloved IU. While I love seeing IU reaching heights as a K-pop idol, I love seeing her on-screen and I’m glad ‘actor IU’ is coming to entertain us this year.

When The Stars Gossip - Lee Min-Ho and Gong Hyo-Jin

With two episodes already premiered last weekend, When The Stars Gossip is truly nothing like what I have seen before. An astronaut (Gong Hyo-Jin) and a space tourist (Lee Min-Ho) go to space to solve all sorts of problems that Earth has and eventually fall for one another. The first two episodes kept me hooked and interested throughout and it’s safe to say that I’m invested in these characters. It’s also good to see Lee Min-Ho in a rom-com after Inheritors which was 10 years ago.

Seocho - Dong- Moon Ga-Young and Lee Jong-Suk

Moon Ga-Young and Lee Jong-Suk will star in the upcoming courtroom drama Seochodong as associate lawyers of the Seocho judicial town. Moon Ga-young plays Kang Hee-Ji, a second-year lawyer who believes that changing one person's life can change the world. Lee Jong-suk plays Ahn Joo Hyung, a nine-year experienced lawyer who is known for sticking to his rules and logic in the courtroom. There’s truly nothing like a gripping courtroom drama and I hope this one delivers to my expectations!

Show Business - Gong-Yoo and Song Hye-Kyo

The series will be set during the Korean War and will follow the lives of South Korean stars who helped shape the country's entertainment industry around that time. I loved Gong-Yoo in Squid Game and the recent K-drama ‘The Trunk’, and I still haven’t moved on from Song Hye-Kyo’s The Glory. It goes without saying that these two powerhouses of talent will create magic on-screen.

The Moon Flows Over The River - Kim Se-Jeong and Kang Tae-Oh

The Moon Flows Over The River is a story of a man and a woman who are intertwined with secrets and fate to save each other and grow in their lives through love. The series is set to release on Netflix later this year and gives ua a rather peculiar couple who would either have me swooning over them or not work for the K-drama world at all.

The Monthly Boyfriend - Seo In-Guk and Ji-Soo

Jisoo from Blackpink and Seo In-Guk from Doom At Your Service, is set to star in The Monthly Boyfriend. The show will feature Ji-Soo as Seo Mi-Rae, a webtoon producer who uses a virtual dating simulation to find love without risk. We previously saw Ji-Soo in Snowdrop which was her debut and I’m curious to see her journey from a K-Pop star to an actor.

My Dearest Nemesis - Moon Ga-Young and Choi Hyun-Wook

Ban Ju Yeon (Choi Hyun Wook) and Baek Su Jeong (Moon Ga Young) were online game buddies during their teenage days. However, the memory of that time is very different for both of them. Baek Su-Jeong was Ban Ju-Yeon’s first love but she didn’t feel the same for him back then. 16 years later, they meet as colleagues and that only calls for some good old office romance!

All The Love You Wish For - Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-Bin

Jin (Kim Woo-Bin) is a genie that comes out of a lamp and is a rather emotional being. Contrary to that is Ga-Young (Bae Suzy) who runs away from emotions the first chance she gets. When her life intertwines with Jin, he grants her three wishes. I remember watching Bae Suzy and Kim Woo-Bin in Uncontrobally Fond and crying my eyes out! I cannot wait to see how the two actors have grown over the years!

Hong Rang - Lee Jae-Wook and Jo Bo-Ah

The story is a mystery romance, with Jae-I's (Jo Bo-Ah) search for her brother taking her on a journey of self-discovery and love. Along the way, she must confront the dark secrets of her family and the dangers of the Joseon era. Wouldn’t be the first time Lee Jae-Wook aces another Joseon Dynasty K-drama IMO!

Melo Movie- Park Bo-Young and Choi Woo-Sik

Park Bo-Young plays Kim Mu-bee, a curious young woman who enters the film industry after a love-hate relationship with her father. Choi Woo-Shik plays Ko Gyeom, a film critic whose life changes after meeting Kim Mu-bee. Fondly called 'Rom-com king’ by his Wooga Squad, it's exciting to see Choi Woo-Sik back in a genre that suits him best!

Treasure Island - Park Hyung-Sik and Hong Hwa-Yeon

Treasure Island will be streaming next month onwards and from the teaser we see Park Hyung-Sik in a much darker role than I have ever seen him in. The first look gave me an action thriller vibe and I’m so ready to see the leads go kick some ass!

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Knock Off - Kim Soo-Hyun and Jo Bo-Ah

Knock Off is a story about a man whose life is turned upside down by the 1997 Asian financial crisis (also known as the IMF crisis in Korea), transforming him from an ordinary office worker to the king of the global counterfeit market. The K-drama will premiere on Disney+ and consists of 18 episodes which will be divided into two parts. I have missed Kim Soo-Hyun ever since Queen of Tears and this would just be yet another feather he adds to his versatile filmography.

Can This Love Be Translated - Kim Seon-Ho and Go-Youn-Jung

A romantic comedy that revolves around Ju Ho-jin, a skilled multilingual interpreter who becomes the personal interpreter for actress Cha Mu-hee. Cha Mu-hee and Ju Ho-jin hold contrasting perspectives on love, resulting in misunderstandings. However, as they gradually grow closer, there’s room for love to blossom. It’s been eons since Kim Seon-Ho starred in K-drama. Given how I haven't watched him since Hometown Cha Cha Cha, there’s no way I’m letting him and his dimples get away yet again from all the cheesy rom-coms I want to see him in.

Last Summer- Lee Jae-Wook and Choi Sung-Eun

As the title suggests, the drama is set against the backdrop of the summer season. Lee Jae-Wook plays an architect who loves the summer season whereas Choi Sung-Eun plays a civil servant who absolutely hates it. This stirs a unique love story between the two!

Dear X - Kim Young-Dae and Kim Yoo-Jung

Based on a webtoon, Dear X is about the downfall of an actress and the two people who are responsible for it. The TvN drama is set to premiere in the second half of 2025. I have been a Kim Young-Dae fan ever since Penthouse and I’d rather get lost in the depth in his eyes than face my boring reality everyday!

Good Boy - Kim So-Hyun and Park Bo-Gum

Kim So-Hyun and Park Bo-Gum play former Olympic medalists who become police officers to fight against injustice. Produced by JTBC, the drama will premiere in May 2025.

Wife of a 21st Century Prince - Byeon Woo-Seok and IU

Wife of a 21st Century Prince is a romance drama set in an alternate version of Korea that is a constitutional monarchy. The drama will tell the love story of Sung Hee Joo (IU), a chaebol heiress who has everything but would still be considered a commoner in status, and Lee Ahn (Byeon Woo-Seok), a prince who has nothing despite being the son of the king. After Lovely Runner last year, another Byeon Woo-Seok drama is just what the world needs and good work coming his way after a long time is very well deserved, IMO!

Which of these K-dramas are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments below!

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