10 of the Best New Korean Drama Series to Watch in December 2023
Horror, action, fantasy, romance: whatever your preferred poison, there is a K-drama coming out in December that is perfect for you. This year has been another big one for Korean dramas and it is not over yet, with a major line-up of shows for launch in December. There is sure to be something for everyone, with a mix of horror, action, fantasy, and romance. We preview the 10 best series debuting during the month.
1. Sweet Home Season 2
The hit Netflix monster action-horror Sweet Home returns at the start of December with the first of two confirmed follow-up seasons. In season one, the denizens of a derelict apartment block found themselves battling monsters, but these new episodes up the ante considerably as the action and mayhem spill out into the world. The surviving cast members all return, along with many new faces. (Netflix, December 1)
2. My Man Is Cupid
After licensing several shows, Amazon ends the year with its first original series, the fantasy romance My Man Is Cupid. Jang Dong-yoon (Daily Dose of Sunshine) plays a cupid trying to get his wings back, who appears before Nana’s (Mask Girl) veterinary surgeon Oh Baek-ryun. (Amazon Prime, December 1)
3. Welcome to Samdal-ri
Fresh from See You in My 19th Life, Kim Hye-sun plays Jo Sam-dal, a fashion photographer who retreats to her Jeju Island hometown after her professional life falls apart. In Jeju, she reconnects with her childhood friend Jo Yong-pil (Ji Chang-wook, The Worst of Evil), who became a weather forecaster because his mother died following an inaccurate weather report. (JTBC, December 2)
4. Soundtrack #2
After all the action and crime mayhem of Moving, The Worst of Evil, and Vigilante, Disney+ is sticking on a slow dance for Christmas with the second installment of its limited romantic anthology series Soundtrack #2. Taking over from Park Hyung-sik’s photographer and Han So-hee’s songwriter in Soundtrack #1, Geum Sae-rok (Youth of May) and Noh Sang-hyun (Pachinko) play a vocalist and pianist who used to be a couple and who meet again. (Disney+, December 6)
5. Maestra: Strings of Truth
Last seen in Inspector Koo, Jewel in the Palace screen legend Lee Young-ae gets to channel her inner Lydia Tár as a legend of the concert hall in Maestra: Strings of Truth. Lee plays a famous conductor with a dark secret who becomes embroiled in a mystery involving her orchestra. (tvN, December 9)
6. Death’s Game
After committing suicide, a young man (Seo In-guk, Doom at Your Service) meets Death (Park So-dam, Parasite) at the gates of hell, who punishes him by making him experience life a further 12 times in different bodies in this new webtoon adaptation. This reincarnation drama is loaded with cameos. (TVING, December 15)
7. Like Flowers in Sand
Appearing in his third drama in two months, Jang Dong-yoon headlines Like Flowers in Sand as Kim Baek-doo, a former prodigy in traditional Korean wrestling who is now considering giving up on the sport. In their countryside hometown, he meets his childhood friend Oh Yoo-kyung (Lee Joo-myung, Twenty-Five Twenty-One) when she begins to manage his flagging wrestling team. (ENA, December 20)
8. Gyeongseong Creature
Netflix will close out the year by launching the first part of its period action-horror series Gyeongseong Creature, featuring Park Seo-joon (Itaewon Class) and Han So-hee (My Name). Set in 1945 at the tail end of Korea’s Japanese colonial era, the series focuses on Park’s wealthy informant and Han’s wily missing persons seeker who find themselves going up against a mysterious creature in a hospital with a dark secret. Production for part two is already underway. (Netflix, December 22)
9. Between Him and Her
Lee Dong-hae of K-pop boy band Super Junior and Lee Seol (D.P.) play Jung Hyun-sung and Han Sung-ok, a couple whose love has faded after seven years of dating. Their struggling relationship faces the ultimate hurdle when they bump into each other outside a lift in a motel, each accompanied by different people. (Channel A, December 26)
10. My Happy End
Jang Na-ra (Sell Your Haunted House) leads My Happy End as Seo Jae-won, a woman with a perfect life, which includes her devoted husband Heo Soon-young (Son Ho-jun, The First Responders), their child, and her successful furniture business. After she hires a new designer for her company and reconnects with a jealous former classmate, she learns the secrets being hidden by those around her, and her perfect life begins to fall apart. (Channel A, December 30)
With an array of genres and captivating storylines, these 10 Korean drama series are set to keep viewers entertained throughout December. From monsters to romance, there’s something to suit every taste. Tune in to experience the magic of K-drama at its finest!
