Netflix Expands Korean Slate Of Films And Dramas For 2023

In 2023 Netflix
NFLX
will expand its lineup of Korean productions yet again, reaching a total of 34 original TV series, films and unscripted shows. The company’s offerings of Korean content have grown steadily since 2019, when they first entered the market with the historical zombie k-drama Kingdom. Investing in Korean media has paid off for Netflix as some of the most watched-shows in the platform’s history—Squid Game and All of Us Are Dead—are Korean.

The content will include a few previously unannounced titles.

The first k-drama title on the 2023 slate is Crash Course in Romance, starring Jeon Do-yeon and Jung Kyung-ho, which already began airing in the US. The next drama is another romantic comedy, Love To Hate You, starring Kim Ok-vin and Yeo Teo, due to air on Feb. 10. Kim plays an entertainment attorney and Yeo plays a top actor. Neither of them believe in love, which in k-drama logic means they’re fated to be together.

Also on the slate is the drama Bloodhounds, based on the webtoon series Bloodhounds. The story, which stars Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi, focuses on the vicious world of loan sharks and how easy it is to be victimized.

Celebrity, which is about the competitive world of celebrities, stars Park Gyu-young as an influencer and Kang Min-hyuk as the CEO of a cosmetics company.

Queenmaker stars Kim Hee-ae as a PR genius and Moon So-ri as a human rights lawyer.

Black Knight, based on the Toomics webtoon Delivery Knight, stars Kim Woo-bin, Song Seung-hoon and Esom.

The time-slip romance A Time Called You stars Ahn Hyo-seop and Jeon Yeo-been. It’s the remake of a classic Taiwanese romance.

Doona, which is based on the webtoon series The Girl Downstairs, stars Suzy and Yang Se-jong. Doona is directed by Lee Jung-hyo, who directed Crash Landing On You and Romance Is A Bonus Book.

Behind Your Touch, the story of a vet with psychometric powers, stars Lee Min-ki and Han Ji-min.

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Ra Mi-ran and Kim Do-hyun headline The Good Bad Mother, a drama about a mother desperate to help her impaired son.

King of the Land stars Lee Jun-ho and Yoona. Lee plays a chaebol and Yoona plays a charismatic hotel manager.

Rowoon and Jo Bo-ah star in Destined With You, the story of a mysterious curse.

See You In My 19th Life, based on the webtoon of the same name, features Ahn Bo-hyun and Shin Hye-sun in the starring roles.

Goodbye Earth focuses on the choices individuals make in the face of earth’s impending collision with a meteor. The drama stars Yoo Ah-in and Ahn Eun-jin.

Daily Dose of Sunshine, starring Park Bo-young, explores the inside of a psychiatric ward. Lee JQ, who directed All Of Us Are Dead, will direct Daily Dose of Sunshine.

Gyeongseong Creature, starring Park Seo-jun and Han So-hee, is a creature thriller set in 1945. The stars will play characters who face a monster born of human greed.

As well as dramas, the planned content includes six Korean movies, kicking off with sci-fi thriller JUNG-E on Jan. 20, followed by Kill Boksoon which depicts a professional killer with conflicting instincts, and Believer 2, a sequel to a crime action thriller involving drug gangs.

Other films explore the topics of revenge (Ballerina), teacher-student rivalry (The Match) and hacking (Unlocked). Those who like Korean reality shows have some options too, namely Physical:100, Siren: Survive the Island, Zombieverse, Nineteen to Twenty and The Devil’s Plan.

There are also two new documentaries. Yellow Door: Looking for Director Bong’s Unreleased Short Film (working title) traces the quest for Oscar-winning director Bong Joon-ho’s debut film, while true-crime documentary In the Name of God: A Holy Betrayal explores some self-proclaimed messiahs in modern Korean history.

Several dramas will return for a second part or season, including Glory, now the No. 1 non-English title on Netflix, as well as the military drama D.P. and the monster drama Sweet Home. Only a few of the 2023 titles have definite air dates so far.