K-dramas are typically associated with romance and history, but the genres that South Korean filmmakers put their best foot forward for are usually thrillers and mysteries. This is true even for the silver screens—some of the best thrillers of the 2000s hail from there, from I Saw the Devil and Oldboy to A Bittersweet Life and Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance. The human attraction to darkness is worth studying, and it seems South Korean writers and creators invest lots of creativity in twisted characters.
Though it’s true that not every drama is worth the watch, these shows have that magical seal of approval from more than just K-drama fans. Great reviews, exceptional ratings, and the appeal of the genre are all pointers that South Korean mystery shows are here to stay, and here to impress anyone whose mind is open to it.
10 ‘Bad and Crazy’ (2021-2022)
Starring Lee Dong-wook and Wi Ha-joon
Netflix’sBad and Crazy is a comedy thriller following the detective Ryu Soo-yeol (Lee Dong-wook), whose morals aren’t the purest. He’s frequently pushed over, and higher-ups believe he can be influenced to do what they want, but Detective Ryu has an inside force that doesn’t just let him remain a “doormat” to those in power. When K (Wi Ha-joon) enters his life and disrupts his plans, he needs to learn how to work with him and honor himself at the same time.
Anyone who loves K-drama will know Lee Dong-wook, a familiar face.
The plot follows several mysteries, from a large drug ring that Ryu and the Narcotics department are trying to break to Ryu’s personal issues with unraveling the past he seems to have forgotten or buried deep. Anyone who loves K-drama will know Lee Dong-wook, a familiar face; while he used to play more romantic leads and heartthrobs, Lee’s strengths lie in portraying gray characters with more punch. Next to him, Wi Ha-joon gives a great comedic performance in one of his best roles.
9 ‘Flower of Evil’ (2020)
Starring Lee Joon-gi and Kim Ji-hoon
K-drama favorite Lee Joon-gi takes on a dual role as Hee-sung in Flower of Evil—on one side, he’s a skilled metalworker with a quaint jewelry shop, a wife, and a daughter, but on the other, he’s hiding a big secret. His wife, Ji-won (Moon Chae-won), is an intelligent homicide detective, and when her newest cases begin to resemble cases of a well-known, elusive serial killer, both Hee-sung and Ji-won must learn how to navigate those discoveries.
Almost instantly, the plot presents viewers with the idea that Hee-sung is the serial killer, but with the mystery unraveling, there’s more to it than just that. While the pacing of the show is sometimes slower, a lot happens in each episode, and there’s always a new plot uncovered. Fans of the South Korean action movie Ballerina will also be happy to see Kim Ji-hoon in a recurring role that’s essential for Hee-sung’s origin story. Flower of Evil is a typical K-drama, but its mysterious plots and twists make it pretty exciting.
Flower of Evil
- Release Date
- July 28, 2020
- Cast
- Lee Joon-Gi , Moon Chae-Won , Seo Hyun-woo , Choi Young-joon
- Seasons
- 1
- Main Genre
- K-Drama
8 ‘A Shop for Killers’ (2024)
Starring Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun
Another thrilling mystery starring Lee Dong-wook, A Shop for Killers, sets the bar for South Korean action television. Filled with awesome special effects and crazy stunts, the show promises—and delivers—intense thrills and a mysterious plot. At the center of the story is the young girl Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun). She was raised by her uncle Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook), who ran a shopping mall and encouraged her to learn self-defense; after Ji-an leaves for school and doesn’t see her uncle for years, she receives the news that he’s died. She now has to figure out who exactly her uncle was and remember everything he taught her until then.
This
John Wick
-esque show pulls out all the stops but doesn’t leave its mysterious plot too obvious.
This John Wick-esque show pulls out all the stops but doesn’t leave its mysterious plot too obvious. Fans of great action will love this series and will gasp at one or two plot twists while binge-watching it on its home service, Disney Plus. NME has listed A Shop for Killers as one of the best South Korean dramas of 2024.
7 ‘Through the Darkness’ (2022-)
Starring Kim Nam-gil and Jin Seon-kyu
The literal translation of the Korean title is “Those Who Read the Hearts of Evil,” but its English version is less of a mouthful. Through the Darkness is a crime mystery series about a criminal profiler and his cases. The cases in the show, as well as the lead character, were based on the real-life field experiences of detective Kwon Il-young, which he wrote about in his memoirs. Kwon was also the first criminal profiler in South Korea.
Though the show largely focuses on the inner worlds of serial killers,
the depiction of the detectives working on catching them is also nuanced
.
Though the show largely focuses on the inner worlds of serial killers, the depiction of the detectives working on catching them is also nuanced. They’re not just there to deduce things and lead the viewers into a crime resolution; their characters are also flawed, and the impact of chasing serial killers on their psyche is shown pretty well and without dramatics or antics. Kim Nam-gil is great as the lead detective Song, and he’s supported by a talented ensemble cast with natural chemistry.
6 ‘Beyond Evil’ (2021)
Starring Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo Jin-goo
In a small town, the local police don’t have much to do; everyone knows each other and doesn’t seem to be capable of any heinous crimes. However, when a series of killings happens, the local officers are hit with a massive surprise and end up needing the help of a big-shot detective from Seoul. This detective, Han Ju-won (Yeo Jin-goo), is partnered with the aloof but skilled commander of the local station, Lee Dong-sik (Shin Ha-kyun).
The two men constantly seem to be chasing their own tails during their investigation, like someone’s tipping off their moves to the killer. Beyond Evil builds tension well, but it’s a slow burn. Fans of slow-burn thrillers will like the gradual unraveling of the policemen’s pasts and the killer they keep chasing; all in all, the show is greatly immersive and puts smaller mysteries around the biggest one, which is—who is the killer? Many who’ve watched the series say it draws parallels to Bong Joon-ho’s Memories of Murder.
5 ‘Little Women’ (2022)
Starring: Kim Go-eun and Wi Ha-joon
Little Women is easily one of the best female-led thrillers of the 2020s, both among those hailing from South Korea and globally. At its center are three sisters who grew up poor, without their parents ever being present except for when they needed money. The youngest sister, In-hye (Park Ji-hu), spends most of her time with her wealthy friend from school, and her parents treat In-hye as if she were their own.
The other two sisters, eldest In-joo (Kim Go-eun) and middle In-kyung (Nam Ji-hyun), don’t like this, so they start investigating the family, only to realize they have a much darker past than anticipated. Since they’re very public people, their lives appear perfect on the outside, but, as things like that often go, hidden things well up and can’t stay under the surface for too long. Little Women balances its thrilling and mysterious parts well; it’s full of unanticipated plot twists, and the lead, Kim Go-eun, has an undeniable global star quality. Its twists also make it a highly rewatchable drama when something new can be spotted each time.
Little Women
Little Women (2022) is a South Korean television series directed by Kim Hee-won that follows three sisters navigating life’s challenges and mysteries. As they grapple with financial hardship and unexpected threats, the siblings must pull together to uncover the truth and protect their family. The series stars Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, and Park Ji-hu in leading roles.
- Release Date
- September 3, 2022
- Seasons
- 1
4 ‘Stranger’ (2017-2020)
Starring: Bae Doona and Cho Seung-woo
Bae Doona is South Korea’s sweetheart, but she’s also globally famous. To outsiders, it’s mostly due to her work in Sense8 or Kingdom, but her long career has seen her in some incredible gems of TV and cinema; Stranger is one of those gems. Bae portrays detective Han Yeo-jin, whose approach to work is bold and head-on. She joins the prosecutor, Hwang Si-mok (Cho Seung-woo), who seems to lack empathy in most areas of life, and the two team up to solve a murder. After their efforts always seem to come up short, they realize their investigation is being obstructed. The mystery is—why and who’s doing it?
Cho’s role as the cold and emotionless prosecutor is thrilling and detailed. He’s able to hold a poker face in the most dire situations, which comes in handy when a cool head is needed.
Cho’s role as the cold and emotionless prosecutor is thrilling and detailed. He’s able to hold a poker face in the most dire situations, which comes in handy when a cool head is needed. What he doesn’t have, Bae Doona’s stellar performance as the motivated detective makes up for. She makes Detective Han one of the best female badasses in K-dramas. Stranger ran for two seasons and is one of South Korea’s most popular dramas to date, but it won over fans from all over the world, most notably as it was one of the first-ever K-dramas to hit Netflix.
3 ‘The Devil Judge’ (2021)
Starring Ji Sung and Kim Min-jung
The Devil Judge is slick, stylish, mysterious, and action-packed—it has the right formula for anyone looking to spend their evenings binge-watching a camp thriller. The drama is set in a dystopian future version of South Korea, where public trials are held via live shows on TV and people rejoice seeing justice given to felons. The head judge, Kang Yo-han (Ji Sung), portrays himself as strict and righteous but loves to put on a show nonetheless. Behind closed doors, however, Kang is more than just that—his motives for being the “devil judge” are deeply hidden from the public eye.
Despite its one-season runtime,
The Devil Judge
won over audiences across the globe.
This mix of genres, from mystery and thriller to sci-fi and fantasy, is often a great formula for success. Despite its one-season runtime, The Devil Judge won over audiences across the globe (especially viewers who have Netflix) and is often considered one of the best and coolest South Korean thrillers. The best dystopian thrillers are often underrated, so this one is likely yet to find its rightful audience.
2 ‘Mouse’ (2021)
Starring: Lee Seung-gi and Lee Hee-joon
Lee Seung-gi is another beloved K-drama actor, but his role as the clumsy yet clever rookie detective Jeong in Mouse is often cited as one of his best. The writer of the crime thriller Mouse, Choi Ran, was inspired to base the story on a real-life crime that took place in a school; he wrote a show about one rookie detective and his partner trying to understand the inner workings of psychopathic individuals, especially those who kill.
He portrays the more experienced, but also the more flexible, detective Ko, whose methods may not appeal to the rookie mind like Jeong’s, but work nevertheless.
Besides Lee, there’s Lee Hee-joon, another familiar face of South Korean dramas. He portrays the more experienced, but also the more flexible, detective Ko, whose methods may not appeal to the rookie mind like Jeong’s, but work nevertheless. The chase and the mystery of trying to catch a dangerous killer are amplified by Mouse ‘s establishment of community. It’s a small town, and it’s neither dark nor desolate; its residents are friendly and help each other out, which makes imagining a dangerous, predatory killer in it creepy and unsettling.
1 ‘Signal’ (2016)
Starring: Lee Je-hoon and Kim Hye-su
One of South Korea’s best action stars, Lee Je-hoon, steps into the role of a not-so-modest criminal profiler and cold-case detective, Park Hae-young. The viewers’ first encounters with Park make him seem arrogant and impatient, but he’s very clever and great at what he does. When he finds an abandoned walkie-talkie at an old crime scene, he hears a signal coming from it and, over time, realizes he’s talking to Lee Je-han (Cho Jin-woong), who was at that same crime scene in 1989. By the end of the series, the two use their communication through the walkie-talkie to solve some of the most intense, unresolved cold cases in Korea.
The cold cases in Signal were based on real-life crimes that took place in South Korea, mainly during the 1990s. As one of the most popular K-dramas of that time and possibly ever, Signal combined its unresolved mysteries with a sci-fi element. This combination, together with the incredibly charming cast and a rock-solid plot, makes Signal a series worth watching and rewatching. The show’s second season was seemingly confirmed by its writers in March 2024, so watching season one will also be a great preparation for what’s next.
Signal
A criminal profiler who works on cold cases finds a walkie-talkie that connects him to the past, which he uses to solve most of his unresolved cases.
- Genre
- Crime, Drama, Fantasy
- Debut Date
- February 22, 2016
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