Sora
If you kept up with the new Kdramas released in 2023, then you probably know that it was an amazing, amazing year.
In all my years of being in Kdrama-land, 2023 was the very first year I was genuinely hooked on multiple new releases and it was the most beautiful feeling ever.
And, there’s no better way to kick off the new year than with some amazing upcoming releases that promise to be thrilling and exciting.
These 10 upcoming Korean dramas coming out in January 2024 should be on your watchlist:
1. Marry My Husband – January 1st
Kang Ji Won’s (played by Kim Min Young) marriage has been on the rocks because of her husband’s selfishness and his demanding mother.
But when she is diagnosed with cancer and discovers her husband’s affair, they decide to kill her.
By a stroke of fate, she wakes up 10 years in the past, so she tries to change her destiny by setting up her best friend with her to-be-husband, and she even gets entangled with some new love interests.
This drama is very, very similar to Perfect Marriage Revenge, which I watched and loved, and I’m optimistic about this one because I watched Love In Contract, Park Min Young’s previous drama and it was also interesting.
2. Love Song For Illusion – January 2nd
Crown Prince Sajo Hyun, played by Park Ji Hoon, is a fashion designer with DID who is hiding his identity.
Meanwhile, Yeon Wol is an assassin turned concubine with a forgotten past, who originally set out to take revenge on the king.
Together, they set out on a love story filled with intrigue and obsession, and if you like historical dramas with loads of political maneuvering and whatnot, Love Song For Illusion promises this and more.
3. Flower That Blooms At Night – January 12th
In this historical drama, Cho Yeo Hwa (Lee Na Hee), who is a widow from a prestigious family, secretly helps others at night, and her life takes a turn when she meets senior officer Park Soo Ho (Lee Jong Won).
One The Woman is the last Kdrama I watched starring Na Hee, and I genuinely feel she’s a national treasure.
I haven’t watched anything with the male lead, but he looks so charming and I’m cautiously optimistic about this new Kdrama coming out in January 2024.
4. A Shop For Killers – January 17th
Jeong Ji An (Kim Hye Joon), thrust into chaos after her uncle’s suspicious death, becomes the target of skilled assassins.
Drawing on her unique training, she confronts a flurry of danger and she is determined to find out the entire truth behind the sudden turn of events.
You guys, Lee Dong Wook is the eternal love of my life, so you can be so sure I’ll be seated for this beautiful drama – it’s also a Disney+ drama and we all know how awesome those are.
5. The Bequeathed – January 19th
Somehow, Yoon Seo Ha (Kim Hyun Joo) inherits a family gravesite, and this leads to several mysterious incidents, with some involving her weird younger step-brother.
Meanwhile, Detective Choi Sung Joon, who’s battling awkward workplace dynamics, feels that the weird incidents in the town are all linked to the gravesite, and he decides to launch his investigation.
I didn’t watch too many thriller dramas in 2023, so I am hopeful that this new thriller Kdrama coming out in 2024 feels like the sign I’ve been waiting for.
6. Long Time No Sex – January 19th
Woo Jin (Esom) and Samuel (Ahn Jae Young), a once-passionate couple, form a blackmail team to expose cheating couples as they try to revitalize their lives.
You might recognize this female lead, but to quickly jog your memory, she was one of Ji Ho’s best friends in Because This Is My First Life and she was also Kang Ha Na in Taxi Driver.
As for the male lead, I’m a bit ashamed to say this, but I haven’t watched any of his works but loads of people say he’s very talented and I’m very optimistic.
7. Sejak: Charmed Deceit – January 21st
After Prince Lee In (Jo Jong Suk) is taken hostage, his brother Lee Sun questions his loyalty and Lee In suffers under this misconception for some time.
Soon, he meets a mysterious baduk player and when he unexpectedly becomes king, he grapples with the consistent inner sadness.
Kang Hee Soo (Shin Sae Kyung), once an unknown baduk player, becomes a spy who wants to take revenge against King Lee In, and I’m seated for the absolute serve we’re definitely going to get from this iconic pair.
8. Flex x Cop – January 26th
Jin Yi Soo, a wealthy third-generation conglomerate, joins a police investigative team and works with the dedicated Detective Lee Kang Hyun to catch robbers.
The male lead in this drama is Ahn Bo Hyun who I last watched in See You In My 19th Life, while the female lead is Park Ji Hyun, who you might remember from Do You Like Brahms, and I really believe this January 2024 Kdrama is going to be special.
9. Doctor Slump – January 27th
Doctor Slump is arguably one of the most anticipated Korean dramas set to be released in 2024 and that’s because it stars Park Shin Hye and Park Hyung Sik, and the screenwriter, Baek Sun Woo was also the screenwriter for What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim and My Roommate Is A Gumiho.
This healing Kdrama follows plastic surgeon Yeo Jeong Woo whose life takes a dark turn after a mysterious medical accident.
He then finds solace in an unexpected reunion with his past rival, anesthesiologist Nam Ha Neul, and this leads to a blossoming romantic relationship.
10. Queen of Divorce – January 31st
Kim Sa Ra, a betrayed daughter-in-law turned divorce troubleshooter, teams up with former prosecutor Dong Ki Joon, who is known as the German Shepherd because of his tenacity, to help those going through unfair divorces.
This would probably be the first non-makjang drama I’ll watch with Lee Ji Ah (Penthouse: War In Life, Pandora: Beneath The Paradise) and while I already know she’s a fine actress, I’m eager to see how she fares in the new production set to be released in the new year.
Dong Ki Joon is played by Kang Ki Young (Jung Myeong Seok from Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Hwang Pil Gwang from The Uncanny Counter 2), and we all know that man can ACT, so I know this is also going to be great.
How many Korean dramas did you watch in 2023? How many of these January 2024 new Kdramas will you watch this year? Let me know in the comments below.
And, make sure you check the related posts for even more recommendations that will keep you busy all through the month.
Happy watching!
