Are you ready to refresh your Korean drama watchlist? From gritty Joseon backdrops to modern-day emotional journeys, the upcoming K-dramas releasing in May 2025 have something in store for every mood.
Leading the list is the Lee Jae-wook and Jo Bo-ah-starrer period romance thriller on Netflix, Dear Hongrang. Directed by Kim Hong-sun and written by Kim Jin-ah, the show weaves a tense tale of hidden identities, family secrets and forbidden emotions set against the backdrop of the Joseon era.
Talking about his experience filming Dear Hongrang, lead actor Lee Jae-wook said in an interview with W Korea, “We film four to five days a week. Although I’ve done Alchemy of Souls, which is a fantasy historical drama, Dear Hongrang is my first time acting in an authentic historical drama. I’m trying hard to speak in as low a tone as possible because I want the words to be delivered in a more powerful and clearer way.”
Meanwhile, another thriller joining the roster of highly anticipated K-dramas of May 2025 is the Disney+ original Nine Puzzles. The series is helmed by director Yoon Jong-bin, who has previously worked on the hit action Korean movie The Spy Gone North (2018) and the highest-rated crime thriller series of 2022, Narco-Saints.
Lest we forget, GOT7 member Park Jin-young and Melo Movie actor Park Bo-young are set to draw some serious star power to tvN’s upcoming May 2025 K-drama Our Unwritten Seoul. They have already created a wave of anticipation among fans. The series tells the story of two women who swap identities and navigate their love lives and personal growth together.
These upcoming K-Dramas releasing in May 2025 promise a mix of romance, revenge and suspense
1 /9
Directed by: Kim Sung-yong
Cast: Ha Yoo-joon, Park Ji-hu, Lee Seung-hyub
Episodes: 10
Streaming platform: TBA
Synopsis: After being cast out from his K-pop group, Sa Gye (Ha) decides to attend college. There, he forms a new co-ed band and rekindles his passion for music, all the while finding love and support in girlfriend Kim Bom (Park).
About the show: According to multiple K-media outlets, including Soompi, popular actors Jung Hae-in and Rowoon are reportedly set to make special appearances in Spring of Youth.
Trivia: Lead actor Ha Yoo-joon learned to play the guitar for six months for his role.
Park Ji-hu’s plays ‘Bom’ in the K-drama, which means ‘spring’ in Korean — a nod to the season of new beginnings.
2 /9
Directed by: Park Dan-hee
Cast: Kang Ha-neul, Go Min-si, Kim Shin-rok, Yoo Soo-bin
Episodes: 10
Streaming platform: Netflix
Synopsis: A dispassionate food company heir and a fiercely passionate countryside chef are forced to work together in a city restaurant.
About the show: Tastefully Yours draws similarities to another April 2025 Netflix original K-drama, The Potato Lab. Just as a visiting boss from Seoul and a rural potato researcher slowly found common ground in The Potato Lab, the opposing views of a city heir and a countryside chef on taste and life gradually draw them together in Tastefully Yours.
3 /9
Directed by: Jang Yoo-jung
Cast: Choi Soo-young, Gong Myung
Episodes: 12
Streaming platform: tvN
Synopsis: Alcoholic Han Geum-ju (Choi) unexpectedly reunites with her first love, Seo Ui Jun (Gong), a doctor who despises alcohol. Determined to secure a second chance at life and love, she takes on the challenge of quitting drinking.
4 /9
View this post on Instagram
Directed by: Kim Geon
Cast: Kim Min-seok, Lee Hyun-wook, Wi Ha-joon
Episodes: 6
Streaming platform: TVING
Synopsis: After being released from prison, MMA fighter Cha Woo-sol (Kim) navigates personal demons and a cruel world as he rebuilds his life with the help of his coach Jeong Do-hyun (Wi).
About the show: This is a sequel to the 2021 hit K-drama Shark, based on the webtoon of the same name written by Woon and illustrated by Kim Woo-sub.
5 /9
Directed by: Kim Hong-seon
Cast: Lee Jae-wook, Jo Bo-ah, Kim Jae-wook
Episodes: 12
Streaming platform: Netflix
Synopsis: In the Joseon dynasty, Jae Yi (Jo) sets out to uncover the truth behind her stepbrother Hong Rang’s (Lee) disappearance, only to find herself caught between mystery, deception and forbidden emotions.
6 /9
Directed by: Yoon Jong-bin
Cast: Kim Da-mi, Son Suk-ku
Episodes: TBA
Streaming platform: Disney Plus
Synopsis: When her uncle is murdered beside a mysterious puzzle piece, Yoon Yi-na (Kim) swears revenge. Ten years later, she becomes a criminal profiler, only to get entangled in a chilling series of new murders — each crime scene is marked by puzzle pieces similar to the one from her past. Soon, she teams up with detective Kim Han-saem (Son) to unravel the truth behind the serial killings.
About the show: Sharing his thoughts on his on-screen chemistry with co-star Kim Da-mi, actor Son Suk-ku said during a press conference, “The relationship between Han-saem and Yi-na shifts subtly — from doubt to cooperation and back again. We had a lot of discussions about the nuances that go beyond the lines or stage directions.”
7 /9
Directed by: Park Shin-woo
Cast: Park Bo-young, Park Jin-young, Ryu Kyung-soo
Episodes: 12
Streaming platform: Netflix
Synopsis: Twin sisters Yoo Mi-ji and Yoo Mi-rae (both played by Park Bo-young) are forced to swap lives. As the duo navigate their new identities, they become entangled in a web of secrets, ambitions and unexpected love.
Trivia: Park Bo-young and Park Jin-young are reuniting on-screen after four years since their previous collaboration in the K-drama The One and Only (2021).
8 /9
Directed by: Im Soon-rye
Cast: Jung Kyung-ho, Seol In-a, Cha Hak-yeon
Episodes: 10
Streaming platform: MBC
Synopsis: Noh Moo-jin (Jung) is a cynical labor attorney who can see ghosts. Struggling to pay his office rent, Moo-jin signs a life-risking labor contract that binds him to helping restless ghosts resolve their unfinished business.
9 /9
Directed by: Shim Na-yeon
Cast: Park Bo-gum, Kim So-hyun, Oh Jung-se, Lee Sang-yi
Episodes: 16
Streaming platform: Amazon Prime Video
Synopsis: Once celebrated Olympians, Yoon Dong-joo (Park) and Kim Jong-hyeon (Lee) confront financial ruin and reinvent themselves as police officers. Soon, they form a team, “Olympic Avengers,” and use their unique athletic prowess to take down violent criminals.
Trivia: The “Olympic Avengers” team in the drama is loosely inspired by real-life South Korean athletes who transitioned to other careers after retirement.
Additionally, Park Bo-gum, who recently captured hearts with his role as Gwan-sik in When Life Gives You Tangerines, shared in an interview with ELLE Korea that he had to undergo a strict diet and intense training to transform into boxer Dong-joo for Good Boy.
