Warning. This 2018 Korean Drama List is very looooong, so unless you’re confident that you’ve got enough time to go on a synopsis reading or drama shopping spree, use the Find tool to search for a keyword related to the series you’re looking for. Just press [CONTROL] + [F] (Windows) or [COMMAND] + [F] (Mac) and type the keyword, and you’re done. Of course, you can also do a similar trick using your phone or tablet.

We listed a total of 83 Korean dramas below, which are equal to an estimated 1,434 hours or 60 days of content. Wow! If you’re a hard-core fan who can set aside 6 hours a day for watching, you’ll finish ALL those dramas in just eight months. But if you’re a busy bee like me who can commit only up to two hours daily, then expect to reach the finish line after two years. God help you.

And this is not even the FULL list yet, as we did not include the daily dramas, web dramas, and series from “non-major” TV networks (e.g. KBS1, MBC, Channel A). So, if we’re really going to consider everything, the total no. of Korean dramas that aired in 2018 probably stands at around 100.

The 83 Korean dramas listed below are those that are shown in prime time on terrestrial networks KBS2, MBC, and SBS, and cable networks JTBC, OCN, and tvN. We can call them the “major dramas” that really pull an audience and whose popularity travel beyond South Korea.

Essentially, for a prime time series to qualify for the list, at least half of its total episode count must have been broadcast in 2018. Which is why Bad Guys 2 and A Korean Odyssey, both of which premiered in 2017, are on the list.

All dramas are chronologically and alphabetically arranged except for two “extra special” ones. Scroll down to find out what I mean.

Here are some keywords you can use in your searches:

• TV Channels/Distributors: KBS2, MBC, SBS, JTBC, OCN, tvN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: Mon-Tue, Wed-Thu, Fri-Sat, Sat, Sat-Sun
• Names of Directors, Writers, and Actors
• Genres: Romance, Romantic Comedy/Rom-com, Crime, Thriller, Melodrama, Medical, Science Fiction, Mystery, Comedy,
• Tags: Miniseries (dramas whose total running time ranges from 12 to 24 hours), Short (less than 12 hours), Serial (more than 24 hours), Adaptation, Award-winning, Body Swapping/Impersonation, Child Abuse, Contract Relationship, Ghosts, Highly Rated, Memory Loss, Miniseries, Noona Romance, Pre-produced, Revenge, Robot, Sequel/Spin-off, Serial, Short, Time Travel

And try doing this for fun! Calculate your 2018 drama watching completion rate by dividing the no. of 2018 dramas you completely watched by 83 and multiplying the result by 100. I tried watching 24 of them, but managed to finish only one so far—which translates to a completion rate of roughly 1%! I bet yours is higher.

Happy reading (and watching)!

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Best Korean Drama (April 2017 to March 2018): MOTHER

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: January 24 – March 15, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Kim Cheol-kyu (Confession)
• Writer: Jung Seo-kyung
• Starring: Lee Bo-young & Heo Yool
• Average TV Rating: 3.5%
• Notable Awards/Achievements: Best Drama & Best New Actress for Heo Yool (Baeksang Arts Awards 2018)
• Facts: Mother was selected to compete in Cannes International Series Festival. It is a remake of the award-winning 2010 Japanese TV series of the same title.
• Tags: Adaptation, Award-winning, Child Abuse, Miniseries

[Melodrama] When a temporary school teacher realizes that one of her students is being abused at home by her family, she decides to kidnap and protect her.

Best Korean Drama (April 2018 to March 2019): MY AJUSSHI

• Other Title: My Mister
• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: March 21 – May 17, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Kim Won-suk (Asadal Chronicles)
• Writer: Park Hae-young (Oh Hae-young Again)
• Starring: Lee Sun-kyun & IU (Lee Ji-eun)
• Average TV Rating: 5.0%
• Notable Awards/Achievements: Best Drama & Best Screenwriter (Baeksang Arts Awards 2019), Best Drama (Dramabeans’ 2018 Editors’ Picks)
• Fact: My Ajusshi was criticized for setting up a “couple” with an 18-year age gap, which doesn’t really matter because the drama is not a love or romantic story. This fact, according to PD Kim Won-suk, helped him persuade IU to accept the role when she was first reluctant to accept the offer.
• Tags: Award-winning, Miniseries

[Melodrama] A quiet and stoic middle-aged man meets an independent, cold young woman who is enduring many hardships in life. They form a connection that somehow help them heal each other’s scars as they go through the loneliest moments of everyday life.

December 2017 Premieres

A Korean Odyssey

• Also Known As: Hwayugi
• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: December 23, 2017 – March 4, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Directors: Park Hong-kyun (Queen Seondeok), Kim Jung-hyun (Legal High), & Kim Byung-soo (Bride Of The Water God)
• Writers: Hong Jung-eun & Hong Mi-ran – the Hong sisters (Hotel Del Luna)
• Starring: Lee Seung-gi, Cha Seung-won, & Oh Yeon-seo
• Average TV Rating: 5.4%
• Facts: A Korean Odyssey is a modern spin-off of the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West. Park Bo-gum was courted to play the lead role but he declined.
• Tags: Adaptation, Ghosts, Contract Relationship, Miniseries

[Fantasy Rom-com] A girl who has the supernatural ability to see otherworldly beings unleashed the Monkey King from his prison, believing that he would save her from danger every time she calls his name. But he erased some parts of her memory so that she couldn’t remember him. Years later, a fateful encounter forces him to keep his promise.

Bad Guys: City of Evil

• Also Known As: Bad Guys: Vile City, Bad Guys 2
• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: December 16, 2017 – February 4, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Han Dong-hwa (38 Task Force)
• Writer: Han Jung-hoon (My Fellow Citizens)
• Starring: Park Joong-hoon, Joo Jin-mo, Yang Ik-joon, Kim Moo-yul, & Jisoo
• Average TV Rating: 3.7%
• Fact: Uhm Tae-goo and Kang Ha-neul were originally cast for the series but they dropped their roles due to health issues and military enlistment, respectively.
• Tags: Sequel/Spin-off, Miniseries

[Crime Thriller] Two genius prosecutors and a hot-headed detective team up with a convicted gangster and a revenge-seeking “criminal” to catch even worse criminals in the city.

January 2018 Premieres

Cross

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: January 29 – March 20, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Shin Yong-hwi
• Writer: Choi Min-seok
• Starring: Go Kyung-pyo, Cho Jae-hyun, & Jeon So-min
• Average TV Rating: 3.8%
• Fact: In February 2018, Cho Jae-hyun was removed from the drama following allegations about his past sexual conduct.
• Tags: Revenge, Miniseries

[Medical Thriller] A doctor whose father was brutally murdered 13 years ago is desperate to take revenge, going as far as to work in a prison where the murderer is detained to carry out his plan.

My First Love

• Also Known As: Longing Heart
• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: January 8 – January 30, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Min Yeon-hong (Ms. Ma, Nemesis)
• Writer: Park Ga-yeon
• Starring: Lee Jung-shin, Seo Ji-hoon, & Lee Yeol-eum
• Fact: My First Love is based on a webtoon of the same title.
• Tags: Adaptation, Time Travel, Pre-produced, Short

[Fantasy Romance] For a man who cannot forget his first love from ten years ago, returning to the past seems the only thing he needs to make things right. He learns, however, that redoing history is not as easy as 1-2-3 when he actually gets the chance to travel back in time.

Radio Romance

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: January 29 – March 20, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kim Shin-il
• Writer: Jeon Yoo-ri
• Starring: Yoon Doo-joon & Kim So-hyun
• Average TV Rating: 4.1%
• Fact: Yoon Doo-joon and Kim So-hyun first worked together in a 2014 advertisement.
• Tag: Miniseries

[Romance] A not-so-talented assistant radio program writer can get her lucky break as the main writer if she can persuade a top actor to participate in her program as the DJ. He accepts the offer, and she gets more than what she asked for when she becomes involved in his personal life.

Return

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: January 17 – March 22, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Joo Dong-min (The Last Empress)
• Writer: Choi Kyung-mi
• Starring: Park Jin-hee & Lee Jin-wook
• Average TV Rating: 13.7%
• Facts: Go Hyun-jung originally played the heroine, but she left (or was fired from) the drama halfway through the show due to irreconcilable differences with the director. Return is the highest-rated Korean drama (terrestrial) in 2018 in terms of average ratings.
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Legal Thriller] A famous female lawyer in the country decides to take a high-profile murder case involving suspects from powerful elite families. She investigates the case along with a detective who has a dark past, and learns that there is more to it than meets the eye.

February 2018 Premieres

Misty

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: February 2 – March 24, 2018, Fri-Sat
• Director: Mo Wan-il (Beautiful Mind)
• Writer: Jae-in
• Starring: Kim Nam-joo & Ji Jin-hee
• Average TV Rating: 6.3%
• Notable Awards/Achievements: Best Drama Nomination (Baeksang Arts Awards 2018), Best Actress for Kim Nam-joo (Baeksang Arts Awards 2018 & Asian Television Awards 2019)
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Mystery Melodrama] When a famous anchorwoman of a prime time TV news program becomes the prime suspect in a murder case, she struggles to protect her reputation and realize her ambitions.

Mystery Queen 2

• Also Known As: Queen Of Mystery 2
• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: February 28 – April 19, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Choi Yoon-suk(Chief Kim)
• Writer: Lee Sung-min (Mystery Queen)
• Starring: Choi Kang-hee & Kwon Sang-woo
• Average TV Rating: 6.1%
• Tags: Sequel/Spin-off, Miniseries

[Crime Thriller] A nosy and ordinary housewife proves that she’s not really ordinary when she declares that she’s dead serious in solving crimes, using techniques she has learned from mystery and crime novels. A homicide detective reluctantly takes her on as his partner and they work together finding evidences and chasing after criminals.

Short

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: February 12 – February 20, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kim Young-min
• Writer: Kim Jung-ae
• Starring: Kang Tae-oh & Yeo Hoe-hyun
• Tag: Short

[Youth Drama] The most popular short track speed skater in a university is challenged by someone from the countryside. As they train together, they develop a rivalry and form a friendship. (Want a short review for this short drama named Short? Click here.)

Should We Kiss First

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: February 20 – April 24, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Son Jeong-hyun (All About My Romance)
• Writer: Bae Yoo-mi (I Have A Lover)
• Starring: Kam Woo-sung & Kim Sun-ah
• Average TV Rating: 9.5%
• Notable Awards/Achievements: Best Supporting Actress for Ye Ji-won (Baeksang Arts Awards 2018), Grand Prize for Kam Woo-sung and Kim Sun-ah (SBS Drama Awards 2018)
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Romantic Melodrama] Two adults have lost their faith in love but they are both afraid of living and dying alone, and they end up finding true love in each other.

Welcome To Waikiki

• Also Known As: Laughter In Waikiki, Eulachacha Waikiki
• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: February 5 – April 17, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Lee Chang-min (Welcome To Waikiki 2)
• Writers: Kim Ki-ho & Song Ji-eun (Welcome To Waikiki 2)
• Starring: Kim Jung-hyun, Lee Yi-kyung, & Son Seung-won
• Average TV Rating: 1.8%
• Fact: Welcome To Waikiki was extended by 4 episodes due to its popularity.
• Tag: Miniseries

[Comedy] A wannabe movie director, an aspiring actor, and a freelance writer come together to manage a failing guesthouse in an effort to achieve their goals. One day, they get entangled in the life of a single mother who shows up in front of them with her baby.

March 2018 Premieres

A Poem A Day

• Also Known As: You Who Forgot Poetry
• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: March 26 – May 15, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Han Sang-jae (Rude Miss Young Ae)
• Writers: Myung Soo-hyun, Baek Sun-woo, & Choi Bo-rim
• Starring: Lee Joon-hyuk, Jang Dong-yoon, & Lee Yu-bi
• Average TV Rating: 1.0%
• Facts: Gong Myung was first offered Jang Dong-yoon’s character but he declined. A Poem A Day is the lowest-rated Korean drama (cable) in 2018 in terms of average ratings.
• Tag: Miniseries

[Medical Drama] This Korean drama follows the daily lives of three physical therapists.

Children of a Lesser God

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: March 3 – April 22, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Kang Shin-hyo (The Heirs)
• Writer: Han Woo-ri
• Starring: Kang Ji-hwan & Kim Ok-bin
• Average TV Rating: 3.1%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Supernatural Crime Thriller] Two detectives work together to uncover a conspiracy involving a powerful organization. One of them is a genius who relies only on facts, while the other is a rookie who uses her supernatural ability to experience and feel the victim’s moment of death.

Evergreen

• Also Known As: That Man Oh Soo
• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: March 5 – April 24, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Lee Chul-min
• Writer: Jung Yoo-sun
• Starring: Lee Jong-hyun & Kim So-eun
• Tag: Miniseries

[Fantasy Romance] A promising IT engineer can make other people fall in love using a magical “pollen” or powder. He’s unable to understand love despite playing Cupid, but that changes when he meets a female police officer.

Hold Me Tight

• Also Known As: Let’s Hold Hands Tightly And Watch The Sunset
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: March 21 – May 10, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Jung Ji-in (Radiant Office)
• Writer: Jung Ha-yeon (Flames Of Desire)
• Starring: Han Hye-jin & Yoon Sang-hyun
• Average TV Rating: 3.4%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Romantic Melodrama] A woman gave up her dreams to become the perfect wife to her architect husband, but when she gets diagnosed with a terminal illness, she asks for a divorce and decides to start living for herself.

Live

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: March 10 – May 6, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Kim Kyu-tae (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo)
• Writer: Noh Hee-kyung (Dear My Friends)
• Starring: Jung Yu-mi & Lee Kwang-soo
• Average TV Rating: 5.8%
• Fact: Live marks the fifth collaboration of PD Kim and writer Noh, following It’s Okay, That’s Love, That Winter The Wind Blows, Padam Padam, and Worlds Within.  
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Workplace Drama] This Korean drama tells the stories of hard-working cops as they perform their jobs every day to earn a living.

Marry Me Now

• Also Known As: Shall We Live Together
• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: March 17 – September 9, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Yoon Chang-beom (First Love Again)
• Writer: Park Pil-joo (House of Bluebird)
• Starring: Han Ji-hye & Lee Sang-woo
• Average TV Rating: 28.8%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Grand Prize for Yoo Dong-geun (KBS Drama Awards 2018)
• Tags: Award-Winning, Serial

[Family Drama] The four children of a master shoemaker grew up without a mother until they meet their millionaire stepmom. This drama portrays the meaning of family through the love and war in the parents’ and children’s generation.

My Husband Oh Jak Doo

• Also Known As: My Contracted Husband Mr. Oh
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: March 3 – May 19, 2018, Sat
• Director: Baek Ho-min (You Are Too Much)
• Writer: Yoo Yoon-kyung (Mama)
• Starring: Kim Kang-woo & Uee
• Average TV Rating: 10.4%
• Tags: Contract Relationship, Miniseries

[Romance] A single woman in her mid-30s has a hard time dealing with social prejudices against women like her, so she ties the knot with someone from the mountain just to get the status of a married woman.

Something In The Rain

• Also Known As: Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food
• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: March 30 – May 19, 2018, Fri-Sat
• Director: Ahn Pan-seok (One Spring Night)
• Writer: Kim Eun (One Spring Night)
• Starring: Son Ye-jin & Jung Hae-in
• Average TV Rating: 5.5%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Best Drama (Asian Television Awards 2019)
• Tags: Award-winning, Noona Romance, Miniseries

[Romantic Melodrama] This Korean drama tells the story of an older woman who falls in love with her best friend’s younger brother.

Switch: Change the World

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: March 28 – May 17, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Nam Tae-jin
• Writer: Baek Woon-cheol (The Suspicious Housekeeper)
• Starring: Jang Keun-suk & Han Ye-ri
• Average TV Rating: 6.2%
• Tags: Body Swapping/Impersonation, Miniseries

[Legal Drama] When a prosecutor gets attacked and put in a coma, his partner asks a con artist—who looks exactly like him and happens to know the ins and outs of the legal world—to take his place and pretend as a prosecutor.

The Good Witch

• Also Known As: Nice Witch
• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: March 3 – May 5, 2018, Sat
• Director: Oh Se-gang (Temptation of Wife)
• Writer: Yoon Young-mi (Birth of A Beauty)
• Starring: Lee Da-hae, Ryu Soo-young, & Ahn Woo-yeon
• Average TV Rating: 7.7%
• Tags: Body Swapping/Impersonation, Miniseries

[Melodrama] A flight attendant enlists the help of her twin sister, an ordinary housewife, to pretend to be her for some important reason. Their setup becomes complicated when her sister is tangled up in a relationship with a co-pilot.

The Great Seducer

• Also Known As: Tempted
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: March 12 – May 1, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kang In
• Writer: Kim Bo-yeon
• Starring: Woo Do-hwan & Joy (Park Soo-young)
• Average TV Rating: 2.2%
• Facts: The Great Seducer is loosely based on the French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. It is the lowest-rated Korean drama (terrestrial) in 2018 in terms of average ratings.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Romantic Melodrama] A rich young guy makes a bet with his friends to seduce (and later dump) a hard-working college student who no longer believes in love. As the two start to get to know each other and deepen their relationship, her view on love changes and his feelings for her become real.

April 2018 Premieres

Exit

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: April 30 – May 1, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Jung Dong-yoon
• Writer: Park Yeon-hyuk
• Starring: Choi Tae-joon
• Average TV Rating: 4.8%
• Tag: Short

[Science Fiction, Melodrama] A loan shark who is sick of his life steals money from his boss to pay for an expensive medical intervention that makes him (or his brain) happy even in stressful situations. Indeed, he gets the life he wanted afterwards—nice job, home, family, and everything. But realizing that it’s “too perfect,” he starts to doubt that all of it is real.

Mistress

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: April 28 – June 3, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Han Ji-seung (Valid Love)
• Writers: Go Jung-woon & Kim Jin-wook
• Starring: Han Ga-in, Shin Hyun-bin, Choi Hee-seo, & Goo Jae-yee
• Average TV Rating: 1.2%
• Fact: Mistress is a Korean remake of a British TV series of the same name.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Mystery Thriller] Four women with dubious morals and complex relationships get involved in one murder.

Suits

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: April 25 – June 14, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Kim Jin-woo (Healer)
• Writer: Kim Jung-min
• Starring: Jang Dong-gun and Park Hyung-sik
• Average TV Rating: 8.9%
• Fact: Suits is a Korean remake of a US TV series of the same title.
• Tags: Adaptation, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Legal Drama] A college dropout gets to work as a law associate at a top law firm after an ace lawyer offers him the job due to his sharp memory and impressive wit. They take on cases together while having to keep his background under wraps.

The Miracle We Met

• Also Known As: Miracle That We Met
• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: April 2 – May 29, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Lee Hyung-min (Strong Woman Do Bong Soon)
• Writer: Baek Mi-kyung (Melt Me)
• Starring: Kim Myung-min, Kim Hyun-joo, & Ra Mi-ran
• Average TV Rating: 10.9%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Grand Prize for Kim Myung-min (KBS Drama Awards 2018)
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Body Swapping/Impersonation, Miniseries

[Melodrama] A loving father and husband finds himself living two identities when he dies because of a car accident and wakes up inside the body of another man, a successful bank manager with the same name and birthday as him.

May 2018 Premieres

About Time

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: May 21 – July 10, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kim Hyung-sik (Second 20s)
• Writer: Chu Hye-mi
• Starring: Lee Sang-yoon & Lee Sung-kyung
• Average TV Rating: 1.6%
• Fact: Lee Seo-won was supposed to play a supporting role in the drama but he was pulled out of the production prior to airing and was replaced by Kim Dong-jun due to the sexual harassment charges filed against him.
• Tag: Miniseries

[Fantasy Romance] When a musical actress who has the ability to see the remaining time people have to live notices that her own timer stops upon meeting a man, she tries her best to be around him in order to live, or at least delay her death.

Come and Hug Me

• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: May 16 – July 19, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Choi Joon-bae (King’s Daughter, Soo Baek Hyang)
• Writer: Lee A-ram
• Starring: Jang Ki-yong & Jin Ki-joo
• Average TV Rating: 4.7%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Best New Actor for Jang Ki-yong (Baeksang Arts Awards 2019)
• Fact: Bae Suzy and Nam Joo-hyuk were first offered the leading roles but they both declined.
• Tags: Award-winning, Miniseries

[Romantic Melodrama] Two childhood friends are separated when his psychopathic serial killer father murdered her parents. They meet again as adults and fall in love with each other despite their tragic past.

Goodbye to Goodbye

• Also Known As: Parting Left
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: May 26 – August 4, 2018, Sat
• Director: Kim Min-sik (Flower Of The Queen)
• Writer: So Jae-won
• Starring: Chae Shi-ra, Jo Bo-ah
• Average TV Rating: 7.5%
• Fact: Goodbye to Goodbye is based on a web novel of the same name which was first published in 2017 by Naver.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Romantic Melodrama] A pregnant woman whose boyfriend wants her to have an abortion decides to stay at the house of his mother, who has been living alone since finding out that her husband had an affair. It’s an awkward setup at the start, but the two learn to understand and care for each other.

Investigation Couple

• Also Known As: Partners For Justice
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: May 14 – July 17, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: No Do-cheol (Ruler: Master Of The Mask)
• Writers: Min Ji-eun & Won Young-sil
• Starring: Jung Jae-young & Jeong Yu-mi
• Average TV Rating: 6.9%
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Crime Procedural] A genius medical examiner is obsessed with his work and completely insensitive to everything else around him. Nevertheless, a rookie prosecutor has no choice but to deal with his behavior in order to solve her cases.

Lawless Lawyer

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: May 12 – July 1, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Kim Jin-min (The Liar And His Lover)
• Writer: Yoon Hyun-ho (Remember)
• Starring: Lee joon-gi & Seo Ye-ji
• Average TV Rating: 6.1%
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Legal Action] A former gangster became a lawyer to avenge his mother’s death. He boasts a very high case success rate thanks to his particular style of dealing with cases—using both his fists (literally) and the loopholes in law.

Miss Hammurabi

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: May 21 – July 16, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kwak Jung-hwan (Aide)
• Writer: Moon Yoo-seok
• Starring: Go Ara, L, & Sung Dong-il
• Average TV Rating: 4.4%
• Fact: Miss Hammurabi is based on the Moon Yeo-seok’s own novel of the same name which was first serialized in 2015.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Legal Drama] This Korean drama follows the daily lives of three judges as they oversee civil cases in court. The trio is composed of a passionate rookie judge who dreams of a courthouse that protects the poor and fights those that oppress them, a realist judge who avoids making rash decisions, and a realistic senior judge who entered in his judicial career later in life.

Secret Mother

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: May 12 – July 7, 2018, Sat
• Director: Park Yong-soon (Wanted)
• Writer: Hwang Ye-jin
• Starring: Song Yoon-ah & Kim So-yeon
• Average TV Rating: 6.0%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Mystery Thriller] A mysterious surrogate mother enters the home of a former psychiatrist, faking her identity to uncover details about her sister who disappeared without a trace. The psychiatrist’s life slowly starts to fall apart with her presence that also shakes up the entire neighborhood.

Sketch

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: May 25 – July 14, 2018, Fri-Sat
• Director: Im Tae-woo (Yoo-na’s Street)
• Writer: Kang Hyung-sung (Hidden Identity)
• Starring: Rain, Lee Dong-gun, & Lee Sun-bin
• Average TV Rating: 2.8%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Fantasy Action Thriller] An ace detective’s normal life is shaken by the death of his wife, prompting him to find the killer with the help of a female detective who can draw a crime scene before it happens.

The Undateables

• Also Known As: Handsome Guy and Jung-Eum
• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: May 23 – July 19, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Kim Yoo-jin
• Writer: Lee Jae-yoon (My Unfortunate Boyfriend)
• Starring: Namgoong Min & Hwang Jung-eum
• Average TV Rating: 3.6%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] A man who knows everything about love in theory does not want to fall in love until he meets a woman whose biggest dream is to be loved and get married.

Wok of Love

• Also Known As: Greasy Melo
• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: May 7 – July 17, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Park Seon-ho
• Writer: Seo Sook-hyang (Jealousy Incarnate)
• Starring: Lee Joon-ho, Jung Ryeo-won, and Jang Hyuk
• Average TV Rating: 6.2%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] A renowned chef of a big hotel finds himself working in a small Chinese restaurant after being cheated on by her fiance and framed by the hotel CEO. A bankrupt heiress also ends up at the tiny eatery, whose former gangster owner helps them get back on their feet.

You Drive Me Crazy

• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: May 7 – May 8, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Hyun Sol-ip
• Writer: Park Mi-ryeong
• Starring: Lee Yoo-young & Kim Sun-ho
• Average TV Rating: 2.4%
• Tag: Short

[Romance] Two individuals who have been friends for eight years end up sleeping together one night, which leads them to re-assess the type of relationship they have.

June 2018 Premieres

Are You Human Too?

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: June 4 – August 7, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Cha Young-hoon (When The Camellia Blooms)
• Writer: Jo Jung-joo (The Princess’ Man)
• Starring: Seo Kang-joon & Gong Seung-yeon
• Average TV Rating: 5.5%
• Fact: Some scenes of the drama were filmed in Czech Republic.
• Tags: Highly Rated, Pre-produced, Robot, Miniseries

[Science Fiction] An AI scientist invents a humanoid robot (Nam Shin III) that looks exactly like her son Nam Shin who was forcibly taken from her by her father-in-law. Several years later, her son gets into an accident and falls into a coma, prompting her to ask the robot to pretend as the real Nam Shin until he comes back.

Life On Mars

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: June 9 – August 5, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Lee Jung-hyo (Crash Landing Of Love)
• Writer: Lee Dae-il (Aide)
• Starring: Jung Kyung-ho & Park Sung-woong
• Average TV Rating: 4.0%
• Fact: Life On Mars is a Korean remake of a British TV series of the same name.
• Tags: Adaptation, Time Travel, Miniseries

[Time-slip Crime Thriller] A successful modern-day detective gets into an accident while doing his job, which gives him the shock of his life when he subsequently wakes up in the year 1988. To get back to the present day, he tries to solve a serial murder case.

What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: June 6 – July 26, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Park Joon-hwa (Touch Your Heart)
• Writer: Jung-Eun-young
• Starring: Park Seo-joon and Park Min-young
• Average TV Rating: 7.5%
• Fact: What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim is based on a novel of the same title which was first published in 2013 and was adapted into a webtoon in 2015.
• Tags: Adaptation, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] A narcissistic second-generation chaebol is shocked when his secretary of nine years suddenly tenders her resignation. But their professional relationship didn’t end, and instead develop into something romantic.

July 2018 Premieres

Let Me Introduce Her

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: July 14 – September 29, 2018, Sat
• Director: Park Gyung-ryeol (Fabulous Neighbor)
• Writer: Park Un-hee (Make A Wish)
• Starring: Nam Sang-mi, Kim Jae-won, & Jo Hyun-jae
• Average TV Rating: 7.9%
• Tags: Memory Loss, Miniseries

[Mystery Romance] A woman gets a new face after undergoing plastic surgery but loses her memory in the process. Curious about her past and who she was, she searches for her identity.

Let’s Eat 3

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: July 16 – August 28, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Choi Gyu-sik (Drinking Solo)
• Writer: Im Soo-mi (Let’s Eat 2)
• Starring: Yoon Doo-joon & Baek Jin-hee
• Average TV Rating: 2.5%
• Tags: Sequel/Spin-off, Miniseries

[Romance] A man in his 30s feels like he’s having a slump in his career and life. A former college classmate helps him heal by revisiting together the food that he loved during his 20s. The two relive their memories of the past as they share their meals.

Life

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: July 23 – September 11, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Hong Jong-chan (Her Private Life)
• Writer: Lee Soo-yeon (Secret Forest)
• Starring: Lee Dong-wook, Cho Seung-woo, & Won Jin-ah
• Average TV Rating: 4.7%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Medical Drama] A head-on collision between a warm-hearted doctor and an ambitious hospital director becomes inevitable due to their widely differing beliefs and interests.

Mr. Sunshine

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: July 7 – September 30, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Lee Eung-bok (Sweet Home)
• Writer: Kim Eun-sook (The King: The Eternal Monarch)
• Starring: Lee Byung-hun & Kim Tae-ri
• Average TV Rating: 13.0%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Best Drama Nomination & Best Actor for Lee Byung-hun (Baeksang Arts Awards 2019)
• Fact: Mr. Sunshine is the all-time highest-rated Korean drama in cable TV in terms of average nationwide ratings.
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Historical Romance] A child was taken to the United States in 1971 when a U.S. military expedition to Korea turned into armed conflict. He has spent his life living in a foreign land and returns to his country as a US Marine Corps officer at a historical turning point and falls for a noblewoman.

My ID Is Gangnam Beauty

• Also Known As: Gangnam Beauty
• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: July 27 – September 15, 2018, Fri-Sat
• Director: Choi Sung-bum (Family)
• Writer: Choi Soo-young (Cunning Single Lady)
• Starring: Im Soo-hyang & Cha Eun-woo
• Average TV Rating: 4.3%
• Fact: My ID Is Gangnam Beauty is based on a webtoon of the same name that was published in 2016 by Naver Webtoon.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Romance] A woman has a new face thanks to plastic surgery. But some people in college still bully her for her previous appearance—except for a guy who cares about what’s on the inside and likes her character.

Risky Romance

• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: July 23 – September 17, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Lee Chang-han (In Need of Romance)
• Writers: Kim Nam-hee & Heo Seung-min
• Starring: Ji Hyun-woo & Lee Si-young
• Average TV Rating: 2.8%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] A neurosurgeon, who’s excellent and persistent in always winning, falls in love with an endocrinologist who is obsessed with hormones.

Thirty But Seventeen

• Also Known As: Still 17
• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: July 23 – September 18, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Jo Soo-won (Pinocchio)
• Writer: Jo Sung-hee (She Was Pretty)
• Starring: Yang Se-jong & Shin Hye-sun
• Average TV Rating: 9.0%
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] A woman who fell into a coma when she was 17 wakes up 13 years later with the mental age of a 17-year-old. She meets a man who suffered from the same trauma she had experienced and they fall in love.

Time

• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: July 25 – September 20, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Jang Joon-ho (Bad Thief Good Thief)
• Writer: Choi Ho-chul (Secret Love)
• Starring: Kim Jung-hyun & Seohyun
• Average TV Rating: 3.5%
• Fact: Kim Jung-hyun dropped out of the drama in the middle of the production for health reasons.
• Tag: Miniseries

[Melodrama] A terminally ill man spends the last days of his life helping a woman he has wronged in the past.

Your Honor

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: July 25 – September 20, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Boo Sung-chul (My Girlfriend Is A Gumiho)
• Writer: Chun Sung-Il (The Package)
• Starring: Yoon Shi-yoon & Lee Yoo-young
• Average TV Rating: 7.0%
• Tags: Highly Rated, Body Swapping/Impersonation, Miniseries

[Legal Drama] A judge suddenly disappears, so his ex-convict identical twin brother takes over his position and pretends to be him. Weirdly, the once considered “trash” judge becomes highly respected following the impersonation.

Your House Helper

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: July 4 – August 29, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Jeon Woo-sung (Strongest Deliveryman)
• Writer: Kim Ji-seon
• Starring: Ha Suk-jin & Bona
• Average TV Rating: 3.3%
• Fact: Your House Helper is based on a webtoon of the same title which was first published in 2014 by KTOON.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] A man from a prominent family quits his job and starts to work as a house helper who fixes other people’s messy homes and complicated lives.

August 2018 Premieres

Familiar Wife

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: August 1 – September 20, 2018
• Director: Lee Sang-yeob (Me Alone You)
• Writer: Yang Hee-sung (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo)
• Starring: Ji Sung & Han Ji-min
• Average TV Rating: 6.8%
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Fantasy Rom-com] An unhappily married couple suddenly find themselves living entirely different lives after the husband travels back in time and makes a series of decisions that change their futures.

Hide and Seek

• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: August 25 – November 17, 2018, Sat
• Director: Shin Yong-whee
• Writer: Seol Kyung-eun
• Starring: Lee Yoo-ri, Song Chang-eui, & Uhm Hyun-kyung
• Average TV Rating: 15.4%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Mystery Romance] The heiress to a top cosmetics company disappeared when she was a child, resulting in another woman living her life until she finds her way back to her original place.

Lovely Horribly

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: August 13 – October 2, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kang Min-kyung
• Writer: Park Min-joo
• Starring: Park Si-hoo and Song Ji-hyo
• Average TV Rating: 3.8%
• Tags: Ghosts, Miniseries

[Horrom Rom-com] A screenwriter who can see ghosts suffers from fear as everything she writes subsequently becomes real. She is bound by fate to a top star, and when they work together for a TV series, mysterious things start to take place around them.

Voice 2

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: August 11 – September 16, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Lee Seung-young (The Missing)
• Writer: Ma Jin-won (Voice 3)
• Starring: Lee Ha-na & Lee Jin-wook
• Average TV Rating: 4.9%
• Fact: For the second season of Voice, Lee Ha-na reprised her role and Jang Hyuk was replaced by Lee Jin-wook.
• Tags: Sequel/Spin-off, Miniseries

[Crime Thriller] Another serial killer has appeared, and a team of police officers from the 112 emergency call center—led by a criminal profiler who is gifted with the extraordinary ability to hear the weakest of sounds—is going all out to catch him.

September 2018 Premieres

100 Days My Prince

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: September 10 – October 30, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Lee Jong-jae
• Writer: No Ji-sul (My Lovely Girl)
• Starring: D.O. (Do Kyung-soo) & Nam Ji-yun
• Average TV Rating: 9.0%
• Fact: D.O. won the Most Popular Artist prize in the 55th Baeksang Arts Awards for his performance in this drama.
• Tags: Highly Rated, Memory Loss, Miniseries

[Historical Rom-com] A crown prince wakes up one day as a beggar with no memories of his past, let alone his identity. He meets a maiden and ties the knot with her, only to regain his memories a few months later and return to the palace.

Heart Surgeons

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: September 27 – November 15, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Jo Young-kwang (Defendant)
• Writer: Choi Soo-jin (Defendant)
• Starring: Go Soo, Uhm Ki-joon, & Seo Ji-hye
• Average TV Rating: 7.1%
• Tags: Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Medical Drama] This Korean drama centers on a resident fellow in the thoracic department whose mother is waiting for a transplant, and an excellent thoracic surgeon who is discriminated against due to his humble educational background as a graduate of a no-name medical school.

My Only One

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: September 15, 2018 – March 17, 2019, Sat-Sun
• Director: Hong Seok-Ku (Lingerie Girls’ Generation)
• Writer: Kim Sa-Kyung (Blow Breeze)
• Starring: Choi Soo-jung & Uee
• Average TV Rating: 32.3%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Best Writer (KBS Drama Awards 2018)
• Tags: Award-winning, Serial

[Family Drama] A woman’s life is shaken one day when her biological father shows up after 28 years of hiding. They then meet the “only ones” in their lives to put back together the pieces of their broken hearts.

Terius Behind Me

• Also Known As: My Secret Terius
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: September 27 – November 15, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Park Sang-hun (Romance Full Of Life)
• Writer: Oh Ji-young (Shopping King Louis)
• Starring: So Ji-sub & Jung In-sun
• Average TV Rating: 8.5%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Grand Prize for So Ji-sub, Drama of the Year, & Writer of the Year (MBC Drama Awards 2018)
• Fact: Terius Behind Me is the highest-rated MBC drama in 2018 in terms of average ratings.
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Spy Comedy] A black ops secret agent ends up working with his widowed neighbor on getting to the bottom of a large-scale conspiracy involving her husband.

The Ghost Detective

• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: September 5 – October 31, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Lee Jae-hoon (Chief Kim)
• Writer: Han Ji-wan (Wanted)
• Starring: Choi Daniel & Park Eun-bin
• Average TV Rating: 2.7%
• Tags: Ghosts, Miniseries

[Horror Thriller] A detective who can see ghosts tries to investigate the apparent suicide of his fearless assistant’s younger sibling, and other paranormal cases that all trace back to the presence of a mysterious woman in red.

The Guest

• Also Known As: Hand: The Guest
• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: September 12 – November 1, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Kim Hong-sun (Black)
• Writers: Kwon So-ra & Seo Jae-won (Entourage)
• Starring: Kim Dong-wook, Kim Jae-wook, & Jung Eun-chae
• Average TV Rating: 3.0%
• Fact: The Guest is the first ever Wednesday-Thursday drama of OCN.
• Tags: Ghosts, Miniseries

[Horror Thriller] A psychic, a Catholic priest, and a detective team up to fight a powerful demon.

The Player

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: September 29 – November 11, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Go Jae-hyun (Syndrome)
• Writer: Shin Jae-hyung
• Starring: Song Song-heun, Krystal Jung, Lee Si-eon, & Tae Won-suk
• Average TV Rating: 4.5%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Action] A four-member team comprising a con artist, a badass driver, a genius hacker, and a fighter steals from the filthy rich and criminals.

The Third Charm

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: September 28 – November 17, 2018, Fri-Sat
• Director: Pyo Min-soo (The Producers)
• Writers: Park Eun-young & Park Hee-kwon (Romance Full of Life)
• Starring: Seo Kang-joon & Esom
• Average TV Rating: 2.6%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Romance] A 20-year-old smart college student meets the love of his life, a hard-working assistant hairdresser, on a group blind date. But their love story is not an outright happy-ever-after one, as they end up parting ways with one another twice. Will a third chance work for them?

October 2018 Premieres

Bad Papa

• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: October 1 – November 27, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Jin Chang-gyu
• Writer: Kim Sung-min
• Starring: Jang Hyuk & Son Yeo-eun
• Average TV Rating: 2.7%
• Tag: Miniseries

[Action] A former undefeated boxing champion who has lost his fame and has fallen into despair  decides to participate in an illegal boxing match and do all sorts of bad things in an effort to become a better father for his family.

Matrimonial Chaos

• Also Known As: The Best Divorce
• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: October 8 – November 27, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Yoo Hyun-ki (Unkind Ladies)
• Writer: Moon Jung-min
• Starring: Cha Tae-hyun & Bae Doo-na
• Average TV Rating: 3.4%
• Fact: Matrimonial Chaos is a remake of the 2013 Japanese TV series of the same title.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] This Korean drama explores the contrasting views of men and women on love, marriage, and family, and ultimately answers this question: Does marriage really complete a couple’s love?

Ms. Ma, Nemesis

• Also Known As: Miss Ma, Goddess of Revenge
• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: October 6 – November 24, 2018, Sat
• Directors: Min Yeon-hong (My First Love) & Lee Jung-hoon
• Writer: Park Jin-woo (Doctor Stranger)
• Starring: Kim Yun-jin, Jung Woong-in, Go Sung-hee, & Choi Kwang-je
• Average TV Rating: 5.9%
• Fact: Ms. Ma, Nemesis is based on the novel Miss Marple by Agatha Christie.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Crime Thriller] A woman wrongfully accused of murdering her daughter escapes from prison to find the real killer and prove her innocence.

Room No. 9

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: October 6 – November 25, 2018, Sat-Sun
• Director: Ji Young-soo (High-End Crush)
• Writer: Jung Sung-hee (The Merchant: Gaekju 2015)
• Starring: Kim Hee-sun, Kim Hae-sook, & Kim Young-kwang
• Average TV Rating: 4.5%
• Tags: Body Swapping/Impersonation, Miniseries

[Fantasy Thriller] A convict who has waited 33 years for her execution date to be set has all but given up on life until a sudden twist of fate gives her a second chance, albeit strangely, as she switches body with a manipulative lawyer.

The Beauty Inside

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: October 1 – November 20, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Song Hyun-wook (Oh Hae-young Again)
• Writer: Im Mea-ri
• Starring: Seo Hyun-jin & Lee Min-ki
• Average TV Rating: 4.2%
• Fact: The Beauty Inside is a drama adaptation of a 2015 Korean film with the same title.
• Tags: Adaptation, Body Swapping/Impersonation, Miniseries

[Fantasy Rom-com] A top actress whose physical appearance changes once a month falls in love with a man who suffers from prosopagnosia or the inability to recognize faces.

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes

• Also Known As: Hundred Million Stars From The Sky
• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: October 3 – November 22, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Yoo Je-won (Abyss)
• Writer: Song Hye-jin (Sent From Heaven)
• Starring: Seo In-guk, Jung So-min, & Park Sung-woong
• Average TV Rating: 2.9%
• Fact: The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is a remake of the 2002 Japanese television series of the same title (Hundred Million Stars From The Sky).
• Tags: Adaptation, Memory Loss, Miniseries

[Mystery Thriller] A detective obsessed with solving a suicide-turned-murder case is suspicious of a mysterious guy who has forgotten his past, especially when his younger sister gets acquainted with and becomes closer to the guy.

Where Stars Land

• Also Known As: Fox Bride Star
• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS
• Broadcast Period: October 1 – November 26, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Shin Woo-cheol (Secret Garden)
• Writer: Kang Eun-kyung (Romantic Doctor Teacher Kim)
• Starring: Lee Je-hoon & Chae Soo-bin
• Average TV Rating: 8.0%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Drama Of The Year (SBS Drama Awards 2018)
• Fact: Hyun Bin, Park Bo-gum, Park Shin-hye, and Bae Suzy were courted to play the lead roles but they all declined.
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Melodrama] Two employees at an airport—one is a mysterious graduate from a top-tier university and the other an accident-prone “perfectionist”—start off on the wrong foot with each other. But over time, a special connection between them is formed.

November 2018 Premieres

Children of Nobody

• Also Known As: Red Moon Blue Sun
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: November 21, 2018 – January 16, 2019, Wed-Thu
• Director: Choi Jung-kyu (Triangle)
• Writer: Do Hyun-jung (The Village: Achiara’s Secret)
• Starring: Kim Sun-ah & Lee Yi-kyung
• Average TV Rating: 4.8%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Best Drama Nomination (Baeksang Arts Awards 2018)
• Tags: Award-winning, Miniseries

[Mystery Thriller] A child psychologist winds up in a strange car accident involving a girl in a green dress, and when the police tells her that she accidentally killed a boy, she embarks on a quest for the truth about the identity of the child, using poetry as clues.

Clean With Passion For Now

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: November 26, 2018 – February 4, 2019, Mon-Tue
• Director: No Jong-chan (Personal Taste)
• Writer: Han Hee-jung
• Starring: Kim Yoo-jung and Yoon Kyun-sang
• Average TV Rating: 2.8%
• Fact: Clean With Passion For Now is based on a popular webtoon of the same title which was first published by KakaoPage in 2013.
• Tag: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Romantic Comedy] The boss of a cleaning company overcomes his fear of contamination and germs (mysophobia) through the help of one of his employees, with whom he ends up falling in love.

Encounter

• Also Known As: Boyfriend
• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: November 28, 2018 – January 24, 2019, Wed-Thu
• Director: Park Shin-woo (Jealousy Incarnate)
• Writer: Yoo Young-ah (Entertainer)
• Starring: Song Hye-kyo & Park Bo-gum
• Average TV Rating: 8.5%
• Fact: Encounter is the first drama of Song Hye-kyo and Park Bo-gum following their massive hit series Descendants of the Sun and Moonlight Drawn By Clouds, respectively, in 2016.
• Tags: Highly Rated, Noona Romance, Miniseries

[Romance] A divorced woman has everything she needs, except for the freedom to do the things that really makes her happy. After meeting an ordinary and free-spirited young man, she musters up enough courage to live for herself the way she always wanted.

Feel Good To Die

• Also Known As: Happy If You Died
• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: November 7 – December 27, 2018, Wed-Thu
• Director: Lee Eun-jin (Cheer Up!)
• Writer: Im Seo-ra
• Starring: Kang Ji-hwan, Baek Jin-hee, & Gong Myung
• Average TV Rating: 2.7%
• Fact: Feel Good To Die is based on a webtoon of the same name that was published on Daum in 2015.
• Tags: Adaptation, Time Travel, Miniseries

[Fantasy Comedy] A female officer worker despises her tyrannical boss so much that she wanted him to die. But when he gets hit and actually killed by a truck, she puts the blame for his demise on herself. The next morning, she wakes up and realizes that she has been caught up in a time rift, and her battle to bring her boss back to life begins.

Mama Fairy And The Woodcutter

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN
• Broadcast Period: November 5 – December 25, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kim Yun-cheol (Woman Of Dignity)
• Writer: Yoo Kyung-sun
• Starring: Moon Chae-won, Yoon Hyun-min, & Seo Ji-hoon
• Average TV Rating: 3.8%
• Fact: Mama Fairy And The Woodcutter is based on a popular webtoon of the same title that was first published on Naver in 2017.
• Tag: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Fantasy Rom-com] A 699-year old fairy who has been waiting for someone while living in the modern world as a barista is relieved to meet not just one, but two, potential reincarnations of her husband. Can she find love and finally return to where she came from?

Priest

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: November 24, 2018 – January 20, 2019, Sat-Sun
• Director: Kim Jong-hyeon
• Writer: Moon Man-sae
• Starring: Yeon Woo-jin, Jeong Yu-mi, & Park Yong-woo
• Average TV Rating: 1.9%
• Fact: Lee Je-hoon was first courted to headline the series but he declined.
• Tags: Ghosts, Miniseries

[Horror Thriller] Two exorcist priests team up with a skeptic doctor to protect the people in a Catholic hospital from demonic powers. Will the combination of faith and science succeed?

Quiz From God: Reboot

• TV Channel/Distributor: OCN
• Broadcast Period: November 14, 2018 – January 10, 2019, Wed-Thu
• Director: Kim Jong-Hyuk (Secret Of The Birth)
• Writer: Kang Eun-Sun (Vampire Prosecutor 2)
• Starring: Ryu Deok-hwan & Yoon Joo-hee
• Average TV Rating: 2.3%
• Fact: Quiz From God: Reboot is the 5th installment of the Quiz From God series.
• Tags: Sequel/Spin-off, Miniseries

[Medical, Crime Thriller] This Korean drama follows a team of medical examiners as they solve mysteries and murders.

SKY Castle

• TV Channel/Distributor: JTBC
• Broadcast Period: November 23, 2018 – February 1, 2019, Fri-Sat
• Director: Jo Hyun-tak (Secret Healer)
• Writer: Yoon Hyun-mi (Bridal Mask)
• Starring: Yum Jung-ah, Lee Tae-ran, Yoon Se-ah, Oh Na-ra, & Kim Seo-hyung
• Average TV Rating: 12.5%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Best Drama Nomination, Best Director, Best Actress for Yum Jung-ah, Best Supporting Actor for Kim Byung-chul, & Best New Actress for Kim Hye-yoon (Baeksang Arts Awards 2019)
• Fact: SKY Castle is the highest-rated Korean cable drama of all time in terms of peak ratings.
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Satire] In an attempt to send her daughter to the best medical school, the mother of an affluent family living in an exclusive neighborhood hires an admissions specialist despite knowing her role in a tragic suicide incident. What will happen when the woman takes in charge of the daughter’s education and future?

The Hymn Of Death

• TV Channel/Distributor: SBS, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: November 27 – December 4, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Park Soo-jin (While You Were Sleeping)
• Writer: Jo Soo-jin
• Starring: Lee Jong-suk & Shin Hye-sun
• Average TV Rating: 6.1%
• Tag: Short

[Romantic Melodrama] This Korean drama depicts the true to life tragic romance between Joseon’s first soprano and a genius playwright.

December 2018 Premieres

Bad Detective

• Also Known As: Less Than Evil
• TV Channel/Distributor: MBC
• Broadcast Period: December 3, 2018 – January 29, 2019, Mon-Tue
• Director: Kim Dae-jin (Hotel King)
• Writers: Heo Joon-woo & Kang Yi-hun
• Starring: Shin Hya-kyun, Lee Seol, Park Ho-san, & Kim Gun-woo
• Average TV Rating: 7.0%
• Fact: Bad Detective is based on the 2010 British TV series titled Luther.
• Tags: Adaptation, Miniseries

[Crime Thriller] A veteran and dedicated detective finds himself working with a budding psychopath to solve his cases.

Dance Sports Girls

• Also Known As: Just Dance
• TV Channel/Distributor: KBS2
• Broadcast Period: December 3 – December 25, 2018, Mon-Tue
• Director: Park Hyun-suk (Uncontrollably Fond)
• Writer: Kwon Hye-ji
• Starring: Park Se-wan & Jang Dong-yoon
• Average TV Rating: 2.3%
• Fact: Dance Sports Girls is based on a documentary of the same name which aired on KBS1 in 2017 and was recognized as “Best Educational Show” during the 54th Baeksang Arts Awards.
• Tag: Adaptation

[Sports, Coming Of Age] This Korean drama follows several high school students as they band together to form a dance group and win a dance competition.

Memories Of The Alhambra

• TV Channel/Distributor: tvN, Netflix
• Broadcast Period: December 1, 2018 – January 20, 2019, Sat-Sun
• Director: Ahn Gil-ho (Secret Forest)
• Writer: Song Jae-jung (W-Two Worlds)
• Starring: Hyun Bin & Park Shin-hye
• Average TV Rating: 8.4%
• Notable Award/Achievement: Technical Awards for Special Effects (Baeksang)
• Fact: Writer Song admitted to drawing inspirations from the mobile game Pokemon Go and Tesla CEO Elon Musk for this drama.
• Tags: Award-winning, Highly Rated, Miniseries

[Science Fiction] An investment company CEO goes on a business trip abroad to meet the creator of an innovative augmented reality (AR) game. He luckily ends up buying and acquiring the game but things take a sinister turn as he gets entangled in strange events in which the border between the real world and the fictional world of the game begins to collapse.