Most anticipated new and returning K-drama series of 2024

In 2024, a year that Korean drama lovers will find jam-packed with star-studded romantic comedies and ambitious high-concept series, one of the largest TV shows ever will return.

Fans of K-dramas will have to make some difficult decisions this year when planning their viewing schedules because there is a ton of exciting content on the horizon.

We've listed the top 12 Korean dramas that should be very intriguing this year.

12. The 8 Show

Lead cast: Ryoo Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jung-min

The 8 Show is a highly anticipated series that will mark Emergency Declaration director Han Jae-rim's drama debut.

Based on a webtoon, the plot follows eight struggling characters who are invited to take part in a reality game series. If they can stay in the same studio space for 100 days, they would share 44.8 billion won (US$33.9 million), but there is a caveat.

11. Weak Hero Class 2

Weak Hero Class, a webtoon adaption, is moving to Netflix for a new semester following an incredible debut season on the Korean streaming service Wavve. Returning to the role of Yeon Si-eun, Park Ji-hoon now attends Eunjang High School.

There, he finds himself up against an even more formidable set of bullies with a group of students once more.

10. Queen of Tears

Lead cast: Kim Soo-hyun, Kim Ji-won, Kwak Dong-yeon

In March, superstar Kim Soo-hyun will return to the role of Baek Hyun-woo, a farm kid who worked his way up to become the director of the legal department of a significant family-run business.

He is wed to Hong Hae-in (Kim Ji-won), a member of the business's ownership family. The pair has to deal with a situation together. Written by Park Ji-eun (Crash Landing on You), Queen of Tears is co-directed by Jang Young-woo (Bulgasal: Immortal Souls) and Kim Hee-won (Little Women).

9. A Killer Paradox

Lead cast: Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, Lee Hee-joon

A Killer Paradox, a webtoon adaptation based on the American series Dexter, features Lee Tang (Choi Woo-sik), a university student who realizes he has an unusual capacity to recognize evildoers. He discovers this after inadvertently killing an elderly guy who turns out to be a serial killer; Tang then resolves to become a killer of killers.

Meanwhile, a detective (Son Suk-ku) and an ex-detective (Lee Hee-joon) are tracking him down.

8. A Shop for Killers

Lead cast: Kim Hye-jun, Lee Dong-wook

Lee Kwon, the director of Door Lock, returns to drama with A Shop for Killers, a stylish Disney+ series.

Kim Hye-jun plays a young woman who moved to live with her uncle (Lee Dong-wook) after being orphaned as a child. Her uncle owns a strange store, and it is only after his death that she discovers its secret. She must now determine whether or not to continue operating the firm.