Although the month of July doesn’t seem to be particularly busy with K-drama releases, a few big and captivating series will be there to entertain viewers looking to escape the summer heat:
1- Red Swan
K-pop star Rain and Kim Ha-neul team up for action thriller “Red Swan” on Disney+. Rain plays Do-yoon, a fearless bodyguard who begins working for Oh Wan-soo (played by Kim), a former professional golfer who becomes director of a world-renowned charitable foundation after marrying the ruling family of the powerful Hwain conglomerate Group. Do-yoon has an ulterior motive for working with Wan-soo, and as he gets closer to his goal, Wan-soo discovers dark secrets about her husband’s family. “Red Swan” is written by Choi Yoon-jung, a veteran of the K-drama universe whose last series produced was “Only Love” in 2014.
2- The Auditors
Shin Ha-kyun of “Beyond Evil” returns to our screens in the K-drama “The Auditors,” set in the corporate world. He plays Shin Cha-il, the formidable head of the audit team at JU Construction, a company riddled with corruption. Cold and calculating, Cha-il leads his team masterfully. Among its members is young entry-level employee Goo Han-soo, who hopes to get an overseas transfer but struggles to work under Cha-il. Jin Goo plays Hwang Dae-woong, the ambitious third son of the founder of JU Construction, currently vice president but aiming for a higher position. “The Auditors” is directed by Kwon Young-il, known for “Wedding Impossible” and “Doom at Your Service.”
3- Good Partner
Jang Na-ra of “Sell Your Haunted House” and Nam Ji-hyun of “Little Women” will be on screen as mismatched veteran and newbie lawyers in the legal comedy-drama “Good Partner.” Jang plays Cha Eun-kyung, a respected and feared lawyer who has worked at the Daejung Law Firm for 17 years, specializing in divorces. Her specialty puts her in a delicate situation when she finds herself going through divorce proceedings. Han Yoo-ri (Nam), a newcomer to the team, is the perfect opposite of Eun-kyung. While her boss prioritizes what is best for the firm and clients, Yoo-ri is idealistic and believes in justice. “Good Partner” marks the latest production from “Nevertheless” director Kim Ga-ram.
4- Serendipity’s Embrace
This summer, Kim So-hyun of “Love Alarm” will share the screen with Chae Jong-hyeop of “Castaway Diva” in the youth romance “Serendipity’s Embrace.” Based on the webtoon “Is It Fate?” » by Nam Ji-eun and Kim In-ho, the story features Kim as Lee Hong-ju, an animation producer who has given up on love after a painful breakup with her first love years ago. a decade old. Chae plays the role of Kang Hu-young, a financial planner who witnessed Hong-ju’s struggles all those years ago. After a stay abroad, he returns to Korea and reunites with Hong-ju, who turns out to be his first love again.
5- Tarot
In this seven-part anthology series, seven characters discover tarot cards and find themselves trapped by curses linked to the choices they made. Among the cursed characters is Ji-woo, a working single mother played by “Parasite” actress Cho Yeo-jeong. The cast also includes Park Ha-sun from “The Veil,” Ko Kyu-pil from “The Roundup: No Way Out,” as well as popular YouTuber Kim Jin-young. “Tarot” made its world premiere at the Cannes International Series Festival in the spring, while three of the episodes were bundled together as an omnibus film that screened theatrically in Korea in June.
6- Sweet Home 3
Season 3 of “Sweet Home,” filmed in parallel with the second season of the popular Netflix series, will be released this summer and will conclude the dystopian monster saga. Most of the characters still live in a stadium under a strict system and leadership that plans to usher in a new era of Neo-humans. Beyond the horror, action and intense emotions, this final season of the series also marks the return of Lee Do-hyun.
7- No Way Out: The Roulette
When notorious criminal Kim Kook-ho, played by Yoo Jae-myung of “Itaewon Class,” is released from prison, a bounty of 20 billion won is placed on his head, sparking a nationwide manhunt . Cho Jin-woong of “Believer 2” plays Baek Joong-sik, the detective tasked with protecting the ex-convict.
“No Way Out: The Roulette” was originally supposed to be helmed by the late actor Lee Sun-kyun. However, following the personal scandals he found himself in shortly before his death, he was fired from the show and replaced by Cho. The series marks the debut of director Choi Kook-hee, known for the films “Default” and “Life Is Beautiful,” in directing K-drama. The screenplay was written by Lee Su-jin, the director of the independent sensation “Han Gong-ju”.
Which Kdrama are you looking forward to?