As the Korean entertainment industry is currently thriving more than ever, especially after the massive success of ‘Squid Game,’ we can only expect it to grow bigger from here. The new year is knocking at the door, and it’s time to welcome a fresh set of K-drama in 2022, starring some of the most fabulous superstars. The 2022 K-dramas lineup is going to be really crispy and refreshing. People have already added some of these series to their watchlist and are already looking forward to watching them as soon as possible! That’s indeed obvious, considering how 2021 has been the golden year for K-drama fans during which we got to witness the best of series of every genre— rom-com, mystery, thriller, horror, and fantasy alike.
The year 2022 will also mark the comeback of some of the best actors of South Korea on TV screens, including ‘Itaewon Class’ fame Park Seo Joon and ‘While You Were Sleeping’ fame Lee Jong Suk. In case you are wondering which K-drama is worth your time and patience in the new year, we have brought you a list of the top twelve highly anticipated K-dramas of 2022 that hardcore K-drama addicts expect to be the most entertaining. Let’s get on the ride!
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12. Meteorological Agency People: The Cruelty of Office Romance (2022)
Director: Cha Young Hoon
Screenwriter: Kang Eun Kyung, Sun Young
Starring: Park Min Young, Song Kang, Yoon Park, Yura, Kim Mi Kyung, Yoo Ji In
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Song Kang starred in three Korean series this year in major roles, and now he has been paired up with the beautiful Park Min Young in his upcoming acting venture. The series will be an office melodrama narrating the personal and professional lives of the employees of the Korea Meteorological Administration. Jin Ha-Kyung, Lee Shi-Woo, Yoon Park, and Yura are office colleagues who share different personalities, capabilities, and shortcomings but gradually learn to work them out to grow in their lives as a person.
11. Again My Life (2022)
Starring: Lee Joon Gi, Lee Kyung Young, Kim Ji Eun, Cha Joo Young, Kim Jae Kyung, Jung Sang Hoon
Total Number of Episodes: 16
The upcoming Lee Joon Gi K-drama is an adaptation of a well-known time-travel revenge thriller that revolves around a short-tempered prosecutor named Kim Hee Woo who, after being entangled in a corrupt politician’s investigation, is killed and dropped into the ocean. However, when he meets the grim reaper after dying, he grants him another chance at his life and sends him back to the time when he was just 18 years old.
Now that Kim Hee Woo is aware of his future, he begins to work on taking the corrupt politician down and punishing him for the deeds he has been doing. Actress Ji Eun plays the role of Kim Hee Ah, the youngest daughter of a wealthy family who falls in love with Hee Woo.
10. Tell Me Your Wish
Director: Kim Yong Wan
Starring: Ji Chang Wook, Choi Soo Young, Sung Dong Il, Won Ji An
Total Number of Episodes: undetermined
Based on a real story about an organization in the Netherlands, ‘Tell Me Your Wish’ is a touching and inspiring series. The lead protagonist, Yoon Gyeo Rye, has been leading a hard life as an orphan who has also been to the detention center and prison in the past. After an incident, he volunteers at a hospice where, along with nurse Seo Yeon Joo and team leader Kang Tae Shik, he works to fulfill the various last wishes of people on their death beds.
The drama has already begun filming, and we can expect it to release in the first half of 2022. K-pop idol Choi Soo Young from ‘Girl’s Generation’ has also managed to grab the role of Seo Yeo Joon.
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9. Why Oh Soo Jae?
Director: Park Soo Jin
Screenwriter: Kim Ji Eun
Starring: Seo Hyun Jin, Hwang In Yeop, Bae In Hyuk, Heo Joon Ho, Lee Jin Hyuk, Lee Joo Woo
Total Number of Episodes: 16
People have been excited about this show for a while now after the first teaser was dropped a few days ago. Following the first acting project of actor Hwang In Yeop after receiving groundbreaking fame for his role in the K-drama, ‘True Beauty,’ his latest K-drama, ‘Why Oh Soo Jae?’ is going to be a painful but warm melodrama.
The show will depict the story of a freshman at a law University, Gong Chan, who was falsely accused of a crime he didn’t commit. After spending time in jail and getting clear of the charges, he meets his adjunct professor Oh Soo Jae in the university and falls in love with her. While Soo Jae has been a victim of wrong choices in her life, falling in love with Gong Chan changes the course of it as she realizes the importance of self-love.
8. Minamdang: Case Note
Director: Go Jae Hyun
Screenwriter: Park Hye Jin
Starring: Seo In Guk, Oh Yeon Seo, Kwak Shi Yang, Kang Mi Na, Kwon Soo Hyun, Jung Ha Joon
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Seo In Guk has been impressing everyone through his recent projects with his wide acting spectrum, and now he will be jumping into the shoes of a former profiler named Nam Han Joon. Blessed with a handsome face, great talking skills, and great fortune, Nam Han Joon decides to step into the shaman world after a series of mysterious events. He will use his excellent profiling skills to perceive the desires of the customers of a suspicious café named ‘Minamdang’ and ease them with his solutions.
Actress Oh Yeon Seo will play the character of Han Jae Hee, who will be the team leader of the violent crimes division. You can expect the shooting to begin very soon as ‘Minamdang: Case Note’ is on the list of K-dramas airing in the first half of 2022.
7. The Sound of Magic
Director: Kim Seong Yoon
Screenwriter: Kim Min Jung
Starring: Ji Chang Wook, Choi Sung Eun, Hwang In Yeop, Nam Da Reum, Hong Seo Hee, Yoo Jae Myung
Total Number of Episodes: 6
‘The Sound of Magic’ is one of the most anticipated K-dramas of 2022, thanks to the popularity of the webtoon, ‘Annarasumanara’ by Ha Il Kwo, upon which it has been based. On top of it, people are fonding over the fact that True Beauty fame Hwang In Yeop will be sharing the screen with our action drama expert, Ji Chang Wook, in this newest series! A psychological life drama, ‘The Sound of Magic,’ will depict the tale of Yun Ah Yi, a girl who struggles to live alone with her younger sister. She is beautiful, hardworking, and academically strong.
Her classmate, Na Il Deung, is a nerd without a social life who begins to grow fond of Ah Yi. The girl believes in magic but has lost her hope of becoming a magician until she comes across an immature but mysterious magician named Lee Eul at a deserted amusement park.
Also Read: Top 10 Best K-Dramas of 2021 — OtakuKart Picks!
6. Island
Director: Bae Jong
Screenwriter: Jang Yoon Mi
Starring: Kim Nam Gil, Lee Da Hee, Cha Eun Woo, Sung Joon, Go Doo Shim, Park Geun Hyung
Total Number of Episodes: 20
Another popular webtoon adaptation with a dream cast, ‘Island,’ is a fantasy exorcism drama that revolves around the only daughter of a big corporation, Won Mi Ho. She is an arrogant and selfish person who, after making an unforgivable mistake, is banished by her father to Jeju island. She gets to serve as a high school ethics teacher on the island but is ignorant of the evil threats prevailing there. Mi Ho comes across other individuals on the place, and all of them join forces to survive together.
5. Youth, Climb the Barrier (2022)
Director: Lee Jong Jae
Screenwriter: Jung Hyun Jung
Starring: Park Hyung Sik, Jeon So Nee, Pyo Ye Jin, Lee Tae Sun, Yoon Jong Seok, Seo Tae Hwa
Total Number of Episodes: 20
After stealing everyone’s hearts with his spectacular performance in the apocalyptic thriller series’ Happiness,’ Park Hyung Sik is going to be a part of a historical mystery romance drama. He will play the character of a prince named Lee Hwan, who has been suffering from a strange curse. On the other hand, Jae Yi is a quiet and gentle woman who is supposed to get married to the son of the councilor before she is falsely accused of killing her entire family four days prior to her wedding. One thing leads to another, and Lee Hwan and Jae Yi save each other from their destiny.
4. K Project
Director: Jung Dong Yoon
Screenwriter: Kang Eun Kyung
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Han So Hee, Wi Ha Joon
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Apart from having a star-embedded cast, ‘K Project’ is also being anticipated for being the joint project of the writer of ‘Dr. Romantic’ and the director of ‘Hot Stove League’. The series revolves around human issues like anxiety, survival, and self-esteem, depicting the story of a wealthy man of Bukchon, Jang Tae Sang, who believes in the current reality of his life rather than justice. However, when he encounters a woman, his life completely changes.
Set in a place where youth have had their sovereignty and human rights snatched away from them, they need to put their lives at stake in order to gain basic happiness. The filming is said to commence in January 2022.
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3. Our Blues
Director: Kim Kyu Tae
Screenwriter: Noh Hee Kyung
Starring: Lee Byung Hun, Shin Min Ah, Cha Seung Won, Lee Jung Eun, Uhm Jung Hwa, Kim Woo Bin
Total Number of Episodes: 20
‘Our Blues’ is going to be a multi-lead drama with a magical star-studded cast! The drama will depict the stories of characters living on the Jeju island who are connected to one another in some way or the other. While Lee Dong Suk is a native of the island, selling trucks for a living, Min Sun Ah is a mysterious girl who comes to the island in order to escape her past life. Another reason to yearn for the early airing of this series is having Noh Hee Kyung as the screenwriter of the series, known for penning down various hit K-dramas including ‘It’s Okay, That’s Love,’ and ‘Scarlet Hearts’ fame Kim Kyu Tae as it’s director.
2. Big Mouth
Director: Oh Choong Hwan
Screenwriter: Jung Kyung Soon, Jang Young Chul
Starring: Lee Jong Suk, Im Yoon Ah, Yang Kyung Won, Kim Joo Heon, Ok Ja Yeon, Kwak Dong Yeon
Total Number of Episodes: 16
Lee Jong Suk is finally returning to acting after completing his mandatory military service through this law-mystery thriller, ‘Big Mouth’. This will be his second collaboration with director Oh Choong Hwan, who had previously worked together in the 2017 thriller-mystery superhit K-drama ‘While You Were Sleeping’. ‘Big Mouth’ is about a third-rate lawyer named Park Chang Ho who talks big but has only ten percent of winning chances. However, when he coincidentally ends up taking charge of a murder case, he must think more viciously than the villains for protecting himself and the other members of his family. ‘Big Mouth’ is definitely a drama to look forward to among all 2022 K-dramas.
1. The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate
Director: Jeong Dae Yun
Screenwriter: Kim Tae Hee
Starring: Song Joong Ki, Lee Sung Min, Shin Hyun Bin, Jo Han Chul, Kim Nam Hee, Kang Gi Doong
Total Number of Episodes: 20
After captivating everyone with his role in the latest record-breaker K-drama, ‘Vincenzo,’ Song Joong-ki is all set to be a part of this romance-fantasy drama, ‘The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate’. The actor will be portraying the character of Yoon Hyun Woo, a loyal employee who gets falsely accused of embezzlement and then killed by the employers of Sunyang Group.
However, his unfair death doesn’t bring an end to things as he is reborn in their family as their youngest son, still yearning to avenge his death and the injustice he faced before dying. Another thing to be excited about— Tiffany from one of the most popular K-pop girl groups, ‘Girls’ Generation,’ is also going to appear in the drama as a supporting character!
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