--- description: They feature seasoned actors, newcomers in lead roles for the first time and powerful director-writer duos. title: The 15 Most Anticipated Korean Dramas of 2021 image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64584ed88e376135/698a1621929fad3c1abf6f92/most-anticipated-kdramas-2021.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [Television](/tag/television/) ## Television Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # The 15 Most Anticipated Korean Dramas of 2021 by [Kat Moon](/author/kat-moon/) ## Kat Moon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 4:15 PM CUTPublished: Jan 29, 2021 11:00 AM CUT  Jun Ji-Hyun and Ju Ji-Hoon in Jirisan, Jo Jung-Suk in Hospital Playlist, Lee Ha-Na in Voice Jun Ji-Hyun and Ju Ji-Hoon in Jirisan, Jo Jung-Suk in Hospital Playlist, Lee Ha-Na in VoiceAstory (2); CJ ENM (2); Getty Images by [Kat Moon](/author/kat-moon/) ## Kat Moon Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Updated: Dec 12, 2023 4:15 PM CUTPublished: Jan 29, 2021 11:00 AM CUT Every few years, a particularly swoon-worthy Korean drama turns a wave of international viewers into avid fans of the genre. Notable examples include _Full House_ in 2004, _Boys Over Flowers_ in 2009, _The Heirs_ in 2013\. In 2020, both [_Crash Landing on You_ and _Itaewon Class_](https://time.com/5835519/best-korean-dramas-netflix/ "undefined") hooked the attention of large audiences at the start of the year, and the interest in K-dramas only grew as the months wore on. Viewing for the genre on Netflix nearly[ tripled](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/what-we-watched-2020-on-netflix "undefined") in the U.S. last year, and the streaming giant [recently announced](https://about.netflix.com/en/news/expanding-our-presence-in-korea-netflix-production-facilities "undefined") that its investment in Korean content between 2015 and 2020 will total $700 million and include leasing nine stages across two production facilities in Korea. Beyond Netflix, Korean networks continue to produce series which are regularly distributed globally through platforms including the American streaming service Rakuten Viki, Chinese video site iQIYI and Hong-Kong based provider Viu. A bountiful slate of new series is on the horizon for 2021\. They feature actors we have missed on our screens and newcomers who are taking on lead roles for the first time (including, to the great anticipation of many, Jisoo from K-pop phenom [BLACKPINK](https://time.com/5562946/blackpink-k-pop-everything-to-know/ "undefined")). Many of these shows are helmed by directors and writers who have produced some of the hottest Korean dramas to date, while others are adapted from webtoons that have attracted a significant audience online. Most of the series do not have confirmed launch dates but are planned for release in 2021\. Some of the shows will debut on Korean networks like tvN and JTBC, with no confirmed plans for international distribution at the moment. This could change, though, as a growing number of global fans call for Korean dramas to be made available in their countries. Here, the most anticipated K-dramas of 2021. ## **_River Where the Moon Rises_** Release date: Feb. 15 Network: KBS2; will be available on Rakuten Viki Kim So-Hyun (_Love Alarm_, _The Tale of Nokdu_) and Ji Soo (_When I Was Most Beautiful_, _My First First Love_) star in this reimagining of the folktale about Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal. Pyeonggang (Kim) is resolute in her goal: to become the first female ruler to lead the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo. Her aspirations are tested when she meets On Dal (Ji Soo), whose love for Pyeonggang drives him to protect her above all else. In this period drama that promises plenty of action and romance, the versatile Kang Ha-Neul (_When the Camellia Blooms_, _Midnight Runners_) also plays a role as On Dal’s father and a general of Goguryeo. ## **_Sisyphus: The Myth_** Release date: Feb. 17 Network: JTBC; will be available on Netflix on the same date with new episodes released every Wednesday and Thursday Launched in 2011, JTBC has released some of the most beloved Korean dramas of the last decade—including 2020 favorites _Itaewon Class_ and _The World of the Married_. Branded as JTBC’s “10th Anniversary Special Drama,” _Sisyphus: The Myth_ is directed by Jin Hyuk of _The Legend of the Blue Sea_ and _City Hunter_ fame and features seasoned actors Cho Seung-Woo and Park Shin-Hye. In the mystery-fantasy, Cho plays genius coder Han Tae-Sul, who meets Park’s Kang Seo-Hae—an elite fighter from the future who travels back in time to save him. Both Cho and Park recently starred in thrilling dramas—Cho in the crime series _Stranger_ and Park in the Zombie film _#Alive_. Based on the premise, it seems like _Sisyphus: The Myth_ will be an exhilarating ride, too. ## **_Vincenzo_** Release Date: Feb. 20 Network: tvN; will be available on Netflix on the same date with new episodes released every Saturday and Sunday After a betrayal, lawyer Vincenzo Cassano, who works as a mafia consigliere, flees from Italy to South Korea. He is on a mission to find something hidden, and along the way joins forces with cutthroat attorney Hong Cha-Young. _Vincenzo_ boasts an impressive cast, with Song Joong-Ki (_Arthdal Chronicles_, _Descendants of the Sun)_, Jeon Yeo-Bin (_Be Melodramatic_, _After My Death_) and boy band 2PM’s Taecyeon (_The Game: Towards Zero, Save Me_) in the lead roles. Yoo Jae-Myung and Yang Kyung-Won, who had standout performances in last year’s _Itaewon Class_ and _Crash Landing on You_, respectively, also star in this series. ## **_Snowdrop_** Release Date: TBA Network: JTBC _Snowdrop_ is already one of the most-talked-about series, in no small part because it features Jisoo from [BLACKPINK](https://time.com/5896487/blackpink-the-album/ "undefined") in her first lead role—alongside star actor Jung Hae-In (_One Spring Night_, _Something in the Rain_). But the series is also highly anticipated because of the creative forces behind it, director Jo Hyun-Tak and writer Yoo Hyun-Mi, whose last collaboration _Sky Castle_ is [the second-highest-rated drama](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/news/article/Article.aspx?aid=3058405 "undefined") in Korean cable history. Actors Kim Hye-Yoon and Yoon Se-Ah from _Sky Castle_ join the cast as well. _Snowdrop_ begins as Im Soo-Ho (Jung), covered in blood, darts into the female dorm at a university on a day in 1987\. Against the backdrop of political upheaval, Eun Young-Cho (Jisoo) hides the disheveled student and the pair’s story unfolds. ## **_Jirisan_** Release Date: TBA Network: tvN There’s always buzz surrounding actor Jun Ji-Hyun’s projects, and _Jirisan_ is no exception. The star from _Legend of the Blue Sea_ and _My Love From the Star_ takes the role of Seo Yi-Kang, a park ranger who knows the trails of Jirisan National Park like the back of her hand. She becomes partner to Kang Hyun-Jo—portrayed by Ju Ji-Hoon, whose lead roles in the 2020 series _Kingdom_ season 2 and _Hyena_ garnered much attention. Together, the park rangers uncover a mystery causing the mountain to have a deadly effect on visitors. The series also features Sung Dong-Il (the _Reply_ series) and Oh Jung-Se (_It’s Okay to Not Be Okay_). It’s produced by writer Kim Eun-Hee (_Kingdom_, _Signal_) and director Lee Eung-Bok (_Mr. Sunshine,_ _Guardian: The Lonely and Great God_)—who have been behind some of the most popular K-dramas in the past ten years. _Jirisan_ is also [the first television show](https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2020/08/371%5F295239.html "undefined") to be filmed in Jirisan National Park, the largest national park in South Korea.  Jun Ji-Hyun in Jirisan Courtesy of Astory ## **_Red Sky_** Release date: TBA Network: SBS; will be available on Rakuten Viki The novelist Jung Eun-Gwol is a familiar name in the K-drama world: two of her books were adapted into hit television series—_Sungkyunkwan Scandal_ in 2010, and _Moon Embracing the Sun_ in 2012\. Now, her 2016 novel _Hong Chun-Gi_ is being adapted for the screen by director Jang Tae-Yoo (_You Who Came from the Stars_, _Hyena_) and writer Kim Young-Young (_Be Melodramatic_). The historical fantasy follows a prodigious female painter in the Joseon dynasty, Hong Chun-Gi (Kim Yoo-Jung), and a blind astrologist named Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo-Seop). A demon is trapped inside of Ha Ram’s body, and its strength grows as Ha Ram’s feelings for Hong Chun-Gi become stronger. ## **_The Silent Sea_** Release Date: TBA Network: Netflix Following his 2014 short film _The Silent Sea_, Choi Hang-Yong is now directing an eponymous series adapted from his earlier project. _The Silent Sea_ features powerhouse actors Bae Doo-Na (_Kingdom_, _Stranger_) and Gong Yoo (_Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, Train to Busan)_. Lee Joon (_Father is Strange_) also makes a return to the small screen for the first time since completing military service in 2019\. The story takes place in a futuristic world where resources are depleted and a crew of scientists must journey to the moon to get their hands on samples from an abandoned facility. Director Choi is joined by Park Eun-Kyo (_Mother_) as writer, and actor Jung Woo-Sung as an executive producer.  From left: Gong Yoo, Bae Doo-Na, Lee Joon, Jung Woo-Sung Courtesy of Netflix ## **_Move to Heaven_** Release date: TBA Network: Netflix Kim Sae-Byul was a trauma cleaner tasked with handling the belongings of the deceased. The Netflix original series _Move to Heaven_ is based on Kim’s nonfiction essay “Things Left Behind,” and tells the story of a young man, Geu-Ru, who has Asperger’s syndrome. Played by Tang Jun-Sang (_Crash Landing on You_), the character is left alone after the passing of his father. His uncle Sang-Gu, played by Lee Je-Hoon (_Time to Hunt_, _Signal_), becomes Geu-Ru’s guardian after being released from prison, and the two gradually warm up to each other as they run the trauma cleaning service “Move to Heaven.” ## **_Voice_** **Season 4** Release date: TBA Network: OCN It’s rare for Korean dramas to have a second season, let alone a fourth one. In _Voice_, Police Officer Kang Kwon-Joo has a heightened ability to distinguish sounds, allowing her to solve crime cases as a voice profiler. In its initial season, the show kicked off with Kang hearing a murder take place on the phone while she was working at an emergency call center. Season 3 completed airing in 2019, with each of the first three installments featuring Lee Ha-Na as Kang. Song Seung-Heon (_Dinner Mate_) joins Lee in the new season.  Lee Ha-Na in Voice Courtesy of CJ ENM ## **_You Are My Spring_** Release Date: TBA Network: tvN Each of the last three projects Jung Ji-Hyun co-directed have been hits: _Mr. Sunshine_, _Search: WWW_, and, most recently in 2020, _The King: Eternal Monarch_. Now he returns with the new series _You Are My Spring_. The story revolves around four individuals who live in a building that is the site of a murder: a hotel concierge manager (Seo Hyun-Jin), a psychiatrist (Kim Dong-Wook), an investment banker (Yoon Park) and an actress (Nam Gyu-Ri). Romance blossoms as each of the character’s dark past surfaces. ## **_Hellbound_** Release Date: TBA Network: Netflix Yeon Sang-Ho (_Train to Busan_, _Peninsula_) will direct this Netflix original based on his webtoon of the same name. Yoo Ah-In (_#Alive_, _Burning_) stars as Jeong Jin-Su, the leader of the fictional Saejinrihwe religion that believes that death angels condemn humans to hell according to God’s will. He faces off against broadcast station director Bae Yeong-Jae—played by Park Jeong-Min (_Time to Hunt_, _Start-Up_)—who launches an investigation into the cult-like group. Artist Choi Gyu-Seok, the illustrator of the original comic, joins Yeon as a writer of this supernatural drama.  Image from the webtoon Hell (left), Director Yeon Sang-Ho (right) Courtesy of Netflix ## **_Hospital Playlist_** **Season 2** Release Date: TBA Network: tvN The follow-up season to one of the most beloved shows of 2020 will arrive this year. At the core of _Hospital Playlist_ is the friendship between five doctors who developed a close bond in medical school and now work at the same hospital. After long days of work, they practice together in a band. The first season of this slice-of-life drama was packed with heartwarming moments, providing much-needed comfort and relief when it premiered during the early months of the pandemic.  Yoo Yeon-Seok in Hospital Playlist Courtesy of CJ ENM ## **_D.P._** Release Date: TBA Network: Netflix Adapted from the webtoon _D.P: Dog Days_, the series follows the journey of An Joon-Ho (Jung Hae-In), a soldier in the unit of the South Korean Army tasked with arresting deserters. _D.P._—which stands for “deserter pursuit”—examines human rights issues in the military as An meets those he is assigned to chase down and learns of the complex emotions behind their decisions to leave. The creator of the webtoon, Kim Bo-Tong, will work on the Netflix screenplay and partner with director Han Jun-Lee (_Coin Locker Girl_.)  Image from the webtoon D.P. Courtesy of Netflix ## **_Youth of May_** Release date: TBA Network: KBS2 _Youth of May_ is a love story set in May 1980, against the backdrop of the [Gwangju Uprising](https://www.britannica.com/event/Kwangju-Uprising "undefined")—mass protests against military rule by the government. Lee Do-Hyun and Go Min-Si recently starred as siblings on the Netflix original _Sweet Home,_ which was released in December 2020 and [reported](http://en.koreaportal.com/articles/47803/20210121/netflix-22-million-households-worldwide-watched-sweet-home-in-4q-of-2020-top-local-title-in-korea.htm "undefined") as the top local title viewed by [22 million households worldwide](https://s22.q4cdn.com/959853165/files/doc%5Ffinancials/2020/q4/FINAL-Q420-Shareholder-Letter.pdf "undefined"). For _Youth of May_, Lee and Go will return to the screen together, this time as lovers. Lee, who has transitioned from support roles (_Hotel Del Luna)_ to leading ones (_18 Again_) over a few short years, plays medical student Hwang Hee-Tae. Go, who made her acting debut in 2017 through _My Sassy Girl_ and is also a part of the cast for _Jirisan_, plays a nurse living in Gwangju. ## **_Undercover_** Release Date: TBA Network: Netflix Following the 2020 crime drama _Extracurricular_, director Kim Jin-Min returns with another Netflix original. Han So-Hee (_The World of the Married_) stars as Ji-U in this reverse undercover story. The daughter of a mobster, Ji-U is bent on seeking revenge after her father’s death and poses as a police officer to find the parties responsible. Han is joined by Park Hee-Soon (_Seven Days_, _1987: When the Day Comes_), who plays the leader of a drug ring, and Ahn Bo-Hyun, who impressed with his supporting role in _Itaewon Class_ and will play the detective who becomes Ji-U’s partner.  Director Kim Jin-Min Courtesy of Netflix ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5934125/new-korean-dramas-2021/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5934125/new-korean-dramas-2021/"},"headline":"The 15 Most Anticipated Korean Dramas of 2021","datePublished":"2021-01-29T11:00:11.000Z","dateModified":"2023-12-12T16:15:09.000Z","description":"From 'Snowdrop' to 'Youth of May'","url":"https://time.com/5934125/new-korean-dramas-2021/","keywords":["Television"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64584ed88e376135/698a1621929fad3c1abf6f92/most-anticipated-kdramas-2021.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Kat Moon","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/kat-moon/"}],"articleSection":"Entertainment","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt64584ed88e376135/698a1621929fad3c1abf6f92/most-anticipated-kdramas-2021.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"most-anticipated-kdramas-2021","caption":"Jun Ji-Hyun and Ju Ji-Hoon in Jirisan, Jo Jung-Suk in Hospital Playlist, Lee Ha-Na in Voice","creditText":"Astory (2); CJ ENM (2); Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/entertainment/","name":"Entertainment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/television/","name":"Television"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5934125/new-korean-dramas-2021/","name":"The 15 Most Anticipated Korean Dramas of 2021"}}]}] ```