The number of people watching Korean dramas is increasing day by day. But why? Because Kdramas are addicting and once you start watching them, you become attached to them.
Kdramas help to escape your daily life for a while and immerse yourself in a happy world. They are realistic and connect with the viewers easily. That’s why people watch more dramas.
Korean dramas have different genres. There’s something for every kind of watcher. Whether it be romance, comedy, light drama, or thriller, mystery, and suspense, Kdramas got you covered.
Suspense Kdramas
Even though romance and comedy are the most common types of Kdramas, there is also the suspense genre. They are the best because they have complex plots, intense performances, and surprising turns.
These dramas are filled with suspense and mystery. You never know what’s coming ahead in the next episodes. Most of the episodes have a cliffhanger ending that will make you binge-watch all episodes.
If you’re a fan of thriller and suspense dramas that will make you think more, here is the handpicked list of recommended suspense dramas you should watch right now.
1. Flower Of Evil
Baek Hee Sung is a craftsman living with his wife, Cha Ji Won & daughter. But he hides some dark secrets that even his wife is unaware of. His wife is a homicide detective who investigates a case of a psychopath who is quite close to her.
2. Signal
Park Hae Young witnesses the kidnapping of a girl 15 years ago. Currently, Hae Yeong is now a police officer and criminal profiler. One day, he finds a walkie-talkie that connects him with Detective Lee Jae Han who is in the past. Together, they solve a series of murders.
3. Mouse
Ba Reum is a police officer whose life changes when he encounters a psychopathic killer. This drives him and his partner to unveil the truth behind psychopathic behaviours. A drama that asks the question, “What if we could identify psychopaths in advance?”
Cast –
- Lee Seung Gi as Jung Ba Reum
- Lee Hee Joon as Ko Moo Chi
- Park Joo Hyun as Oh Bong Yi
- Kyung Soo Jin as Choi Hong Joo
No. Of Episodes – 20
Watch On – Viki
4. Life On Mars
Hangul: 라이프 온 마스
Year: 2018
One day, Tae Joo has an accident while he is looking into a case. When he wakes up, he is in the winter of 1988. He is now a detective who works at a small city’s police station. He tries to solve the case so that he can get back to the present.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Jung Kyung Ho as Han Tae Joo
- Park Sung Woong as Kang Dong Cheol
- Go Ah Sung as Yoon Na Yeong
- Oh Dae Hwan as Lee Yong Gi
No. Of Episodes: 16 (65 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
5. Through The Darkness
The drama will tell the story of South Korea’s first criminal profiler as he struggles to look inside and read the hearts of serial killers during a time when the word “profiling” did not exist. It is based on the 2018 book of the same title.
6. Kingdom
Hangul: 킹덤
Year: 2019
During the Joseon period, the spirit of a recently dead king comes back, and a mysterious illness starts to spread across the country. To find out what is going on and save his people, the crown prince must deal with a new kind of enemy.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Joo Ji Hoon as Lee Chang
- Ryu Seung Ryong as Jo Hak Joo
- Bae Doo Na as Seo Bi
- Kim Sung Gyu as Young Shin
No. Of Episodes: 6+6 (50 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
7. Beyond Evil
The story of two fearless lawmen, Lee Dong Shik and Han Joo Won, who break the law to catch a serial killer. In the course of uncovering the culprit’s identity, they question the innocence of everyone involved in the case including themselves.
Cast –
- Shin Ha Kyun as Lee Dong Shik
- Yeo Jin Goo as Han Joo Won
- Choi Dae Hoon as Park Jung Je
- Choi Sung Eun as Yoo Jae Yi
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix, Viki, Prime Video
8. The Penthouse: War in Life
The story of wealthy families living in Hera Palace and their children at Cheong-ah Arts School. Su Ryeon was born into wealth. She is now an elegant woman of the upper class. Seo Jin was born into a wealthy family. Yoon Hee comes from poor family background.
9. Defendant
Hangul: 피고인
Year: 2017
Park Jung Woo is a lawyer who has lost his memory and finds out that he is already on death row. He has no choice but to race against time to find out what caused his situation and prove that he is not guilty.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Ji Sung as Park Jung Woo
- Uhm Ki Joon as Cha Sun Ho
- Kwon Yu Ri as Seo Eun Hye
- Oh Chang Seok as Kang Joon Hyuk
No. Of Episodes: 18 (70 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
10. Strangers From Hell
Hangul: 타인은 지옥이다
Year: 2019
Jong Woo goes to Seoul from the country when his friend Jae Ho gives him a job offer. He finds a cheap hotel while looking for a place to live. He makes the decision to stay there for six months. But strange things start to happen with him.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Im Shi Wan as Yoon Jong Woo
- Lee Dong Wook as Seo Moon Jo
- Lee Jung Eun as Eom Bok Soon
- Ahn Eun Jin as Seo Jung Hwa
No. Of Episodes :10 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
11. Tunnel
In 1986, Park Kwang Ho works as a detective. While working he passes through a tunnel that acts as a time portal, which transports him to present-day Seoul. He meets a new partner Kim Sun Jae. They try to find out the serial killer to return.
Cast –
- Choi Jin Hyuk as Park Kwang Ho
- Yoon Hyun Min as Kim Seon Jae
- Lee Yoo Young as Shin Jae Yi
- Jo Hee Bong as Jeon Seong Shik
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix
12. 365: Repeat The Year
Hangul: 365: 운명을 거스르는 1년
Year: 2020
The story of a group of people who are given the opportunity to relive a year of their lives in order to prevent a tragic accident from happening. Along the way, they uncover hidden truths about themselves and those around them, and must confront their past mistakes.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Joon Hyuk as Ji Hyung Joo
- Nam Ji Hyun as Shin Ga Hyun
- Kim Jee Soo as Lee Shin
- Lee Sung Wook as Park Sun Ho
No. Of Episodes: 24 (35 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
Short Review: The drama explores themes of destiny, atonement, and the value of second chances. The acting is excellent, and the story is well-written. The drama also got praise for its original premise and for how it keeps the audience guessing right up to the very end.
13. Save Me
Sang Mi’s family move to Mujigun. There she meets four young men. Later, she and her family are approached by the Spiritual Father of Goosunwon who offers to help them. However, they get caught into the pseudo-religious cult and the four young men try to save her.
Cast –
- Seo Yea Ji as Im Sang Mi
- Ok Taec Yeon as Han Sang Hwan
- Woo Do Hwan as Seok Dong Chul
- Jo Sung Ha as Baek Jung Ki
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix
14. Squid Game
Hangul: 오징어 게임
Year: 2021
The story of people, who are failures in their life plays a survival game named ‘Squid Game’. The risk is high, and so is the bet, which is $45.6 billion. The men in pink overalls and masks are watching every move. There will only be one winner.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Lee Jung Jae as Seong Gi Hun
- Park Hae Soo as Sang Woo
- Heo Sung Tae as Duk Su
- Wi Ha Joon as Joon Ho
No. Of Episodes: 9 (60 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
15. Train
Seo Do Won is a detective who tries to save Seo Kyung. There are two different worlds in this drama. Do Won travels to the other world through a mysterious train that shows up in the abandoned station to track the serial killer with the help of the other Seo Kyung.
Cast –
- Yoon Shi Yoon as Seo Do Won
- Kyung Soo Jin as Han Seo Kyung
- Shin So Yool as Lee Jung Min
- Lee Hang Na as Oh Mi Sook
No. Of Episodes – 12
Watch On – Viki
16. Class Of Lies
Hangul: 미스터 기간제
Year: 2019
A murder case brings down a lawyer who usually wins a lot of cases. To get his honour back, he gets a temporary job as a teacher at the high school connected to the case. He begins to witness the crimes that take place & tries to protect victims from their peers.
Rating:
Main Cast (Characters):
- Yoon Kyun Sang as Gi Moo Hyuk
- Geum Sae Rok as Ha So Hyun
- Lee Jun Young as Yoo Beom Jin
- Choi Yoo Hwa as Cha Hyun Jung
No. Of Episodes: 16 (70 min. each)
Streaming Options (region-specific):
17. Voice
Detective Moo Jin Hyuk after his wife’s death, works with professional voice profiler Kwon Joo, whose father is killed, to solve a different crime, chasing for the serial killer who is responsible for the deaths of their family members.
Cast –
- Jang Hyuk as Moo Jin Hyeok
- Lee Ha Na as Kang Kwon Joo
- Baek Sung Hyun as Shim Dae Shik
- Son Eun Seo as Park Eun Soo
No. Of Episodes – 16
Watch On – Netflix, Viki, Prime Video
Wrapping Up
So, these were the best suspense Korean dramas that will definitely keep you hooked from the very first episode until the climactic finale. Gear up your brain, grab your popcorn, and start watching.
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FAQs
1. What are the best suspense Kdramas?
Some of the best dramas with suspense are Mouse, Beyond Evil, Through The Darkness, Defendant, etc.
2. Do suspense dramas have a satisfying ending?
Just like in any other genre, the ends can be different. Some dramas have endings that are clear and satisfying, while others may leave room for interpretation or open-ended.
3. Where can I watch suspense dramas?
You can watch most of the suspense Korean dramas on streaming platforms like Netflix, Viki, Viu, Prime Video, etc.
