[UPDATED] 12 New K-dramas That Will Make You Laugh And Cry In May 2024

May is right around the corner and, with Queen of Tears gone, we need to find another show to obsess over, am I right? The new month is full of incredible releases, including Song Kang-ho’s very first K-drama, “Uncle Samsik” and Wi Ha-joon finally playing the romantic lead he deserves to be in “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon”. Here’s a list of 12 upcoming K-dramas that will take over our screens this May:

Play

• Release date: May 1st, 2024
• Network: jTBC, Netflix
• Episodes: 12
• Cast: Go Kyung-pyo, Kang Han-na, Joo Jong-hyuk.
• Where have I seen these people before? You might have seen Go Kyung-pyo in “Love In Contract” or “Chicago Typewriter”. Kang Han-na was also in “My Roommate is a Gumiho” and “Start-Up” and I’m sure you remember Joo Jong-hyuk in “Extraordinary Attorney Woo”.
• Writer: Choi Kyung (from MBC’s CHIP-IN)
• Director: Jang Ji Yeon (from jTBC/Netflix’s Nevertheless,)

Song Ki-baek (Go Kyung-pyo) is the perfect TV announcer until he develops a disease that causes him to be bluntly honest wherever and whenever. While this condition brings major chaos to his life, TV variety show writer On Woo-joo (Kang Han-na) sees it as a huge opportunity that might save her career.

Play

• Release date: May 4th, 2024
• Network: jTBC, Netflix
• Episodes: 12
• Cast: Jang Ki-yong, Chun Woo-hee.
• Where have I seen these people before? Where haven’t you seen Jang Ki-yong before, let’s be honest: “Now, We Are Breaking Up”, “My Roommate is a Gumiho”, “Search: WWW” and “Come and Hug Me”. Chun Woo-hee was simply marvelous in “Be Melodramatic”.
• Writer: Joo Hwa-mi (from tVN’s Introverted Boss)
• Director: Jo Hyun-taek (from jTBC’s SKY CASTLE)

Bok Gwi-joo (Jang Ki-yong) and his family lose their superpowers due to modern-day problems (as Netflix puts it). But, things might change with the arrival of Do Da-he (Chun Woo-hee).

Play

• Release date: May 6th, 2024
• Network: MBC
• Episodes: 120
• Cast: Uhm Hyun-kyung, Seo Joon-young, Kwon Hwa-woon, Im Ju-eun.
• Where have I seen these people before? Uhm Hyun-kyung also played the lead in “Miss Lee” and “Hide and Seek”. Seo Joon-young was also in the melodrama “Apple of My Eye” and the K-drama “A Beautiful Mind” while Kwon Hwa-woon had a lead role in “Lie After Lie”.
• Writer: Choi Yeon-geol (from MBC’s Blessing of the Sea)
• Director: Lee Min-soo (from MBC’s The Secret House) and Kim Mi-sook (from MBC’s Bad Love)

Yong Soo-jung (Uhm Hyun-kyung) is an honest and straightforward home-shopping host who struggles when it comes to romantic relationships. Things change when she meets Yeo Eui-joo (Seo Joon-young), a hardworking fellow from a poor family, who finds out that he’s actually the second grandson of the Masung Group.

Play

• Release date: May 11th, 2024
• Network: tvN
• Episodes: 16
• Cast: Jung Ryeo-won, Wi Ha-joon, So Ju-yeon.
• Where have I seen these people before? Jung Ryeo-won loves legal dramas (“May It Please the Court”, “Diary of a Prosecutor”) but she also was Junho’s love interest in “Wok of Love”. The wonderful Wi Ha-joon was in “Squid Game”, “Little Women”, and “Bad and Crazy”. So Ju-yeon played the adorable Shin Sol-yi in “A Love So Beautiful”.
• Writer: Park Kyung-hwa (this is her first full K-drama)
• Director: Ahn Pan-seok (from MBC/Netflix’s One Spring Night and jTBC/Netflix’s Something in the Rain)

Lee Joon-ho (Wi Ha-joon) resigns from his job at a big company to become an instructor at the academy he’d studied year prior to meet his first love, the academy teacher Seo Hye-jin (Jung Ryeo-won) once again. A good ol’ noona romance, it seems.

Update: Viki has announced that “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” will be added to their catalogue on May 11th.

Play

• Release date: May 13th, 2024
• Network: ENA, Genie, Disney +
• Episodes: 12
• Cast: Lee Min-ki, Choi Moon-hee, Kwak Sun-young, Heo Sung-tae, Lee Ho-chul.
• Where have I seen these people before? You might remember Lee Min-ki in “My Liberation Notes”, “The Beauty Inside” or “Because This Is My First Life”. Choi Moon-hee was in “Inspector Koo” and “Hospital Playlist”.
• Writer: Oh Soo-jin (this is her first full K-drama)
• Director: Park Joon-woo (from SBS’s Taxi Driver)

Cha Yeon Ho (Lee Min-ki) and Min So Hee (Choi Moon-hee) work together at the Traffic Crime Investigation Team (TCI), tracking strange car crimes. “Crash” follows them and their team as they uncover the truth behind the cases that end up in their hands.

• Release date: May 13th, 2024
• Network: KBS2
• Episodes: 16
• Cast: Kim Myung-soo, Lee Yoo-young.
• Where have I seen these people before? Kim Myung-soo was the lead in “Miss Hammurabi”, “Angel’s Last Mission: Love” and, more recently, “Numbers”. If you’ve watched “The Lies Within”, “My Fellow Citizens!” and “Your Honor”, I’m sure you recognise Lee Yoo-young.
• Writer: Park Yoo-mi (from tvN’s Plus Nine Boys)
• Director: Jang Yang-ho (this is his first K-drama)

Adapted from the webtoon “Treat Me Carelessly”, “Dare to Love Me” tells the story of Shin Yoon-bok (Kim Myung-soo), a polite and disciplined scholar from Seongsan Village, who decides to become a webtoon writer. His pursuit leads to Kim Hong-do (Lee Yoo-young), a woman with a completely different background and attitude to life.

Update: Netflix and Viki have announced that “Dare to Love Me” will be added to their catalogue on May 13th.

Play

• Release date: May 15th, 2024
• Network: Disney +
• Episodes: 16
• Cast: Song Kang-ho, Byun Yo-han, Lee Kyu-hyung, Jin Ki-joo, Seo Hyun-woo
• Where have I seen these people before? Where do we even start with this star-studded cast? The world knows Song Kang-ho from “Parasite”, Byun Yo-han played the unforgettable Kim Hui-seong in “Mr. Sunshine” and Lee Kyu-hyung is incredible in “Life”, “Stranger”, “Prison Playbook”, “Hi, Bye, Mama!” and so on.
• Writer & Director: Shin Yeon-shik (who is a film director known for “Cobweb” (as a writer) and “Cassiopeia”)

Through the chaotic 60s in South Korea, Kim San (Byun Yo-han) returns home after graduating in the US intent on turning his homeland into a strong industrial country. Park Doo-chil (Song Kang-ho), aka “Uncle Samsik”, is an interesting fellow who makes sure “to eat three meals a day, even during the war”. It’s him who believes in San and decides to support his dream.

• Release date: May 16th, 2024
• Network: Strongberry
• Episodes: 6
• Cast: Son Byeong-hoon, Choi Dong-ho, Woo Hyeok
• Where have I seen these people before? This is Choi Dong-ho’s first drama but you might’ve seen Son Byeong-hoon in “To.Two” and “Romanced”.
• Director: Kang Woo (from Naver’s Long Time No See)

The tale of Kim Min-jae (Son Byeong-hoon), a Practical Music student and part-time librarian, and Lee Kyu-ho (Choi Dong-ho), a Taekwondo major who become immediately attracted to each other after Min-jae transfers to Kyu-ho’s university.

Play

• Release date: May 17th, 2024
• Network: Netflix
• Episodes: 8
• Cast: Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min, Lee Yeol-eum, Park Hae-joon, Lee Joo-young, Moon Jeong-hee, Bae Seong-woo
• Where have I seen these people before? Of course you’ve seen Ryu Jun-yeol in “Reply 1998” and “Lucky Romance” and, yes, this is Chun Woo-hee’s second Netflix title this month (see “The Atypical Family” above). Park Jeong-min was in “Hellbound” a few years back.
• Writer & Director: Han Jae-rim (who is mostly a film director known for “Emergency Declaration”)

Adapted from the webtoon “Money Game” and “Pie Game”, eight people in need of money are invited to “Money Game”, a reality show that locks its participants in a completly empty eight-storey building. There, they have to survive together for a 100 days and, if they succeed, they will receive 44.8 billion won, which will be divided equally among the eight. The catch is: the bare necessities they need to survive cost 1,000 times more than the normal price and whatever they decide to consume is deducted from the winning prize.

• Release date: May 24th, 2024
• Network: MBC
• Episodes: 12
• Cast: Kim Hee-sun, Lee Hye-young, Kim Nam-hee, Yeonwoo, Chansung
• Where have I seen these people before? Kim Hee-sun’s latest releases were “Remarriage and Desire” and “Tomorrow”. Lee Hye-young was the villain in “Lawless Lawyer” and I’m sure you remember Kim Nam-hee in “Reborn Rich”. Do I even need to mention Chansung here?
• Writer: Nam Ji-yeon (from Naver’s So I Married an Anti-Fan)
• Director: Lee Dong Hyun (from MBC’s Doctor Lawyer) and Kim Seung Woo (from the film Bring Me Home)

Renowned family counselor Noh Young-won (Kim Hee-sun) sees her life turn upside-down when a blackmailer threatens her family and career. With the help of her mother-in-law, a mystery novel writer, she has to uncover the secrets of her family to protect it.

• Release date: May 24th, 2024
• Network: SBS
• Episodes: 16
• Cast: Ji Sung, Jeon Mi-do, Kwon Yool, Kim Kyung-nam
• Where have I seen these people before? “Kill Me Heal Me” and “Hospital Playlist”? Hello?
• Writer: Lee Hyun (from jTBC’s Diary of a Prosecutor)
• Director: Kim Moon-kyo (from SBS/Netflix’s Trolley)

Jang Jae-kyeong (Ji Sung) is a detective in a drug squad who ends up forcibly addicted to drugs. When his childhood friend dies, leaving behind 5 billion won in insurance money, he has to face the distorted truth behind their relationship.

• Release date: May 31st, 2024
• Network: TVING
• Episodes: 10
• Cast: Pyo Ye-jin and Lee Jun-young
• Where have I seen these people before? I’m sure you remember Pyo Ye-jin from “Taxi Driver” and “Moon in the Day”. Maybe you’ve seen Lee Jun-young in “Class of Lies” or, more recently, “May I Help You”.
• Writer: Yoo Ja (first screenwriter credit)
• Director: Kim Min-kyung (from KBS2/Netflix’s Do Do Sol Sol La La Sol)

Shim Jae-rim (Pyo Ye-jin) is a girl who has always lived a difficult life, which is why she dreams of meeting her “Prince Charming” and turning her life into a tale like Cinderella’s. She starts working at a social club, whose CEO Moon Cha-min (Lee Jun-young) is a cynical, arrogant man. Once Jae-rim meets Cha-min and as she works with him, she realises that she can be her own Prince Charming and change her fate herself.

Internationally, you should be able to catch “Dreaming of Cinde Fxxxing Rella” on Paramount+.

So, which ones are you watching? Personally, I’m really looking forward to The Midnight Romance in Hagwon and Uncle Samsik but The Atypical Family and Frankly Speaking also sound interesting. And I have to confess that the plot for “Dreaming of Cinde Fxxxing Rella” is right up my street. Connection has two of the best leads in Korean television and the plot sounds super intense. I don’t even know where to start!

Let me know in the comments which ones are your favourite upcoming K-dramas in May!