You Can’t Miss These 9 New K-dramas Coming Out in October!

The crisp air and blue skies of this beautiful autumn season are inviting us for some warm tea, comfy blankets, and a brand-new K-drama to obsess with. This October, 9 new K-dramas are coming out and most of them already have international releases announced! Woohoo!

Ready to learn more? So keep on reading! You can also pin this list at the bottom so you can refer to it later *wink wink*

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• Release date: Oct. 3rd, 2024
• Network: TVING (internationally, you can watch it on Amazon Prime Video)
• Episodes: 2
• Cast: Lee Sang-yi and Han Ji-hyun
• Where have I seen these people before? Hopefully, you’re currently following Lee and Han in tvN’s No Gain, No Love as Spice Up Our Love is a “spin-off” focused on the second couple.
• Writer: Jo Min-jung Not official yet, but I’d say the same writer as the parent story, Kim Hye-young (from tvN’s Her Private Life)
• Director: Jeong Hoon Not official yet, but I’d say the same director as the parent story, Kim Jung-shik (from TVING’s Work Later, Drink Now)
• This is a spin-off of tvN’s No Gain, No Love.

Nam Ja-yeon (Han Ji-hyun) is a 19+ web novel writer who finds herself in the shoes of the protagonist of her own novel. Is she embarking on a romance with her male protagonist, the charming Kang Ha-jun (Lee Sang-yi).

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• Release date: Oct. 7th, 2024
• Network: KBS1
• Episodes: 120
• Cast: Park Ha-na, Park Sang-nam, and Kim Sa-kwon
• Where have I seen these people before? Park Ha-na was the lead in KBS2’s Vengeance of the Bride, Park Sang-nam had a supporting role in tvN’s The Heavenly Idol, and Kim Sa-kwon also had a supporting role in KBS2’s The Real Has Come!
• Writer: Song Jung-rim (from KBS2’s Vengeance of the Bride)
• Director: Kim Sung-geun (from KBS2’s Unpredictable Family)

A family drama that focuses on Maeng Gong-hee (Park Ha-na), a strong-minded and athletic young woman who works at Jayce Fashion as a contract designer. Her childhood friend, Gu Dan-soo (Park Sang-nam), was living abroad when his grandmother asks him to come back. She’s determined to make him his grandfather’s successor, the future chairman of Jayce Fashion. And so, Gong-hee and Dan-soo meet again.

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• Release date: Oct. 9th, 2024 (internationally, you can watch it on Viki and Viu)
• Network: jTBC
• Episodes: 16
• Cast: Hwang In-youp, Jung Chae-yeon, and Bae Hyeon-seong
• Where have I seen these people before? This is Hwang In-youp’s first role since SBS’s Why Her? and Netflix’s The Sound of Magic. I’m sure most of us remember him from tvN’s True Beauty. Jung Chae-yeon, of Netflix’s My First First Love fame, was last seen in MBC’s The Golden Spoon. And you might’ve just seen Bae Hyeon-seong in Netflix’s Gyeongseong Creature Season 2. He was also excellent in tvN’s Our Blues and Hospital Playlist.
• Writer: Hong Si-young (this is her first screenwriter’s credit)
• Director: Kim Seung-ho (from tvN’s Twenty-Five, Twenty-One)
• This is a Korean version of the Chinese show Go Ahead (Hunan TV, 2020).

Kim San-ha (Hwang In-youp), Yun Ju-won (Jung Chae-yeon), and Kang Hae-jun (Bae Hyeon-seong) grew up like siblings, even though they aren’t biologically related. They were raised by Ju-won’s and San-ha’s fathers, who worked hard to give them a happy adolescence. But, with time, they ended up separated and spent a decade without seeing one another. When they reunite, things aren’t the same as they used to be. As a spark of romance is added to the mix and problems arise, they learn how to reconnect.

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• Release date: Oct. 10th, 2024 (internationally, you can watch it on Paramount+)
• Network: TVING
• Episodes: 10
• Cast: Lee Joon-hyuk, Park Sung-woong, and Hyun Bong-sik
• Where have I seen these people before? Lee Joon-hyuk is reprising his role from tvN’s Stranger series. But you might’ve also seen him in Disney+’s Vigilante or OCN’s Dark Hole. Park Sung-woong was last seen in SBS’s The Killing Vote and Hyun Bong-sik had a supporting role in Netflix’s Sweet Home series.
• Writer: Hwang Ha-jung and Kim Sang-won (this is their first screenwriter’s credit)
• Director: Park Geon-ho (from KBS’s At a Distance, Spring is Green)
• This is a spin-off of tvN’s Stranger.

Now at the Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office, Seo Dong-jae’s reputation as a corrupt, self-serving prosecutor haunts him. When he’s assigned to the murder case of a high schooler, he’s faced with danger when mixing his skills as a prosecutor with his penchant for opportunism.

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• Release date: Oct. 11th, 2024 (internationally, you can watch it on Netflix)
• Network: MBC
• Episodes: 10
• Cast: Han Seok-kyu, Chae Won-bin, Han Ye-ri and Oh Yeon-soo
• Where have I seen these people before? Who doesn’t know Han Seok-kyu? He’s Dr. Romantic (SBS) himself, after all! Chae Won-bin had a supporting role in Netflix’s Sweet Home series and KBS2’s My Lovely Boxer. Han Ye-ri’s last main role was in tvN’s Hometown. Oh Yeon-soo was one of the main characters of tvN’s Military Prosecutor Doberman.
• Writer: Han Ah-young (this is her first screenwriter’s credit)
• Director: Song Yeon-hwa (from MBC’s Hunted and The Red Sleeve)

One of the very first criminal profilers in Korea, Jan Tae-su (Han Seok-kyu) is a renowned and respected criminologist. He’s also a single father to an adult daughter. When his daughter shows up as one of the involved parties in a case he’s working on, he’s torn between his professionalism and his heart. Should he protect his own child or shed light on the truth?

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• Release date: Oct. 12th, 2024
• Network: tvN (internationally, you can watch it on Disney+)
• Episodes: 12
• Cast: Kim Tae-ri, Shin Ye-eun, Ra Mi-ran, Jung Eun-chae, Kim Yoon-hye
• Where have I seen these people before? Kim Tae-ri has starred in a streak of successes: SBS’s Revenant, tvN’s Twenty-Five, Twenty-One, and Mr. Sunshine. Shin Ye-eun’s last main role was in SBS’s The Secret Romantic Guesthouse. Ra Mi-ran led two K-dramas last year: jTBC’s The Good Bad Mother and tvN’s Cold Blooded Intern. You might’ve just watched Jung Eun-chae in Apple TV’s Pachinko or ENA/Genie TV’s Your Honor. Meanwhile, Kim Yoon-hye’s last leading role was in Netflix’s Goodbye Earth.
• Writer: Choi Hyo-bi (from Netflix’s A Time Called You)
• Director: Jung Ji-in (from MBC’s The Red Sleeve)
• Adapted from Seo Irae’s webtoon of the same name

Post-war Korea, 1956. Jeong-nyeon is a young woman from the port city of Mokpo. She may be uneducated but she excels at singing. She dreams of becoming a musical actress and joining a women’s traditional theatre company. This is the story of her relentless journey toward her dream.

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• Release date: Oct. 12th, 2024
• Network: jTBC (internationally, you can watch it on Netflix)
• Episodes: 12
• Cast: Kim So-yeon, Kim Sun-young, Kim Sung-ryung, Yeon Woo-jin, and Lee Se-hee
• Where have I seen these people before? Kim So-yeon, of SBS’s The Penthouse fame, also led tvN’s Tale of the Nine-Tailed 1938. The incredible Kim Sun-young has done everything: remember her in tvN’s Crash Landing On You? or tvN’s Romance is a Bonus Book? Her last supporting role was in jTBC’s Queen of Divorce. Kim Sung-ryung had a guest role in Netflix’s The Frog and a supporting role in Netflix’s Love To Hate You. The lovely Yeon Woo-jin led Netflix’s Daily Dose of Sunshine and, more recently, KBS2’s Nothing Uncovered. Lee Se-hee was the main lead in KBS2’s Bad Prosecutor and Young Lady and Gentleman.
• Writer: Choi Bo-rim (from tvN’s My Roommate is a Gumiho, Touch Your Heart, and What’s Wrong With Secretary Kim?)
• Director: Jo Woong (from KBS2’s Love All Play)
• This is a Korean version of the British mini-series Brief Encounters (ITV, 2016), which was, in turn, loosely based on Jacqueline Gold’s memoir, Good Vibrations: The True Story of Ann Summers.

It’s 1992 and the “Bangpan Sisters” live in a rural village where the mere mention of “sex” is considered taboo. They start selling adult products door-to-door and, through their little business, they pursue more independent selves and create a more forward-thinking environment.

Go-yeong (Nam Yoon-su) is a young gay man whose mother struggles to accept his sexuality. He lives with Mi-ae (Lee Soo-kyung), a friend with whom he shares his love story with Gyu-ho (Jin Ho-eun). Even though this might be an ill-fated romance, Go-yeong’s memories with Gyu-ho help him grow as an individual.

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• Release date: Oct. 25th, 2024
• Network: Netflix
• Episodes: 6
• Cast: Kim Hyun-joo, Kim Sung-cheol, Kim Shin-rok, Hong Eui-joon, and Yang Ik-jun
• Where have I seen these people before? Just this year, you might’ve seen Kim Hyun-joo in Netflix’s The Bequeathed. Kim Sung-cheol’s last main role was in SBS’s Our Beloved Summer while Kim Shin-rok has tons of supporting roles to her name, including in Disney+’s Moving. Hong Eui-joon had a supporting role in TVING’s Queen Woo. Before Hellbound, Yang Ik-jun’s last TV role was in OCN’s Bad Guys: City of Evil.
• Writer: Choi Gyu-seok and Yeon Sang-ho (from Hellbound‘s first season)
• Director: Yeon Sang-ho (from Netflix’s Parasyte: The Grey)
• Adapted from Yeon Sang-ho and Choi Kyu-seok’s webtoon of the same name.

From Netflix’s official announcement, “Lawyer Min Hyejin (Kim Hyun-joo) of Sodo, The New Truth, and the Arrowheads are further entangled amid the sudden resurrections of the formerly condemned New Truth Chairman Jung Jinsu (Kim Sung-cheol) and Park Jungja (Kim Shin-rok).“

Pin the list so you remember to watch them all!

Which shows are you looking forward to the most? With such a variety of new K-dramas being released in October, it’s difficult to pick just a couple. Let me know in the comments which ones you’ll be watching!