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Pierce Conran

After a busy early summer, the release calendar has thinned out somewhat for August, which will see a handful of new series launch, including a pair originally slated to open in July.
As South Korea grapples with its fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, several productions have been impacted, which has led to some shuffling of the broadcast schedule.
Among the new dramas on offer will be a period drama, a high society satire, a police academy mystery and several romances.
Looking ahead, September should welcome a bigger slate of new series as Korea celebrates the Chuseok holiday – the Korean equivalent of Mid-Autumn Festival or Thanksgiving.


1. The Road: Tragedy of One
Originally scheduled for July 21, tvN is now launching its latest high society show The Road: Tragedy of One in early August, which will follow in the footsteps of its recent hit, Mine.
Ji Jin-hee leads the cast as Baek Soo-hyun, a beloved news anchorman with a polished public persona who is ruthless in his private life. He lives in the swanky “Royal the Hill” residential complex with wife Seo Eun-soo (Yoon Se-ah), the heir to a powerful family corporation.
Kim Hye-eun appears as Cha Seo-young, a television announcer who already has everything she could possibly want but still thirsts for more. (tvN, August 4)


2. Police University
Also delayed two weeks was the upcoming KBS drama Police University. A mix of romance, school-set comedy-drama and investigative mystery, the show features My Sassy Girl star Cha Tae-hyun back on screens as Yoo Dong-man, a veteran detective now working as an instructor at a police university.
His class this year includes B1A4 member Jung Jin-young (better known as Jinyoung) and f(x) star Krystal, also known as Jung Soo-jung. Jinyoung plays Sun-ho, a former hacker now studying to be a policeman who winds up using his skills to help Dong-man solve a case. Krystal will appear as Kang-hee, a committed first-year student determined to follow the letter of the law. (KBS2, August 9)


3. Check Out the Event
In mid-August, MBC will launch its limited miniseries Check Out the Event, which will run weekly for four episodes. Bang Min-ah, a former member of K-pop girl group Girl’s Day and known professionally as Minah, stars as Ha Song-yi, a sunny character who works as a coordinator at a botanical garden. She used to be dating Park Do-gyeom, played by Kwon Hwa-woon, but one day he suddenly broke up with her and she is still tending her broken heart.
As fate would have it, she discovers that she won a couple’s trip from an event, so Song-yi and Do-gyeom pretend to still be a couple to take advantage of the prize. Set to guide them on the trip is the essay writer Seo Ji-kang (An Woo-yeon), but when he meets Song-yi he begins to feel attracted to her. (MBC, August 14)


4. Lovers of the Red Sky
After appearing in the Netflix horror film The 8th Night earlier this summer, Kim Yoo-jung will be back on screens in the new period-set romance Lovers of the Red Sky. Based on a novel, the series will feature Kim as Hong Cheon-ki, a brilliant painter who became the first woman selected by the Dohwaseo (Korean Royal Academy of Painting).
One day, Cheon-ki meets Ha Ram (Ahn Hyo-seop), an official from the Seowoongwan, the bureau that oversees scientific arts. Owing to an accident in his youth, Ha Ram is blind, but Cheon-ki doesn’t care about his visual impairment as she falls in love with him.
Hong Cheon-ki is a real figure, though she only briefly appears in historical records. The series also features Gong Myung as a Grand Prince. (SBS, August 26)


5. D.P.
Netflix’s next Korean series is the action drama D.P., based on a web comic of the same name. The show follows An Joon-ho, a tenacious young soldier noticed by Sergeant Park Beom-goo and sent to the special D.P. (Deserter Pursuit) unity. His new job there is to catch deserters alongside Corporal Han Ho-yeol.
D.P. marks the drama series debut of filmmaker Han Jun-hee, who is known for the crime drama Coin Locker Girl, which received its international premiere in 2015 at the Cannes Film Festival, and the action drama Hit-and-Run Squad. Jung Hae-in (Tune in for Love) leads the cast as Joon-ho, alongside Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula) as Ho-yeol and Kim Sung-kyun (The Fiery Priest) as Beom-goo. (Netflix, August 27)


6. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
A remake of the 2004 film Mr Handy, Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha sees Shin Min-a return to the screen as Yoon Hye-jin. Hye-jin is a dentist with a realistic mentality but because of her steadfast personality, her life changes one day. She winds up moving to Gongjin, a small village by the sea.
In Gongjin she meets Hong Du-sik (Kim Sun-ho). Known by the locals as Mr Hong, Du-sik is a handsome and capable local who keeps himself busy fixing everyone’s problems even though he himself is officially unemployed. Hye-jin’s life changes when she meets this man who is always the first to lend a hand when something goes wrong. (tvN, August 28)


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K-drama news

New K-dramas to watch in August 2021 – Lovers of the Red Sky, Police University, The Road: Tragedy of One, and more

Ji Jin-hee in a still from The Road: Tragedy of One.

Cha Tae-hyun, of My Sassy Girl fame, in a still from Police University, one of the shows that K-drama fans can look forward to in August.

K-drama review – Kingdom: Ashin of the North sees Netflix’s hit zombie series return for revenge-fuelled special episode starring Jun Ji-hyun

Jun Ji-hyun in a still from Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Photo: Netflix.

Superstar Jun Ji-hyun plays the lead role in Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Photo: Netflix.

Kim Shi-a, as the young Ashin, in a still from Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Photo: Netflix.

Jun in a still from Kingdom: Ashin of the North. Photo: Netflix.

K-drama The Witch’s Diner: Song Ji-hyo in supernatural drama that starts promisingly

Song Ji-hyo in a still from The Witch’s Diner.

Song Ji-hyo is cooking dishes with a difference in new K-drama The Witch’s Diner.

Nam Ji-hyun in a still from The Witch’s Diner.

Chae Jong-hyeop plays a promising track runner in The Witch’s Diner.

A still from The Witch’s Diner.

Song in a scene from The Witch’s Diner.

K-drama midseason recap: On the Verge of Insanity – character-driven workplace story blossoms into thrilling drama

Jung Jae-young (left) and Moon So-ri in a still from On the Verge of Insanity.

Lee Sang-yeob (left) and Moon So-ri in a still from On the Verge of Insanity.

Jo Bok-rae in a still from On the Verge of Insanity.

Kim Nam-hee in a still from On the Verge of Insanity.

K-drama midseason recap: Voice 4 – crime series beginning to flag

Song Seung-heon in a still from Voice 4.

Song Seung-heon in a still from Voice 4 as the series’ new co-lead character, LAPD police officer Derek Joo, who takes most of the spotlight from Kang Kwon-joo (Lee Ha-na).

Lee Ha-na (left) and Lee Kyu-hyung in a still from Voice 4.

Lee Ha-na in a still from Voice 4.

K-drama midseason recap: The Penthouse season three – high society drama goes back to the well once too often

Kim So-yeon in a still from The Penthouse season three.

Uhm Ki-joon plays the villain in The Penthouse season three. The K-drama is becoming a victim of its own success. 

Lee Ji-ah in a still from The Penthouse season three.

Eugene in a scene from The Penthouse season three.

Kim So-yeon (left) and Uhm Ki-joon in a still from The Penthouse season three.

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K-pop singers Jinyoung of B1A4 and f(x)’s Krystal Jung star alongside My Sassy Girl actor Cha Tae-hyun in upcoming KBS drama Police University
Netflix’s next K-drama series is the action-drama D.P., based on a web comic of the same name, while period drama fans can look forward to Lovers of the Red Sky



K-drama fans can look forward to a handful of new shows in August, from a period drama to a police academy mystery starring several K-pop singers.
