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Pierce Conran

While July does not appear to be particularly packed with K-drama releases, there will be some big and splashy series to entertain viewers looking to beat the summer heat.
We preview seven of the best Korean drama series debuting this month.
1. Red Swan
Lead cast: Kim Ha-neul, Rain


K-pop star Rain and Kim Ha-neul team up for Disney+ action thriller Red Swan.
Rain plays Do-yoon, a tough-as-nails bodyguard who begins working for Oh Wan-soo (Kim), a former pro golfer who now runs a world-famous charity foundation after marrying into the family that runs the mighty Hwain Group conglomerate.
Do-yoon has an ulterior motive for working for Wan-soo and, as he gets closer to his goal, Wan-soo begins to learn dark secrets about her husband’s family.
Red Swan is written by Choi Yoon-jung, a veteran in the K-drama world whose last produced series was Only Love in 2014. (Disney+, July 3)
2. The Auditors
Lead cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Lee Jung-ha, Jin Goo


Shin Ha-kyun (Beyond Evil) returns to screens in K-drama The Auditors, set in the corporate world. He plays Shin Cha-il, the fearsome leader of the audit team at JU Construction, a company rife with corruption.
Cool and calculating, Cha-il runs a tight ship. His team includes rookie employee Goo Han-soo (Lee Jung-ha, Moving), who joins in the hopes of scoring an overseas transfer but finds it hard to work under Cha-il.
Jin Goo (Descendants of the Sun) plays Hwang Dae-woong, the ambitious third son of the founder of JU Construction, who works as vice-president but has his eyes set on a loftier post.
The Auditors is directed by Kwon Young-il, known for Wedding Impossible and Doom at Your Service. (tvN, July 6)
3. Good Partner
Lead cast: Jang Na-ra, Nam Ji-hyun


Jang Na-ra (Sell Your Haunted House) and Nam Ji-hyun (Little Women) will share the screen as mismatched veteran and rookie lawyers in the legal comedy-drama Good Partner.
Jang plays Cha Eun-kyung, a respected and feared lawyer who has worked at the Daejung Law Firm for 17 years. She specialises in divorce, which puts her in a tricky position when she enters into divorce proceedings of her own.
Han Yoo-ri (Nam), a new face on the team, is the polar opposite of Eun-kyung. While her boss believes in doing what is best for the firm and her clients, Yoo-ri is idealistic and believes in justice.
Good Partner is the latest outing for Nevertheless director Kim Ga-ram. (SBS, July 12)
4. Serendipity’s Embrace
Lead cast: Kim So-hyun, Chae Jong-hyeop

This summer, Kim So-hyun (Love Alarm) will share the screen with Chae Jong-hyeop (Castaway Diva) in the youth romance Serendipity’s Embrace.
Based on the webtoon Is It Fate? by Nam Ji-eun and Kim In-ho, the story will feature Kim as Lee Hong-ju, an animation producer who has given up on love after experiencing a tough break-up with her first love a decade earlier.
Chae plays Kang Hu-young, a financial planner who witnessed Hong-ju’s troubles all those years ago. After a stint overseas he returns to Korea and meets Hong-ju, who happens to be his first love, once again. (tvN, July 15)
5. Tarot
Lead cast: Cho Yeo-jeong, Park Ha-sun


In this seven-part anthology series, seven characters find tarot cards and become trapped in curses connected to the choices they made.
Among the cursed characters is Ji-woo, a working single mom played by Parasite actress Cho Yeo-jeong. The cast also features Park Ha-sun (The Veil), Ko Kyu-pil (The Roundup: No Way Out), and popular YouTuber Kim Jin-young (aka DEX), among others.
Tarot had its world premiere at the Cannes International Series Festival in the spring, while three of the episodes were packaged as an omnibus film that screened theatrically in Korea in June. (U+ Mobile TV, July 15)
6. Sweet Home 3
Lead cast: Song Kang, Lee Jin-wook, Lee Si-young, Go Min-si


Sweet Home season 3, which was shot concurrently with the second season of the hit Netflix series, is set to drop this summer and conclude the dystopian monster saga.
Most of the characters are still living in a stadium under a strict system and leadership that is planning to usher in a new age of Neo-humans.
Beyond horror, action and high emotions, this series finale also features the return of Lee Do-hyun. (Netflix, July 19)
7. No Way Out: The Roulette
Lead cast: Cho Jin-woong, Yoo Jae-myung, Kim Moo-yeol, Yum Jung-ah


When the infamous criminal Kim Kook-ho (played by Yoo Jae-myung, Itaewon Class) is released from jail, a 20 billion won (US$14.5 million) bounty is placed on his head, sparking a nationwide manhunt. Cho Jin-woong (Believer 2) plays Baek Joong-sik, the detective assigned to protect the former convict.
No Way Out: The Roulette was originally set to star the late actor Lee Sun-kyun. However, following the personal scandals he became embroiled in shortly before his death, he was fired from the series and replaced by Cho.
The series marks the drama debut of director Choi Kook-hee, who is known for the films Default and Life Is Beautiful, while the script was written by Lee Su-jin, the director of the indie sensation Han Gong-ju. (U+ Mobile TV, July 31)


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K-drama news

7 of the best new K-dramas to watch in July 2024, including Netflix’s Sweet Home season 3

Lee Do-hyun in a still from Sweet Home season 3. Photo: Kim Jeong Won/Netflix

Song Kang in a still from Sweet Home season 3. Netflix’s monster K-drama returns this July along with new releases such as Disney+ action thriller Red Swan and webtoon adaptation Serendipity’s Embrace. Photo: Kim Jeong Won/Netflix

6 of the best new K-dramas to watch in June 2024, including, on Netflix, Hierarchy with Lee Chae-min and The Whirlwind

Roh Jeong-eui in a still from Hierarchy, a K-drama series launching in June on Netflix. Photo: Netflix

Roh Jeong-eui in a still from Hierarchy on Netflix. Lee Chae-min and Kim Jae-won co-star. It’s one of the six best K-drama series debuting in June. Look out, too, for political thriller The Whirlwind on Netflix, and The Player 2: Master of Swindlers. Photo: Netflix

Netflix K-drama The Whirlwind: Sul Kyung-gu, Kim Hee-ae face off in boring political drama

Kim Hee-ae in a still from The Whirlwind. Photo: Netflix

Sul Kyung-gu (right) as South Korean Prime Minister Park Dong-ho and Im Se-mi as his assistant Seo Jeong-yeon in a still from the new political Korean drama The Whirlwind. Kim hee-ae also stars. Photo: Netflix

Kim Hong-pa as corrupt President Jang Il-jun in a still from The Whirlwind. Photo: Netflix

Kim Hee-ae as Deputy Prime Minister Jung Soo-jin in a still from The Whirlwind. Photo: Netflix

Kim Hee-ae (left) and Sul Kyung-gu in a still from The Whirlwind. Photo: Netflix

Chun Woo-hee, Song Joong-ki eye My Youth, plus Jin Ki-joo, Kim Da-mi: K-drama casting news

Chun Woo-hee in a still from The Atypical Family. Photo: JTBC

Jin Ki-joo in a still from Uncle Samsik. In the latest Korean drama casting news, Jin has signed on to star in Undercover High School, Chun Woo-hee and Song Joong-ki are considering roles in My Youth, while Kim Da-mi is in talks to lead A Hundred Memories. Photo: Disney+

Seo Kang-joon in a still from Grid. Photo: Disney+

Kim Da-mi (left) and Kim Dong-hee in a still from Itaewon Class. Photo: Netflix

Im Se-mi in a still from The Worst of Evil. Photo: Disney+

Disney+ K-drama review: Uncle Samsik – historical drama is a rich but overly complex tale

Byun Yo-han in a still from Uncle Samsik. Photo: Disney+.

Song Kang-ho (left) in the title role and Byun Yo-han as Kim San in a still from Uncle Samsik. Photo: Disney+

Byun Yo-han idealistic economist Kim San in a still from Uncle Samsik. Photo: Disney+.

Song Kang-ho as political fixer Uncle Samsik in a still from Uncle Samsik. Photo: Disney+.

Lee Kyu-hyung as political villain Kang Seong-min in a still from Uncle Samsik. Photo: Disney+.

Tiffany Young as industrialist Rachel Jeong in a still from Uncle Samsik. Photo: Disney+.

Disney+ K-drama review: Crash – action-crime drama is entertaining but with odd ending

Kwak Sun-young as the head of a police traffic crime investigation team in a still from Crash.

Kwak Sun-young (left) as the head of a police traffic crime investigation unit and Lee Min-ki as a new recruit to the team who’s haunted by his own traffic crime in a still from Disney+ K-drama series Crash.

Lee Min-ki as Cha Yeon-ho in a still from Crash.

Kwak Sun-young (left) as TCI team leader Min So-hee and Lee Min-ki as Cha Yeon-ho in a still from Crash.

Kwak Sun-young as Min So-hee in a still from Crash.

Heo Sung-tae as Captain Jung Chae-man in a still from Crash.

Lifestyle

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K-drama

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Film & TV

Song Kang leads season 3 of Netflix’s monster K-drama Sweet Home, Disney+ thriller Red Swan sees K-pop star Rain play a bodyguard


Lee Do-hyun returns in Netflix K-drama Sweet Home season 3, Kim So-hyun and Chae Jong-hyeop share the screen in romance Serendipity’s Embrace, and Jang Na-ra plays a feared lawyer in Good Partner.
