The 5 most anticipated K drama in 2025

5. Nine Puzzles

Kim Da-mi (left) and Son Suk-ku in a still from Nine Puzzles.

Kim Da-mi (Our Beloved Summer) and Son Suk-ku (A Killer Paradox) will headline the Disney+ thriller Nine Puzzles.

Kim plays Yi-na, a young woman who becomes a criminal profiler years after witnessing her uncle’s murder. Son is Han-saem, the officer who suspected Yi-na of her uncle’s murder all those years ago and is still looking for the killer.

The series is directed by Yoon Jong-bin (Narco-Saints) and penned by Lee Eun-mi, the writer of the acclaimed drama Navillera.

4. Slowly and Intensely

Celebrated Our Blues showrunner Noh Hee-kyung will return with an ambitious new series depicting the birth of South Korean show business after the Korean war.

 

The series will star Song Hye-kyo (The Glory) and Gong Yoo (Guardian: The Lonely and Great God).

Originally known as Show Business, the 22-episode Slowly and Intensely is rumoured to have a staggering budget of 75 billion to 80 billion won (US$51.3-55.3 million), putting it behind only Squid Game 2 and Squid Game 3 as the most expensive K-drama of all time.

 

3. Way Back Love

Gong Myung (left) and Kim Min-ha in a still from Way Back Love. Photo: TVing

This fantasy romantic-comedy starring Kim Min-ha (Pachinko) and Gong Myung (Extreme Job) debuted its first few episodes to rave reviews during last October’s Busan International Film Festival.

Kim is Jung Hee-wan, a reclusive young woman who is blindsided when her high- school first love Kim Ram-woo (Gong) appears before her, since he died six years earlier.

Clever, uproarious and heartfelt, the series is created by Noh Deok (Glitch).

 

2. Tempest

Jun Ji-hyun in a still from Tempest.

Little Women creator Chung Seo-kyung teams up with Disney+ for the big-budget action thriller Tempest, led by Jun Ji-hyun (My Love from the Star) and Gang Dong-won (Uprising).

Jun plays Mun-ju, a former South Korean ambassador to the United States who becomes mixed up with the mysterious mercenary San-ho when a global quagmire erupts following a political assassination.

The series will also feature several Hollywood stars, including Searching actor John Cho.

1. Squid Game 3

Squid Game season 3 follows shortly after season 2, which was in effect half a series.

We’ve only just been treated to the thrilling second batch of episodes of Netflix’s über-hit, but more episodes are just around the corner, with season three already completed and expected to hit screens either this summer or autumn, as revealed by creator Hwang Dong-hyuk.

Viewers will be glad for the short interval, as season two – essentially the first half of a two-part final season of the series – ended on a major cliffhanger.

Expect more nail-biting games as this K-drama phenomenon hurtles towards its climax.

 

For more details

https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/k-drama/k-drama/article/3294186/13-most-anticipated-k-drama-series-2025-ranked-squid-game-3-tempest

The 13 most anticipated K-dramas of 2025, from Two Women to Squid Game 3