Korean dramas, Q4 2024: the quarter in review

This tvN weekend drama aired 12 episodes from October 12 to November 17. In the 1950s, Yoon Jeong-nyeon (Kim Tae-ri), a girl from Mokpo with a natural gift for traditional singing, joins a women's gukgeuk troupe and dreams of stardom. It is based on Seo Ireh and Namon's Naver Webtoon Jeongnyeon. Jung Ji-in directed and Choi Hyo-bi wrote the script, with Shin Ye-eun (Heo Young-seo), Ra Mi-ran (Kang So-bok), Jung Eun-chae (Moon Ok-kyung) and Kim Yoon-hye (Seo Hye-rang) co-starring.

It opened at 4.8% with episode 1 and peaked at 16.5% with its 12th and final episode, averaging 11.3%. In some regions it was released on Disney+; it was not available on Netflix. Kim Tae-ri won the Grand Prize at the 2024 APAN Star Awards and, the following year, Best Actress – Television at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards, where music director Jang Young-gyu also won the Technical Award – Television.

A seven-episode Netflix series released on December 26. Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who survived the games, enters them again as a player in order to put an end to them. Hwang Dong-hyuk directed and wrote the series, with Lee Byung-hun (Hwang In-ho, the Front Man), Yim Si-wan (Lee Myung-gi), Kang Ha-neul (Kang Dae-ho), Wi Ha-joon (Hwang Jun-ho) and Park Gyu-young (Kang No-eul) co-starring.

In the week of December 23–29, which included its first four days of release, it drew 68 million views and reached No. 1 on the global chart for non-English TV. That set Netflix's all-time record for a debut week, beating the previous record of 50.1 million views held by season 1 of Wednesday, and it was No. 1 in 92 countries. Counting season 2 alone, it spent 14 weeks in the Top 10 through the week of July 14–20, 2025, with weekly views totaling 201.5 million. It was nominated for Best Television Series – Drama at the 2025 Golden Globes.

This MBC Friday–Saturday drama premiered on November 22 and aired 12 episodes through January 4, 2025. In this romance thriller, a single threatening phone call shakes the sham marriage of presidential spokesperson Baek Sa-eon (Yoo Yeon-seok) and his wife Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin), a sign language interpreter. It is based on Geon Eomul Nyeo's web novel of the same name. Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu directed and Kim Ji-woon wrote the script, with Heo Nam-jun (Ji Sang-woo) and Jang Gyu-ri (Na Yu-ri) co-starring.

It opened at 5.5% with episode 1 and peaked at 8.6% with its 12th and final episode, which aired on January 4, 2025. It averaged 6.5%. It was also released on Netflix, where it peaked at No. 2 in non-English TV and spent eight weeks in the Top 10, with weekly views totaling 35.3 million. Its best week, November 25–December 1, drew 6.6 million views. Among the broadcast dramas selected here for the fourth quarter, it has the highest Netflix view total.

This SBS Friday–Saturday drama aired 12 episodes from November 8 to December 27. A sequel to the 2019 first season, it follows hot-tempered priest Kim Hae-il (Kim Nam-gil) as he moves to Busan and takes on a drug cartel. Park Bo-ram directed and Park Jae-beom wrote the script, and the cast includes Honey Lee (Park Kyung-sun), Kim Sung-kyun (Koo Dae-young), Sung Joon (Kim Hong-sik) and Seo Hyun-woo (Nam Doo-heon).

It opened at 11.9% with episode 1 and peaked at 12.8% with episode 6. The 12th and final episode drew 10.9%, and the season averaged 11.5%.

This JTBC weekend drama premiered on November 30 and aired 16 episodes through January 26, 2025. In this Joseon-era historical drama, Gu-deok (Lim Ji-yeon), a slave who did not even have a name, comes to live under someone else's name, Ok Tae-young. It is an original series directed by Jin Hyuk and Choi Bo-yoon and written by Park Ji-sook. Choo Young-woo plays a dual role as the professional storyteller Cheon Seung-hwi (real name Song Seo-in) and Sung Yoon-gyeom, with Yeonwoo (Cha Mi-ryeong) and Kim Jae-won (Sung Do-gyeom) co-starring.

It opened at 4.2% with episode 1 and peaked at 13.6% with its 16th and final episode, which aired on January 26, 2025. It averaged 8.9%. On Netflix it peaked at No. 8 in non-English TV, spending two weeks in the Top 10. Choo Young-woo won Best New Actor – Television at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards the following year.

This JTBC weekend drama aired 12 episodes from October 12 to November 17. A comedy about four women in a 1990s rural village who start selling adult products door to door, it remakes the British series Brief Encounters (2016). Jo Woong directed and Choi Bo-rim wrote the script, and the cast includes Kim So-yeon (Han Jeong-sook), Yeon Woo-jin (Kim Do-hyun), Kim Sung-ryung (Oh Geum-hee), Kim Sun-young (Seo Young-bok) and Lee Se-hee (Lee Ju-ri).

It opened at 3.9% with episode 1 and peaked at 8.6% with its 12th and final episode, averaging 5.4%. On Netflix it peaked at No. 5 in non-English TV, spending three weeks in the Top 10; its best week, October 14–20, drew 1.6 million views.

This MBC Friday–Saturday drama aired 10 episodes from October 11 to November 15. Profiler Jang Tae-soo (Han Suk-kyu) is thrown into a dilemma when he learns secrets of his daughter Jang Ha-bin (Chae Won-bin) that are tied to a murder case. It is an original series directed by Song Yeon-hwa and written by Han A-young, with Han Ye-ri (Lee Eo-jin), Noh Jae-won (Koo Dae-hong) and Yoon Kyung-ho (Oh Jung-hwan) co-starring.

It opened at 5.6% with episode 1 and peaked at 9.6% with its 10th and final episode, averaging 6.4%. Han Suk-kyu won the Grand Prize at the 2024 MBC Drama Awards, and at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards the following year, Song Yeon-hwa won Best Director – Television and Chae Won-bin won Best New Actress – Television.

An eight-episode mystery horror series released on Disney+ from December 4 to 18. Strange customers come to a light shop at the end of a dark alley; Kang Full adapted his own webtoon of the same name. It is the directorial debut of actor Kim Hee-won. The cast includes Ju Ji-hoon (Jung Won-young), Park Bo-young (Kwon Young-ji), Kim Seol-hyun (Lee Ji-young), Bae Seong-woo (Yang Seong-sik), Um Tae-goo (Kim Hyun-min) and Lee Jung-eun (Jung Yoo-hee).

Kang Full had previously won Best Screenplay – Television at the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards for Disney+'s Moving. Official viewership figures have not been confirmed. Kim Hee-won was nominated for Best Director – Television at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards the following year.

An eight-episode Netflix series released on November 29. A mystery romance about Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), an employee of NM, a company that arranges fixed-term marriages, and Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo), a music producer who enters a contract marriage through the company. Their secrets come to light after a trunk surfaces in a lake. It is based on Kim Ryeo-ryeong's novel of the same name, directed by Kim Kyu-tae (Our Blues) and written by Park Eun-young, with Jung Yun-ha (Lee Seo-yeon), Jo I-geon (Yoon Ji-oh) and Kim Dong-won (Eom Tae-sung) co-starring.

It peaked at No. 3 on the global chart for non-English TV and spent three weeks in the Top 10, with weekly views totaling 7.9 million. Its best week, December 2–8, drew 4.1 million views. Seo Hyun-jin was nominated for Best Actress at the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards the following year.

A six-episode series released on Coupang Play every Friday from November 29 to December 27. Han Young-soo (Bae Doona), a mother with the ability to freely edit memories, joins forces with her family to punish villains. It is an original series written by Kim Jung-min and directed by Kim Gok and Kim Sun, with Ryoo Seung-bum (Baek Cheol-hee), Baek Yoon-sik (Baek Kang-seong), Lomon (Baek Ji-hoon) and Lee Soo-hyun (Baek Ji-woo) co-starring.

Coupang Play did not release specific viewership figures. Bae Doona won Best Actress (Series) at the 23rd Director's Cut Awards the following year, and at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards Kim Jung-min was nominated for Best Screenplay – Television and Kim Gook-hee for Best Supporting Actress – Television. A second season was confirmed in November 2025.