Another month begins, and that means fans are about to see a new batch of K-content coming to Netflix. And just like the previous months, the streamer has something to offer for every viewer, may it be a horror series like Gyeongseong Creature Part 2 or a post-apocalyptic movie such as Badland Hunters. Thankfully, the service has now released the new eight K-content fans can watch out for this January 2024.
1 Through the Darkness
Kim Nam-gil, Jin Seon-kyu, and Kim So-jin have made their way to Netflix as their 2022 K-drama series Through the Darkness is now available on the streaming giant. Based on the 2018 non-fiction book of the same name by Korea's first criminal profiler, Kwon Il-yong, and journalist-turned-author Ko Na-mu, it tells the story of Song Ha-young (Nam-gil), who works as a profiler for the Criminal Behavior Analysis team at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's (SMPA) Scientific Investigation division.
The series shows how hard a profiler’s work is, highlighting Il-yong’s field experiences as he struggles to determine the serial killer’s behavioral patterns. Through the Darkness was first released on January 14, 2022, on SBS.
2 Gyeongseong Creature Part 2
The mystery surrounding the Onseong Hospital continues in Gyeongseong Creature Part 2. After the first part ended with a major cliffhanger, the remaining three episodes will reveal the fate of Jang Tae-sang (Park Seo-joon) after he was left behind and Myeong-ja (Ji Woo) after unknowingly drinking the serum that might soon turn her into a monster.
The second part also has a lot of mysteries to solve, like the connection of Yukiko Maeda (Soo Hyun) to Yoon Chae-ok’s (Han So-hee) mother, Shim Sun-deok (Woo Jung-won). Written by Kang Eun-kyung (Dr. Romantic, Kang Chi, The Beginning) and directed by Chung Dong-yoon (Hot Stove League), the second part is scheduled to be released on January 5 on Netflix.
3 The Matchmakers
Rowoon and Cho Yi-hyun’s new K-drama, The Matchmakers, will be soon streamed internationally. Written by Ha Soo-in and directed by Hwang Seung-gi and Kim Soo-jin, it tells the story of a young widower, Shim Jung-woo (Rowoon), and the widow Jung Soon-deok (Yi-hyun), who work together to get the three unmarried women, known as the old maids in Joseon, get married.
Originally released on October 30, 2023, the show ended on December 25, 2023, on KBS2. However, it has yet to be revealed when it will be released on Netflix. Streaming on Wavve in South Korea, and Viki and Viu are also available in select regions.
4 The Bequeathed
Netflix has a new thriller series to offer this month. Titled The Bequeathed, it features Kim Hyun-joo on the lead as Yoon Seo-ha, who happens to inherit her family’s mysterious gravesite. Directed by Ming Hong-nam (Train to Busan, Psychokinesis, and Peninsula) and written by Yeon Sang-ho (Train to Busan, Hellbound, and Method), the mystery begins as Seo-ha’s uncle dies and leaves her the family gravesite.
Little did she know that the property held a lot of secrets and was responsible for the recent mishaps happening in the village. Aside from Hyun-joo, the series also stars Park Hee-soon, Park Byung-eun, and Ryu Kyung-soo. The Bequeathed is set to release on January 19 on Netflix.
5 Captivating the King
Another new K-drama is about to hit Netflix. Titled Captivating the King, it features Jo Jung-suk as Yi In, the king of Joseon, and Shin Se-kyung as Kang Hee-soo and Kang Mong-woo. Se-Kyung plays two roles in the series: a woman who disguises herself as a man and a baduk player who becomes Yi In’s close friend.
The show will reveal the cruel love story between the two, as Hee-soo finds herself falling in love with Yi In as she plans her revenge. Written by Kim Seon-deok and directed by Jo Nam-guk, it’s scheduled for release on January 21 on tvN and will be available to stream on Netflix.
6 Badland Hunters
Don Lee is back. But he will be a hunter this time in the upcoming Korean movie Badland Hunters. A sequel to the 2023 film Concrete Utopia, this film will take place after a major earthquake dramatically changes Seoul, turning it into an apocalyptic wasteland. As law and order and even civilization collapse, it will be up to the survivors to survive while being governed by the powerful.
Written by Kim Bo-tong and Kwak Jae-min and directed by Heo Myung-haeng, the film is an original production of Netflix and produced by Byun Seung-min. It’s set to release on January 26.
7 Doctor Slump
Park Shin-hye will lead the new K-drama Doctor Slump with Park Hyun-sik. The two will play as the high school rivals Nam Ha-neul and Yeo Jung-woo. However, despite the tight competition between them when they were young, everything’s about to change when they meet again as adults, finding comfort in each other at the lowest time of their lives.
Written by Baek Sun-woo and directed by Oh Hyun-jong, it’s scheduled to premiere on January 27 on JTBC. Streaming on TVING in South Korea and on Netflix in select regions will also be available.
8 Korea-Khitan War
In celebration of KBS’s 50th anniversary, the network has released the historical drama Korea-Khitan War. Based on the 2018 South Korean novel Goryeo-Khitan War: Sweet Rain in the Winter by Gil Seung-soo, it tells the story of King Hyeonjong of Goryeo (Kim Dong-jun) as he leads the war against the Khitans to unite Goryeo under his leadership with Gang Gam-chan (Choi Soo-jong), his political mentor and the Goryeo army’s commander-in-chief.
The show is written by Gil Seung-soo and Lee Jung-woo and directed by Jeon Woo-sung and Kim Han-sol. It premieres on November 11, 2023, and is ongoing, airing every Saturday and Sunday on KBS2. The series is also available to stream on Wavve in South Korea and Kocowa in the U.S. and will soon hit Netflix.
Which of these series are you excited to watch? With this number of new K-content coming out this month, you will surely never run out of a new show to see.
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