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Pierce Conran

Beyond the usual K-drama complement of medical, legal and romantic dramas, August also boasts some high-concept fantasy action and a period film-industry drama.
Read on to find out what to catch over the next month.
1. Mary Kills People
Lead cast: Lee Bo-young, Lee Min-ki, Kang Ki-young


The 2017 Canadian series Mary Kills People has been remade in Korea, with Lee Bo-young (Mine) playing Woo So-jeong, a doctor who secretly helps patients seeking euthanasia.
She does so with the help of another doctor, Choi Dae-hyun (Kang Ki-young, Extraordinary Attorney Woo). On their trail is Jo Hyun-woo (Lee Min-ki, My Liberation Notes), a detective with a brain tumour.
The series is the latest from small-screen director Park Joon-woo, who recently delivered the action dramas Taxi Driver and Crash. (MBC, August 1)
2. My Lovely Journey
Lead cast: Gong Seung-yeon, Kim Jae-young


Amid all the high-octane and high-drama programmes on offer, the summer K-drama schedule is making room for a “healing drama” in the form of My Lovely Journey, based on the Japanese novel Welcome Back, Traveler.
Gong Seung-yeon (The First Responders) plays Kang Ha-tang, a former idol group member who begins working as a travel reporter for a lifestyle programme.
Her new colleague is Lee Yeon-seok (Kim Jae-young, The Judge from Hell), a top university graduate who quit working at a big company and became her producer, while harbouring a dream of becoming a filmmaker. (Channel A, August 2)
3. Beyond the Bar
Lead cast: Lee Jin-wook, Jung Chae-yeon


After starring in Squid Game season 3 and the film Dark Nuns this year, Lee Jin-wook makes a quick return in the legal drama Beyond the Bar.
He plays Yoon Seok-hoon, a partner at the Yullim law firm, who stays calm under pressure as he outwits his opponents. He is admired for his skills, but deemed aloof and unapproachable by his colleagues. He then starts to clash with the clumsy rookie lawyer Kang Hyo-min (Jung Chae-yeon, Family by Choice). (JTBC/Netflix, August 2)
4. Love, Take Two
Lead cast: Yum Jung-ah, Park Hae-joon


Yum Jung-ah (SKY Castle) and Park Hae-joon (When Life Gives You Tangerines) play a single mother and single father who reconnect years after they were each other’s first love.
Yum is confident construction site manager Lee Ji-an, while Park plays the peaceful Ryu Jeong-seok. As long-dormant feelings reawaken, the pair also have to contend with Ji-an’s daughter and Jeong-seok’s son, who begin to develop feelings for each other. (TvN, August 4)
5. My Troublesome Star
Lead cast: Uhm Jung-hwa, Song Seung-heon


Uhm Jung-hwa (Doctor Cha) plays a popular celebrity who disappeared 25 years earlier, only to suddenly reappear as an ordinary middle-aged woman with no memories of her past and a different name.
Song Seung-heon is Dokgo Cheol, a detective who is suddenly demoted to traffic duty. He tries to find his way back to the violent crimes department by going undercover as a manager, at which point he meets Uhm’s protagonist. (ENA, August 18)
6. Aema
Lead cast: Lee Ha-nee, Bang Hyo-rin


Believer director Lee Hae-young tackles his first drama series with Aema, a period tale set against the backdrop of the Korean film industry around the 1980s.
Aema is the name of the titular protagonist of Madame Aema, a real-life long-running series of erotic films. Lee Ha-nee (The Fiery Priest) plays Jung Hee-ran, a top star of the day who is cast as Madame Aema.
But when producer Gu Joong-ho (Jin Seon-kyu, Bargain) can no longer take her diva behaviour, he fires her and selects newcomer Shin Joo-ae (Bang Hyo-rin, also a newcomer). (Netflix, August 22)
7. Twelve
Lead cast: Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyung-sik


For the first time in almost a decade, The Roundup star Ma Dong-seok (aka Don Lee) returns to the small screen in the occult action drama Twelve.
Ma appears as Tae-san, the beefy leader of a group of 12 zodiac angels who battle with the forces of evil as they escape their confinement in the gates of hell. Among them is the demon O-gwi, played by Park Hyung-sik (Happiness).
Twelve marks the TV debut of director Kang Dae-gyu, who previously made the heartwarming films Harmony and Pawn. (KBS2/Disney+, August 23)
8. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty
Lead cast: Lim Yoon-a, Lee Chae-min, Kang Han-na


Im Yoon-ah of Girls’ Generation plays Yeon Ji-young, a cheerful chef specialising in French cuisine who, after winning a cooking competition, finds herself magically transported back in time to the Joseon era.
She is forced to serve food to King Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min, Hierarchy), a tyrannical monarch with an exquisite palate who develops a taste for Ji-young’s surprising fusion food.
August will also see Im headline the fantasy comedy film Pretty Crazy alongside Ahn Bo-hyun. (TvN, August 23)


HBO Max K-drama Yumi’s Cells season 3: Kim Go-eun returns for a final romantic chapter

Disney+ K-drama Perfect Crown: IU and Byeon Woo-seok lead fantasy romance far from perfect

Who is Byeon Woo-seok, the model turned actor starring opposite IU in Perfect Crown?

K-drama casting news about Park Seo-joon, Park Eun-bin, Lee Young-ae and more

K-drama news

8 of the best new K-dramas to watch in August 2025, including Twelve on Disney+

Ma Dong-seok in a still from Twelve. Photo: Disney+

Park Hyung-sik in a still from action drama Twelve, one of the best new Korean drama series to watch in August 2025. Photo: Disney+

Who is Moon Ga-young, Korean actress known for K-dramas True Beauty and Law and the City?

Moon Ga-young in a still from Law and the City. Photo: Disney+

South Korean actress Moon Ga-young is currently starring in the legal drama Law and the City, following her appearance in My Dearest Nemesis earlier this year. Photo: Instagram/m_kayoung

Moon Ga-young in a still from Law and the City. Photo: Disney+.

Moon Ga-young in a still from My Dearest Nemesis.

Moon Ga-young in a still from Find Me in Your Memory (2020).

Moon Ga-young in a still from True Beauty (2020).

Moon Ga-young in a still from Link: Eat, Love, Kill (2022).

Moon Ga-young in a still from The Interest of Love (2022).

8 of the best new K-dramas to watch in July 2025, including Law and the City on Disney+

Moon Ga-young in a still from Law and the City, streaming on TvN and Disney+ from July 5. Photo: Disney+

Who is Seol In-ah, rising star from K-dramas Oh My Ghost Clients and Business Proposal?

Korean actress Seol In-ah, who is currently starring in the Korean drama series Oh My Ghost Clients. Photo: Instagram/_seorina

Seol In-ah in a still from Oh My Ghost Clients.

Seol in a still from Twinkling Watermelon (2023).

Seol in a still from Mr. Queen (2020).

Seol in a still from Business Proposal (2022).

Seol in a still from Oasis (2023).

Seol in a still from the film Emergency Declaration (2021).

8 of the best new K-dramas to watch in June 2025, including Squid Game season 3 on Netflix

Lee Byung-hun as Frontman in a still from Squid Game season 3. Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix

Lee Jung-jae as Seong Gi-hun in a still from Squid Game season 3. Photo: No Ju-han/Netflix

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Film & TV

From Beyond the Bar starring Squid Game’s Lee Jin-wook to Twelve and Mary Kills People, here are some of the best upcoming new Korean dramas


From Beyond the Bar starring Squid Game’s Lee Jin-wook to Twelve and Mary Kills People, here are some of the best upcoming new Korean dramas.


8 of the best new K-dramas to watch in August 2025, including Twelve on Disney+

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From Beyond the Bar starring Squid Game’s Lee Jin-wook to Twelve and Mary Kills People, here are some of the best upcoming new Korean dramas

1. Mary Kills People

2. My Lovely Journey

From Beyond the Bar starring Squid Game’s Lee Jin-wook to Twelve and Mary Kills People, here are some of the best upcoming new Korean dramas