While July may not be packed with a plethora of K-drama releases, it certainly offers some big and exciting series for viewers looking to escape the summer heat. Here’s a preview of 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+’s action thriller Red Swan. Rain plays Do-yoon, a resilient 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 powerful 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 uncover dark secrets about her husband’s family. Red Swan is penned by Choi Yoon-jung, a veteran in the K-drama world, with her last produced series being 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 the 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 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 JU Construction’s founder, 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) 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, specializing in divorce cases. This 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 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) shares 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 features Kim as Lee Hong-ju, an animation producer who has given up on love after experiencing a tough breakup 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 again, who happens to be his first love. (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 plans 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 personal scandals he became embroiled in shortly before his death, he was replaced by Cho. The series marks the drama debut of director Choi Kook-hee, 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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