The world of Korean dramas has historically been dominated by storylines of romance, historical fiction, and familial disputes, but in the past few years, South Korea has released a slew of successful crime shows that have enthralled K-drama fans throughout the world.
Korean thriller’s demonstrate a wide spectrum of psychological storylines intricated by politics, corruption, and unreliable personalities. From Han So Hee and Ahn Bo Hyung’s My Name to Shin Ha Kyung and Yoo Jin Goo’s Beyond Evil, 6 Korean Psychological thrillers that will leave you questioning reality.
1. Flower of Evil (2020)
Director: Kim Cheol Kyu
Cast: Lee Joon-Gi, Moon Chae-won
This Korean psychological thriller series unfolds pretty plainly by showing a happily family, comprising of three members, Baek Hee-sung, a metal welder who runs a business, his wife Cha Ji-won, a certified detective, and their six-year-old daughter, Baek Eun-Ha. At first, they seemed like an ideal representation of how a family should look like with both the parents showering their little girl with affection. However, things start to take an unexpected turn after we discover that Baek Hee-Sung is not actually Baek Hee-Sung.
Baek Hee-sung is actually a man who is hiding his true identity and his dark past from his wife Cha Ji-won. Cha Ji-won and her coworkers start investigating an ongoing series of mysterious murders, and finds herself discovering that her supposedly ideal husband is possibly hiding something from her.
Flower of Evil is a crime thriller that portrays an intriguing game between a psychopath and a detective.
2. Little Women (2022)
Director: Kim Hee-won
Cast: Kim Go-eun, Nam Ji-hyun, Park Ji-hu
This South Korean drama is a fascinating narrative of 3 sisters who shares a very close bond, growing up in poverty and ending up getting involved in a massive conflict against the most affluent family in the nation.
The elder sister Oh In Joo desires to support her family with money. Growing up in miserable poverty, her sole ambition was to survive just like other commoners, but a tragic incident dramatically changed her life.
The second sister Oh In Kyung is a journalist who hates to surrender to money and always strives to do what’s right. When a mystery incident from her early reporting days comes near to her, she sets out in search of the truth.
The youngest sister, Oh In Hye, feels overpowered by the affection of her elder sisters, who struggle hard for her. She never got to use art equipment because of their family’s financial condition, but she attended an art school having an innate knack for art.
3. My Name (2021)
Director: Kim Jin Min
Cast: Han So-Hee, Ahn Bo-Hyun, Park Hee-soon
My Name is a South Korean thriller which revolves around a woman named Yoon Ji-Woo whose father passed away mysteriously. She is anxious to get revenge on the people accountable for the demise of her dad. Ji-woo begins working for an illicit drug gang. To find the mystery that brought about the tragic death of her father, she becomes a part of the police and becomes an accomplice for the illicit drug gang. Ji-woo, was designated a position in the drugs investigation section along with her detective partner, Jeon Pil-Do.
4. Mask Girl (2023)
Director: Kim Young-hoon
Cast: Lee Han-byeol, Go Hyun-jung, Nana
Mask girl is yet another South Korean thriller with an intriguing storyline. Kim Mo-Mi (Lee Han-byeol) is a regular office worker. When she was a kid, she fantasized about performing on stage under the bright spotlights. As she grew up, she became ‘ugly,’ yet she is glad of her physically attractive figure. After finishing work, she crashes home, puts on a mask, and live streams herself as Mask Girl. She gets caught up in various unusual situations while livestreaming herself online.
Joo Oh Nam is Kim Mo Mi’s colleague. He has a one-sided infatuation for Kim Mo-mi. Joo Oh Nam, a protagonist who feels unsatisfactory about his physical appearance, finds pleasure in watching online broadcasts. He will be caught up in an unpredictable mishap with Kim Mo Mi.
5. The Glory (2022)
Director: Ahn Gil-ho
Cast: Song Hye-kyo, Lim Ji-yeon, Lee Do-hyun, Park Sung-hoon, Yeom Hye-ran, Jung Sung-il
This Korean drama is about how a victim of school violence and plans to take her revenge on her bullies after taking up a position as a class teacher at the bully’s child’s school. Some events in this drama reflect on a real-life incident in 2006, when a group of middle school students from Cheongju, South Korea, forced money from one of their classmates for almost a month, continuously assaulting her with various objects in the process.
6. Beyond Evil (2021)
Director: Shim Na-yeon
Cast: Shin Ha-kyun, Yoo Jin-goo
Beyond Evil portrays an intriguing tale of two daring cops who are prepared to go to any limit in their chase of a resurfacing serial killer. To determine the murderer’s identity, the two are compelled to delve deeper than what the evidence actually appears to show. In the process of figuring out the murderer’s true identity, they doubt the motives of every individual associated with the case, including themselves.
