For a long time, the Romance, Saeguk, and Makjang genres dominated Korean dramas. When a new drama came out, it was likely one of those three. But over the last decade, Thrillers have gained traction. People have come to crave nail-biting suspense after a long, dull day at the office. I’ve always loved Suspense/Thrillers, so the constant flood of police procedurals, psychological thrillers, and more in K-Drama Land is welcomed. There’s something for everyone, and the content is guaranteed to give you more gray hair than you started with.
Below are six thrillers (in no particular order) designed to get your heart racing. All are available to stream on KOCOWA.
God’s Gift: 14 Days
Kim Soo Hyun (Lee Bo Young) is a successful TV writer whose daughter is kidnapped and murdered. In her grief, she discovers a way to go back in time to save her daughter. Ki Dong Chan (Cho Seung Woo) is a cop turned private investigator with problems of his own. His disabled brother has been falsely accused of murdering Dong Chan’s ex-girlfriend. He teams up with Kim Soo Hyun to help uncover the nefarious plot surrounding her daughter’s death, while trying to prove his brother’s innocence.
With a powerhouse performance by Lee Bo Young, “God’s Gift: 14 Days” will give you chills and rip your heart out. And when you think it’s done with you, it rinses and repeats.
Taxi Driver
Lee Je Hoon plays Kim Do Gi, a Korean Military Academy graduate whose mother was brutally murdered when he was young. He now works for Rainbow Taxi, a clandestine organization that offers to get revenge on behalf of victims. Esom plays Kang Ha Na, a prosecutor who is dead set on investigating Rainbow Taxi and its curious activities.
This drama is one of my favorites, and it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s dark, gritty, and inspired by actual crimes that took place in Korea. Taxi Driver is not an easy watch, but the victims’ cases are eye-opening, and the cinematography is slick. In addition to those things, the acting is phenomenal, and every episode is fast-paced. I quickly grew to love the Rainbow Taxi family, even though their methods are…unorthodox. It’s important to mentally prepare yourself because this drama will take you through the seven stages of grief. I’m so glad there’s going to be a season 2.
Healer
Seo Jung Hoo (Ji Chang Wook) is a notorious night courier who goes by the codename “Healer”. He’ll deliver anything for the right price (as long as it isn’t murder-adjacent). When his latest job causes him to cross paths with tabloid writer Chae Young Shin (Park Min Young) and successful journalist Kim Moon Ho (Yoo Ji Tae), the three of them are forced to confront their shared past, and its link to an incident that took place in the nineties, as well as present-day murders.
This is a big fan favorite among thriller enthusiasts, because of its interesting plot, and Ji Chang Wook and Park Min Young’s chemistry. The action will leave you breathless, but so will the kissing.
Two Weeks
Jang Tae San (Lee Joon Gi) is a man who doesn’t expect his life to amount to much. He runs a pawn shop, and before that, he was the “fall guy” for a mob boss and spent time in prison. One day, his ex-girlfriend Seo In Hye (Park Ha Sun) contacts him to tell him their daughter has leukemia and needs a bone marrow transplant to live. In Hye is not a match, but Tae San is. This all comes as a surprise to him because he told her to get an abortion when they broke up.
If that isn’t enough, Tae San is framed for murder and becomes a fugitive. He must keep himself safe and make it to his daughter’s surgery in two weeks if he wants her to survive.
This drama stressed me out as all Lee Joon Gi dramas do, and I was heavily invested. The best thing about it is probably the character development because you’re slowly watching someone become a genuinely good dad to a daughter he didn’t even know he had. Their budding relationship is adorable, and the child actress who plays her does a wonderful job. All you want is for her surgery to go well. It’s also nerve-wracking watching Tae San dodge gangsters and crooked law enforcement, while trying not to get seriously injured because, if he gets injured, his daughter can’t use his bone marrow.
“Two Weeks” is an underrated gem that has incredible action scenes, tear-jerking moments, and Kim So Yeon (as a determined cop) flexing those acting chops before Penthouse.
Tree With Deep Roots
King Se Jong (Han Seok Kyu) hasn’t been reigning long when he accidentally causes his in-laws and their slaves to die. But not all of the slaves die. Two young slaves by the name of Ddol Bok (Jang Hyuk) and Dam (Shine Se Kyung) survive, but neither knows the other is alive. Ddol Bok grows up vowing to kill the King and eventually enters the palace as Kang Chae Yoon. Meanwhile, Dam becomes a court lady named So Yi. She has a photographic memory and remembers everything about the night everyone she cared about died. In fact, she feels so guilty about her role in their deaths, that she is now mute.
Both Ddol Bok and Dam navigate the pitfalls of palace life as the bodies of several scholars start popping up. Can they meet again and solve the mystery of the scholars’ deaths? Especially when they are linked to a powerful secret organization?
If you love historical dramas, and want to be on the edge of your seat, then this is the drama for you. The plot is intricate, the writing is strong, and pretty much every episode ends on an insane cliffhanger.
Defendant
Ji Sung plays a prosecutor named Park Jung Woo who wakes up on death row. He has no idea how he got there because he has temporary amnesia. He doesn’t remember what he did or the events leading up to that point. Now Jung Woo must fight to recover his memory and prove his innocence.
“Defendant” is a fast-paced drama where you don’t know who to believe. It takes you on a wild ride, and most of the time, you’re discovering information at the same time as Jung Woo. Ji Sung’s performance carries the drama, and the way the story unfolds is amazing.
There you have it! Six dramas guaranteed to make you bite your nails into little nubs. But it doesn’t end at just six. There are more great thrillers to discover on KOCOWA.
