After “Squid Game”
Korean series highlights on Netflix
Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang) goes on a monster hunt in “Sweet Home”.
© Son Ik-Chung / Netflix
Netflix’s “Squid Game” fascinates viewers worldwide. Fans of the production should also give these South Korean series a chance …
The pop culture of South Korea has enjoyed particular popularity in recent years. Be it the international breakthrough of K-Pop groups such as BTS and Blackpink, the historic Oscar win for “Parasite” or, most recently, the sensational success of the Netflix series “Squid Game” – more and more people are interested in the East Asian country’s entertainment industry.
“Squid Game” seems to have sparked interest in so-called K-Dramas in many. In general, the term refers to series from South Korea, regardless of the genre. For years, Netflix has been expanding this division: In addition to its own productions, the streaming service regularly buys TV series that achieved good ratings in South Korea.
These five K-Dramas are currently available on Netflix and are just as addictive as “Squid Game”:
“Sweet Home”
The depressed teenager Cha Hyun-soo (Song Kang, 27) lives in a shabby high-rise. One day strange things happen in and around the building complex: a deadly virus spreads and people turn into monsters. Hyun-soo and a group of survivors hide in the skyscraper to protect themselves from the creatures. However, distrust soon spreads: What if one of the residents is infected and becomes a threat to the others?
Episodes: 10
Language: Korean, German
Cast: Song Kang, Lee Do-hyun, Lee Si-young, Lee Jin-uk
“Vincenzo”
Park Joo-hyung (Song Joong-ki, 36) moves to Italy as a child and later joins the mafia there. She gave him the name Vincenzo Cassano. Years later, the lawyer fled to Seoul and tried to get hidden gold there. He temporarily stores the treasure in a building complex that is illegally taken by a foreign company. Vincenzo then tries by all means of the Mafia to win back the building and the gold.
Episodes: 20
Language: Korean, German subtitles
Cast: Song Joong-ki, Jeon Yeo-been, Ok Taec-yeon
“Itaewon Class”
Park Sae-ro-yi’s (Park Seo-joon, 32) life gets out of hand after beating up the school bully. He loses his father and ends up in jail after another fight. Years later he dares a new start: Together with the student Jo Yi-seo (Kim Da-mi, 26) he opens his own bar. Soon he is competing with the catering giant Jangga Group. Sae-ro-yi shares a dark past with its founder …
Episodes: 16
Language: Korean, German subtitles
Cast: Park Seo-joon, Kim Da-mi, Kwon Na-ra, Kim Dong-hee
“Kingdom”
In the Joseon Dynasty (from 1392) the king seems to have contracted smallpox. Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon, 39) wants to investigate the mysterious disease and comes across terrifying discoveries on his journey through the country. What is spreading there is not smallpox. The king and numerous other people have turned into zombies. At first, the undead only wander around at night. But they soon become a threat during the day as well.
Episodes: 12 in two seasons + Special “Kingdom: Ashin of the North”
Language: Korean, German
Cast: Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doo-na, Kim Sung-kyu, Jun Ji-hyun
“Extracurricular”
Oh Ji-soo (Kim Dong-hee, 22) is a model student whose desire is to be accepted into an elite university. In order to finance his tuition fees, the minor does illegal business in the red light district. His rich classmate Bae Gyu-ri (Park Ju-hyun, 27) is interested in the outsider’s secret business and wants to join him. When one of Ji-soo’s assignments goes wrong, his academic future is suddenly on the brink.
Episodes: 10
Language: Korean, German
Cast: Kim Dong-hee, Park Ju-hyun, Jung Da-bin