From Nam Joo-hyuk to Lee Dong-wook: July's biggest K-drama releases

Dubai: July is a big month for K-drama fans, with a packed run of premieres covering romance, mystery, action, fantasy and family drama.

The headline moments include Nam Joo-hyuk's first role since finishing military service and the return of Disney+ hit A Shop for Killers, but there is plenty more besides, from supernatural rom-coms to slow-burn thrillers.

Here is everything worth lining up this month, in order of release.

Cast: Kim Myung Soo, Kang Min Ah

Kim Myung-soo, better known as L from Infinite, leads this romantic comedy opposite Kang Min-ah. He plays Cha Eun-hwan, a counsellor with an almost overwhelming gift for empathy, while Kang is Yoo Ji-an, a popular singer trying to prove herself as an actress despite critics who find her performances too reserved. A surreal twist soon has the pair feeling each other's emotions.

When: 4 July Where to watch: Disney+

Cast: Namkoong Min, Lee Seol, Lee Sang Hee, Kim Dae Myung

Namkoong Min, reliably excellent at quiet menace, headlines this mystery thriller as Kang Tae-ju, a composed neurosurgeon who also helps run a major hospital. He asks his wife Ko Se-yun (Lee Seol), the hospital's chairwoman, for a divorce, and the very next day she is abducted. Tae-ju becomes the prime suspect and goes on the run, while Se-yun fights to escape and crosses paths with a stranger whose motives are anyone's guess.

When: 4 July Where to watch: Disney+

Cast: Park Se Young, Han Go Eun, Im Ji Eun, Sung Le On

Park Se-young leads this daily family drama as Na Ji-ni, an aspiring animator who has spent her life carrying the stigma of her birth, raised as the daughter of a renowned cellist and her married partner. The story digs into a strained mother-and-daughter relationship as long-buried wounds start to surface.

When: 6 July Where to watch: Viki or Viu

Cast: Ji Sung, Ha Yoon Kyung, Park Byung Eun, Moon So Ri

Ji Sung returns in an enjoyably odd role as Park Hae-gang, a former gangster with an unlikely new ambition: becoming chairman of his apartment complex's residents' association. He is really there to recover a hidden stash of money, but his campaign ends up exposing widespread corruption and turning him into a local hero. Ha Yoon-kyung co-stars as an aspiring lawyer who joins the cause.

When: 11 July Where to watch: Viki or Viu

Cast: Hwang In Youp, Lee Hye Ri, Baek Sung Chul, Lee Yul Eum

Hwang In-youp and Lee Hye-ri star in this romantic comedy about two people hitting their thirties from very different places. Lee plays Joo Yi-jae, a former reporter whose optimism has worn thin after years of setbacks, while Hwang is Su-bin, an aspiring filmmaker who chose his passion over what his family wanted for him.

When: 13 July Where to watch: ENA

Cast: Nam Joo Hyuk, Roh Yoon Seo, Cho Seung Woo

The month's most anticipated return, this marks Nam Joo-hyuk's first project since completing military service, and he comes back with a historical fantasy. He plays Gu-cheon, a man who can move between the human world and the realm of spirits, alongside Roh Yoon-seo as Court Lady Saeng-gang, who can hear ghosts. The king tasks the pair with lifting a mysterious curse over the royal palace. The 12-episode run also stars Cho Seung-woo.

When: 17 July Where to watch: Netflix

Cast: Park Eun Bin, Yang Se Jong, Ong Seong Wi

Park Eun-bin is back quickly after The WONDERfools, this time in a horror rom-com inspired by the 2011 film Spellbound. She plays Cheon Yeo-ri, a wealthy hotel heiress who can see ghosts, teaming up with prosecutor Ma Gang-uk (Yang Se-jong) as the two get tangled in supernatural mysteries. Ong Seong-wu also features in the eight-episode weekend series.

When: 18 July Where to watch: Netflix

Cast: Lee Dong Wook, Kim Hye Jun

Disney+'s action thriller returns with Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-jun reprising their roles. Season two picks up after Jin-man's unexpected return, with niece Ji-an now helping to run the secretive weapons business that arms elite mercenaries. The two are forced to face down a fresh set of enemies closing in.

When: 22 July Where to watch: Disney+

EXID's Ahn Hee-yeon stars opposite Ha Seok-jin in this easygoing neighbourhood romance. She plays the energetic owner of a much-loved side-dish shop, while he is the chef at a nearby Italian restaurant who keeps his privileged upbringing to himself.

When: 25 July Where to watch: Viki or Viu

Closing out the month is this adaptation of the hit webtoon of the same name. Gong Hyo-jin stars as Yoo Bo-na, an office worker leading a double life as the legendary assassin known as Kingfisher. Newly back from maternity leave, she tries to juggle ordinary family life while hiding her secret from her husband, an investigative journalist who has unknowingly spent years trying to track the elusive killer down.

When: 31 July Where to watch: Viki or Viu