13 of the most exciting Korean TV shows and movies on Netflix in 2022

‘All of Us Are Dead’ (released on January 28): It seems the demand for zombie projects is never going to die out — pun intended — so of course we have an exciting series coming that’s based on the living dead. In ‘All of Us Are Dead’, students that are trapped in a school amid a zombie virus outbreak unite in their fight to survive. The show is based on a popular webtoon by Joo Dong-geun and is touted as a ‘Korean-style zombie graphic novel’ with its wild imagination, gripping storyline and meticulous details, according to a statement. The series features a number of rising stars including Yoon Chan-young, Park Ji-hu, Cho Yi-hyun, Lomon, Yoo In-soo, Lee You-mi and Lim Jae-hyeok.

‘Love and Leashes’ (released on February 11): The teaser for this upcoming movie has gotten everyone talking thanks to its risque storyline that’s unusual for otherwise modest Korean projects. Actress Seohyun, of K-Pop group Girls’ Generation’s, stars as PR executive Ji Woo. She accidentally uncovers a secret about her male colleague Ji Hoo (Lee Jun-young), who is an office favourite. They soon get entangled in a contractual relationship that isn’t your usual rom-com fare.

‘Twenty Five, Twenty One’ (released on February 12): Youthful romance is a given for Netflix’s slate this year, and ‘Twenty Five, Twenty One’ will give audiences all the feels. According to the streamer, the drama of about youths “who lost their dream to the zeitgeist of 1998”. Na Hee-do is on her high school fencing team but has to give up the sport when the team is disbanded due to the South Korean financial crisis. The crisis also hits Baek Yi-jin, who goes from a riches to rags when his father’s business goes bankrupt. The protagonists met for the first time when they were 22 and 18 and then when they’re 25 and 21, romance sparks between them. The series showcases their love and growth, as well as the hardships among them and their friends. In the lead are popular stars Kim Tae-ri and Nam Joo-hyuk.

‘Forecasting Love and Weather’ (released on February 12): Come rain or shine, we can expect some of the most wholesome content from Korea. The newest such series on the block is ‘Forecasting Love and Weather’, which is said to be “a cheerful romance drama of people at the Korea Meteorological Administration who break, fall and get back on their feet every day.” It narrates the story of Jin Ha-kyung, who swears off office romances after a tough break-up. As these things go, she ends up falling for the newcomer Lee Si-woo. With a star-studded cast of Park Min-young and Song Kang, this sweet series is one of the most anticipated rom-coms in 2022.

‘Thirty Nine’ (released on February 16): K-dramas aren’t always about rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes they’re about the harsh realities of getting older. Three women on the verge of turning 40 take centre-stage is this drama about their close friendship and the romance and struggles that they face. Acclaimed actress Son Ye-jin plays Cha Mi-jo, the wealthy head dermatologist at a clinic who seems to have it all. Jeon Mi-do of ‘Hospital Playlist’ fame stars as Jeong Chan-young, who gives up her acting dreams to become an acting coach. While Kim Ji-hyun plays a timid cosmetics sales manager Jeon Mi-do. One day, life takes a turn for the worse and they have to be prepared to say goodbye.

‘Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area’ (released on June 24): Fans of acclaimed Spanish heist drama ‘La casa de papel’ will be happy to know that a Korean remake is on its way. ‘Money Heist: Korea — Joint Economic Area’ narrates the story of a genius strategist and his crew of world-class thieves who are attempting to pull off a risky heist in the Korean Peninsula. There will be unexpected twists and turns as the crew stage a hostage situation.

‘Yaksha: Ruthless Operations’ (released on April 8): Get your action fix with this spy drama directed by Na Hyun. It revolves around Kang-inn (played by Sul Kyung-gu), the ruthless head of an overseas espionage team, who is so mean he’s nicknamed after a human-devouring spirit ‘Yaksha’. He crossed paths with Ji-hoon (‘Squid Game’ actor Park Hae-soo), who plays the role of a prosecutor who was demoted to China for playing it by the book.

‘Carter’ (released on August 5): Popular Korean actor Joo Won takes on the role of a top agent who wakes up one day with memory loss. He’s then thrown right into the middle of a mysterious mission that involves a thrilling chase. The movie is being helmed by acclaimed director Jung Byung-gil, who’s known for his action films. Not much else is known about the film, but fans of Won are excited to see the star in a dark new avatar.

‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ (released on June 29): The hit show revolves around a young and gifted attorney with autism spectrum disorder who cracks cases at her law firm in brilliant ways.

'Cafe Minamdang' (released on June 27): The drama is about Nam Han-joon, a disgraced former criminal profiler played by Seo In-guk, who leaves prison and starts a new business called Cafe Minamdang where he pretends to be a shaman and fortune teller. His over-the-top persona and charm attract lots of customers that he scams, but he also ends up helping them solve their issues.

‘A Model Family’ (released on August 12): This Korean crime thriller follows professor Dong-ha, who is on the verge of bankruptcy and divorce. He stumbles across a dead man’s money and unwittingly steals it from a dangerous cartel. He then gets tangled up in a dangerous cartel and the only way to save his family is by working as a drug courier.

‘20th Century Girl’ (TBA): There’s more romance ahead, if all those macho action movies were too much. In 1999 — the last year of the 20th century — 17-year-old Bo-ra experiences her first love and heartbreak. Years later in the 21st century, Bo-ra hears the news of her first love, who brings back memories she had forgotten. It stars popular actors Kim You-jung, Byeon Woo-seok, Park Jung-woo and Roh Yoon-Seo in this Bang Woo-ri directorial.

‘JUNG_E’ (TBA): From Yeon Sang-ho, the director of acclaimed film ‘Train to Busan’ and hit series ‘Hellbound’, comes a new dystopian movie about a desolate Earth in the 22nd century that is no longer habitable due to climate change. Amid the chaos, an internal war breaks out in the shelter built for human survival. In order to end the war, the brain of an elite soldier has be cloned to create a robot mercenary. It stars Kang Soo-youn, Kim Hyun-joo and Ryu Kyung-soo.