If scenes like a North Korean soldier finding someone in the crowd using a scented candle isn’t your thing, this list is made for you. While romantic Korean dramas are great, sometimes you just crave for something more thrilling that keeps you on the edge of your seat. This is where thrilling Korean crime dramas come in.
We’ve selected these 21 Crime-themed Korean dramas to help kickstart your journey into a different world of Korean drama.
Voice
Probably one of the first Korean crime-related dramas that come to mind is Voice. Season 1 featured Lee Ha-na who plays the role of a professional voice profiler. She works alongside a detective played by Jang Hyuk and uses her expert hearing to compare and identify voices, which will lead them to the antagonist eventually.
While Jang Hyuk did not return for Seasons 2 and 3, Lee Ha-na has continued to reprise her role as Kang Kwon Joo.
Good news is, there will be a Season 4 for Voice and it is scheduled to air in 2021.
You can watch it Season 1 & 2 on Netflix here, and Season 3 on Viu here.
Stranger
A brain surgery caused Hwang Shi Mok (played by Jo Seung Woo) to lose his emotions as a child. He grows up to be an amazing prosecutor, rational but cold and lonely.
In season 1, he works alongside Police Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin (played by Bae Doo Na, you may recognise her from the hit series: Kingdom) to put a stop to the corruption in the prosecutor’s office and solve a serial murder case.
In season 2, there is a “battle” between the prosecutor’s office and the police, placing both on opposing sides.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
Vigilante
Based on the webcomic with the same name, Vigilante follows the life of Kim Ji-yong (played by Nam Joo-hyuk), a stellar police academy student who leads a double life. Ji-yong learns that the murderer who killed his mother when he was a child got off with just a slap on the wrist and is now back to his old ways. He chooses to take justice into his own hands and becomes a silent vigilante, going after criminals who are let loose by the law. He is assisted by Jo Kang-ok (played by Lee Joon-hyuk), who has faith in the actions of Ji-yong.
Meanwhile, Jo Heon (played by Yoo Ji-tae) is assigned as the leader of the police investigation team tasked with finding the mysterious character known as “Vigilante”. Choi Mi-ryeo (played by Kim So-jin) is a dedicated reporter who closely follows the actions of Vigilante and broadcasts them to the public.
Coming soon to Disney+.
Taxi Driver
Based on a webtoon, Taxi Driver sees Kim Do-Ki (played by Lee Je Hoon) joining Rainbow Taxi Company. While the name might sound friendly and bright, it’s actually a revenge-call taxi service, where they help clients seek revenge. The crimes in the show are also said to be based on actual crimes that happened in Korea!
You can watch it on Viu here.
Beyond Evil
Beyond Evil has won 3 awards at the 57th Baeksang Arts Awards for Best Drama, Best Screenplay, and Best Actor (Shin Ha-Kyun). The Korean crime drama sees Shin Ha-Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo breaking the law to catch a serial killer. Along the way, they question themselves if they have become monsters. 괴물 is the Korean title of the drama and it directly translates to monster.
Pied Piper
Pied Piper tells a story about a group of negotiators that diffuse dangerous situations without using force. Joo Sung Chan, played by Shin Ha Kyun, leads the Police Department’s Negotiation Task Force as they head into various high-risk situations like hostage crises and terrorist threats.
One wrong move and innocent people might lose their lives. Highly intense, definitely worth a watch!
The Worst Of Evil
The Worst of Evil is a crime-action K-drama covering a police investigation into a drug triangle operating in Korea, China and Japan. Jung Ki-cheol (played by Wi Ha-joon) is a charismatic drug kingpin who has risen through the ranks rapidly, becoming a powerful figure in the underworld.
Undercover police officer Park Joon-mo (played by Ji Chang-wook) takes on the risky mission of uncovering the cartel’s operation by infiltrating the drug syndicate. Things get interesting when officer Yoo Eui-jung, (played by Im Se-mi) who is the wife of Joon-mo joins the investigation. Set in the 1980s, this show is packed with action and suspense – it also features some stellar performances from the cast!
Coming soon to Disney+.
Mouse
Lee Seung-gi plays the role of a rookie police officer who crosses path with a psychopath murderer. After that encounter, he goes on to find out more if psychopaths are born or bred. The Korean drama has achieved the highest viewership rating among all tvN Wed-Thur dramas during the last two years.
Partner for Justice
What happens when a forensic doctor with a bad personality comes together with a rookie prosecutor with a warm heart? The duo eventually comes together to solve cases together.
Season 1 also starred Stephanie Lee, who also plays Jung Sa-ha in Start Up.
You can watch Season 1 on Viu here.
He is Psychometric
Lee Ahn, played by GOT7’s Park Jin Young, gains the unique ability to read a person or an object’s past through skin contact, aka psychometry.
Using his skills, the cast attempt to solve several cases. If you had the power of psychometry, would you use it for good or bad?
Tell Me What You Saw
Oh Hyun Jae, played by Jang Hyuk, was a brilliant criminal profiler but now lives in seclusion due to the death of his fiancé. Through several events, he ends up with a rookie detective played by Choi Soo Young (a member of Girl’s Generation), who has a photographic memory.
Together, they team up to solve of a series of serial murders. OCN crime dramas usually do not disappoint, so you’re in for a ride!
You can watch it on Viu here.
Trap
Trap is OCN’s first series for their new project called “Dramatic Cinema” which combines both film and drama formats.
When all seems perfect, successful anchor-man Kang Woo Hyun (played by Lee Seo-Jin) is met with a tragic situation and falls into a mysterious trap while on a trip with his family. Go Dong Kook (played by Sung Dong-Il), a veteran detective takes on his case and investigates.
Watch Trap as the mystery slowly unravels, revealing a shocking truth.
Shadow Detective
This crime thriller is on its second season following the success of Season 1. Season 1 follows Kim Taek-rok, (played by Lee Sung-min) who is a detective awaiting his retirement. A mysterious call that he receives from someone claiming to be his old friend eventually leads Taek-rok to be embroiled in a series of events framing him for the murder of his colleague Woo Hyun-seok. Kook Jin-han (played by Jin Goo) who investigates the case eventually sees the innocence in Taek-rok and works with him to find out the truth behind the murder.
Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger, and Season 2 will answer many questions in audiences’ minds. The cast has expanded, and the storyline reveals the mysterious past of Kim Taek-rok, as well as the identity of the mysterious caller who is behind the entire saga.
You can watch it on Disney+ here.
Life on Mars
A remake of the UK television series that aired back in 2006, we see Han Tae-Joo (played by Jung Kyung-ho) ending up in 1988 after an accident. To get back to the present day, he solves a serial murder case as a detective in a small city.
Bad Guys
As the name suggests, this is a K-drama about a group of bad guys.
To be specific, it’s about a group of criminals consisting of a gangster, a serial killer and a contract killer formed by Detective Oh Goo Tak (played by Kim Sang Joong) to combat the rise of violent crimes.
You can watch it on Disney+ here.
Tunnel
It’s the year 1986, Detective Park Gwang-ho (played by Choi Jin-hyuk), is chasing a culprit when he passes through a tunnel and arrives in the year 2016.
There he meets Kim Seon-Jae, elite detective of the Hwayang police station. Together, they work alongside criminal psychologist, Professor Shin Jae-yi to catch the murderer.
With a complicated storyline and an unpredictable twist, this series was such a hit that it received a Thai remake in 2019 and is also receiving an Indonesian remake this year as well.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
Signal
Signal revolves around a special walkie talkie that allows communication through time. Park Hae Yeong a police officer in 2015, through the use of this walkie talkie, works together with a detective in 1989 to solve of series of cold cases spanning across the time of 3 decades.
Signal is also one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television history.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
Flower of Evil
Widely regarded as one of the best k-dramas of all time, Flower of Evil is packed with suspense and full of twists and turns. Baek Hee-sung (played by Lee Joon-gi) is a married man who lives a seemingly ordinary life with his wife and daughter. His detective wife Cha Ji-won (played by Moon Chae-won) begins investigating a string of mysterious murders that suggest that her husband could be hiding something about his past from her.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
The Guest
This show is not for the faint of heart – it is equal parts emotional, scary and thrilling. Beautiful cinematography and great bring out the plot of this supernatural crime drama, making it a compelling watch. The plot revolves around a psychic, Yoon Hwa-pyung (played by Kim Dong-wook), a Catholic priest, Choi Yoon (played by Kim Jae-wook) and a detective, Kang Kil-young (played by Jung Eun-chae). They team up to fight against the crimes committed by an evil spirit that possesses people and wreaks havoc in their lives.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
Cafe Minamdang
From bicycle cafes to game cafes and even raccoon cafes, Korea is known for its unique cafes that offer a wide array of activities for everyone to enjoy! However, this series Cafe Minamdang brings about an air of thrill and mystery, unlike the usual cafe scene in Korea. Seo In-Guk takes on the role of Nam Han-Jun, a “shaman” underneath the front of Cafe Minamdang who scams customers of their money. But that’s not all, this former criminal profiler also gets involved in his customers’ cases and ends up helping to solve them. Of course, he does not do this alone and has the help of Su-Cheol who runs a private detective agency and Nam Hye-Jun, his younger sister and a well-versed hacker. Hot on his heels is detective Han Jae-Hui (played by Oh Yeon-Seo) who is determined to take Nam Han-Jun down.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
Through the Darkness
Set in the 1990s, a trail of brutal attacks and murders that seem to be random has the citizens of Seoul living in fear and the detectives scrambling to figure out who the culprit is and what triggers him in order to stop him before he next strikes again. Based on the true story of Korea’s first criminal profiler, be ready to be kept at the edge of your seat as you watch Song Ha Young (played by Kim Nam Gil) try to figure out the behavioural patterns of serial killers and solve homicide cases.
You can watch it on Netflix here.
Must Watch Korean Thrilling Crime Dramas
Kdramas aren’t always cheesy and all about romance! These action-packed kdramas will be a good stay home activity for anyone.
For more Korean drama related articles:
- Lessons from World of the Married
- SF8: Korea’s Version of Black Mirror
- 9 K-Drama Food Recipes To Make At Home
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Cover Photo Credits: tvN, OCN