After a number of successful releases in the K-drama world last year – including the premieres of Squid Game, The King’s Affection, Snowdrop, and everything between – January 2022 is kicking off the new year on a quieter note. But we have six interesting shows to choose from this month! Take a peek at what you’ll be in for in the list below!
1 Ghost Doctor
- Release date: January 3, 2022
- Airs on: Mondays and Tuesdays
- Episodes: 16
- Genre: Fantasy, Medical Drama
- Cast: Rain, Kim Bum, Uee, Son Na Eun
- Watch it on: tvN, TVING, iQiyi
2022 is on for a good start as iconic K-pop star, Rain (Jung Ji Hoon), makes his long-awaited return to the small screen in the fantasy medical drama, Ghost Doctor. His last foray into Korean dramas was MBC’s Welcome 2 Life which aired three years ago. Starring alongside him is another fan fave oppa—Kim Bum.
In this drama, Rain plays Cha Young Min, a brilliant but condescending physician who is known to be the most highly-skilled practitioner in the entire hospital. Ko Seung Tak (Kim Bum) is a resident doctor who hails from a wealthy family. He has no interest in taking his medical practice seriously.
One day, Young Min got involved in a car accident and woke up in Seung Tak’s body. With completely opposite skills and family backgrounds, the two must figure out a way to carry on with their lives as a totally different person.
Albeit a medical series, it is a light-hearted comedy that covers a variety of moods. It’s comedy, bromance, and love. It aired on January 3rd at 10:30 PM KST.
2 Tracer
- Release date: January 7, 2022
- Airs on: Friday
- Episodes: N/A
- Genre: Investigative Drama
- Cast: Im Si Wan, Ko Ah Sung, Park Yong Woo, In Tae Joon
- Watch it on: Wavve
Originally expected to air at the end of 2021, the Wavve original drama, Tracer, is now slated to make its premiere in early January. It stars Im Si Wan, who was last seen on Run On. In this revenge drama, Si Wan plays Hwang Dong Ju, the chief of taxation division 5 at the National Tax Service. He is tasked to trace assets and money that are hidden from the tax service.
Before Dong Joo became the head, he was the industry’s top accountant who managed the secret funds of major companies. On top of his exceptional skills, he also makes an impression on people due to his brazen and crazy nature.
His team includes Seo Hey-Young (Go Ah-Sung), whose bright personality, outstanding intuition, and investigative abilities make her a more active team player. She works exceptionally well alongside Dong Joo as they chase after bad money together. Meanwhile, In Tae-Joon (Son Hyun-Joo) is the director of a regional tax office. He is an ambitious man who came into position through corrupt and illegal means.
Catch this new drama on Wavve as it airs on January 7th at 9 PM, KST with a simultaneous television broadcast through MBC TV.
3 Through The Darkness
- Release date: January 14, 2022
- Airs on: Friday
- Episodes: N/A
- Genre: Crime, Thriller
- Cast: Kim Nam Gil, Jin Seon Kyu, Kim So Jin
- Watch it on: SBS TV
The Fiery Priest actor Kim Nam-gil will be back to grace our screens this January as a criminal profiler in the upcoming serial killer drama, Through the Darkness. Kim transforms into the calm and charismatic profiler Song Ha-young, who buries himself in cases as he seeks to penetrate the dark recesses of a killer’s mind. As a profiler, he can predict the likely behavior or description of a criminal by looking deeply into the human mind.
This story is based on the first criminal profiler in South Korea, who had to look into the personalities of criminals at a time when random, motiveless murders were on the rise.
Jin Seon Kyu also signed on to play Gook Young Soo, the leader of the criminal Behavior Analysis team. The two men take on the new job of criminal profiling so they can track down serial killers and psychopaths.
Based on the non-fiction book Those Who Read Hearts of Evil, which details the field experience of Kown Il Yong, Korea’s No. 1 profiler. The show is looking to repeat the success of recent successful psychological crime dramas such as Beyond Evil and Mouse.
Catch this drama as its first episode finally airs on January 14th at 10 PM, KST.
4 Dr Park’s Clinic/ Internal Medicine Specialist Doctor Park
- Release date: January 14, 2022
- Airs on: Friday
- Episodes: N/A
- Genre: Medical Drama, Comedy
- Cast: Lee Seo Jin, Ra Mi Ran, Cha Chung Hwa, Shin Eun Jung
- Watch it on: TVING
This series is based on the webtoon, Naegwa Parkwonjang, by Jang Bong Soo. It was based on the writer’s own experience from working as a doctor for 18 years. Hence, it can be said that this medical drama is grounded on the lived experience of a real-life physician.
Lee Seo-jin headlines the upcoming medical comedy, which will debut on tvN in mid-January. Last seen in the thriller Times, Lee plays Park Won-jang, a doctor who recently opened his own internal medicine clinic.
Doctor Park wanted to be a good and truly altruistic doctor. But when he was faced with climbing interest on his debt from the loans he took out to set up the clinic — and completely empty patient rooms — he’s forced to resort to dire measures to save his clinic from bankruptcy.
Ra Mi-ran of Honest Candidate stars as his long-suffering wife who trusts the medical advice on TV programs more than her husband.
The drama captures comedic banter between the main characters and imbibes empathy with stories on the doctor’s poor attempts at survival. In addition, the drama will capture the hectic daily life of neighborhood doctors who own clinics in medical buildings full of clinics and pharmacies.
If you’re curious to see how this story plays out, catch it as it airs on January 14th at 11:00 PM on TVING.
5 All Of Us Are Dead
- Release date: January 28, 2022
- Airs on: Friday
- Episodes: 8
- Genre: Coming-of-age, Zombie apocalypse
- Cast: Yoon Chan Young, Park Ji Hoo, Cho Yi Hyun, Park Solomon, Yoo In Soo
- Watch it on: Netflix
Streaming giant, Netflix will open the year with a zombie-survival-horror series. All of Us Are Dead is based on the popular webtoon, Now at Our School. It will be an 8-episode drama at 45 minutes each episode, this will be a suitable and interesting show to follow especially for those who can’t commit to lengthier series.
The story focuses on a group of high school students who find themselves trapped inside the school campus while a zombie apocalypse ravages the world they know. The students have no choice but to face off with the undead.
The cast includes several up-and-coming names such as Lee Yoo-mi (Squid Game) and Park Ji-hoo (House of Hummingbird). The series is directed by Lee Jae-kyoo, who previously made the hit drama The King 2 Hearts and the films The Fatal Encounter and Intimate Strangers.
If you’re in for an edge-of-your-seat experience, give this series a go. Its first episode will air on January 28!
6 Juvenile Justice
- Release date: January 2022
- Airs on: N/A
- Episodes: N/A
- Genre: Legal Drama
- Cast: Kim Hye Soo, Kim Mu Yeol, Lee Sung Min
- Watch it on: Netflix
Another Netflix original will also debut this January with Juvenile Justice. It’s about a judge who is infamously known for her dislike towards juvenile offenders, but then becomes the newly appointed judge of a juvenile court in the Yeonhwa District. Also a victim of juvenile crime in her youth, she now handles various cases involving juvenile delinquents and other youths, which helps her realize what it truly means to be an adult.
Kim Hye Soo of Hyena will lead the series as our infamous Judge Shim Eun Seok. The actress made a triumphant return to TV after four years away, and to this day is still one of the most popular South Korean actresses, having started her career as a child actor in the late 1980s. This crime-drama series is directed by Jong Jong Chan and is written by screenwriter Kim Min Sook.
