Netflix cleaned house with the ultimate jackpot last year when it placed a bet on Korean shows includingSquid GameandHellbound. This year, the platform has announced that they plan to throw it all in and will release twenty-five Korean films and series over 2022. While Netflix didn’t share how much their largest to date release lineup from Korea will cost them, we do know that in 2021, the streaming service spent over half a billion dollars on the country’s content, and with the addition of so many new titles, the 2022 figure is sure to run laps around that of 2021.
Fans can expect a wide array of films and series coming to Netflix including the anticipated high school zombie horror series,All of Us Are Dead, coming of age dramaTwenty Five,Twenty One, spy thriller featureYaksha: Ruthless Operations, post-apocalyptic, climate filmJUNG_E, and even a Korean remake of Spanish hit seriesMoney Heist(La casa de papel) titled,Money Heist: Korea - Joint Economic Area. Netflix’s biggest and newest investment should come as a surprise to no one. Unless you’ve been living under a rock since the fall of 2021, you probably know that cutthroat, horror drama,Squid Game, launched itself to become Netflix’s most-watched series of all time.
When the numbers surrounding the binge-able series were broken down, 95 percent of streams came from outside of Korea. A snowball effect happened and viewers decided to check out other Korean titles featured on Netflix. Following the success ofSquid Game, dark sci-fi fantasy seriesHellboundquickly took the number one spot on Netflix’s Top 10 in 34 countries. Dystopian space thriller series,The Silent Sea, also earned the number one spot on a Top Ten list, this time for non-English content.
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In a statement, Netflix’s VP of content for Korea,Don Kang, said, “We are excited to continue collaborating with Korean storytellers to bring the K-wave to new heights.” And we fans are also very excited to ride the K-wave! With the unforeseen rise ofSquid Game, seeming to grow from unheard of in the U.S. to the top talked about series overnight, we can’t wait to see what other content Netflix has picked up for us to veg out on in 2022.
Check out the full list of upcoming Korean series and films below and stay tuned to Collider for more information regarding all of these soon-to-be releases.
All of Us Are Dead
Directed byLee JQandKim Nam-su,All of Us Are Deadis a story about students trapped in a school amid a zombie virus outbreak who later join hands to fight for survival. The series stars:Yoon Chan-yeong,Park Ji-hu,Cho Yi-hyun,Lomon,YooIn-soo,Lee You-mi, andLim Jae-hyeok
All of Us Are Deadis based on a popular webtoon by Webtoon creatorJoo Dong-geun, touted as a ‘Korean-style zombie graphic novel’ with its wild imagination, gripping storyline, and meticulous details. The horrific visuals of students infected by the mysterious zombie virus and stunning action set in different parts of the school are a must-watch.
Premiere Date:June 01, 2025
Juvenile Justice
Directed byHong Jong-chan,Juvenile Justicedeals with a judge who dislikes juvenile delinquents, later realizing the troubles children face in society and how society is circumventing them to become better people.Kim Hye-soo(Hyena,Signal) plays Sim Eun-seok, the charismatic judge newly appointed to a district with the highest juvenile delinquency and makes unorthodox decisions to existing judgments. She later tries to send a message that society is also responsible for juveniles’ immoral and illicit acts. The series also starsKim Moo-yeol,Lee Sung-min, andLee Jung-Eun.
Premiere Date:TBD
Twenty Five, Twenty One
Directed byJung Jeehyun,Twenty Five, Twenty Oneis a drama of youths who lost their dream to the zeitgeist of 1998, a drama of their dilemma and growth. They called out each other’s names for the first time when they were twenty-two and eighteen. Now they’ve each become twenty-five and twenty-one. The fine line between a heart-fluttering first love and a heart-warming friendship gives them butterflies. Their sparkling love and growth, as well as the chemistry and hardships among the five friends, remind us of our intense yet beautiful youth. The series starsKim Tae-ri,Nam Joo-hyuk,Kim Ji Yeon,Choi Hyun Wook, andLee Ju Myung.
Premiere Date:February 12
Forecasting Love and Weather
Directed byCha Young Hun,Forecasting Love and Weatheris a cheerful romance drama of people at the Korea Meteorological Administration who break, fall and get back on their feet every day.Forecasting Love and Weatheris a romantic comedy series of people at the Korea Meteorological Administration who break, fall and get back on their feet every day. The story narrates Jin Ha-kyung, who decides never to commit to an office romance after a brutal break-up, again falling into a relationship with a newcomer in the team Lee Si-woo who is different but attractive in his own way. The series will starPark Min Young,Song Kang,Yoon Bak, andYura.
Thirty Nine
Directed byKim Sang-ho,Thirty Nineis a down-to-earth life and romance drama that touches deep into the friendship, love and life of three friends who are about to turn forty. A coincidence in their high school years brought the three of them together to become BFFs. Cha Mi-jo (Son Ye-jin) Jeong Chan-young (Jeon Mi-do) and Jang Joo-hee (Kim Ji-hyun) are very close friends who have been through both the good and the worst times together. Mi-jo now works as a Dermatologist, Chan-young as an acting coach, and Joo-hee as a cosmetics sales manager. One fine day, when they are all 39, life takes a turn for the worse and they have to get ready for goodbye.
Premiere Date:February 16
Directed byKim Tae-YounandSung Chi-Wook,Tomorrowfollows the grim reapers who used to escort the dead and now wish to save those who want to die. An afterlife fantasy drama,Tomorrowdepicts how a long-time unemployed Choi Jun-woong accidentally bumps into grim reapers on a special mission and becomes a contract worker at their Crisis Management Team to help them out on their mission. The series starsKim Hee-seon,Rowoon, andLee Soo-hyuk.
Business Proposal
Directed byPark Seon Ho,Business Proposal,is based on a globally famous web novel and webtoon of the same name with a total 320 million views. An office romance of a perfect CEO who’s got both the looks and the brains and an average employee who becomes his blind date will certainly keep you away from quitting your job! An average employee Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se Jeong) goes on a blind date in her friend’s stead as a sassy girl, only to find her blind date to be the CEO of her company, Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-Seop). After the two run into each other on their blind date, they each struggle in their own way at the office as the CEO and the employee, which can sometimes be sweet, thrilling and even tense. The series also starsSeol In A,Kim Min Gue, andLee Duck Hwa.
Premiere Date: TBD
The Sound of Magic
Directed byKim Sung-youn,The Sound of Magic, which is based on the popular webtoonAnnarasumanara, is a touching drama about Yoon Ah-yi, a girl who had to grow up too fast, and Rieul, a mysterious magician who — although grown-up — wants to remain as a kid.Ji Chang-wookplays Rieul, a mysterious magician who lives in an abandoned amusement park,Choi Sung-eunplays the role of Yoon Ah-yi andHwang In-youpwill play Yoon Ah-yi’s classmate Na Il-deung.
Remarriage and Desires
Directed byKim Jung-Min,Remarriage & Desiresis a satire of Korean society governed by desire. Set at the exclusive matchmaking agency Rex catering to the top echelons of society, ambitious souls hope to upgrade their status by marrying or remarrying into the ranks of the elite. They aspire to nab someone from the “Black” tier, the highest group consisting of the top 0.001 percent of the population. The series starsKim Hee Seon,Lee Hyun-Wook,Jung Eugene,Park Hoon, andCha Ji-Yeon.
A Model Family
Directed byKim Jin-woo,A Model Familyis a story about a man on the brink of bankruptcy and divorce stumbling upon a car loaded with cash. The incident has him crossing paths with the second-in-command of a drug organization.Jung Woo,Park Hee-soon,Yoon Jin-seo,andPark Ji-yeonlead this thrilling illustration of an ordinary family coincidentally putting hands on illegal drug money. The scene-stealing synergy between acclaimed actors Jung Woo – who plays the man discovering the cash – and Park Hee-soon – who plays the second-in-command of Drug Cartel – is a must-watch ready to captivate the audience.
