LIST: Here are some promising new K-dramas to watch in January 2023
What is the best way to start a new year? List down some K-dramas to watch!
Without a doubt, 2022 was a good one for K-drama lovers. We had a good number of heartwarming family dramas, feel-good romantic comedies, and even exciting action suspense titles.
The start of 2023 looks just as exciting, all thanks to the many shows that the K-drama world has prepared for us. Below is a roundup of the most promising ones that are worth checking out this January—some of these have been released, but don't worry as you still have enough time to catch up on what you might have missed.
Brain Works
Premiere Date: Jan. 2 on KBS2 and Netflix
OG K-movie lovers will recognize Cha Tae-hyun of My Sassy Girl in an instant, and now he is back on the screen via Brain Works. We last saw him in the action-comedy Police Academy in 2021 and he is once again a policeman in the new series. This time, he is sharing the screen with Jung Yong-Hwa, who plays the role of a neuroscientist. Their characters have a love-hate relationship, but they’re forced to work together in solving a criminal case that has to do with a rare brain disease. Interesting, right? To add to the chaos, they’re joined by an anxious forensic hypnosis investigator named Seol So-jung (played by Kwak Sun-Young).
Payback
Premiere Date: Jan. 6 on SBS
Lee Sun-Kyun is back in the K-drama world with the revenge thriller Payback. In this exciting series, he plays the role of a money trader named Eun Yong. Viewers will witness his journey as he fights against a money cartel. He is joined by army major turned lawyer Park Joon-kyung (Moon Chae-won) as well as prosecutors Hwang Ki-seok (Park Hoon) and Jang Tae-chun (Kang You-seok). Will this foursome succeed?
Agency
Premiere Date: Jan. 7 on JTBC
In the mood for an office drama with an empowered female lead? Agency might be the K-drama for you this month. Here, Mine actress Lee Bo Young is Go Ah In—an ambitious career woman who was able to become the first female executive in the agency she’s working for. Her drive to succeed is fueled by her past struggles with money and education. Of course, it won’t be an easy journey for the protagonist. She will deal with nepotism-based rivals and issues related to corruption within the company.
Poong, The Joseon Psychiatrist 2
Premiere Date: Jan. 11 on tvN and Viu
A lot of K-drama fans fell for the charm of the genius physician and former royal acupuncturist named Poong in the first season of The Joseon Psychiatrist. With an eccentric teacher and budding medical student/romantic interest in tow, the second season of this show will surely make us smile and heal our hearts. We're sure you missed them!
Crash Course on Romance
Premiere Date: Jan. 14 on tvN, Netflix
What happens when an athlete-turned-small store owner and a popular math tutor with an eating disorder meet? An interesting mix for a romance-comedy. Jeon Do Yeon teams up with Jung Kyung Ho in this one-of-a-kind series perfect for those who are still open to the possibility of finding romance in their forties. Maybe viewers can learn a thing or two from the main characters.
Can We Be Strangers?
Premiere Date: Jan. 18 on ENA
Fans of K-drama star Kang-Sora must be excited about her small-screen comeback after six years. We all fell in love with her last series Revolutionary Love where she was paired with Super Junior’s Choi Siwon. This time, she is playing the role of a popular divorce lawyer named Oh-Ha-Ra, who is also a divorcee herself. She was once married to a promising lawyer named Ku Eun-beom (played by Jang Seung-jo). After being estranged from each other after their separation, the two meet again as colleagues in a law firm. Will the two end up bickering most of the time, or will they have a second shot at love?
Kokdu: Season of Deity
Premiere Date: Jan. 27 on MBC TV
After his hiatus from K-dramas, Kim Jung Hyun is back via the fantasy medical series Kokdu: The Season of Deity, where he is paired with Im Soo-hyang. Here, Kim Jung Hyun plays the role of a grim reaper named Kokdu, who returns to Earth every 99 years and possesses a person who looks just like him. In the present time, he returns as Do Jin-woo. He will cross paths with a doctor named Han Gye-jeol (Im Soo-hyang), who graduated from the lowest-ranking medical school in the country. The two will then develop a special connection.
There you have it! Which of these shows are you most looking forward to?