Ahead of Squid Game season 2, there are plenty of entertaining K-dramas to watch starring the cast of the thrilling Netflix series. Squid Game features a variety of seasoned and up-and-coming K-drama actors, with many exciting additions being made to the cast in season 2. Actors Lee Jin-wook, Kang Ha-neul, and Park Gyu-young are just a few people audiences can expect to see introduced in season 2, while Lee Byung-hun and Gong Yoo are among the actors reprising their roles from season 1.
Squid Game, which revolves around a deadly contest with a life-changing amount of money as its prize, was a major success for its streaming service. Squid Game‘s spin on children’s games and its bold portrayal of competition captivated audiences and led to an organic following. As Netflix’s most-watched series, Squid Game helped launch its stars, both those established and new to acting, to a new level of fame. The premiere for Squid Game season 2 is set for the end of the year, so the following months can be spent watching a variety of great K-dramas starring its cast.
12 18 Again (2020)
Featuring Wi Ha-joon
Based on the American film 17 Again, the TV series 18 Again has a similar premise. In 18 Again, Hong Dae-young (Yoon Sang-hyun) loses his job, which adds further stress to his life on top of his crumbling marriage. Dae-young makes a wish to undo his life struggles and finds himself living in his 18-year-old body, with his late-30s mindset. 18 Again touches upon themes of regret and important life choices, and does so with an equal amount of humor and heart. In the series, Wi Ha-joon plays Ye Ji-hoon, a famous baseball player who encourages Dae-young’s wife to rekindle her relationship.
11 Beyond Evil (2021)
Featuring Heo Sung-tae
Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo Jin-goo star in Beyond Evil as two disagreeing police officers who break the law to catch a serial killer. One of the police officers is slightly more invested as his sister had been a victim of the killer, but the story is not as simple as it might appear. Throughout Beyond Evil‘s 16 episodes, everyone’s innocence begins to get questioned and there are several surprising twists to keep the audience hooked. Heo Sung-tae has a supporting role as an important CEO and chairperson in the town. Beyond Evil‘s tight script and fast pace make for a highly bingeworthy series.
10 Prison Playbook (2017-2018)
Starring Park Hae-soo
Categorized as both a drama and black comedy, Prison Playbook takes a look at the lives of those in prison. From convicted individuals to duty officers, there is a wide assortment of unique characters in Prison Playbook. A leading character in the series is played by Squid Game‘s Park Hae-soo, who portrays a famous baseball player, Kim Je-hyuk. The character is in jail after accidentally killing the person who assaulted his sister, and it’s the role that’s often referred to as Park Hae-soo’s breakthrough. Kim Je-hyuk, characterized by his clumsy behavior, has several fans in prison, including the lead prison guard played by Jung Kyung-ho.
9 The Heirs (2013)
Featuring Kang Ha-neul
The Heirs is a teen drama about privileged high school students. Written by acclaimed writer Kim Eun-sook, The Heirs follows the paths of various rich high schoolers who are close to taking over their families’ respective businesses. While it’s easy for The Heirs‘ characters to be stereotyped as snooty, rich kids, there is a respectable amount of depth to them. One of these students is played by Kang Ha-neul. The Squid Game actor plays Lee Hyo-shin, the son of an attorney general who feels an unbearable amount of pressure from his family to continue their legacy in law.
8 It’s Okay To Not Be Okay (2020)
Featuring Park Gyu-young
With elements of romance and drama, It’s Okay to Not Be Okay follows an antisocial author, Ko Moon-young (Seo Yea-ji), who moves back home after discovering a connection between her and a caregiver at a psychiatric hospital, Moon Gang-tae (Kim Soo-hyun). Both characters and Moon Gang-tae’s older brother struggle to connect with others and move on from past traumas. It’s Okay to Not Be Okay is centered around their relationship with one another and how they work with each other to heal. Park Gyu-young plays the supporting role of Nam Ju-ri, a nurse who longs to be with her co-worker, Moon Gang-tae.
7 Mr. Sunshine (2018)
Starring Lee Byung-hun
Eugene Choi is widely regarded as one of Lee Byung-hun’s best roles. Eugene is a former Joseon slave in Mr. Sunshine who runs away to the United States and joins the Marine Corps. All is going well for Eugene until he returns to Korea and falls in love with Go Ae-shin (Kim Tae-ri) a member of the Righteous Army. The forbidden love between the two characters is one of the many points of praise the series received. Mr. Sunshine was also given acclaim for its cinematography and the depiction of its female characters. However, Mr. Sunshine is not without criticism as it contains historical inaccuracies and many are split about whether the series portrays its Japanese characters positively.
6 Moon Embracing The Sun (2012)
Featuring Im Si-wan
Moon Embracing the Sun is a TV series adaptation of Jung Eun-gwol’s book of the same name. Moon Embracing the Sun is a historical K-drama that tells the love story of a king and a female shaman amidst political tension. Though there are plenty of historical elements in Moon Embracing the Sun, including the intricate costuming and set designs seen throughout, the series is much more concerned with its romantic storyline. In the series, Im Si-wan has a minor role as the younger version of Heo Yeom, the older brother of the shaman character, Heo Yeon-woo (Han Ga-in).
5 Love Alarm (2019-2021)
Featuring Kim Young-ok
Love Alarm is a successful Netflix K-drama that details the consequences of a trendy mobile app. The titular app alerts its users when someone near them has romantic feelings for them. Such a feature takes the pressure off introverted individuals interested in finding love, but when some users don’t receive pings from their app, more harm than good is done. However, a lighthearted element of Love Alarm is the complicated love triangle between three characters. Kim Young-ok, known best for portraying various grandmothers in TV shows and movies, stars in Love Alarm as the grandmother of Kim Jo-jo (Kim So-hyun).
4 Guardian: The Lonely And Great God (2016-2017)
Starring Gong Yoo
Sometimes referred to as Goblin, Guardian: The Lonely and Great God follows the interwoven story of four individuals all connected to an immortal goblin. The goblin character is exceptionally portrayed by Squid Game‘s Gong Yoo. Goblin has been praised for its creativity and its ability to combine multiple genres. There’s some levity added to the series’ fantasy story with romantic and comedic storylines. For its gripping drama and entertaining character relationships, Goblin was an international hit. As the lead character, Gong Yoo left quite an impression. During Goblin‘s run, the series earned numerous award nominations and wins, with Gong Yoo picking up a few for Best Actor.
3 Queen Of Tears (2024)
Featuring Kim Joo-ryoung
Starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won as its leads, Queen of Tears chronicles the falling apart and coming back together again of a married couple. Queen of Tears has a moving love story at the center of the series and utilizes the best tropes of romance K-dramas, allowing it to surpass the popular series Crash Landing on You in viewership. Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won give strong performances throughout the series as their on-screen marriage goes through immense highs and lows. Though she has a smaller role in Queen Of Tears, Squid Game‘s Kim Joo-ryoung is featured in the series as an employee of the Queens Group.
2 Sweet Home (2020-2024)
Starring Lee Jin-wook
Set at the start of a monster apocalypse, Sweet Home follows a group of people who band together to survive. Sweet Home is based on a webtoon and ran for three seasons. Each season dives further into the monsters’ origins as the survivors attempt to find a cure and put their lives back together after the devastation. Though the characters in Sweet Home are under different circumstances, they bear a lot of resemblance to those in Squid Game, who are also trying to stay alive under horrific elements. Lee Jin-wook is a series regular as Pyeon Sang-wook, a mysterious man who audiences and Sweet Home‘s characters are initially suspicious of.
1 All Of Us Are Dead (2022-Present)
Starring Lee Yoo-mi
Earning high levels of praise, Netflix’s All of Us Are Dead follows a group of high schoolers fighting to survive an outbreak of zombies. The zombies in All of Us Are Dead are terrifying and have some of the best special effects when it comes to the creation of the supernatural creatures. The characters in All of Us Are Dead are well-written and prompt audiences to be invested in their safety. Among the most memorable characters in the series is Lee Yoo-mi’s Lee Na-yeon. Though Lee Na-yeon was a controversial figure for her heartless actions, there was still a mesmerizing factor to the character, thanks to Lee Yoo-mi’s performance.