Ever since Bong Joon Ho swept the Oscar’s a few years ago with his dark comedy masterpiece, Parasite, it seems like the entire world has been tuning into what Korea will pump out next. And although the tear-jerking Past Lives didn’t pick up any awards at the Oscar’s last night, considering it was the directorial debut of writer/director, Celine Song, one can only imagine what she’ll come up with next.
With the eagerly anticipated return of Squid Game‘s second season (an official release date has yet to be announced), here are some additional Korean gems to sink your teeth into over the next calendar year.
Queen of Tears (Q1)
After three years of marriage between the heiress to a department store fortune and the son of a local village chef, the couple struggles to weather their emotional troubles, in turn, discovering a new beginning that rewrites their love story. If it’s anything like Past Lives we’re going to need a waaambulance.
Chicken Nugget (Q1)
A woman steps into an odd machine that unfortunately turns her into a chicken nugget. Understandably, her father is not thrilled by this metamorphosis, and must find a way to get her back to her human self.
Parasyte: The Grey (Q2)
As unidentified parasitic life-forms that live off human hosts strive to grow their power and disrupt society, a group of humans wage war against the rising evil. Based on Hitoshi Iwaaki’s manga Parasyte, which has sold over 25 million copies in 20 countries and regions, with several anime and film adaptions already.
Sweet Home season 3 (Q2)
The long awaited season 3 of Sweet Home presents a world where monsterisation ends and new humanity begins. A world teetering on the boundary between monsters and humans, where people desperately struggle to survive in these terrifying circumstances.
Gyeongseong Creature season 2 (Q3)
Taking place in 2024 Seoul, Season 2 follows, and uncovers, the never-ending ties that fate weaves in Gyeongseong via Ho-jae, a man deceptively similar in appearance and demeanor to Tae-sang, and Chae-ok, a survivor of the Gyeongseong spring.
Single’s Inferno season 4 (Q4)
Because everybody loves a reality show where strangers are trapped on an island and forced to fall in love with each other. And this hit series returns for its 4th season, the premise, yet again, being that contestants have to find a romantic partner on the island or else they are eliminated.
Hellbound season 2 (Q4)
Continuing from its first, chaotic season, the lawyers of The New Truth Society and the Arrowheads get entangled amidst the sudden resurrections of The New Truth’s Chairmen Jung Jinsu and Park Jungja.
Squid Game season 2 (Q4)
The unexpected sleeper hit which not only saw the sale of white slip-on Vans spike by 7,800%, but also became one of Netflix’s most successful shows to date, Squid Game season 2 will follow the lone survivor of the first, murderous Squid Game game show, and what he decides to do is anyone’s guess. But safe to say, the whole world is waiting.
