8 Action-Oriented K-Drama Series To Add To Your Watch List!
‘Healer,’ ‘Signal,’ ‘City Hunter,’ and more—here are some binge-worthy action dramas to keep you on the edge of your seat
Lauded for heart-warming takes on friendship and family dynamics as well as the swoon-worthy depictions of romance, Korean dramas continue to enjoy a strong following as more shows are added to the rosters of streaming giants such as Netflix, Hulu, and VIU. But seeing how well films such as Train to Busan and The Man from Nowhere and shows such as Healer and Signal resonated with critics and viewers from outside of Korea, action-oriented stories hold a certain appeal as well.
Here are some binge-worthy series to keep you on the edge of your seat!
8 Action-Oriented K-Drama Series To Add To Your Watch List
8 Action-Oriented K-Drama Series To Add To Your Watch List
Healer (2014)
This Ji Chang-wook starrer brings together Seo Jung-hu (Ji), a night messenger who goes by the codename “Healer;” Chae Young-shin (Park Min-young), a second-rate tabloid news reporter; and Kim Mun-ho (Yoo Ji-tae), a star journalist at a major broadcasting company; all of whom have connections to a decades-old incident involving a group of friends who ran a pro-democracy broadcasting station when the Fifth Republic of South Korea was in power.
Photo Credit: KBS
Healer (2014)
Packed with exciting—and at times, comedic—fight scenes, political undertones, and the trademark K-drama kilig, this cult favorite is not one to miss out on.
Photo Credit: KBS
Extracurricular (2020)
Without the means to pay his way through university due to being abandoned by his parents, the clever Oh Ji-soo (Kim Dong-hee) takes up a life of crime, working as an illegal security service provider for sex workers under the moniker “Uncle.” He finds himself in deep waters after a classmate, Bae Gyu-ri (Park Joo-hyun), steals his business phone and threatens him with blackmail.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Extracurricular (2020)
Dark and gripping, Extracurricular paints a sobering picture of the moral failings of its cast of characters, most of whom are caught up in their own dishonest dealings.
Photo Credit: Netflix
IRIS (2009)
The plot of this political espionage drama centers on best friends Kim Hyun-jun (Lee Byung-hun) and Jin Sa-woo, who served in the elite counter-terrorism unit of the South Korean army until they were independently scouted by National Security Service agent Choi Seung-hee (Kim Tae-hee). After being double-crossed during a solo mission, Hyun-jun learns of the secret organization called IRIS, the members of which intend on stopping the reunification of the two Koreas.
Photo Credit: KBS
IRIS (2009)
The series explores both sides of the central conflict, giving due attention to the North Korean and South Korean perspectives.
Photo Credit: KBS
The K2 (2016)
Framed for the murder of his former lover, a former mercenary soldier (Kim Je-ha; portrayed by Ji Chang-wook) goes into hiding, eventually finding employment as a bodyguard under Choi Yoo-jin (Song Yoon-ah), the manipulative head of a security agency with her eyes set on becoming First Lady of South Korea. This is actually a revenge tactic for Je-ha, who is gathering resources to move against a presidential candidate who issued the kill order for his lover.
Photo Credit: tvN
The K2 (2016)
For this drama, Ji Chang-wook underwent special training to perform the stunts on his own, eliminating the need for a body double.
Photo Credit: tvN
City Hunter (2011)
Based on the Japanese manga of the same name, City Hunter stars Lee Min-Ho as Lee Yoon-sung, an MIT graduate possessing elite combat and engineering skills specially trained by former Presidential Security Service official Lee Jin-pyo (Kim Sang-joong) to avenge his father’s killers, known collectively as the Council of Five.
Photo Credit: SBS
City Hunter (2011)
Landing a job at the South Korea presidential palace as an IT expert has Yoon-sung crossing paths with bodyguard Kim Na-na (Park Min-young), who joins him in his efforts to expose the corrupt nature of each Council member.
Photo Credit: SBS
The Guardians (2017)
Victims of the failures of South Korea’s justice system, a detective, a hacker, an insomniac, and two prosecutors who have lost loved ones to criminal-related incidents team up to take matters into their own hands. This quintet dedicates their time and resources to monitoring criminals 24/7 in the hopes of rescuing potential casualties.
Photo Credit: MBC
The Guardians (2017)
At the epicenter of the drama is detective Jo Soo-ji, played by actress and former amateur boxer Lee Si-young, who received high praise for her portrayal of a strong female lead not often seen in K-drama at the time.
Photo Credit: MBC
Signal (2016)
Upon its debut, this fantasy police procedural series enjoyed widespread acclaim for its plot line and the performance of its ensemble cast. In the year 2015, criminal profiler Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) stumbles upon a mysterious walkie talkie, and the voice at the other end assists him in coming to the bottom of a previously unsolved case. This success leads to the establishment of a cold case unit headed by Detective Cha Soo-hyun (Kim Hye-soo).
Photo Credit: tvN
Signal (2016)
Soo-hyun is the protege of Detective Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong), who disappeared some time ago—and just happens to be the person on the other end of the walkie talkie in 1989.
Photo Credit: tvN
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Kingdom (2019)
This unique take on the zombie apocalypse formula had fans clamoring for a third season even as the second one had just dropped. Set in Korea’s Joseon period, this historical political thriller centers on Crown Prince Li Chang (Ju Ji-hoon), whose efforts to investigate the strange circumstances surrounding his father’s illness lead him to discover the presence of a plague that brings the dead back to life.
Photo Credit: Netflix
Kingdom (2019)
Joined by physician Seo-bi (Bae Doo-na) and tiger hunter Yeong-shin (Kim Sung-kyu), Li Chang sets out to pinpoint the cause of all this, evading political traps while slicing his way through the undead in stellar fight scenes set in stunning landscapes.
Photo Credit: Netflix
