A plethora of new and exciting K-dramas is turning up the heat as winter closes in and the weather gets colder. After the spooky vibes of the Halloween season, the November K-drama lineup is here, and it is absolutely stacked with highly anticipated returns, heart-fluttering rom-coms, high-voltage thrillers that will tie you to your seat, and relatable slice-of-life dramas.
I’ve sorted through all the latest korean dramas November has to offer to bring you the definitive guide. Whether you’re looking for a melodrama, a dark and complex anti-heroine, a laugh-out-loud workplace comedy, or the satisfying return of your favorite vigilante team, I’ve got you covered.
Here are the 11 essential new k-dramas November recommendations you need to add to your watchlist asap—so check the dates on your calendar!
💖 Must-Watch Romances & Melodramas
Last Summer (마지막 썸머)
This is a classic melodrama of unspoken feelings, regrets, and heartbreaking moments.
The drama features Lee Jae-Wook pulling double duty as twin brothers Baek Do-Ha and Baek Do-Yeong. Separated since their parents’ divorce, the brothers live apart, but every summer Do-Ha travels from the US to South Korea for 21 days.
That short window is his only time to reunite with his twin and their next-door neighbor, Song Ha-Kyeong, played by Choi Sung-Eun . Now, an incident from two years ago hangs over them all, forcing this love triangle to finally confront their long-buried past. Catch this one on KBS2 on November 1st. Steaming on wavve and Netflix.
Nice to Not Meet You (얄미운 사랑)
Squid Game star Lee Jung-jae leads this new enemies-to-lovers rom-com, Nice to Not Meet You, alongside The Glory’s Lim Ji-yeon—a powerhouse in her own right.
Lee Jung-jae stars as Lim Hyun-joon, a popular actor completely typecast in detective roles who dreams of breaking into melodramas. His world collides with Wi Jeong-sin (Lim Ji-yeon), an ambitious, award-winning political reporter. After a corruption scandal gets her demoted to the entertainment beat, she finds herself entangled with the one actor she has a prejudice against. He’s just as un-thrilled to be dealing with her. A must-watch k-drama for November for fans of Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon.
See how (and if) they get along when it premieres on tvN on November 3rd, streaming globally on Prime Video.
Dynamite Kiss (키스는 괜히 해서!)
Who told you that a calm leader at a baby products company can’t have his share of a workplace romance? In this promising and hilarious ride, Jang Ki-Yong plays Kong Ji-Hyeok, the sharp and passionate team leader whose organized world crumbles because of his team member, Ko Da-Rim, played by Ahn Eun-Jin, when she suddenly kisses him. Nothing is wrong with a kiss, but when she is a married woman with a child, things are getting dangerous.
Panic becomes Kong Ji-Hyeok’s companion, but he doesn’t know that in reality, she is not married. She just lied in order to secure a permanent job. Good news for the boss: her feelings are real and genuine, even if they are about to make her lie explode. This “fake identity” trope, with some social commentary about women and the workplace, promises some good workplace laughs for the duration of the 14 episodes, starting November 12 on SBS.
Moon River (이강에는 달이 흐른다)
A historical sageuk body-swap romance with a fantasy twist, mixing Mr. Queen and The King’s Affection. Kang Tae-Oh stars as Crown Prince Yi Kang, who, while being seen as wild and unruly, is in reality hiding his deep pain and enduring his position, waiting for the right time to get his revenge.
But while he is focused on his goal, his life is turned upside down when he encounters Park Dal-Yi, played by Kim Se-Jeong. She’s a born peddler with excellent verbal skills and a witty attitude who unfortunately has lost some of her memories. Fate is strange for these two, as these polar opposites swap souls, forcing them to navigate palace intrigue and royal duties in each other’s bodies. This is an MBC drama starting November 7, with 14 episodes.
The 4th Love Revolution (제 4차 사랑혁명)
The rule states that opposites attract, and in this quick 8-episode watch, we will witness a university campus, light-hearted modern romance.
When the computer engineering department and the modeling department are forced to study together because of some strange, ridiculous, and unprecedented merger, Joo Yeon-San (played by Hwang Bo-reum-byeol), a genius who can solve any problem but gets stopped by a single error and has zero interest in dating, is forced to interact with the charismatic Kang Min-Hak (played by Kim Yo-Han), a model with his one million followers after his appearance on a dating show.
Two different worlds collide, but some sparks are in the shining air. Catch it on Wavve from November 13.
⚔️ High-Stakes Thrillers & Action
Taxi Driver 3 (모범택시3)
The Rainbow Taxi team is back and goes strong, which, even after two successful seasons, will elate all the fans of the franchise out there. Kim Do-Ki, played by Lee Je-Hoon, and the entire crew—Jang Sung-Chul (Kim Eui-Sung), Ahn Go-Eun (Pyo Ye-Jin), and mechanics Choi Kyung-Koo (Jang Hyuk-Jin) and Park Jin-Eon (Bae Yoo-Ram)—are returning to serve their signature brand of vigilante justice. This is easily one of the most popular k-dramas November updates.
As the new season’s chilling tagline warns, “In a society where justice has vanished, a phone call is all it takes.” Cathartic, fast-paced action and some “real” justice served will keep you company from November 21 on SBS.
The Manipulated (조각도시)
Dark conspiracies and high action in this promising Disney+ original cat-and-mouse game of revenge. In this gritty revenge thriller, Ji Chang-Wook as Tae-Joong is an ordinary man whose world crumbles when he is imprisoned for a heinous crime he didn’t commit.
Vengeance and revenge is the only thing on his mind when he realizes that his life was orchestrated and destroyed by a ruthless, mysterious man named Yo-Han, played by Do Kyung-Soo. When he is finally released from prison, a high-action cat-and-mouse game starts.
This series is inspired by the 2017 hit movie Fabricated City and notably reunites star Ji Chang-Wook with the original film’s screenwriter, Oh Sang-Ho. If you haven’t seen the film, it’s worth catching up on it to get acquainted with the drama’s premises. Otherwise, catch the drama on Disney+ starting November 5.
Dear X (친애하는 X)
This complex female anti-heroine psychological thriller, based on the hit webtoon of the same name, is a story of ambition, betrayal, and survival. The flawless top actress Baek A-Jin (played by the wonderful Kim You-Jung), who is kind and generous to everyone, is in reality, behind the veil of her charming smile, a sociopath lurking in the shadows. With great skill, she uses manipulation and her beauty to climb to the top.
Next to her are two men: Kim Jae-O (Kim Do-Hoon), who feels a deep connection to her through their shared trauma, and Yoon Joon-Seo (Kim Young-Dae), the only one she trusts completely. When the latter decides, for his own reasons, to bring about her downfall, everything changes. On Netflix from November 6.
As You Stood By (당신이 죽였다)
How far will you go to fulfill the pact you made to save your friend from harm? This desperate and gripping female-led psychological thriller poses some deep and dark questions about domestic violence against women and the morality of our choices.
Two women: Hee-Soo (played by Lee Yoo-Mi), a once-promising children’s book author, is trapped in a hellish, violent marriage with an abusive husband, Jin-Pyo (Jang Seung-Jo), and Eun-Soo (Jeon So-Nee), who carries her own childhood trauma. In an act of testament to her friendship, Eun-Soo decides to save her friend and makes a pact to kill Jin-Pyo.
What begins as a desperate and justified act of freedom takes a turn into unforeseen events, as their plan is noticed by CEO Jin So-Baek (Lee Mu-Saeng). The drama is based on the 2014 Japanese novel “Naomi to Kanako” by Japanese author Hideo Okuda. A live-action series based on the novel was released in 2016 in Japan as well, starring Ryoko Hirosue and Yuki Uchida. You can watch this 8-episode K-drama from the November K-drama lineup on Netflix, premiering November 7th.
🧑🤝🧑 Slice-of-Life & Action Comedy
There’s No Next Life (다음생은 없으니까)
A touching, relatable story centered on women’s friendship, parenting, career, and how women in our society and its customs/norms are forced to redefine their dreams in their forties. This slice-of-life drama is for all who feel that life hasn’t gone quite right or as planned.
The story follows three friends: Jo Na-Jeong (played by Kim Hee-Seon), who used to be a top-earning TV home shopping host but is now a full-time mom to two sons. She tries desperately to make a comeback in her competitive field. Ku Ju-Young (played by Han Hye-Jin) is a planning manager at an art center who seems to have a perfect life. She is privately enduring a painful struggle to have a baby with her asexual husband in a society facing a huge demographic problem with only 0.75 children born for every woman of childbearing age. Finally, Lee Il-Li (played by Jin Seo-Yeon) is a single, successful deputy editor-in-chief at a fashion magazine. She still harbors fantasies about a marriage she hasn’t achieved. Catch this drama on TV Chosun from November 10.
Heroes Next Door (우리 동네 특공대)
A band of “neighborhood watch” promises huge laughs in this light action-comedy with no strings attached but entertainment and laughs. This drama follows a group of former special forces soldiers who reunite, not to save the nation, but to protect their families and their neighborhood from local dangers.
Yoon Kye-Sang stars as Choi Kang, a former special forces member who now works as an insurance investigator. Jin Sun-Kyu plays Kwak Byeong-Nam, a former counter-terrorism agent who now runs a hardware and stationery store. With them, a supermarket owner (Kim Ji-Hyun), a martial arts gym director (Ko Kyu-Pil), and an engineering student (Lee Jung-Ha) complete the gang of misfit guards.
If you are in for some laughs and high-level action entertainment without the load of symbolism and metaphors K-dramas are known for, then this is your pick. Light and entertaining. Everybody likes a good comedy. The 10 episodes are streaming on ENA, Coupang Play and Genie TV from November 17.
Which November K-drama Lineup Are You Watching?
This K-drama lineup is packed with something for every kind of mood and taste. You can get your vigilante justice fix with the return of Taxi Driver 3, dive into a dark, female-led thriller with Dear X and As You Stood By, or settle in for a heartwarming, relatable story of friendship with There’s No Next Life. The choice is yours.
The November K-drama lineup is definitely here and the only hard part is figuring out which one to watch first! With such promising titles the choice would be harder than ever…or..at least until next month where some great series are premiering.
Which drama are you most excited to add to your watchlist? Do you have any other new k-dramas November recommendations that you’re looking forward to? Let us know in the comments below!
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