10 Korean period dramas or sageuk debuting in 2024 (2024)

What happens when an assassin falls in love with the son of her target? This drama follows the story of Yeon Wol who becomes an assassin to avenge her family. After a failed attempt to murder the king, she loses her memory, and wakes up to find herself being the Crown Prince’s concubine. After she falls for him, can she still follow through her plan to exact revenge on the mortal enemy of her family? The drama has finished its run, so if you’re the kind who likes to binge-watch so you don’t have to wait for the next episode to air, head to Viu to start watching.

Now on Viu.

Fans of K-pop group EXO probably already have this drama on their radar. The leader of the boy group (Suho) acts as Yi Geon, a crown prince kidnapped by a woman who was destined to be his wife (played by Hong Ye-ji). As they go on the run, the pair falls in love. This drama was written by the duo behindBossam: Steal the Fate, which aired in 2021. If you’re not familiar with K-pop, you might still recognise Suho from his recent drama,Behind Your Touch, while Hong Ye-ji acted inLove Song for Illusion.

This historical Korean drama is set to air in April.

We don’t know what’s up with the trend of kings and crown princes falling in love with women who kidnap/attempt to assassinate them among the historical Korean dramas in 2024, but the formula seems to be working, consideringCaptivating The King’s ratings have been on a steady increase in South Korea. The K-drama follows the story of Yi In (Jo Jung-suk), the king of Joseon who is a genius baduk (strategy-based board game) player. Shin Se-kyung acts as a spy who disguises herself as a man to exact revenge on him, but ends up falling in love with him. We don’t know about you, but we loved all of Jo Jung-suk’s dramas so far, so we’d recommend this!

Currently streaming on Netflix.

Find the lead actress familiar? You might remember her as the girl from the past in Korean movieThe Call, where she acted alongside Park Shin-hye. She was also inMoney Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area, and more recently,Wedding Impossible. Jeon Jong-seo’s past roles have shown her versatility as an actress and she’s out to prove herself this time round, too, as she takes on the role of Queen Woo. Following the death of her husband, King Gogukcheon of Goguryeo, she struggles to protect her tribe against other tribes seeking power. To safeguard her authority, she marries her late husband’s brother, and is the first woman in history to become queen consort twice (the queen is a real historical figure). But wait, we have to mention: this drama also stars Ji Chang-wook and Lee Soo-hyuk, so there’s no reason not to add this to your to-watch list.Images: Jeon Jung Seo and Ji Chang Wook’s Instagram

There is no fixed release date for this drama, but it’s set to air in 2024.

Hong Rang (Lee Jae-wook), the son of a wealthy merchant, went missing when he was eight years old. His family, especially his half-sister Jae Yi (Cho Bo-ah), never gave up searching for his whereabouts. Jae Yi lives with an abusive stepmother and a father who doesn’t care about her well-being. Her life gets thrown off-course after Hong Rang disappears. Years later, he comes back as a 20-year-old, but without any memory of his childhood. Jae Yi is torn between doubt and love following his return. The drama also stars Kim Jae-wook and Park Byung-eun, so we absolutely can’t wait to see what this star-studded cast will bring to the table.

There is no fixed release date for this drama, but it’s set to air in 2024 on Netflix.

Hated Park Yeon-jin fromThe Glorybut loved Lim Ji-yeon’s acting? Then you’d want to keep an eye out for Tale of Mrs Ok (literal translation of the title) because you’d see Lim Ji-yeon back on-screen (not as a villain). The actress plays the role of Ok Tae-young, a legal expert who helps those in need, and is loved by many. However, what people don’t know is that she faked her name, husband and social status – she is actually a slave. She meets Cheon Seung-hwi (played by Choo Young-woo), a travelling storyteller who falls in love with her at first sight. He continues to support her, even after finding out her real identity.

There is no fixed release date for this drama, but it’s set to air in 2024.

This historical Korean drama revolves around the story of crown prince Yihyang, a genius scientist who loves stargazing. He meets Haeru, a mysterious woman who can foresee the future.Haesi’s Shinru, which is set in the Joseon era, is based on a web novel. Ahn Bo-hyun was reportedly offered the lead role, but there has not been any official announcement about his acceptance of the role.

There is no fixed release date for this drama, but it’s set to air in 2024.

In this historical Korean drama, Go Ara acts as Hwa Ri, the youngest princess of the fictional country Dongbangguk. When she reaches the age to marry, she ventures out of the palace to find a husband by herself. She meets her suitors, but at the same time, she tries to find the person who used her likeness as the main female character in a series of erotic paintings. Meanwhile, the most eligible suitor on her list of potential husbands is a wealthy merchant (played by Chang Ryul) who looks like a man who enjoys women and riches, but harbours a secret.

There is no fixed release date for this drama, but it’s set to air in 2024.

Another drama based on a real historical figure, Queen Wongyeong (played by Cha Joo-young in the drama), the story follows her life as she became a kingmaker to help her husband, Lee Bang-won, also known as Prince Jeongan, ascend the throne. She set her plans in motion after King Taejo (Lee Sung-min) selected his second son as the successor instead of her husband. The husband and wife pair worked together, and Lee Bang-won became King Taejong. After becoming king, he acquired many concubines and destroyed her family. Lee Hyun-wook stars as King Taejong.

There is no fixed release date for this drama, but it’s set to air in 2024.

This article was originally published in Singapore Women's Weekly.