Tiffany CondeWhen it comes to creating the perfect couples for K-dramas, you have to wonder what kind of mystery magic unfolds in the heads of directors. Somehow, they just know how to find the right two people with enough chemistry to sizzle on the screen.
It’s almost like we’re seeing our favourite leading actors and actresses play romantic musical chairs. Except, of course, we rarely get to witness the same combinations twice. Since these match-ups are usually once-in-a-lifetime, we can’t wait to see what the future has in store for these fresh and upcoming K-drama couples.
1. Ji Chang-wook and Kim Ji-won in City Couple’s Way of Love
Image credit: Glorious Entertainment Official Facebook Page (left); Kingkong by Starship Official Facebook Page (right)
Some K-drama couples look so perfect that you just want to give the person in charge of casting them a high-five. In an upcoming KakaoTV web series entitled City Couple’s Way of Love: My Lovable Camera Thief, Ji Chang-wook (Backstreet Rookie, Healer, The K2) plays an architecture student opposite Kim Ji-won (Fight for My Way, Descendants of the Sun), who plays a free-spirited marketing specialist.
City Couple’s Way of Love: My Lovable Camera Thief will be directed by Park Shin-woo, who is known for his atmospheric work on It’s Okay to Not Be Okay. The series will be written by Jung Hyun-jung, who previously wrote for K-dramas such as I Need Romance and Discovery of Love.
Release date: Nov 2020
2. Gong Yoo and Bae Doona in Sea of Silence
Image credit: Management SOOP Official Facebook Page (left); doonabae (right)
After a three-year break from television, Gong Yoo (Train to Busan, Kim Ji-young, Born 1982) returns to tackle a mystery sci-fi drama called Sea of Silence, officially his latest television project since Goblin. Gong Yoo plays the captain of an elite team sent to an abandoned research base on the moon. He’s joined by Bae Doona (Kingdom, Sense8), who will be playing an astrobiologist who clashes with Gong Yoo.
Set in a distant future when Earth has been abandoned, Sea of Silence spans eight episodes and will be released on Netflix.
Release date: Dec 2020
3. Jung Hae-in and Kim Ji-soo in Snowdrop
Image credit: FNC Entertainment Official Facebook Page (left); sooyaaa__ (right)
Attention K-pop fans, you’re going to want to keep your tabs on this upcoming K-drama couple! BLACKPINK’s Kim Ji-soo will be making her debut as a lead actress in the new JTBC drama Snowdrop, which is scheduled for release in 2021. Ji-soo will be acting opposite leading man Jung Hae-in (Something in the Rain, One Spring Night), together with Jang Seung-jo, Yoon Se-ah, and Jung Yoo-jin in the supporting cast.
Snowdrop will be helmed by Yoo Hyun-mi and Jo Hyun-tak, the writer-director duo behind SKY Castle.
Release date: First half of 2021
4. Lee Dong-wook and Jo Bo-ah in Tale of Gumiho
Image credit: Lee Dong Wook Official Facebook Page (left); Sidus HQ Official Facebook Page (right)
One of the most highly-anticipated K-dramas to premiere in 2020, Tale of Gumiho brings together Lee Dong-wook (Goblin, Strangers from Hell) and Jo Bo-ah (My Strange Hero, Forest). In this fantasy drama from tvN, Lee Dong-wook plays a gumiho (a nine-tailed fox in Korean legends) who protects human beings from supernatural threats. Meanwhile, Jo Bo-ah plays a TV producer of a show that just happens to revolve around urban myths.
Tale of Gumiho will be written by Han Woo-ri and directed by Kang Shin-hyo.
Release date: Oct 2020
5. Ju Ji-hoon and Jun Ji-hyun in Mount Jiri
Image credit: KEYEAST Official Facebook Page (left); Gianna Jun Official Website (right)
A new mystery drama called Mount Jiri combines the talents of two critically acclaimed actors: Ju Ji-hoon, who is famous for playing Crown Prince Lee Chang in Netflix’s zombie thriller Kingdom, and Jun Ji-hyun, a leading hallyu queen who has headlined successful K-dramas like My Love From the Star and The Legend of the Blue Sea. Together, they play national park rangers who save people at Mount Jiri, the second-tallest mountain in South Korea.
Mount Jiri will be directed by Lee Eung-bok, who was also responsible for directing Goblin, Mr. Sunshine, and Descendants of the Sun. In addition, the series will be written by Kim Eun-hee, who has penned suspenseful dramas such as Kingdom and Signal.
Release date: Second half of 2021
6. Jang Dong-yoon and Krystal Jung in Search
Image credit: Search on IMDb (left); vousmevoyez (right)
Joining the list of most talked-about K-drama couples is the team-up of Jang Dong-yoon and Krystal in Search. In this military thriller series, Krystal Jung, who shot to fame as a singer and member of the South Korean girl group f(x), takes on the role of a highly capable lieutenant. Starring opposite her is Jang Dong-yoon, who plays a sergeant investigating the suspicious deaths and disappearances occurring in the demilitarised zone (DMZ).
Release date: Oct 2020
7. Eric Mun and Yoo In-na in The Spies Who Loved Me
Just as its title suggests, The Spies Who Loved Me tackles espionage in a romantic spy comedy with a love triangle. In this MBC series, Yoo In-na (Goblin, Secret Garden) stars as a charming and unsuspecting wedding dress designer, who learns that the men in her life have been lying to her. Her ex-husband, played by Eric Mun (Phoenix, Super Rookie), is a secret agent for Interpol. But to make matters worse, her current husband is working as a corporate spy as well. May the best spy win?
Release date: Oct 2020
8. Go Kyung-pyo and Seohyun in Private Lives
Image credit: kopular (left); seojuhyun_s (right)
Taking place in a world where data has been made public, JTBC’s Private Lives revolves around a group of swindlers and con artists who stumble upon a surveillance scheme by the government. This K-drama stars Girls’ Generation’s Seohyun, who plays a sweet-looking woman doubling as a scam artist, and Go Kyung-pyo (Chicago Typewriter, Reply 1988), who plays a mysterious man running a detective agency.
Release date: Oct 2020
9. Cha Eun-woo and Moon Ga-young in True Beauty
Image credit: Fantagio Official Facebook Page (left); KEYEAST Official Facebook Page (right)
Adapted from a webtoon of the same name, True Beauty features ASTRO’s Cha Eun-woo (My ID is Gangnam Beauty) and Moon Ga-young (Heartstrings, EXO Next Door). In this high school drama, we follow two childhood friends. One of the main protagonists is a girl who uses makeup to cover up her insecurities; the other is a boy who hides a dark past. When they meet each other, they help each other grow into better people.
Release date: Dec 2020
10. Nam Joo-hyuk and Bae Suzy in Start-Up
Image credit: skawngur (left); Management SOOP Official Facebook Page (right)
The director couldn’t have found a more compatible couple for Start-Up! In this series airing on Netflix, Bae Suzy (While You Were Sleeping, Vagabond) plays an ambitious entrepreneur with dreams of becoming the next Steve Jobs of South Korea, while Nam Joo-hyuk (The Light in Your Eyes, Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo) plays a tech founder who tries to win her attention. Sparks fly between the two during their scenes together, as the series draws audiences into the world of start-up companies and tech-savvy entrepreneurs in Sand Box — South Korea’s answer to America’s Silicon Valley.
Release date: Oct 2020
Also read: 10 Romantic Phrases in K-Dramas and What They Mean
It’s definitely an exciting time to be a fan of K-dramas! Hit us up on our official Facebook page and do tell us: Which of these upcoming K-drama couples are you looking forward to watching soon?
Featured image credit: Start-Up | Netflix and tvN
