Hyun Bin’s ‘Made In Korea’ S2 & 9 Other Must-Watch K-drama Thrillers In 2026

Is your definition of a good K-drama one that makes you sit on the edge of your seat every episode? Read on. If you love a good thriller that sets your heart thumping, whether with action-packed scenes, suspenseful plots, or terrifying serial killers, you would want to check out these K-drama thrillers in 2026.

From the second seasons of Made In Korea and A Shop For Killers to identity theft and serial killers, you’d definitely find one that tickles your fancy.

Dear X

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If you haven’t yet caught Dear X, you might have seen snippets of this drama on social media, particularly the scenes where Baek Ah-jin (Kim You-jung) exacts revenge on her bully. Unlike the title that seems to allude to a romantic series, this K-drama thriller will not make your heart flutter. Aired in late 2025, it follows the story of Ah-jin, who grew up in an abusive environment. The sociopath learnt how to put on a front and manipulate people to get her way. She becomes an actress, and is supported by two men who have been with her since high school: Yoon Jun-seo and Kim Jae-oh. As time goes by, the men realise that Ah-jin hides her true personality. Over time, her actions get more cruel.

Dear X is available on HBO Max.

The Manipulated

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Be prepared to feel angry on behalf of Park Tae-joong (Ji Chang-wook), a man who leads an honest life until he was falsely accused of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment. After suffering in prison, he finds out that he was selected to be the fall guy for the crime, and vows to seek revenge on the mastermind. Meanwhile, An Yo-han (EXO’s Doh Kyung-soo) is the CEO of a security company that is linked to the crime that Tae-joong is accused of. The drama also stars Lee Kwang-soo, of Running Man fame.

The Manipulated is available on Disney+.

Mousetrap

This upcoming thriller is based on a webcomic, and revolves around the story of Mun-jae (Ryu Jun-yeol), a reclusive novelist. One day, he finds himself unable to unlock his mobile phone using his fingerprint. His friend, who has been doing everything for him, also disappears. He realises someone named Rat has stolen his identity and property. Mun-jae enlists the help of loanshark No-ja (Sul Kyung-gu) who also runs a private detective agency. They work together to hunt down the Rat, so that No-ja can recover Mun-jae’s money, and in turn, get back the money that Mun-jae has owed him for three years.

Mousetrap premieres on Netflix in the third quarter of 2026.

The Art of Sarah

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Who is Sarah Kim? This K-drama thriller series centres on that question, after Sarah Kim is identified as the victim in a murder case. Despite being a well-known figure that embodies luxury, and the head of Asia’s branch of a well-known company, Sarah is a mysterious character that cannot be found anywhere. As a policeman investigates her death, he realises that “Sarah Kim” has different names, jobs, ages, and background, leading to that one question: who is the real Sarah Kim?

The Art of Sarah premieres on Netflix on February 13, 2026.

Notes from the Last Row

Anyone who knows Korean cinema would know Choi Min-sik. The veteran actor is rarely seen on the small screen, with his previous project Big Bet (2022) being his first drama in over 20 years. He plays Heo Mun-ho, a hot-tempered and blunt Korean literature professor in this K-drama thriller. Mun-ho dreamt of becoming a writer, but his failure caused him to have an inferiority complex. One day, Lee Kang (Choi Hyun-wook) attends his class and sits in the last row. The writing skills of the engineering student impresses Mun-ho so much that he starts giving the former private classes. However, Mun-ho grows increasingly obsessed with Lee Kang’s writing, and things start to take a weird turn.

Notes from the Last Row premieres on Netflix in the second quarter of 2026.

Road

In this crime drama, Son Suk-ku plays Kang Cheong-do, a detective who teams up with a Japanese detective Inose (Eita Nagayama) to solve a serial murder case. It all started when a dead twisted body was found in Tokyo, with Korean letters written in blood on the body. After that incident, a similar body was found in South Korea, but this time round, Japanese letters are written. As more bodies are found, the detectives realise these gruesome murders could be the work of a serial killer, and work together to bring the killer to justice.

Road premieres on Netflix in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Made in Korea Season 2

If you’re currently watching Made in Korea, you’d be happy to know that Season 2 is coming sooner than you think. Season 2 will see Hyun Bin, Jung Woo-sung and Woo Do-hwan reprising their roles, and continues from the ending of Season 1. While not much has been revealed about the plot, we reckon Jang Geon-yeong (Jung Woo-sung) and Baek Gi-tae (Hyun Bin) will continue their fight, and Gi-tae may also face new challenges as *spoiler ahead* the head of the Korean Central Intelligence Agency (KCIA) who runs an illicit business on the side.

Made in Korea Season 2 premieres on Disney+ in late 2026.

A Shop for Killers Season 2

In case Season 1 was too long ago for you, here’s a refresher: Jeong Ji-an (Kim Hye-jun) finds herself in pursuit of government officials and professional killers, following her uncle’s death. She finds out that her uncle, Jeong Jin-man (Lee Dong-wook) ran an online shopping mall for professional killers to buy weapons, and after his death, she becomes their target as they want ownership over the business. *spoiler ahead* Season 1 ended on a cliffhanger with Jin-man returning visibly wounded. The upcoming season will answer how and why Jin-man returns. The uncle-niece duo will also continue fighting the organisation behind the incidents.

A Shop for Killers Season 2 will be available on Disney+ in the second half of 2026.

Bloody Flower

Lee Woo-gyeom is a serial killer who is well-versed in medicine, and claims to have the universal cure for incurable illnesses — but a life has to be exchanged for each treatment. Park Han-jun (Sung Dong-il) is a lawyer who protects him because he wants the former to save his sick daughter. Cha Yi-yeon is a prosecutor who seeks a death sentence conviction on Woo-gyeom because she wants to prove her worth. This drama explores moral conflict and what justice entails.

Bloody Flower premieres on Disney+ on February 4, 2026.

Portraits of Delusion

Yoon Yi-ho (Kim Seon-ho) is an unknown painter living in 1935 Gyeongsang. He receives a request to paint a portrait of a hotel owner who hasn’t been seen in public for more than 50 years. He assumes he would be painting a portrait of an elderly woman, but is confused when the owner turns out to be a young woman (Suzy). She requests for him to paint her as how he would imagine her to look in her 70s, and he is not allowed to leave the hotel until he finishes the portrait. One day, he finds a note from a painter that was previously hired by the owner, warning him that no artist has left the hotel alive or mentally sound. 

Portraits of Delusion will be available on Disney+ in the second half of 2026.