'Nine Puzzles' & 9 Other Must-Watch K-drama Thrillers In 2025

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 2025.

From season three of Squid Game to a medical crime drama helmed by top actors, you’d definitely find one that tickles your fancy.

10 K-drama Thrillers In 2025 To Watch

1. Nine Puzzles

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Kim Da-mi plays Yun I-na, whose uncle was murdered. A father figure and friend to her, she was the only witness to his murder. Kim Han-saem (Son Suk-ku) is a criminal profiler who suspects I-na of being the killer. 10 years later, I-na is an ace criminal profiler who is usually the first to figure out the motive behind a crime just by examining a crime scene. She meets Han-saem, and they work together to uncover the truth behind her uncle's murder.

Nine Puzzles is now on Disney+.

2. The Manipulated

Tae Joong (Ji Chang-wook) lived an ordinary life, but his life turned into hell after he was wrongfully framed. As he falls into an abyss, he finds out that someone is responsible for his plight and seeks vengeance on that man, Yo Han (Doh Kyung-soo). The latter is a manipulator who "sculpts" hell into people's lives by orchestrating crimes and fabricating evidence. Baek Do-kyung (Lee Kwang-soo) is a key figure in solving this case and Yo Han's identity. This Korean thriller drama is written by Oh Sang-ho, who was the writer for the hit Korean drama Taxi Driver.

The Manipulated is slated to air on Disney+ in the fourth quarter of 2025.

3. Squid Game 3

By now, you would have at least heard of Squid Game, the Korean drama that took the world by storm when it was first released in 2021. The third season will be released in June, and given that Season 2 ended on a cliffhanger, everyone is hoping Season 3 answers their questions or proves/debunks their theories. The cast members (who survived Season 2) will reprise their roles, and the truth behind the Front Man will finally be uncovered... hopefully.

Squid Game 3 is slated to air on Netflix on June 27, 2025.

4. Hyper Knife

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If you love medical dramas, you'd love Hyper Knife. This medical crime thriller revolves around the story of Dr Jung Se-ok (Park Eun-bin), a genius doctor who was stripped of her medical license after a tragedy. She now performs illegal surgeries to feed her thirst to push the boundaries of neuroscience. One day, she meets another genius doctor, Dr Choi Deok-hee (Sul Kyung-gu), her former mentor. However, he is also the cause of her downfall. The pair starts a dangerous game of power struggle and revenge. Meanwhile, Se-ok continues to perform ethically questionable surgeries but starts questioning the moral consequences of her actions.

Hyper Knife is streaming on Disney+.

5. Unmasked

This comedy crime thriller series centres on a group of investigative journalists whose jobs are on the line after they published a contentious report that angered sponsors. In a bid to save their careers, they decided to solve a 20-year-old case involving the disappearance of an actor. As they dig further into the case, they discover secrets and conspiracies that push them to their limits, and they find themselves putting their morals to the test.

Unmasked is streaming on Disney+.

6. Trigger

The ownership of firearms is illegal in South Korea, yet illegal firearms suddenly appear, and shooting incidents occur in the once gun-free country. Lee Do (Kim Nam-gil), a detective who was a military sniper, tries to prevent serial shooting crimes, while investigating the person behind the procurement of illegal firearms. Moon Baek (Kim Young-kwang) is a methodical strategist, who, behind his carefree manner, is the centre of the arms broker business.

Trigger will be available on Netflix in the third quarter of 2025.

7. As You Stood By

Credit: Netflix

Eun-su (Jeon So-nee) is a luxury brand salesperson at a department store, who was a victim of domestic violence when she was a child. She vows to help her friend Hui-su (Lee You-mi), a once-promising children's book writer who had to give up her dreams because of ongoing domestic violence. The pair plans to kill Hui-su's husband, Jin-pyo (Jang Seung-jo). Meanwhile, Eun-su's CEO, Chen Shaobo (Lee Mu-saeng), finds out about their plan and supports them. The drama is based on a Japanese novel, Naomi & Kanako.

As You Stood By will be available on Netflix in the fourth quarter of 2025.

8. The Price of Confession

In this K-drama thriller, An Yun-su (Jeon Do-yeon) is an art teacher who dreams of a happy family life, but her dreams are shattered after her husband is murdered, becoming the prime suspect. In prison, she meets Mo-eun (Kim Go-eun, The Goblin and Little Women), whom the inmates call a witch due to her ability to read people. The two make a dangerous deal. Meanwhile, Baek Dong-hun (Park Hae-soo), a diligent prosecutor with strong principles and a cool demeanor, attempts to dig into the secrets of Yoon-Soo and Mo Eun. At the same time, Jang Jeong-gu (Jin Sun-kyu), Yun-su's lawyer who is a former boxer, also tries to uncover the truth behind Yun-su's husband's mysterious death and prove her innocence.

The Price of Confession will be available on Netflix in the fourth quarter of 2025.

9. Newtopia

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Lee Jae-yun (Park Jeong-min) is a soldier who enlisted in the army late. He is seeking alternative service through a job in the defense industry. Anxious about his future, he breaks up with his girlfriend, Kang Yeong-ju (Blackpink's Jisoo), a rookie engineer. One day, a virus outbreak causes people to mutate into zombies. She and Jae-yun run towards each other while fighting to survive. Jae-yun gradually starts to take on the role of the leader of the squad, while Yeong-ju also becomes stronger.

Newtopia is streaming on Prime Video.

10. Buried Hearts

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Seo Dong-ju (Park Hyung-sik) works at the chairman's secretary's office at Daesan Group. He is known as someone who is dedicated to the company, but he has a goal: to take over the conglomerate. Yeom Jang-sun (Heo Jun-ho) is a law professor and former director of the National Intelligence Service. He is also the most influential person in the country's political scene. As a testament to his power, he has a slush fund worth two trillion won. A chain of events is set off when Dong-ju hacks into the funds to steal the money, and then is nearly killed by Jang-sun who is unaware that Dong-ju had stolen his money. Dong-ju survives the attack, but loses his memory. Jang-sun then realises the money is missing and sets out to recover it.

Buried Hearts is streaming on Disney+.

This article was originally published on Mar 17, 2025 and updated on June 5, 2025.