New Korean dramas in August 2021
The second half of 2021 was kickstarted by highly anticipated Korean dramas, such as The Devil Judge and Kingdom: Ashin of the North. The offerings this month aren’t shabby either. Here are 8 Korean dramas you should not miss in August 2021.
Table of Contents
1. The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim
Image credit: KAKAO TV
Main Cast:
- Kim Sae-ron as Ga Doo-shim
- Nam Da-reum as Na Woo-soo
The Great Shaman Ga Doo-shim follows Ga Doo-shim, an 18-year old high school student who has been fated to become a shaman since birth. She tries her best to live life like every other kid her age, whose only priority is to pass the Korean SATs. One day, Doo-shim gets transferred to a new school and meets Na Woo-soo, a rich and handsome classmate who excels in his studies.
As Woo-soo spends more time with Doo-shim, he starts to see evil spirits. He later comes to terms with his newfound ability and tags along with Doo-shim when she fights against those evil spirits.
Catch the chilling teaser of The Great Ga Doo-shim here:
Video credit: iQIYI K-drama
Korean title: 우수무당 가두심
Genre: Fantasy, mystery, romance
Airs on: 30th July
2. The Road: Tragedy Of One
Image credit: tvN
Main Cast:
- Ji Jin-hee as Baek Soo-hyun
- Yoon Se-ah as Seo Eun-soo
- Kim Hye-eun as Cha Seo-young
The Road: Tragedy Of One is a K-drama adaptation of a Japanese novel called The Tragedy of One.
This drama unveils the ugly secrets and desires of those who live on Royal the Hill, an estate where only the top 1% of Korea live.
Baek Soo-hyun, played by Ji Jin-hee, is a famous news anchor whose words everyone trusts. However, he’s secretly cold-hearted and would do anything to get what he wants. His wife, Seo Eun-soo, is the daughter of Korea’s biggest steelmaking company and an exemplary mother.
One rainy night, a fateful incident takes place, and things get even messier.
Catch the latest teaser of The Road: Tragedy Of One here:
Video credit: tvN DRAMA
Korean title: 더로드: 1의 비극
Genre: Thriller, crime, mystery
Airs on: 4th August
3. Second Husband
Image credit: MBC
Main Cast:
- Uhm Hyun-kyung as Bong Seon-hwa
- Cha Seo-won as Yoon Jae-min
- Oh Seung-ah as Yoon Jae-kyung
- Han Ki-woong as Moon Sang-hyuk
Second Husband is a new makjang drama that follows Bong Seon-hwa, a girl who had a tough childhood. She persevered and faces life with an optimistic personality. Seon-hwa falls in love with Moon Sang-hyuk, and they have a baby.
One day, Sang-hyuk has an affair with Yoon Jae-kyung, the step-daughter of a confectionery company. He dumps Seon-hwa and abandons their child. To make things worst, he also frames Seon-hwa for murder.
The despair Seon-hwa faced drove her to seek revenge against Sang-hyuk. In her pursuit of revenge, she meets Jae-min, Jae-kyung’s step-brother, and Jae-min falls in love with her.
Catch the teaser of Second Husband here:
Video credit: MBCdrama
Korean title: 두번째 남편
Genre: Makjang, revenge, romance
Airs on: 9th August
4. Police University
Image credit: KBS
Main Cast:
- Jung Jin-young as Kang Seon-ho
- Cha Tae-hyun as Yoo Dong-man
- Krystal Jung as Oh Kang-hee
Set in the National Police University Campus, Police University revolves around Yoo Dong-man, a professor in the university, and two freshmen – the brainy and morally righteous Oh Kang-hee and hacker Kang Seon-ho.
The show will display the student-teacher relationship between the three as the freshmen learn from their professor, who has racked 20 years of experience as a policeman.
Watch the teaser of Police University below:
Video credit: KBS Drama
Korean title: 경찰수업
Genre: Romance, drama, youth
Airs on: 9th August
5. Check Out the Event
Image credit: MBC
Main Cast:
- Bang Min-ah as Ha Song-yi
- Kwon Hwa-woon as Park Do-kyum
- Ahn Woo-yeon as Seo Ji-gang
Check Out the Event is a melodrama that revolves around two exes who get together just to go on “couple trips”.
Bang Min-ah plays Ha Song-yi, a happy-go-lucky lady who oversees a botanical garden. She recently broke up with her ex, Park Do Kyum, who is the leader and singer in an indie band.
The two get together again for the sole purpose of going for a free trip that Song-yi won. There, they meet Seo Ji-gang, a writer who’s the travel guide for their trip. Ji-gang acts as a guide for these trips to understand the dynamics of couples in order to improve his writing.
Later, the three get into a love triangle after Ji-gang develops feelings for Song-yi.
Check out the teaser for Check Out The Event below:
Video credit: MBCdrama
Korean title: 이벤트를 확인하세요
Genre: Romance, drama
Airs on: 14th August
6. Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha
Image credit: tvN
Main Cast:
- Kim Seon-ho as Hong Du-shik
- Shin Min-ah as Yoon Hye-jin
- Lee Sang-yi as Ji Seong-hyun
Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha is a K-drama remake of the 2004 film Mr. Handy, Mr Hong.
Set in a seaside village called Gongjin, this show follows Hong Doo-shik, played by Start Up’s Kim Seon-ho. Doo-shik is known as the neighbourhood handyman Mr Hong, and he’d do anything to earn money.
Yoon Hye-jin is a dentist who moves to Gongjin after her life doesn’t go the way she wanted it to. As Hye-jin opens her dental practice in Gongjin, she crosses paths with Doo-shik. Despite their polar opposite personalities, they warm up to each other and end up falling in love.
Check out the teaser of Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha below:
Video credit: tvN Drama
Korean title: 갯마을 차차차
Genre: Romance, comedy
Airs on: 28th August
7. Lovers of the Red Sky
Image credit: SBS
Main Cast:
- Kim Yoo-jung as Hong Chun-gi
- Ahn Hyo-seop as Ha Ram
- Gong Myung as Prince Anpyeong / Lee Young
- Kwak Si-yang as Prince Sooyang / Yi Yu
Lovers of the Red Sky is a historical fantasy drama adapted from a novel of the same name. The story follows Hong Chun-gi, a one-of-a-kind artist who gets accepted to Dohwawon, the Royal Academy of Painting. She was born blind, but one day, she regains her vision.
Ha Ram is the opposite of Chun-gi – he was born with sight, but later lost his vision after a childhood accident. He now works as an astrologer at Seowoongwan, the office of astronomy, geography, the art of divination, and meteorology.
One day, Chun-gi and Ha Ram cross paths, and Chun-gi falls in love with him. The two end up getting entangled in the schemes of the Royal Court, and only God knows what fate has in store for the two of them.
Watch the teaser here:
Video credit: Drama Mix
Korean title: 홍천기
Genre: Historical, romance, fantasy
Airs on: TBA
8. I’m Watching You
Image credit: TVING
Main Cast:
- Kim Bora
I’m Watching You is a drama that portrays real-life crimes through security camera footage and re-enactments. This is a unique take on crime dramas as it will showcase crimes through the eyes of society, instead of the perspective of the victims and perpetrators.
We don’t know much about this drama so far, but the premise is intriguing and is reminiscent of BBC’s Crimewatch.
Catch the concept teaser of I’m Watching You below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ei7E_IfNN0
Video credit: TVING
Korean title: 지켜보고 있다
Genre: Crime, mystery, thriller
Airs on: TBA
Upcoming Korean dramas in August 2021
There are so many upcoming Korean dramas in August 2021, and you’ll definitely be hooked on them as soon as you start watching. While waiting for these dramas to start airing, why not check out the dramas that premiered earlier in July?
Also, check out:
- 8 romantic moments in Doom At Your Service
- 8 Han So-hee facts you need to know
- 11 facts of the rising K-pop girl group Brave Girls
- 12 Lee Do-hyun facts, including the one about his ex-girlfriend
- At a Distance, Spring is Green tells the story of 3 undergrads and their struggles
Cover images adapted from: tvN, tvN, and KBS