K-dramas tend to be most famous for their romantic stories that transport you into a wonderful fantasy world. However, crime and mystery K-dramas have also been receiving a lot of love, and for good reason.
If you enjoy solving mysteries and want to bring out your inner Sherlock or Enola Holmes, check out this list of thrilling murder mysteries. Join the sleuthing characters as you try to solve the cases alongside them.
1. “Law School”
“Law School” centers around the murder of a law school professor. The grim incident takes place on campus while students are having a mock trial, and there’s no shortage of suspects. The police are focusing on Professor Yang Jong-hoon (Kim Myung-min) and Han Joon-hwi (Kim Beom) who is also the nephew of the deceased professor. Everyone is a potential killer and hidden truths are surfacing as the investigations continue. Can you discover who the killer’s identity is?
2. “Flower of Evil”
“Flower of Evil” introduces Do Hyeon-su (Lee Joon-gi) who maintains a facade as a perfect husband. However, his twisted past comes to light when his detective wife Cha Ji-won (Moon Chae-won) begins investigating a series of murders. Hyeon-su tries to hide his real identity and family history in order to preserve the life he has built. However, Ji-won starts to uncover the truth and realises her husband is not the man she thought he was. What do you do when you suspect your husband of being a serial killer?
3. “Stranger”
“Stranger” brings stoic prosecutor Hwang Si-mok (Cho Seung-woo) and warm-hearted police lieutenant Han Yeo-jin (Bae Doona) together as they unravel a murder case. They make an unlikely but well-matched pair with Si-mok being unable to experience emotions and Yeo-jin being stubborn and passionate. With both of them being very adept, they are able to discover the complicated truth as surprising twists unfold. Beloved for its tightly-woven storyline, the series returned with a second season that reunites the duo as they investigate another case.
4. “The Good Detective”
“The Good Detective” shows the battle between detectives who try to reveal the truth and those who try to cover it up. Veteran detective Kang Do-chang (Son Hyun-joo) meets his new partner Oh Ji-hyeok (Jang Seung-jo) when suspicions are cast upon a closed murder case. Lee Dae-cheol (Jo Jae-yun), whom Kang Do-chang previously arrested, is awaiting execution when mysterious calls provide information about the murders Lee Dae-cheol was convicted for. Time is ticking as the detectives try to figure out the truth.
5. “Graceful Friends”
“Graceful Friends” features a group of close-knit friends whose lives get shaken up when a friend dies and a murder takes place afterwards. They become suspects when it is revealed that they have complicated relationships with the victim. In addition to the present murder case, there’s a past murder that took place when the friends were university students. The series examines friendship and love as concealed secrets come to the surface. How will the murder affect their friendships, and which one of them is a murderer?
6. “The Lies Within”
“The Lies Within” follows Kim Seo-hui (Lee Yoo-young) as she grapples with losing her father and her husband going missing shortly thereafter. Receiving a grisly package, Kim Seo-hui finds out her husband’s life is on the line and joins the National Assembly to try to save her husband. She works with detective Jo Tae-sik (Lee Min-ki) as they look into both incidents. As they piece together various clues and information, they sift through the lies which can no longer silence the truth.
7. “Signal”
“Signal” intersects profiler Park Hae-young (Lee Je-hoon) who is living in the year 2015 and detective Lee Jae-han (Cho Jin-woong) who is living in 1989. Communicating across the years via walkie-talkie, the pair solve cases and try to prevent them from happening using hindsight and foresight. Later, they are joined by Cha Soo-hyun (Kim Hye-soo) who is a detective in both timelines. There are several mysteries to be solved in “Signal”, but some of the most important are the serial murders and Jae-han’s disappearance.
8. “Partners for Justice”
If you want multiple murder mysteries in one series, “Partners for Justice” is a good choice. Grouchy but brilliant forensic doctor Baek Beom (Jung Jae-young) works with enthusiastic rookie prosecutor Eun Sol (Jung Yu-mi) to solve cases and catch criminals. This series stands out amongst other crime K-dramas by focusing on both the forensic and legal aspects of crime-solving. You’ll learn interesting facts about forensic science as the memorable characters pursue justice across two seasons.
Which murder mystery K-dramas are you most interested in checking out? Watch them all on Netflix!
