It is the primal thrill of a calculated murder and the deranged actions of the culprit that make serial killer Korean drama shows on Netflix a little extra intriguing. So, to help satiate your thirst for some edge-of-the-seat bingeing session, we bring you the best and most edgy serial killer Kdramas available on Netflix.
Leading the list is the latest Go Min-si starrer Netflix drama The Frog, which focuses on two Korean motel owners and their plight after coming across two serial killers. One of the most-watched K-dramas on Netflix this year, it featured in the OTT’s Global Top Ten TV (Non-English) list with over 29,500,000 hours viewed, as of 4 September 2024.
Talking about her character Seong-a in the show, Go Min-si shared in an interview with K-media outlet Hankook Ilbo, “I was really curious about how international viewers would react, and they said, ‘A rare Korean female villain has appeared.’”
Meanwhile, the serial killer Korean drama A Killer Paradox became a global phenomenon by landing in the Netflix Top 10 Global list (Non-English) in an impressive 52 countries, including India, Canada and Thailand. Additionally, the series topped the chart with 39.5 million hours watched a week after its release on 9 February 2024.
Not to forget the Jung Ji-woo directorial Somebody, which stars popular actors Kim Young-kwang, Kang Hae-rim and Kim Yong-ji. The eight-episode Netflix original series K-drama focuses on software developer Kim Sum and a serial killer hell-bent on killing her.
Edgy serial killer Kdrama titles to watch on Netflix
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The Frog (2024)
Directed by: Mo Wan-il
Cast: Go Min-si, Kim Yoon-seok, Yoon Kye-sang
Episodes: 8
Approx. duration per episode: 1 hour 8 minutes
IMDb rating: 6.9
Synopsis: Sang Joon (Kim) lives a peaceful life as a motel owner in a rural area in South Korea. Young Ha (Yoon), on the other hand, runs a pension in a forest. What happens when their lives are turned upside down after the arrival of a mysterious woman named Seong-a (Go)?
Read more: The Frog K-drama ending explained
Directed by: Lee Chang-hee
Cast: Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, Lee Hee-jun
Episodes: 8
Approx. duration per episode: 1 hour 3 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.2
Synopsis: University student Lee Tang (Choi) gets in a brawl with a drunk criminal and ends up killing him in self-defence. He soon discovers that he possesses a special ability to recognise corrupt people and starts eliminating them from society. However, with detective Nan-gam (Son) and ex-detective Song Chon (Lee) tailing his serial killings, Tang’s job seems difficult.
About the show: It is a Korean drama adaptation of the webcomic SalinjaㅇNangam written by Ggomabi and illustrated by Nomabi.
Somebody (2022)
Directed by: Jung Ji-woo
Cast: Kim Young-kwang, Kang Hae-rim, Kim Yong-ji, Kim Soo-yeon
Episodes: 8
Approx. duration per episode: 50 minutes
IMDb rating: 6
Synopsis: Software developer Kim Sum (Kang) and her friends get caught in a web of murders involving the dating app ‘Somebody,’ which Sum built. With a serial killer lurking nearby, how will the group of women find their way back to safety?
Inspector Koo (2021)
Directed by: Lee Jung-heum
Cast: Lee Yeong-ae, Kim Hye-jun, Kim Hae-sook
Episodes: 12
Approx. duration per episode: 57 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.1
Synopsis: Koo Kyung-yi (Lee) is one of the most successful private detectives and insurance investigators in Seoul. When a notorious, young serial killer (Kim) threatens the peace in the city, Kyung-yi takes it upon herself to put the culprit behind bars.
Read more: Best detective novels for every murder mystery lover
Directed by: Kim Cheol-gyu
Cast: Lee Joon-gi, Moon Chae-won, Seo Hyun-woo, Jung Seo-yeon
Episodes: 16
Approx. duration per episode: 1 hour 5 minutes
IMDb rating: 8.6
Synopsis: Detective Cha Ji-won (Moon) and her doting husband Baek Hee-sung (Lee) are raising a beautiful daughter together. However, Cha’s peaceful married life is turned upside down when she is assigned a 15-year-old murder case, leading her to unravel dark secrets about a serial killer and his connections with her husband.
Directed by: Park Seon-ho
Cast: Ji Chang-wook, Nam Ji-hyun, Choi Tae-Joon
Episodes: 40
Approx. duration per episode: 1 hour 15 minutes
IMDb rating: 7.8
Synopsis: Eun Bong-hee (Nam) is a young justice department intern who finds a job at prosecutor Noh Ji-wook’s (Ji) office. When Bong-hee is falsely accused of murdering her boyfriend, Ji-wook risks his career to find the serial killer on the loose and prove Bong-hee’s innocence.
(Hero and Featured image: Courtesy Netflixkr/Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Some of the best serial killer K-dramas are 'The Frog', 'A Killer Paradox', 'Suspicious Partner' and 'The Flower Of Evil'.
Some of the best Korean mystery thriller dramas are 'The Glory', 'Squid Game', 'The Frog', 'Beyond Evil', 'Taxi Driver' and 'Flower Of Evil'.
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Written by
Sushmita Mahanta
Digital Writer (Growth) - Entertainment
Sushmita is a writer with a passion for crafting engaging and informative stories. An avid fan of K-pop and K-dramas, Sushmita mostly writes about Korean culture and entertainment. When not writing, you can find Sushmita dancing, reading, collecting books, learning about fashion, art, motion pictures, and appreciating BTS.
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