Spooky season is long over, but that won’t stop us from giving you a list of frightening K-Dramas you should check out. Whether you want to have a spooky sleepover with your friends, feel an adrenalin rush just because, have a reason to cuddle up to your significant other, or if you are just one of those watching-horror-home-alone creeps, we got your back.
From ghost stories and takes on popular horror classics to psychological thrillers, the K-Drama industry has it all. Here is the list of a few of our top picks.
Ghost/Demon stories
A few dramas with those sweet sweet supernatural elements you should keep an eye on.
Hwayugi (2017-8)
Episodes: 20
Genre: Horror, Comedy, Romance, Drama, Zombies, Fantasy
For everyone who likes their ghosts and demons.
Jin Sun Mi is gifted, she is a Sam Jang. She can see ghosts and demons and has the ability to exorcise them. Having such power, she’s the target of many powerful demons who are trying to devour her, as the one who devours her gains even greater powers. Immortal Son Oh Gong’s duty is to protect her. Will she be able to survive?
The Master’s Sun (2013)
Episodes: 17
Genre: Horror, Comedy, Romance, Melodrama, Supernatural
A ghost story with a sprinkle, or few, of romance.
After an accident, Tae Gong Shil gained the ability to see ghosts. She meets Joo Joong Won, a greedy CEO of a big company owning several major stores and hotels. They unite their strengths to fight with terror brought into their lives by evil spirits.
Mysteries
Although many, if not all, horror themed dramas have some kind of mystery to them, here are a couple with a predominantly mystery based plot.
The Guest (2018)
Episodes: 16
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Supernatural, Detective, Investigation
One for the big boys and girls, a tone of frightening ahead.
A young psychic learns about “Son” (Guest). Son is a powerful demon who has the ability to control other demons and make them possess weak people. Possessed people go mad and kill their families. The psychic, a priest and a detective meet when their families get slaughtered by the demon. They join forces in order to avenge their families and stop Son once and for all.
The Ghost Detective (2018)
Episodes: 32
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Romance, Melodrama, Supernatural, Detective, Investigation
A classic and interesting detective horror story.
Detective Lee Da II solves paranormal cases with the help of his assistant, Jung Yeo Wool. Together, they are also working on a case of Yeo Wool’s sister’s apparent suicide. During their investigations, a mysterious woman keeps appearing. Who is she and what will their cases reveal?
Save Me (2017)
Episodes: 16
Genre: Action, Suspense, Friendship, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Drama
A twisted cult story.
Sang Mi moves into a new town with her family. They face hardships and end up being sucked in a cult with a very powerful leader. After a few years, her whole family is brainwashed, but she still holds on to hope of being saved. Four young man from the town will desperately try to help her, but will they be able to get to her?
*This one got a season 2 in 2019 and is one of my personal favs.
For more mystery related dramas, try watching The Village: Achiara’s Secret (2015), revolving around a creepy village and mysterious corpses, and The Nightmare Teacher (2016), a horror story set in high school, where all sorts of spooky things started happening after the new teacher had arrived.
Psychological thrillers
If you are not into those classical jump-scare, bloody type of stuff, you should definitely try this genre. It keeps the spooky factor while diving deeper into human psyche.
White Christmas (2011)
Episodes: 8
Genre: Thriller, Psychological
Don’t let the “Christmas” part fool you.
During the Christmas break, a few students of Soo Sin High get stuck on campus, after a big snow storm. They began receiving threatening letters and getting murdered, one by one. They know the murderer is among them, but will they be able to find the culprit, before he or she kills them all…
*A warm recommendation for all psycho-thriller geeks.
Hello Monster (2015)
Episodes: 16
Genre: Action, Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Comedy, Romance, Crime, Drama, Detective, Investigation
A drama exploring what makes a person become a psychopath.
A profiler and a detective team up to try to solve a number of murder cases involving their respective families. Unaware that they are being pulled into a game of cat and mouse by a master player, they’ll soon find the twisted truth they weren’t expecting.
A lighter pick
Bride of the Century (2014)
Episodes: 16
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Drama, Supernatural
One for all of you who are looking for a less scary option.
A Taeyong corporation is one of the biggest in Korea. The family that owns it is cursed, so that the first wife of the eldest son of the family always dies. When the wealthy heiress Jang Yi Kyung disappears right before her wedding to Choi Kang Joo, Na Doo Rim, a lookalike impostor, is brought in to take her place. But unlike the distant and cold Yi Kyung, Doo Rim is sweet and funny, and Kang Joo falls genuinely in love with her. But the mothers of the two families have their own plans.
Hope you liked our list, as always it’s based on personal opinion and ratings from fans. Be sure to let us know your favorite K-Dramas that send shivers down your spine.
—-Tina Miha
User Review
( vote)Related Articles

Wanderlust Wednesday: Structurally Magnificent Thai Temples
With Covid travel restrictions* lifting, many of us may be feeling the nips from the travel bug reminding us that life is short, and we need to go out to see and experience the world. Thailand is one of Southeast Asia’s major tourist attractions.... Read More
Books by Asian and Asian American Authors You Should Check Out
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month! As we celebrate the contributions made by the Asian and Pacific Islander communities, we also need to look at their contributions in the literary world. Asian/Asian American writers... Read More
Women’s History Month: Badass Women You Should Know
Trigger Warning: Article discusses sex crimes and violence March is Women’s History Month. The month commemorates women’s cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements. To honor Women’s History Month, we celebrate some of the... Read More
The Origins of Asian Glass Blowing
The treasure technique of glass blowing is said to have originate from Syria back in the 1st century. The technique quickly found its way in the Asian peninsula thanks to the legendary silk road glass trade in South east Asia and China. Since... Read More
Asian Artists Storming The 2022 SXSW Festival
A line-up of musicians performing at the 2022’s SXSW (South by Southwest) yearly event is out and Asian artists, including K-pop idols, are representing their peninsula in this global happening. Over the years, the SXSW festival and concert... Read More
DIY Vegetable Garnish Carvings
Vegetable carving is concurred to originate from Asia with the dispute being the exact country amongst China, Thailand and Japan. Some of the world’s most eminent vegetable carvings include Mukimono from Japan and Thaeng.yuak from Thailand.... Read More
Nairobi King Sejong Institute
Rating: 5 stars For over a decade, this institute has produced a substancial number of Korean speaking students. Currently affiliated with Kenyatta University, the institute offers free Korean classes to the university’s student... Read More
Original Fruits and Vegetables Grown in Japan
The Asian peninsula is eminent for maintaining its ancient traditional cultures and practices. Its perpetual serving of traditional cuisines, despite the sweeping effect of globalization and modernization, has glorified the Asian foods on a... Read More
Lee Yoo-mi’s Rise to Popularity After Two Hit Dramas
If you’re into K-dramas, you might have noticed that Korean actress Lee Yoo-mi has been getting a vast amount of popularity lately for her memorable supporting roles as Ji-yeong in Squid Game (2021) and Na-yeon in All of Us Are Dead (2022).... Read More
Leave a Reply