The premieres of several critically acclaimed series, including Taxi Driver, The Glory, Duty After School, and Queenmaker, have made this an excellent year for Korean drama lovers. While they are highly anticipated even before they’re released due to the big stars that stole the spotlight, several underrated ones have quickly become industry successes, such as Prime Video’s Island and Kokdu: Season of Deity.

For those who enjoy Korean dramas, every month of this year has been a feast, and it looks like July will be no exception. A lot of new dramas are coming out on streaming services like Netflix and television networks like tvN, and a number of highly anticipated shows are returning for second seasons. So, without further ado, here are the best Korean dramas that will be released in July 2023.
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Shadow Detective 2 (July 5)
Disney+

Shadow Detective is a Disney+ Original series that premiered in October 2022 and quickly grabbed the attention of many fans, cementing its place as one of the best crime thrillers of all time. The plot revolves around Kim Tae Rok, a veteran detective nearing retirement at Geumo Police Station.

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His retirement preparations are derailed when he receives a suspicious phone call from someone claiming to be an old friend who has murdered his colleague Woo Hyun Seok. The second season follows his pursuit of the unidentified blackmailer as he gets closer to solving the murder of Woo Hyun Seok. Depending on where you live, you can watch the drama on Hulu or Disney+ starting July 5.

Strangers (July 17)
Hulu

Strangers is a new K-drama based on the webtoon “Namnam” by Jeon Young Ryong. This new comedy life drama will follow the lives of a mother, Eun Mi (Jeon Hye Jin), a physical therapist who lacks countermeasures in her home, and her daughter Jin Hee (Choi Soo Young), a cool girl in her late twenties who is attempting to make her life more extraordinary.

Although they share a bond, their daily circumstances place them in a difficult position as they try to connect despite being unable to sort things out. The drama will be available on Hulu beginning July 17.

My Lovely Liar (July 24)
tvN

When the My Lovely Liar drama first released its poster, many assumed it was Chinese due to its typical plot and cheesy characters. However, there is more to it than meets the eye, which leads to an intriguing premise.

The story revolves around a woman named Mok Sol Hee (Kim So Hyun), who is unable to trust others due to her strange ability to hear lies, and a murder suspect named Kim Do Ha (Hwang Min Hyun), who lacks the ability to prove his innocence. How will these two meet and turn the story around while falling in love?

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Longing For You (July 26)
ENA

While romance dramas have become prevalent in the Korean industry, we rarely witness a detective drama, at least not one that keeps us on the edge of our seats as Voice, Signal, and Stranger did. Longing For You is a crime mystery drama starring Na In Woo (Mystic Pop-Up Bar), despite the title sounding like a romance in which the main character looks for their soulmate.

The plot follows Detective Oh Jin Sang, who joins an investigation team when a murder takes place unexpectedly in a neighborhood renowned for no crime. However, his involvement stems from his brother Jin Woo being named as a suspect, and despite clearing his name and identifying the true perpetrator, Oh Jin Sang was not expecting the outcome.

Soon after his promotion as a result of solving the case, he obtains the pleasure of working at the Gangnam Police Station. However, his brother Jin Woo dies unexpectedly, forcing Oh Jin Sang back into detective mode to uncover the mystery behind his death.

The Uncanny Counter Season 2 (July 29)
Netflix

As it has been nearly three years since the release of The Uncanny Counter, the approaching month is most likely saving the best for last. Although the first season concluded on a positive note, it did leave some loose ends from the webtoon’s material for producing a second season, which is right around the corner.

The leading group of Counters, So Mun, Ga Mo Tak, Do Ha Na, and Chu Mae Ok, once again will return in the second season in order to rescue the victims who have been possessed by evil spirits attempting to secure an existence in the world. While we may expect new Counters to emerge from all over Korea and join the main group for a fiery battle, we may also witness other unforeseen occurrences, such as how So Mun evolved at such a rapid rate in the first season.

In any case, with The Uncanny Counter’s second season being one of the most anticipated series of 2023, July will be an excellent month for fans while also being exhausting to wait all these days.