K-Dramas To Watch In December 2016 — What Korean Dramas Should You Be Checking Out This Month?

When it comes to Korean dramas, better known simply as K-dramas among the fan base, December is actually considered a “dead month.” The reason is because most of the winter season K-dramas have already started airing, specifically in November. They will close the 2016 K-drama year as the currently airing dramas on Korean television now will lead into 2017.

Lee Hyun (8eight) – Because It’s You Lyrics Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim OST – https://t.co/PpgX6EcngE pic.twitter.com/lth1MpoHPZ

— KPOP Lyrics (@newkpoplyrics) November 22, 2016

Eventually, certain K-dramas eventually stood out as the more popular dramas to watch compared to the others. At this moment, it seems the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) will close out 2016 and lead into 2017 as the best of the best. Both of their K-dramas currently airing for the winter season, Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim and The Legend of the Blue Sea, are dominating with high viewership both domestically in South Korea and internationally. The latter had a stronger start but the former eventually overtook the lead with its smart storytelling, strong acting, and excellent directing.

Though there are not many K-dramas either ending or airing this month, there are still some that are. The following are a list of K-dramas ending and K-dramas beginning for the month of December 2016.

Popular K-Dramas Ending In December 2016

https://youtu.be/uV64Ag4Tl8w

My Wife’s Having an Affair this Week (December 3)

My Wife’s Having an Affair this Week (also known as Cheating) is probably the biggest surprise this winter season. The concept of the K-drama is centered on infidelity, something that is looked down upon in South Korea, though it is looked down in many cultures. However, South Korea is notoriously known to harbor ill-feelings for infidelity, and they actually had a law that imprisoned the people involved in cheating relationships. That has since been changed, but the notion should say a lot about how Koreans view the touchy subject.

Starring Lee Sun Kyun and Song Ji Hyo, the K-drama is about Do Hyun Woo (Sun Kyun) a husband who finds out his wife, Jung Soo Yeon (Ji Hyo) is having an extramarital affair. Prior to discovering his wife’s affair, Hyun Woo thought he had the perfect marriage. Now that he knows the truth, he doesn’t know what to do. Ergo, he turns to the internet asking anonymous people online to figure out what to do and try to save his marriage.

At this moment, My Wife’s Having an Affair this Week is turning out to become the most popular K-drama JTBC has aired compared to its past K-dramas. It will air its finale on December 2, Saturday, on JTBC. Those who cannot watch JTBC can watch it for free, with ads, on DramaFever, Viki, and OnDemandKorea.

Sweet Stranger and Me (December 13)

Sweet Stranger and Me (also known as The Man Living in Our House) did what the above K-drama did and that is concentrate on a kind of relationship that is frowned upon or considered a taboo in South Korea. In this K-drama, the relationship surrounds an incestuous one, despite the fact that the father and daughter are not related by blood but by a step relationship.

Starring Soo Ae and Kim Young Kwang, the K-drama is about Hong Na Ri (Soo Ae), a woman who works as a flight attendant who suddenly moves back to her mother’s home after her mother dies from an accident and she is dumped by her long-term boyfriend of nine years. Upon arriving to her mother’s home, she learns it is under new ownership of a man named Go Nan Gil (Young Kwang). Na Ri thinks Nan Gil hustled her mother for the place, but things change drastically when she learns that Nan Gil is her step-father. Not only that, but Nan Gil is three years younger than Na Ri.

Sweet Stranger and Me is extremely entertaining. Unfortunately, the taboo relationship, though rationalized, seems to be too much for South Koreans and it is one of the lowest-rated K-dramas this season. Either that or they can’t get over the fact that Soo Ae is acting in a comedy role (she is known for serious roles). The K-drama will air its finale on December 13, Tuesday, on the Korean Broadcasting System (KBS). Those who do not have access to KBS can watch it free, with ads, on both Viki by its other title The Man Living in Our House and on OnDemandKorea.

https://youtu.be/WTypJqpX3jw

Entourage (December 24)

Entourage is probably the biggest flop on this list. Though it is a K-drama adaption of the HBO series, the dark humor and comedy is too much like the original. Apparently, such storytelling and drama is unpopular in South Korea as well as among fans of K-dramas (who like more lighthearted dramas). The only saving grace for this K-drama is the fact that it was sold for a very high price to China.

The K-drama has a huge, star-studded cast consisting of Cho Jin Woong, Seo Kang Joon, Lee Kwang Soo, Park Jung Min, and Lee Dong Hwi. Just like the HBO series, the K-drama is their take of an up-and-coming K-drama star and his “entourage.” Cha Young Bin (Kang Joon) is a rising star in his 20s and he brings along his friends, Cha Joon (Kwang Soo), Lee Ho Jin (Jung Min), and Geo Book (Dong Hwi). Kim Eun Gab (Jin Woong) is along for the ride simply because he is the CEO of Young Bin’s management company.

This year was clearly owned by the Total Variety Network (tvN). They had more successful K-dramas than any other Korean television station. However, Entourage is their one major flop this year. Guess they can’t win them all, right? Anyway, the K-drama’s finale will air on December 24, Saturday, on tvN. Not one single VOD streaming site of Korean content is showing this. Maybe that is one of the reasons why it did not do so well.

Popular K-Dramas Debuting In December 2016

https://youtu.be/LM1s74utgqo

Goblin (December 2)

Goblin (also known as Goblin: The Lonely and Great God) is the last K-drama by tvN for 2016. Starring Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook, and Kim Go Eun, it is about a goblin named Kim Shin (Gong Yoo) who is also the protector of souls. He works alongside Wang Yeo (Dong Wook) who is an amnesiac grim reaper with good looks, as they escort souls to the underworld. However, Kim Shin is tired of living an immortal life and want to end it. However, he needs to marry a mortal woman in order to become mortal too. By happenstance, Ji Eun Tak (Go Eun), a high school student who remains optimistic despite a painful reality, falls in love with Kim Shin.

Goblin will make its debut on December 2 on tvN. It will air on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. KST, the day and time slot previously occupied by The K2. For those who do not have access to tvN, the series can be viewed on Viki, depending on your location, and DramaFever by its other title Goblin: The Lonely and Great God.

https://youtu.be/pI294XUVjZU

Solomon’s Perjury (December 9)

Solomon’s Perjury will be the last K-drama for 2016 for JTBC. It stars Kim Hyun Soo, Jang Dong Yoon, Seo Ji Hoon, Seo Young Joo, and Cho Jae Hyun. Based on the Japanese suspense novel of the same name by Miyuki Miyabe, the K-drama is about a trial to uncover the truth behind the death of a male student at a high school. The authorities, however, assume the student committed suicide in a fall. Besides that, very little is known about the K-drama.

Solomon’s Perjury will make its debut on December 9 on JTBC. It will air on Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. KST, the same day and time slot currently occupied by My Wife’s Having an Affair this Week. For those who do not have access to JTBC, it seems as if the series will be available for free, with ads, exclusively on Viki.

[Featured Image by SBS]