K-Drama Update: Must-Watch June Releases

From So Ji-sub’s long-awaited K-drama comeback in Mercy for None to Squid Game’s thrilling final season, this month promises tension, action, romance, and more! We’ve got an ex-gangster seeking revenge, a college girl swept up in a fantasy romance with a dreamy duke, a struggling director and actor finding hope in a movie project, a shaman fighting for love and fate, and a hero fighting to end a deadly game. With such stories to engage in, June’s K-dramas are unmissable. Read on to find out the ones we’re looking forward to.

Mercy for None

Based on the webtoon Plaza Wars: Mercy for None, this live-action adaptation is directed by Choi Sung-eun. A gritty noir series, it centers on Nam Gi-jun (So Ji-sub), who has left his gangster days behind for a quieter existence. But when his brother is murdered, his brutality comes roaring back, to the point of pulling him back into the underworld. Revenge is his goal, and he’s not stopping for anything so long as justice isn’t served.  

Release Date: June 6.

The First Night with the Duke

In a strange twist, a college student finds herself sucked into her favorite historical novel, becoming Cha Sun-chaek (Seohyun of Girl’s Generation), a minor character in the story. There, she meets the novel’s handsome yet brooding male lead, Yi Beon (Ok Taec-yeon of 2PM), and catches his eye. Their conversation culminates in a night spent together, making things complicated because when Sun-chaek tries to follow the novel and pair Yi Beon with its female lead, his feelings for her throw a wrench in the works. With their love blossoming, the fate of the story hangs in the balance. Directed by Lee Woong-hee, The First Night with the Duke is a romantic fantasy, an adaptation of the webtoon of the same name.

Release Date: June 11.

Our Movie

Director Lee Jung-heum’s Our Movie is a poignant melodrama about Lee Je-ha (Nam Koong-min), who was once a filmmaking prodigy and has been struggling to live up to his debut success ever since. When he meets Lee Da-eum (Jeon Yeo-been), an aspiring actor with a terminal illness, they team up for a star-crossed love story project. Sparks fly in the process, and the project becomes a reflection of their own lives—a chance for Je-ha to break free from his professional slump and Da-eum’s last shot at happiness.

Release Date: June 13.

Head Over Heels

Park Sung-a (Cho Yi-hyun) is a high school student by day and a mysterious shaman at night. On a day when Bae Gyeon-woo (Choo Yeong-woo) visits her seeking help, she’s instantly smitten by him, but her powers reveal a shocking truth: Gyeon-woo’s life is in danger. Unexpectedly, Gyeon-woo transfers to her school, becoming her classmate and causing Sung-a to resolve to save him in this webtoon-based romance fantasy drama, directed by Kim Yong-wan.

Release Date: June 23

Squid Game 3

Director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s survival thriller horror is back with its final installment, teasing even more intense action, suspense, and drama as Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), undeterred by past failures, is hell-bent on taking down the deadly game. But the sinister Front Man and his crew are more ruthless than ever. With new challenges growing deadlier by the minute and old enemies hot on his heels, Gi-hun’s difficulties are about to multiply in Squid Game’s ultimate showdown.

Release Date: June 27