Thriller

Cruel City because oh my heck it was just the best. Drug deals, gangs, death by golf club, undercover cops, and revenge to top it all off? What is there to not love about this show? Its plot isn't driven by romance, but there is still romance and a lot of chemistry with the actors. And it is aesthetically pleasing despite the darker settings.  - u/silverbluefox

A great psychological thriller about a group of students at a very strict private school who stay on campus over the winter break due to a mysterious threatening note they all receive. After a death on campus they all try to solve the mystery before something else happens. - u/Kordiana

Fund manager loses a bunch of money, ends up becoming homeless. He still wants to be at the top.  - u/vcconut

A cult is growing in power in a community and because of this the leadership has been trapping and abusing some of the members without repercussions. When a girl is trying to leave the cult, the cult stops at nothing to keep her there.  - u/silverbluefox

Save Me - A girl must escape a religious cult with the help of four dudes. Strong story, somber/chilling mood and color palette. Strong heroine, great (terrifying) villain, and a great second male lead (not that it's a romance at all. Male lead and second male lead balanced each other well, but second male lead was a breakout role type character). Starts very dark but has a hopeful end.  - u/renicrat

I hear your voice - great plot and villain. - u/minimirth

W: Two Worlds: What happens when the most dashing character from a manhwa comes alive? W started with that interesting premise and the execution in the first half of the drama was truly magical. But then the story sort of waned and slugged. However, if you are not a completist, W's first few episodes are worth watching just to see the awesome way they executed this concept of the manhwa world coming alive.  - u/myweithisway

W - one of the most interesting premises and quite thrilling with an unpredictable plot. - u/minimirth

Life on Mars - Cop time travels 30 years to the past after a car accident. He struggles to understand his reality while trying to solve a serial murder case linked to the same case he was working on in the present. He builds closer relationships with the people of this time and starts to question where he should be. Hints of romance. Remake of the British series.  - u/renicrat

Life on Mars. It's a remake of a British series and focuses on a detective who travels back in time and must find a serial killer. All time favorite drama. It has great characters and the chemistry between the actors is phenomenal. I was really on the edge of my seat with the plot.  - u/whatthefudgeamidoing

Duel - A man kidnaps a cop's sick daughter. The cop beats up an amnesiac who looks exactly like the kidnapper before tentatively teaming up with him to find his kid. Great thriller about clones and villains with fucked up ethics. Strong emotional impact, both brotherly and father-daughterly. This drama wrung so many tears out of me.  - u/renicrat

Defendant is a must watch, that had me on the edge of my seat every week.  - u/Consuela_no_no

Liar Game - Innocent girl who really wants to believe in the good of people accidentally becomes involved in a morally questionable game show where the contestants compete in various rounds in lying games to earn a ton of money. She gets help from a genius ex-convict who is also a former professor and "living lie detector." Strong story, great and fucked up villain. You may get frustrated at how utterly good and trusting our heroine is, but I feel like everything else makes up for it.  - u/renicrat

Bad Guys - A cop who will go to any length to catch the criminal gathers a team of dangerous inmates to solve violent crimes. A professional hitman, a very muscular gangster, and a genius serial murderer with memory problems compete to apprehend criminals to get reductions to their prison sentences. Watch grudging bromances develop! Fun, fast paced, and with good emotional heft  - u/renicrat

The Guest - Our three main characters all have their families killed by the same evil spirit when they are young. After twenty years, their lives cross paths again as they, now an unemployed psychic, a priest, and a detective, must team up to find and destroy the spirit, who has continued to kill through possessing people and murdering those that the possessed had grudges against. Horror thriller, cinematic quality production, moody lighting. Well written friendships and dynamics between our leading trio. Also, if you're into strong female leads, our resident cop is a great character.  - u/renicrat

Voice- A thriller/mystery show about a cop who has super hearing abilities and works at a 119 center and a cop who works in homicides. The cop's wife frantically tries to call her husband and 119 as she's being hunted by a killer. Unfortunately, the center is incompetent and the husband doesn't pick up, leading to her death. While everyone is suspicious of one man as being the murderer, the female cop concludes that he's not the culprit as she heard a distinct sound and the voice of the kidnapper while on the phone. The cop husband gets upset and accuses the female cop of trying to save her job and preventing justice. She comes back after studying in the US for two years and asks to form the Golden Time team (best chances of survival are within 10 minutes of an emergency call) and has to team up with the male cop.  - u/whatthefudgeamidoing

Tunnel - Cop from 80s time travels to 2017 and the serial murderer he was chasing back then starts up murdering again. Strong story, strong bromance, strong parent-child relationships, a little romance (primarily our hero intensely missing the wife he left in the 80s). Lots of funny moments without skimping on the suspense and thriller aspects.  - u/renicrat

The Village: Achiara’s Secret - A teacher arrives in a small village looking for her long-lost sister and discovers an old body on her first day of work. She works to unravel the truth of the body, and faces opposition and resistance from just about every member of the village, who all seem to have massive secrets. At the same time, a serial killer, who may or may not be related to the old body, makes his way around the area. Strong mystery and plot.  - u/renicrat

It's very dark throughout, suspenseful and does have some violence. I enjoyed it and thought the ending was well done.  - u/ThisFatGirlRuns

If you want more suspense, go no further than Money Flower.  A child begs to be taken in by a cruel chaebol family (who wronged him) so that he can plot their demise over a generation’s time.

OMO.  Jang Hyuk is merciless in this drama, and watching each clay statue fall on their crumbled feet leaves such satisfaction.  There is danger, of course - and romance plays a very minor role.  Its a revenge drama - no killing.  It’s mostly Jang Hyuk taking down a major corporation with his brain. Sexy as hell.

Each episode ends on a cliffhanger with an OST that leaves goosebumps.  I can’t recommend this enough, for suspense and a very well written show. - u/elynwen

Strangers From Hell - If you're looking for your scary Halloween drama, this is the one.  Im Si Wan plays this kid who moves from the country to Seoul after his military service. His college friend gets him an internship at his company and he moves into this crappy but affordable goshiwon.  The people who live in that building are weird, particularly Lee Dong Wook the creepy-eyed dentist, and Im Si Wan does an exceptional job portraying his fear, anxiety, and anger as he deals with so many frustrating people.  - u/pvtshame

Healer: Code-named Healer, he is a mysterious young man that promises to deliver your package, no questions asked. When one of his deliveries go askew, he is plunged into a quest for truth that extends to his parents' generation. A high-octane story of action, both physical and via journalism and reporting, Healer shows that justice can be achieved. Whether you are watching the drama for the romance or the thrills or the bonding of families, by blood and by choice, there is a story in here that will touch your heart.  - u/myweithisway

IRIS: At its airing, it was arguably the biggest blockbuster on the kdrama scene. A star studded cast, foreign locales, and big action seemed to give rise to a new type of drama that was cinematically competitive to big action movies. However, with the constant advance of the kdrama scene, the 'blockbuster' effect of this drama is no longer so apparent and the drama hasn't aged very well. It's more of a drama you should know of, rather than a must-watch.  - u/myweithisway

Come and Hug Me is one of my favourite ones. They use a lot of flashbacks in this kdrama, each one of them is one pice of the whole puzzle. It’s really intriguing but it’s not slow either.  - u/seekdisconfort

Pinocchio: Two childhood friends grow up to become reporters at rival broadcasting stations. As they try to find their footing between pursuing success at all costs and pursuing truth and integrity as reporters, they uncover the secret behind an old scandal. Filled with heartwarming and funny moments, the drama provides an interesting look at the role of media in society and how those that work in media can affect the lives of many.  - u/myweithisway

Kill It: A young boy who should have died is raised as a professional killer instead. When his services are bought by a mysterious customer who promises to give him information about his origins, he begins a long fight to find out what had happened to him and to protect those around him that he has come to care for. The actions scenes are fantastic and the story heart-wrenching. It's a story that shows that sometimes even the worst of circumstances still cannot kill kindness and compassion.  - u/myweithisway

Signal - In this incredible sci-fi crime thriller, an old two-way radio connects a present-day squad leader and police profiler with a detective in the past. Together, the 3 solve cold cases to change the past (and consequently, the present and future). You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll be fed up but this is an absolute MUST WATCH for every kdrama viewer.  - u/teddygi

Signal is one of the best K-Dramas to ever air. This drama has one of the most solid plots ever. There are almost no filler scenes. A+ for the acting and writing. I’d say that this drama deserves recognition. Y’all should watch it if you haven’t yet, and thank me later. - u/letmefeelthemagic

Two Weeks - A man on run after being falsely accused of murder, discovers he has a daughter and do everything to protect her. Amazing thriller  - u/iucisme

I will forever recommend Two Weeks. Really good. Little romance. - u/baitaozi

Two Weeks is one I'd recommend.  It's about a man who's trying to redeem himself and save his daughter after being framed for a murder.  It's a really good thriller with the right amounts of drama, conspiracy, action, and light hearted moments.  The plot doesn't drag or get slow at any point.  - u/tig3rlili

Two Weeks - watched it a long time ago but I still remember how much adrenaline I felt watching it. It checks all your boxes of thriller, action, non political, romance subplot.  - u/pureleafteas

Stranger is a "Mystery/Thriller" crime-solving drama. It's very good and a must watch for those who's into Thrillers and such. There's not much of shooting scene or so but the drama revolves around the prosecutor trying to solve the crime which sounds dull but it's incredibly well presented throughout the series.  - u/ShirooChan

Misty: Kim Nam Joo plays an unapologetically ambitious anchorwoman. She must negotiate work politics and keep her married life from falling apart to secure a job offer at the Blue House. When she becomes the prime suspect in the death of an old lover, can her reputation be salvaged? This drama boasts an extremely compelling badass female lead, strong yet so flawed, in a whodunit murder-mystery with a dose of melodrama. Don't look away, because everyone is a suspect! - u/Xocobo

Mother: Lee Bo Young is set to fly to Iceland to further her studies as a bird researcher. When she discovers her student, a little girl victim of child abuse in a trash bag, she impulsively decides to take the girl with her. Can this duo stay ahead of the police and escape the country? Can they trust the people they meet along the way for help? What will the girl's real mother do, when she finds out her daughter has been abducted? This drama explores the meaning of motherhood, and will keep you on the edge of your seat as you root for the pair to make their escape. Compulsively thrilling. Bonus: Studded with a strong female-centric cast.  - u/Xocobo

Mother - Mother is about a woman discovering what it is to be a mother after an event changes her life completely. A researcher by profession, Soo Jin is asked to become a substitute teacher for a class. There, she discovers that a girl, Hye Na, is being abused at home. Worried about her health, she eventually encounters a situation that would certainly lead Hye Na to death. She realizes that the authorities might be too late, so she decides to take matter into her own hands and take the child away to save her. Now a kidnapper and on the run, Soo Jin becomes a substitute mother to Hye Na and learns about motherhood from the various mothers in her own life, while also on the run from the police. Oddly enough, a drama whose inherent theme is about motherhood and love and whose underlying plot is warmhearted also always manages to keep you at the edge of your seat as the two try to outrun the law.  - u/TotoroTheGreat

Children of Nobody - A child counselor with a lot of suppressed childhood memories works with two detectives to solve a series of murder cases that revolve around abused children (it's the abusers that die) and a mysterious little girl only she can see.  - u/renicrat

Children of Nobody - This can be a tough watch (also slow), but I am blown away by the acting.  - u/so_just_here

Children of Nobody seriously impressed me with how much thought was put into the effects of child abuse/neglect on everyone involved. It explores the subject from the perspective of the child who doesn't get help, the child who does get help, law enforcement, survivor's guilt, both well-off and impoverished households, the person who learns coping mechanisms, the person who doesn't... etc. The policework was also nice imo, as it highlighted the realistic struggle law enforcement have in some of these cases. It's definitely not a happy, feel good drama though - u/hakyeunni

Hello Monster/I Remember You - About a cop and the girl who knew him as a kid, trying to find his brother who was kidnapped by a serial killer when they were young. Some amazing acting all around. Crime Rom-com  - u/Kordiana

I Remember You / Hello Monster is a good psycho-thriller kdrama. Well its not really as action packed as the American hit tv show Criminal Minds, but it is still successful in giving you a look into the mind of psychopaths and serial killers. It also gives you an idea of what triggers them to do a slew of killings and at the same time it manages to show their humanity even if they are practically devoid of emotion and compassion. Haha. The actors are really good too. Seo In Guk and Jang Na Ra's Chemistry is on point :) it also stars the cutie Park Bo Gum  - unknown

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes - A mystery/thriller about a police detective who thinks his sister is dating a bad guy. - u/baerinrin

The Smile Has Left Your Eyes is really good. It does have romance elements so it’s not a complete solely focused Crime/Thriller drama, but the twists and turns in it were really good. The writing does a really good job of providing suspense and when the melodrama starts to kick in it maintains the suspense as well. - u/KBeaves21

Bridal Mask is an epic.  Based off of a manwha, it stars Joo Won in his breakout role of Kang To, a Korean Defect to the Japanese occupation of Korea back in the 40s.  The Korean people in his town hate him. His enemy is the Korean Zorro, Bridal Mask. Let me tell you, his acting is the best I’ve ever seen in any show/movie ever.  There’s suspense, romance, mystery and action.  - u/elynwen

Bridal Mask is a great drama with a more serious tone. There is still love, and a great bromance as well, but it is set in a more serious time, and the plot is more intense. Overall, it is an awesome drama.  - u/Kordiana

Bridal Mask! Never thought I’d enjoy it so much, it’s pretty intense but I ended up watching it twice. - u/julianabea

Let's Fight Ghost - A boy who could see ghost was bullied by the otherworldly beings that he could see. When he grew up, he decided to fight the ghosts that are trying to scare him and be an exorcist. But things went south as soon as he found a girl who is a ghost but needed his help. - u/Thundergod250

Let's Fight Ghost, also known as Bring It On Ghost is a must see!  While it's a insanely sweet and funny rom com, major thriller and suspense aspects come out as they try to figure out here past. And plus the ghosts (there's at least one in every episode) are genuinely scary. - u/cuteseal

Dr. Frost - crime, thriller and mystery - Dr. Frost is a psychology professor who suffered a brain injury in his childhood which left him unable to feel empathy, love or other emotions. He starts helping the police with their investigations. I do know it sounds rather typical, but the bad guy is seriously scary as he plays with the psyche of his victims and other innocent people. Also, the twists in the episodes (especially the second episode) keep you guessing. - u/AlohaAlex

Ghost (2012) - This one came out a few years ago, but it was an intense thriller. I won't spoil anything; There's no romance, but lots of crime and plot twists to keep you on your feet. It revolves around a string of murders, where the killer always seems to be one step ahead. Oh, and Uhm Ki Joon (the same actor playing Cha Min Ho from Defendant) is also plays a vital character in this one. I highly recommend this one!  - u/theyoungone324

City Hunter - It’s about the government killing their own military during this mission. There was one survivor and he ends up kidnapping his best friend’s infant son and raising him as an assassin. He sends him back to Korea as an adult to get revenge, but the young assassin ends up falling in love and it gets complicated.  - u/seashell0322

City Hunter I watched it when it aired and really enjoyed it because it had both the right amount of action and cheesiness to it. I honestly don't think I would enjoy it if I was watching it now and it's not on my rewatch list. But when it was cute, it was really cute so if you like the actors, I think it makes for a good watch without too much tragedy. - u/myweithisway

City Hunter - Very exciting and action packed, but I despised how both the drama and the ML treated the FL.  - u/roevese

Gap Dong - It's about the Hwaseong Serial Murders that happened in Korea. I was not a fan of the (forced) romance in the show though, but it isn't very prevalent throughout the series.  - u/mentaikoz

Three Days - This one is a political thriller. It starts out as a tense "Who shot the President? Was he really shot? Was he?", and then branches out into action/redemption.  - u/life-finds-a-way

Sketch - Girl who has the mysterious ability to draw the future (namely deaths) is a cop on a team that specializes in crime prevention based on her sketches. She teams up with a cop whose fiancée they were unable to save, who searches fervently for the mysterious killer, who they continue to meet again and again. Very interesting exploring the nature and limit to her ability to see the future and change it.  - u/renicrat

He is Psychometric. The lead actor was from got7. The chemistry, acting and OST is superb. The plot gave me a roller coaster ride emotion and is full of plot twist. Finally the ending will gave you a satisfied feeling. You should try to watch!  - u/rovdadaya

The Game: Towards Zero - If you can be cursed with one gift, which would you choose? Super strength? Ability to control fire? Or maybe flying? How about the ability to see death, both your own and of all those around you?

The Game : Towards Zero is an interesting take on a thriller genre with its slow pace, atmospheric music and distinguishingly dark atmosphere, set by the male leads Kim Tae Pyong's ability to see death. Even though you know from the get-go how it all ends, you still stay glued to the screen, especially when there's a serial killer at large, too, and many other questions left unanswered. Will it end according to the predictions of Yongsan Police Station's Violent Crime Unit's consultant who can see death or will they manage to stop the Midnight Killer from wiping their entire section out? Will the killer die the death meant for him? The Game : Towards Zero gives off a vibe similar to I remember You, a classic within the genre, and it definitely doesn't dissapoint if you like it dark, slow yet immensely captivating. - u/imerremi

The Uncanny Counter - This is a fantasy crime thriller. It's about four 'counters' who catch evil spirits and send them to hell. It's surprisingly a very wholesome drama. Even though the second half is a bit weak, it's still worth the watch for it keeps you hooked for most of the drama.  - u/Fatooz

Flower Of Evil - This is a romantic crime thriller. The acting is top notch of this drama and so is the plot. It keeps you intrigued and on the edge of your seat for the entirety. The chemistry between the main leads was outstanding and I adored the relationship between the ML and his daughter. It's an awesome drama! - u/Fatooz

365: Repeat The Year: This is a sci-fi crime thriller. A group of people 'reset' their lives by going back 1 year in time to save themselves and change their future but end up getting caught in a 'death game'. It's only 12 episodes and for the entire 12 episodes it keeps you engaged. A few plot twists of this drama were very well done and I loved the platonic relationship between the ML and FL. - u/Fatooz

Beyond Evil: This is yet another crime thriller. The drama's writing, direction and acting, all were top-tier. It deserved all the awards and recognition it got. It has many plot twists and few of them are predictable but the way those plot twists are executed is what the drama is worth watching for. Another drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat. - u/Fatooz

Memorist - Dong Baek is a famous superpowered detective with the ability to read people's memories and feel their emotions. When a high profile murder case comes up, he has to team up with genius profiler Sun Mi to solve the case. Memorist is, honestly, one of the most insane dramas I've seen. The show sets up an incredibly dark and tense atmosphere that doesn't help but feel insanely thrilling and manages to keep you engaged throughout. The plot twists and turns like crazy and just when you think you're onto something, you realize that you've been played. Excellent, gripping and one of the best thrillers I've seen.  - u/TotoroTheGreat

Train -The ML here travels between parallel universes through a train, trying to save his loved one. This drama had a really good development of the villain, and that combined with great acting by the cast made a super thrilling and suspenseful watch. - u/ConstructionExact

Watcher - This drama had extremely morally grey leads, who are placed in the internal affairs investigation team to expose the truth behind an incident that has affected all 3 of them previously. There were many mind games and twists here, which made this drama super exciting, as you'd never know what would happen next.  - u/ConstructionExact

Priest - This drama has a supernatural element to it, where at its lead are 2 priests and a doctor. They work together to help exorcise people and in the process they happen to come upon a past incident that ties the 3 of them together. There was multiple twists and turns here, making it really exciting to watch. - u/ConstructionExact

Catch The Ghost - This drama is more of an action-thriller, where the leads are part of the subway police, trying to catch a serial murderer named the subway ghost. The villain here was pretty unique, as he was different from typical psychopaths who were 'innately' evil. The drama also managed to keep me guessing about the villain's identity until it was actually revealed. There was also a little fluffy romance here, which was a breathe of fresh air when watching thrillers. - u/ConstructionExact

It's Okay, That's Love - It's a romantic thriller that focuses on mental health for the most part. I think it fits the thriller description because of the plot. This drama had some great friendships between the housemates and I enjoyed the chemistry between the main leads. The acting was also top tier. I loved how the drama deals with the mental health aspect.  - u/Fatooz

Confession - A man who believes his father was framed for murder becomes a defense lawyer who re-investigates his father's case on the side, trying to uncover the truth behind a tangled web of corruption and secrets. There were multiple plot arcs that all weaved together seamlessly and moved at a brisk, steady pace, and the protagonists had excellent relationships and communication with each other. Overall this was one of the most riveting and high-quality dramas I've ever seen! - u/craftsycandymonster

God's Gift ( 14 Days ) - easily one of the most criminally underrated kdramas ..a time slip drama and a thriller about a mother who goes back in time to try to change her daughter fate ..a jaded private detective shares her journey .. fresh and dark  and full of twist with an oscar worthy performance  from lee bo young and Jo Seung Woo and the child... .received an american remake that was terrible - u/sandy_80

Mad Dog - A crew of vigilantes work outside the law to investigate insurance fraud and reveal the truth behind a deadly plane crash. This drama was super fun with high energy throughout! The protagonists were a lovable "found family", and the antagonists all had their own separate agendas that sometimes came into conflict and made for a few interesting plot twists. - u/craftsycandymonster

Designated Survivor: 60 Days is a political thriller that kicks off with with the bombing of the Korean National Assembly that wipes out the president and most of the government.  Watching the dorky and insecure Minister of the Environment get thrust into becoming the leader of a nation in chaos is pretty gripping. Watching him learn, grow, and gain confidence and win over those who are skeptical of him is seriously entertaining. The best part though is that once the plot never loses steam and the tension doesn't let up until the very last episode. A superior remake of the American original, it's definitely worth a watch for those who love political thrillers. - u/Silly_Merricat