8 Latest Zombie-Themed Korean Dramas to Watch

Director Jang Kun Jae confidently ventured into the mystery and thriller genre for his first drama, "Monstrous," after working in Korean cinema. In this project, he collaborated with director and writer Yeon Sang Ho, known for his similar works like "Train to Busan" and "Hellbound."

The drama, originally aired on the TVING channel, begins with Jung Ki Hoon, an archaeology professor with an interest in the supernatural. He hears from two monks about a Buddha statue that is said to be cursed. The monks are worried because the statue is being excavated for an exhibition.

Ki Hoon is asked to translate the writing on a piece of cloth covering the Buddha statue's eyes. According to the monks, the cloth acts as a seal, keeping the evil spirit inside from escaping and causing disaster.

However, people motivated by personal gain remove the blindfold, resulting in terrible chaos.

In the drama "All of Us Are Dead," a normal school day turns into a nightmare when a zombie attack suddenly happens. This South Korean drama, which became a hit, follows students as their plan to study all day changes into a desperate fight for survival against zombies.

The chaos starts with a student getting bitten by a lab hamster, which was part of a science experiment by teacher Lee Byeong Chan (Kim Byung Chul). This hamster carries a virus that quickly turns the student into a zombie. Soon, the virus spreads rapidly, transforming the students of Hyosan High School into zombies.

The trouble doesn't stay within the school. It reaches the city when an infected student is taken to the hospital and causing more chaos. Now, students including On Ju (Park Ji Hu), Cheong San (Yoon Chan Young), Nam Ra (Cho Yi Hyun), Su Hyeok (Lomon), and others are trapped. They face a critical decision, fight back and try to escape, or do nothing and risk becoming zombies themselves.

Here is another Korean drama with a theme of plague and zombie outbreak that you can watch. Although titled "Happiness," you might be surprised by how the story develops in each episode. The drama is quite interesting and features several veteran South Korean actors such as Han Hyo Joo, Pak Hyung Sik, and Jo Woo Jin.

Yoon Sae Bom is a special agent who gets the chance to live in a luxurious government apartment called Seyang Apartment. She pretends to be the wife of her high school friend, Jung Yi Hyun, a detective investigating a mysterious disease spreading worldwide.

The disease is caused by a failed corona drug called "Next." People who take it turn into bloodthirsty, zombie-like creatures.

When Han Tae Seok, who is in charge of handling the disease, suddenly locks down the Seyang Apartment building, the residents start to panic as they try to survive. Will anyone manage to survive?

2021 is a year filled with pandemic and plague-themed films and dramas. From South Korea, the drama "Dark Hole" fits into this category. Written by Jung Yi Do, it tells the story of a group of people fighting against mutants. These mutants are formed when people inhale strange fumes from a hole in the ground.

Lee Hwa Sun is a detective in Seoul who receives a call from someone claiming to have killed her husband. The caller tells her to come to a place called Mujishi.

When she arrives, Hwa Sun discovers that the people in Mujishi have turned into monsters because of the smoke. Not only does she have to fight to stay alive, but she also has to catch her husband's killer.

Fortunately, Yoo Tae Han, a former policeman and native of Mujishi, tries to help her. Together, they navigate this dangerous situation and find out the mysteries happening in his village.

In the late 1300s, King Taejong ended the Goryeo Dynasty and established the Joseon Kingdom. However, he unknowingly made a pact with an evil spirit.

Now, the evil spirit has risen again, ready to terrorize the people and shake the land. King Taejong must fight against this evil force to protect his people. King Taejong also has two sons: Crown Prince Yangnyeong and Prince Chungnyeong.

When the evil spirits return, Prince Chungnyeong decides to help his father in the battle to protect their country. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Yangnyeong, hungry for his father's recognition, falls into greed and makes a dangerous deal with the evil spirit.

Similar to Kingdom, the drama Joseon Exorcist also takes on the theme of Korean history and zombies. However, due to inaccuracies in the historical facts presented, Joseon Exorcist was canceled after just two episodes following negative reactions from many South Koreans.

This drama is unique because it features a zombie character who becomes a detective and solves various mysterious cases. Moo Young has been living as a zombie for two years and pretending to act like a normal human.

Now, Moo Young has moved to the city and opened a private detective office. He uses his unique ability—a keen sense of smell—to solve missing person cases.

After the office is established, Sun Ji, a journalist, starts working part-time for Moo Young. Although she is initially curious about Moo Young's true identity, Sun Ji eventually accepts that her boss is a zombie.

In addition to solving their clients' mysteries, Moo Young and Sun Ji also work together to uncover Moo Young's past. They aim to find out who is responsible for Moo Young's death.

The success of the first season led director Kim Sung Hoon to continue the story of Prince Lee Chang as he tries to fight the zombie attack in his country. The main cast of "Kingdom" Season 2 remains the same, ensuring the quality of acting stays high.

Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji Hoon) and Lord Ahn Hyeon (Heo Joon Ho) now face the fact that the zombies are not afraid of sunlight. Their activity depends on the weather, and the winter in Korea allows the zombies to roam freely.

Even after surviving the zombie attack, a new problem arises in Sangju City, which needs supplies for its citizens to survive. Lee Chang must think of a way to save his people once again.

His efforts to save Sangju lead him to the Mungyeong Saejae region, where he must confront Cho Hak Ju (Ryu Seung Ryeong) and his own father, who has now become the Zombie King.

Kingdom tells the story of zombies created from a potion made from a plant called the resurrection plant. When this plant is mixed and applied using a technique similar to acupuncture, it can bring the dead back to life.

The story begins with the death of the King of Joseon from an illness. However, Counselor Cho Hak Ju (Ryu Seung-ryong), the Chairman of the State Council, doesn't want Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-hoon) to take the throne. To prevent this, he summons a skilled physician, Lee Seung Hi (Kwom Bum-taek), to "treat" the king's illness.

The doctor uses a potion that can revive the dead. As a result, the King turns into a monster with an insatiable thirst for blood. Unfortunately, when the King drinks the blood of a servant, the servant's corpse is cooked and fed to a starving village. After eating the meat, all the villagers turn into zombies.

Seo Bi (Bae Doo-na), a nurse at the royal clinic, discovers that her superior's treatment has caused a terrible disaster threatening all of Korea. She tries to find a cure amidst the widespread outbreak.