A scene from the upcoming series “Thirty, Nine,” starring Son Ye-jin / Courtesy of JTBC

The year 2022 has an enormous lineup of Korean dramas ready from the get-go, all hoping to repeat the success of the Netflix hit “Squid Game.” 

Writers credited with hit programs like the romance series “The World of the Married” and crime thriller “Stranger” as well as big-name stars like Son Ye-jin and Kim Hye-soo are set to return to the small screen during the first half of the year.   

Scheduled to premiere in February are the JTBC romance drama “Thirty, Nine” and Netflix’s crime series “Juvenile Justice.”  

“Thirty, Nine,” set to air on February 16, will follow three female friends –played by Son Ye-jin, Jeon Mi-do and Kim Ji-hyun – exploring their friendship and love and work lives. It is written by Yoo Young-a, who scripted tvN's subtle romance series "Encounter," and is directed by Kim Sang-ho, who shot the JTBC romance drama "Run On."  

Workplace romance series “Weather People,” starring Park Min-young and rising star Song Kang, will hit the small screen on February 12.   

Directed by Cha Yeong-hoon, who directed the 2019 hit KBS series “When the Camellia Blooms,” “Weather People” follows the lives of people working at the Korea Meteorological Administration and a blossoming office romance. It is co-written by Kang Eun-kyung, who scripted “The World of the Married” and the suspense romance series “Misty.”  

A-lister Kim Hye-soo, who starred in the legal series “Hyena” as a money-hungry lawyer, will be taking the lead role in Netflix’s upcoming series “Juvenile Justice,” which will be released in the coming weeks.   

Directed by Hong Jong-chan, who also directed the romance series “The Master's Sun,” the series will revolve around a strict judge (Kim Hye-soo) who gets appointed to juvenile court to tackle complex cases involving young offenders.   

In the first half of this year, Disney+ will be releasing its Korean original series “Grid,” written by Lee Soo-yeon, creator of the popular crime series “Stranger.”   

The mystery thriller series, starring Seo Kang-joon, Kim A-joong and Lee Si-young, will follow a detective and a government official digging up the truth behind a mysterious being who built a defense system that saves humankind from crises.  

One of the biggest Hallyu stars, So Ji-sub, will be making a small-screen comeback with “Doctor Lawyer,” about four years after he starred in the 2018 comedy-action series “My Secret Terrius.”  

Directed by Lee Yong-suk, who is known for the period drama “Iljimae,” the legal series will revolve around a brilliant surgeon who becomes a medical litigation lawyer and a medical crime prosecutor, teaming up to seek justice for the victims of medical malpractice.  

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