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It's been another exciting month for Korean dramas, with Extraordinary Attorney Woo marking its 20th week in Netflix's ranking of the top 10 non-English TV series.
The series, which follows the adventures of an autistic lawyer, was seventh in the list for the week of November 20, according to Netflix.
Others in the top five include Under the Queen's Umbrella, a historical drama, in third place and Little Women, a murder mystery starring Squid Game actor Wi Ha-jun, at No 4.
Looking for your next K-drama binge? Here are some intriguing Korean series arriving in December, including several returning for a second installment.
'Recipe for Farewell'
Release date: December 1 on Watcha
This heartwarming human drama follows the story of Changwook, played by veteran Korean actor Han Seok-kyu, known for Dr. Romantic on Netflix as well as other K-dramas and films. He begins writing a "kitchen diary" after his wife is diagnosed with a terminal illness and he tries to cook meals for her.
Based on an autobiographical essay by writer Kang Chang-rae, this original series for the Watcha streaming platform previewed four of its episodes at the Busan International Film Festival in South Korea last month.
In the series trailer, which features scenes of laughter and delicate melancholy glances over simmering hearty soups, Changwook says: "Delicious food is made by the heart. Palate has the power to recall memories."
Recipe for Farwell is also available for streaming on Rakuten Viki.
'Connect'
Release date: December 7 on Disney+
Directed by Japan's Takashi Miike, this action thriller is the first K-drama to be directed by a Japanese filmmaker, according to the Korea JoongAng Daily.
In the series, Dong-soo, played by Jung Hae-in from D.P. on Netflix and Snowdrop on Disney+, is kidnapped by an organ-trafficking organization and loses one of his eyes. He then goes on a hunt to recover his lost eye after discovering it was transplanted to a serial killer.
The trailer features chilling chase scenes and a gory knife wound that mysteriously seems to heal itself. "He will start killing the moment he wakes up," a voice says in the trailer.
The show also stars Go Kyung-pyo, also from D.P. and seen recently in the Park Chan-wook film Decision to Leave, and Kim Hye-jun, who played the villain Queen Consort Cho in Netflix's hit Kingdom series.
'Money Heist: Korea-Joint Economic Area'
Release date: December 9 on Netflix
The Korean spinoff of the cult Spanish crime drama returns in December with its second part.
Money Heist: Korea-Joint Economic Area depicts a robbery and hostage situation that takes place at a Korean mint against the fictional backdrop of a soon-to-be-reunified Korean peninsula.
Part 2 of the series will see the Professor character, played by Jitae Yu, known for the Park Chan-wook film Oldboy, bring "the ultimate heist" to completion with his gang.
In the latest trailer for Part 2, Berlin, played by Emmy and Screen Actors Guild nominee Park Hae-soo, says, "One of them is a traitor." The Professor replies: "But if we start to suspect each other because of that one traitor, there will be chaos."
Several shootouts, explosions and showdowns later, the trailer concludes with the Professor saying: "I'm going to let the world know who the real thieves are. This is the only thing we can try now."
'Alchemy of Souls: Light and Shadow'
Release date: December 10 on Netflix
The first part of Alchemy of Souls, which was released in June, followed the story of a warrior whose soul gets trapped in the body of Mu-deok, a servant in the noble family of Jang Uk, played by Lee Jae-wook, following a forbidden magic spell.
In the second part, a young woman who is a prisoner in her own home seeks the help of Uk (who becomes "a hunter of the soul-trapped") to reclaim her freedom, according to Netflix.
A voice in a teaser trailer for the second part, which features scenes with a bloody sword, flashbacks and tearful embraces, asks: "I haven't managed to protect any of those I promised to protect. How can I protect anyone else?"
'Single's Inferno'
Release date: December 13 on Netflix
The Korean dating series, which was the first Korean reality show to join Netflix's top global TV show list back in January, returns for another sizzling season of "delicious" real-life K-drama next month.
The first season had six single women and six single men spending about a week together on a picturesque desert island in a bid to get coupled up.
One voice in the trailer for Season 2 says, "I've been completely ditched," while another voice says, "This is really emotionally draining… I want to go home."
While the faces of the contestants were not revealed in the trailer, the second installment promises to showcase "joy, tears, fear of rejection" and "a healthy amount of spiciness" on screen, according to Netflix.
'Big Bet'
Release date: December 21 on Disney+
Big Bet, whose Korean title is Casino, follows the story of a casino mogul played by Choi Min-sik, the veteran Korean actor known for Oldboy, who's appearing on the small screen for the first time in 24 years in this series. The former casino king returns to the gambling world after losing everything he has and finds himself embroiled in a murder case.
The star-studded cast includes Squid Game actor Heo Sung-tae, who played Deok-su, player No. 101, in that show, and Son Seok-koo, recently seen in My Liberation Notes on Netflix.
'Island'
Release date: December 30 on TVING
This fantasy action thriller set on the real-life South Korean island of Jeju follows four characters, played by Kim Nam-gil from the film Emergency Declaration and Cha Eun-woo from the K-pop band Astro, as well as Lee Da-hee and Sung Joon. They battle an evil force that is trying to destroy the world.
A 15-second teaser trailer for the series, which will also be released on Amazon Prime Video, includes bloody daggers, supernatural beings and mysterious fight scenes, with a dark forest backdrop.
Correction 11/30/22, 7:15 a.m. ET: This article was updated to correct the spelling of Wi Ha-jun's name.
About the writer
Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in Read more