Bring on the new premieres! We have a full list of new dramas premiering this month to keep us entertained as we are right in the middle of summer. Hopefully, that means you have some extra time to squeeze a few in. Let’s see what we have to look forward to in this July 2019 edition of “Korean Dramas You Need to Be Watching.” This monthly series is meant to keep you updated on what’s happening in that amazing world of Korean dramas so that you don’t miss out on anything!
Here are the kdramas you should keep an eye out for in July 2019:
My Pick:
1. Hotel Del Luna
The Hong sisters are back with a new drama, and that frequently works out well for me as I usually really enjoy their shows. Then add in Yeo Jin Goo and IU as the stars, and I’m more than excited. I’m ready for this ghostly adventure!
Hotel Del Luna is a supernatural drama about a mysterious hotel filled with ghosts and the romance that blossoms between the hotel manager (Yeo Jin Goo) and a woman (IU) who is stuck running the hotel because of a curse.
Hotel Del Luna is scheduled to premiere July 13 on tvN.
PREMIERING IN JULY:
2. Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung is about 19th century women who faced prejudice for being writers of historical records. One historian (Shin Se Kyung) works to establish her place and meets a lonely prince (Cha Eun Woo) who lives a double life as a romance novelist.
Rookie Historian Goo Hae Ryung is scheduled to premiere July 17 on MBC.
3. Designated Survivor: 60 Days
Designated Survivor: 60 Days follows the story of the Minister of Environment (Ji Jin Hee) who is 12th in line of succession and must take over as president following a terror attack that takes out everyone ahead of him.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days is scheduled to premiere July 1 on tvN.
4. Justice
Justice is about a talented lawyer (Choi Jin Hyuk) who loses his family and then sets out for revenge by joining with a corrupt business man (Son Hyo Joo).
Justice is scheduled to premiere July 17 on KBS.
4. Moment of Eighteen
Moment of Eighteen is a coming of age drama that follows the stories of 18 year olds in high school including a lonely student (Ong Seung Woo) who transfers to a new school. Also starring Kim Hyang Gi and Shin Seung Ho.
Moment of Eighteen is scheduled to premiere July 22 on JTBC.
5. Mr. Temporary
Mr. Temporary tells the story of a murder at an elite high school where crimes frequently aren’t properly punished because the perpetrators are minors. A lawyer (Yoon Kyun Sang) who loses everything goes undercover as a teacher at the school to reveal the truth.
Mr. Temporary is scheduled to premiere July 17 on OCN.
6. Doctor John
Doctor John is about doctors (Ji Sung and Lee Se Young) who work in pain management as they try to discover the cause of their patients’ pain.
Doctor John is scheduled to premiere July 19 on SBS.
8. Melo is My Nature
Melo is My Nature is a romantic comedy that follows the work and love lives of three women (Chun Woo Hee, Jeon Yeo Bin, Han Ji Eun). Also starring Gong Myung and Ahn Jae Hong.
Melo is My Nature is scheduled to premiere July 26 on JTBC. (UPDATE: Premiere pushed to August 9)
9. Watcher
Watcher is a thriller about three people (Han Suk Kyu, Seo Kang Joon, Kim Hyun Joo) whose lives were ruined after an accident that team up to bring to light corruption by the police and other powerful people.
Watcher scheduled to premiere July 12 on OCN.
10. Doctor Detective
Doctor Detective looks at the dark side of society and is about a chaebol heir (Lee Ki Woo) with no ambition who wants to win back his ex-wife (Park Jin Hee) who is an occupational medicine specialist.
Doctor Detective is scheduled to premiere July 17 on SBS.
Other Premieres
(I will highlight these dramas in the coming months)
Level Up
Love Affairs in the Afternoon
When the Devil Calls Your Name
AND SO YOU’RE UP TO DATE,
OTHER DRAMAS THAT WILL BE ENDING IN JULY:
Arthdal Chronicles (Pt. 1 & 2)
Arthdal Chronicles is an epic historical set in ancient times with a story that blends myth and history as a power struggle ensues during the founding of the nation of Gojoseon. Starring Song Joong Ki, Kim Ji Won, and Jang Dong Gun.
Arthdal Chronicles airs Saturday and Sunday on tvN.
Angel’s Last Mission: Love
Angel’s Last Mission: Love is a fantasy romance about a trouble-making angel (L) that helps a blind heiress (Shin Hye Sun) who lost her dream of being a ballerina to find love in order to return to heaven. The problem is he soon falls for her himself.
Angel’s Last Mission: Love airs Wednesday and Thursday on KBS.
Absolute Boyfriend
Absolute Boyfriend is a remake of the Japanese manga and drama of the same name. It tells the story of a make-up artist (Minah) struggling with her love life who ends up with the perfect robot boyfriend (Yeo Jin Goo).
Absolute Boyfriend airs Wednesday and Thursday on SBS.
Perfume
Perfume is a fantasy romantic comedy about a top fashion designer (Shin Sung Rok) who doesn’t have the courage to find love and a middle-aged woman (Go Won Hee) who finds a magic perfume that makes her look young so she becomes a model.
Perfume is airs Monday and Tuesday on KBS.
Search: WWW
WWW follows the story of a competitive director (Im Soo Jung) of a web portal company and a man (Jang Ki Yong) who creates music for video games as they try to succeed in the workplace and have a relationship.
WWW is scheduled to air Wednesday and Thursday on tvN.
The Wind Blows
The Wind Blows is a melodrama about a man (Kam Woo Sung) who divorced his wife (Kim Ha Nuel) because of his Alzheimer’s Disease and she wanted to have children, but they reunite six year later.
The Wind Blows airs Monday and Tuesday on JTBC.
Different Dreams
Different Dreams is a spy melodrama set during the Japanese occupation and tells the story of a surgeon (Lee Yo Won) who becomes a spy for the Korean government during the Pacific War and gets involved with a resistance fighter (Yoo Ji Tae).
Different Dreams airs Saturday on MBC.
One Spring Night
One Spring Night is about a couple (Jung Hae In and Han Ji Min) who begin to think about marriage which allows them to look back on their relationship and see it in a new light.
One Spring Night airs Wednesday and Thursday on MBC.
Nokdu Flower
Nokdu Flower is set in 1894 during the Battle of Ugeumchi which was a peasant uprising and follows the story of two brothers who end up on opposite sides: one (Yoon Shi Yoon) is born of the father and his wife and the other (Jo Jung Suk) is born of the father and a slave. They also get involved with a peddler (Han Ye Ri) who runs a shop.
Nokdu Flower airs Friday and Saturday on SBS.
Aide (Advisor)
Aide focuses on people who control the world from behind the scenes and is about a political advisor (Lee Jung Jae) who is rising in power and a female politician (Shin Min Ah) who is attempting to break through the glass ceiling.
Aide airs Friday and Saturday on JTBC.
Partners for Justice 2
Partners for Justice 2 is about a forensic scientist (Jung Jae Young) and a rookie prosecutor (Jung Yu Mi) who work together to solve crimes.
Partners for Justice 2 airs Monday and Tuesday on MBC.
What dramas are you looking forward to or enjoying in July?
Make sure to get caught up because there are more dramas coming your way in August!
If you enjoy Kdrama Kisses, would you consider supporting the work I do over on Patreon? You can do so for as little as $1 a month right here:
Sign Up to receive email updates of kdrama casting news, trailers, reviews, and more.
Kdrama Kisses 
Haven’t been watching any on air kdrama. Now excited to watch 1 & 2. Which dramas are you watching currently?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Both good choices! I’m also excited for them 🙂 I’m almost finished with Abyss and then plan to watch The Secret Life of My Secretary and Absolute Boyfriend next. We’ve got some good choices right now 🙂
LikeLike
So many things to be excited for ❤️😊
LikeLiked by 2 people
Agree! So many great dramas coming out 🙂
LikeLike
The ones from June that are finishing up look more interesting to me than the ones upcoming. Definitely will watch a few of those soon.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh yes, May/June were such strong premiere months. I’m just now getting to those dramas, and there are several I have been super excited to check out. July has a few good ones too though. We’re certainly not lacking in choices, lol
LikeLike
Damn, there are so many shows on this list that sound like things I’d love. Hotel De Luna and Justice stand out to me immediately, but so does Doctor Detective and Watcher. My poor watchlist haha.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Right? This was a big list with a full roster of new premieres and so many dramas ending. My watch list also feels your pain, hehe 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Top on my list:
When the Devil calls your Name
Doctor Room
Level Up
and Hotel Del Luna (my month’s pick)
Kkeut!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Looks like a solid list with quite a variety. And yay for Hotel Del Luna as your pick! 🙂
LikeLike
It really looks like a bit of a variety. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Quite a few upcoming dramas that might have potential but… I can barely manage the ones on the watch list atm!!. Ottokke! 😀 Designated Survivor already found it’s way on the list, soooo… Mr Temporary and Watcher are the ones I’m mostly interested in. I’m currently on vacation and STILL can’t seem to find enough time for dramas. Mybe I should start getting up earlier, ha.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I know! What do we do?! The List is busting at the seams! I definitely plan to check out Designated Survivor too, and maybe Mr. Temporary. Plus a bunch of the others, lol.
On vacation and still can’t make drama time? Sounds like you need a vacation from your vacation just for dramas! hehe 😉
LikeLike
Yessss I have been waiting for this post! I’ve been watching Angel’s Last Mission: Love, Absolute Boyfriend, Perfume, and WWW. I really like them all. When I first started Perfume, I didn’t know how to feel about it but it has grown on me since. I think my favorite out of this list currently is Absolute Boyfriend! I’ve been constantly keeping up with it and I just can’t get enough. I love the two leads in Angel’s Last Mission: Love. I’ve been following their acting for a long time! I definitely do love the show and I’m honestly not too sure how it will end. I have an idea, but there’s a chance it could end differently. Usually, when I watch dramas I can start predicting what will happen early on and I don’t mind that all. I’m a sucker for dramas, but even a bigger sucker for cliche dramas! I like WWW! I haven’t seen anything like it I don’t think like anything related to web companies. I think it’s a very new and fresh concept. I saw one episode of Aide and I am definitely going to watch more. I haven’t seen any serious type dramas since Confession so it is a bit hard to switch my mindset from romance to crime/politics. I definitely know I’ll like it though! I still haven’t seen Arthdal Chronicles or Nokdu Flower! I have to get to it!
LikeLiked by 2 people
So glad you enjoyed it 🙂 I’m also glad to hear that you’re enjoying those dramas! I’m so excited to start Absolute Boyfriend and Angel’s Last Mission: Love this month. Will also be getting to Perfume, Arthdal Chronicles, and Nokdu Flower. Haven’t decided yet about WWW and Aide, but maybe them too. It is hard to get your mind to switch genres though. Just wait for that right mood so it’ll be a better watch 🙂
LikeLike
Yes I’m so glad so many dramas have been coming out! You should definitely watch WWW. I just saw the latest episodes today and I am liking the show even more! I’m not sure about Aide since I haven’t seen it, but I’m sure it’s good. Also yeah I am waiting for the right time to watch it. If I’m in the right mood I might start it this weekend!
LikeLike
Oops I posted my comment before I even got to the new list of dramas! I am very very excited for Hotel Del Luna! I love the leads a lot. I’ve seen IU’s work and she is super talented all around. A huge fan of her music as well. I’ve also been watching Yeo Jin Goo in Absolute Boyfriend, love his acting in that. The plot sounds interesting so I am definitely looking forward to that! I have seen the American version of Designated Survivor and really liked it so I when I saw the trailer of Designated Survivor: 60 Days I got really excited. I am also looking forward to Moment of Eighteen and Mr. Temporary. Love the leads in those as well. But wow so many shows on this list that I have not heard of! Rookie Historian looks like a cute show so I might be watching that. When I saw Cha Eun Woo in ID Gangnam Beauty his character was a bit off to me. I did like the show, but I hope I see a different side of his acting in this upcoming show. I love shows with storylines like Justice! I am definitely going to be watching that no doubt. I have a feeling I will like Doctor John too because I love medical dramas. I’ve been watching Grey’s Anatomy 15 seasons strong haha. I’ve also seen my fair share of medical kdramas as well so I’m excited. I also liked Ji Sung in Kill Me, Heal Me so nice to see him as the lead. The concept of Melo is My Nature sort of reminds me of Hello My Twenties and if it is like that show I will definitely like it. Watcher is another show I will for sure watch because I love shows that deal with politics and corruption. Doctor Detective sounds interesting I might watch it if I get through all the shows I listed first lmao.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, yeah, there are so many dramas that you really need a couple comments to cover them all anyways, 😉 Yay! Hotel Del Luna is top of my list, so of course I’m super excited too! I also love both Yeo Jin Goo and IU and can’t wait to see them as a couple. I usually like Hong sisters dramas too 🙂
Oh great! I enjoyed the American version of Designated Survivor too. It seems like a perfect story for a Korean adaptation. Cha Eun Woo seems like he will get to be a bit lighter in Rookie Historian, so hopefully that will be a bit different. I love Ji Sung, but I don’t usually do medical dramas, so I’ll just be rooting for him from the side, hehe. There are seriously sooooo many dramas this month!
LikeLike
Yeah haha. Sorry I wrote a whole essay in the comments section. There was just so much to cover! I am so so excited for Hotel Del Luna! I am not surprised it’s at the top of your list at all.
It sure does seem like a perfect fit for a Korean adaptation. I might start it once there’s more episodes because if I really like it I get frustrated when I have to wait a week. That’s how I felt with Confession, The Secret Life of My Secretary, and WWW recently too haha. I think Cha Eun Woo is talented. I knew him in Astro before and was excited to see his acting. I look forward to seeing more of him and get more of a feel for his acting because I don’t that one role represents him as an actor. If I see more of his projects maybe I’ll look forward to his acting more! Not in a bad way lol I’m just not sure how to feel about him yet. Ji Sung is a great actor! I understand if medical dramas aren’t your thing. To each their own. I really love them so I’m definitely going to watch this drama. If you don’t watch it I’ll keep you updated on what I think what’s it airs in the comments! I AM GOING CRAZY MY DRAMA LIST IS SOOO LONG!!!! Crazy in a good way though because for a while I didn’t know what to watch and then May/June hit me with all these great dramas! I am once again so sorry for all the essays and comments. I really like commenting my thoughts on whatever articles I read of yours! Your blog is the only blog I read haha so I go a bit him sometimes. You’re my only source besides social media haha.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, I hate waiting week to week too. I usually wait until the drama is almost over before I dive in. Just a lot more fun for me that way 🙂 I knew Cha Eun Woo from Astro too! I liked him in My ID is Gangnam Beauty, but his character was written to be quite wooden, so I’m excited to see how he does with a different role where he can hopefully be a bit more animated.
Oh yes, do let me know what you think of Doctor John. Since I end up missing some of my fav actors when they are in medical dramas, I do still like to keep tabs on how they and the show are doing 🙂
I know what you mean with the crazy watch list. May/June was brutal in terms of interesting dramas to add. In the end, it’s a good problem though since there are always lots of dramas to choose from.
And always feel free to write longer comments. I like reading other fans thoughts on dramas, and it’s just fun to interact with each other 🙂 Aww, I so appreciate that you read the blog! It really means a lot that you enjoy it 🙂
LikeLike
I used to only watch completed shows, but these past few months so many dramas have been coming out so I’ve been watching a lot that is on air. I felt that way about his character in My ID Gangnam Beauty too so I’m excited to see him in a lighter role.
I will definitely let you know how it goes. I completely understand where you’re coming from. I feel that way about shows sometimes.
It’s been crazy and exciting at the same time. I’m super busy so it’s hard to keep up and I end up staying up a lot, but in my opinion, it’s been worth it lolol.
I love writing longer comments when I have a lot of thoughts! I never expected replies when I started commenting on this site a few months back, but I was wrong. I love that you replied to all my comments and others comments as well. I think a reason why I keep up with this blog is partly because of the interactions we have about dramas, it’s fun!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It really is such a challenge to keep up! Even though I usually watch one at a time, I try to start a show about a week before it ends so I’m caught up. But with so many shows out now, it’s impossible to do it for all of them. I still squeeze a fair amount of them in though, hehe. It’s definitely worth it to get them in 🙂
The interactions with other fans is such a huge part of what I enjoy about this site. Years ago before I started it, I was always kind of disappointed if I commented on other sites and didn’t get a reply back (though I understand some just don’t have the time to respond to everyone). So I always wanted to make sure and respond to everyone if I could. And it’s such a huge part of the fun! We need others to share our drama love with! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s so sweet of you! I will definitely keep commenting about dramas. I look forward to talking to you more!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Please do! And I will look forward to it too 🙂
LikeLike
Been going through a serious drama rut these past months thanks for giving me something to look forward too😍
LikeLiked by 2 people
Aww, drama ruts are the worst! I really hope you find a few of these to love and pull you out there 🙂
LikeLike
Heartstring cover page! nice!!!!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks 🙂
LikeLike
Thank you for the list. Currently waiting for Hotel del Luna to finish so that I can binge-watch it🤗
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re very welcome 🙂 I’m also waiting for Hotel Del Luna to finish so I can dive in. So excited to see that one! 🙂
LikeLike