2022 was a phenomenal year in K-Dramas with successful drama releases and several actors reaching new milestones!

It is common practice to make predictions for the new year in the K-Pop sphere. So, what about K-Dramas? Now that the new year is in full swing, it makes us wonder what 2023 has in store for K-Drama lovers.

So, we've compiled a list of K-Drama predictions for 2023. Make sure to let us and fellow K-Drama viewers know your predictions in the comments at the bottom of the article!

Note: These predictions are in no particular order. They are strictly predictions and any content written in this article is not fact nor guaranteed to happen. This article is based on the author's and fans' opinions and is purely to gather the opinions of K-Drama fans on what they think will happen in the K-Drama scene in 2023. 

 

1. More consistent mid to big-sized entertainment agency idol castings in BL dramas

Towards the end of the year 2022, there was a significant increase in K-Pop idols being cast in K-Dramas. Many fans were surprised by some of the castings and excited about the prospects of those roles.

One observation that fans made is that it used to be more common for idols from smaller companies to take part in BL dramas. However, the end of last year showed some BL castings of idols from mid-sized to bigger companies, pleasantly surprising those who are aware of the usual trend. As such, it's likely that more idols from mid-sized and potentially from bigger entertainment agencies will be cast in BLs more regularly in 2023.

To read more detail about this topic and how the rise in K-Pop idol castings in BL drama impacts LGBTQI+ representation, check out this article.

 

2. K-Pop idol K-Drama debuts/comebacks

A TWICE member cast in a K-Drama

In 2022, all of the TWICE members renewed their contracts with JYP Entertainment. Not long before this, the members all opened individual Instagram accounts, implying that the members would be building their individual brands, as well. Naturally, this means that the members are more likely to branch out into other entertainment spheres aside from their group activities. For example, member NaYeon made her solo debut with the mini album "Im Nayeon" in 2022.

Many fans are anticipating which member will be next to make their solo debut. Whereas, some fans are wondering whether some of the members will branch out into acting. Fans are anticipating that a TWICE member will make her K-Drama debut in 2023. Some of the candidates predicted for an acting debut this year include NaYeon, JeongYeon, and JiHyo.

Fans think that NaYeon and JeongYeon could do well in a romantic comedy and that JiHyo could do well in something like a legal drama.

Are you a ONCE? Which member do you think could potentially make an acting debut in 2023? Let us know in the comments! 

 

Highly-anticipated K-Drama comeback predictions

Whilst there are idol actors whose dramas fans are consistently looking forward to, such as ASTRO's Cha EunWoo (set to release dramas like "Island Season 2" and "A Good Day To Be A Dog"), Kim SeJeong (set to release dramas like "The Uncanny Counter 2"), and GOT7's JinYoung (set to release dramas like "The Witch")...

There are idol actors who don't act in K-Dramas as often but are still eagerly awaited to come back to the drama screen by fans. There are many fans waiting eagerly for drama role announcements for idols such as some of the ATEEZ members (namely San, YunHo, SeongHwa, and JongHo), Golden Child's BoMin, and more. These idols do not have any drama releases currently scheduled for 2023, but they have one thing in common. That is that they impressed fans with their performances in their 2021 dramas ("Imitation" and "Shadow Beauty" respectively) meaning it is about time for them to make a comeback. We think it is possible that they might book acting projects in 2023 to keep their momentum as actors.

Are there any idol actors whose drama comeback you are eagerly waiting for?

 

Idol actors who might takeoff in 2023

There are idol actors who have been steadily building a name for themselves in the K-Drama industry and can even be dubbed as 'rising actors' in that sphere. 2023 will have numerous K-Drama releases and many of them are likely to be uber-successful, especially internationally. We predict that some of the idol actors who could make it big this year (as actors) include VICTON's ByungChan, woo!ah!'s NaNa, and iKON's June.

VICTON's ByungChan has starred in largely popular K-Dramas such as "The King's Affection" and "A Business Proposal" in recent years. If he were to star in another internationally successful K-Drama this year, there is no doubt that he would quickly become the next candidate to be a highly-in-demand idol actor in the next couple of years.

woo!ah!'s NaNa has been charming the Korean entertainment industry ever since her debut. In 2022, she starred in the web dramas "Mimicus" and "Fall for You", earning praise from viewers for her authentic acting skills. Hopefully, this year we will see her cast in some big broadcast dramas where she will get more spotlight. She could also easily become one of the biggest idol actresses if she gets granted the opportunity.

iKON's June is set to make his support role K-Drama debut this year (he has acted in the drama "YG Future Strategy Office" before in a guest role). He will have a support role in the ENA drama "Bo Ra! Deborah". Many are not only anticipating the kind of performance that he will deliver but also anticipating the drama's success as ENA has gained popularity in 2022 through their releases of the hit drama "Extraordinary Attorney Woo", the popular drama "Love Is For Suckers", and more. There is huge potential for June to gain recognition as an actor in 2023.

These are just a few of the idol actors who might make it big in the acting sphere this year. Who else do you think is a candidate? Share your thoughts in the comments! 

 

3. Rookie/rising actors who will become super popular in 2023

In Jan. 2022, Kpopmap predicted that Nam DaReum, Choi YeBin, Park Solomon, Kang Hoon, Woo DaVi, Choi HyunWook, and Chae JongHyeop were the rising actors who would become super popular in 2022.

This year, we predict that Son WooHyeon, Roh YoonSeo, Moon SangMin, and Kim HyunJin will become super popular in 2023.

Which rookie/rising actor do you anticipate becoming more popular in 2023? 

 

4. The release/announcement of either a vampire or werewolf-focused K-Drama

In the past couple of years, zombie dramas have become a rising trend in the K-Drama world. Hit series such as "Kingdom" and "All of Us Are Dead" have terrified us with their zombified storylines, especially with the improvement of realistic CGI, VFX, and prosthetic makeup.

In 2023, we predict that in order to break from this trend or start a new one, some K-Drama production houses/companies/broadcasters will vouch for a new supernatural creature focus. That may be either vampires or werewolves as these are the more common supernatural creatures to be featured in general media.

Vampire K-Dramas were particularly popular around 2015 and 2016 (dramas like "The Scholar Who Walks The Night" and "Blood"). As most drama trends tend to move in a cycle, there is a possibility that this trend might make a comeback.

Additionally, there are already dramas with fictional monsters, such as "Island Season 2" and "Gyeongseong Creature" set to be released this year; implying a shift in focus from zombies to other supernatural creatures.

 

5. The production of one or more GL dramas on a bigger streaming platform

BL drama production has become commonplace and widespread in Korea. Whereas, GL dramas are not as prominent yet. However, there are a few productions out there, mostly on small streaming platforms/YouTube. You can see our full list of GL dramas/movies that have been released so far here.

Currently, most of these productions have been released in web drama format on niche YouTube channels and OTT platforms.

Since BLs have seen so much success in the last few years in Korea, with a new one being released almost every month... In 2023, we predict that a platform like Watcha (who produced "Semantic Error" and "Spring of Crush") or a studio like e-motion studio (who produced Ocean Likes Me" and streams on big OTT platforms) will attempt to release or start production on a GL drama.

Alternatively, a GL drama produced by the usual platforms might go viral or gain even more attention than usual.

 

6. An increase in limited series dramas from broadcast networks

Fans have often complained about the 16-episode drama formula sometimes taking away from the effectiveness of a drama's storytelling because of an ending that feels dragged out. Before, production houses/broadcast companies might have felt pressure to create 16-episode dramas as they were the standard.

However, OTT platforms such as Netflix have slowly normalized the release of shorter dramas with only 8 to 12 episodes. We have seen more broadcast stations switching to this approach, too.

As such, we predict that broadcast K-Drama networks such as SBS, MBC, JTBC, KBS, etc. will also soon adopt this method more regularly, aiming for a shorter and more impactful viewing experience.

What other predictions do you foresee for K-Dramas in 2023? Let us know your predictions for the year in the comments!