Now that we’re truly into fall, we’re starting to get into the holiday season. While maybe not officially a holiday in Korea, Halloween is the first one I look forward to. It is also one of the most underrated holidays, a time where it is ok to dress up and play pretend—something most of us haven’t done since we were kids. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t plenty of K-dramas that fit the season. Ghosts, vampires, spirits possessing human bodies and eating human souls—we’ve rounded up 8 of our favorites for Halloween.
1. Hotel del Luna
Nothing screams Halloween more than ghosts, and that’s at the center of this popular drama featuring IU and Yeo Jin-Goo. Jang Man-Wol (IU) has been the moody owner of Hotel del Luna for approximately 1,300 years. But Hotel del Luna isn’t like any other hotel. It’s a hotel for ghosts who have unfinished business they want to sort out before moving on to the afterlife. When human Gu Chan-Sung (Yeo Jin-goo) becomes the hotel’s general manager, he’s tasked by the deities with more than simply running the hotel. He must curb Man-Wol’s bad influences and make her a better person so she can move on to the afterlife herself and no longer be tied to the hotel. I watched this drama during the summer and it put me in such a Halloween mood, so if you haven’t watched it yet, this is a great one to get you in the spooky spirit.
2. Master’s Sun
Tae Gong-Shil is haunted by ghosts who won’t go away until she has fulfilled their last wishes. During one of her escapades, she meets mall president Joo Joong-Won and realizes that when she touches him, the ghosts vanish. Despite their opposite personalities, the two embark on many adventures together as Tae Gong-Shil and Joo Joong-Won try to appease the ghosts and get to the bottom of a larger mystery involving Joo Joong-Won’s childhood. The two grow closer and realize that their lives are better with each other and the ghosts. This spooky drama has just the right balance between creepy ghosts and adorable romance. With ghost marriages and nighttime cemetery missions, Master’s Sun great choice for Halloween.
3. Chicago Typewriter
This drama follows a group of three individuals through two different eras. They initially meet as resistance fighters during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the 1930s. Han Se Joo was a writer and head of the resistance; Yu Jin Oh was a bar owner, which also served as the headquarters of the resistance; and Jeon Seol was a sniper. Their lives intersect as they fight for the freedom of Korea, creating an unbreakable bond that lasts as they die and are reincarnated into the modern day. Se Joon is still a writer, Seol is a jack-of-all-trades, and Jin Oh is a tasked with helping Se Joon write his next novel as his ghostwriter…but, actually as a ghost-writer. Se Joon was the only one who was not reincarnated and finds himself trapped in the keys of an old typewriter. I don’t hear many people talking about Chicago Typewriter, but it’s perfect if you’re looking for a K-drama to watch during this season.
4. Kingdom
Ten days have passed since the king collapsed from an illness. Queen Ju and her father, Chief State Councillor Jo Hak-Joo, have forbidden anyone to see the king, even the Crown Prince Lee Chang. But Chang senses something sinister and sneaks into the palace only to see the shadows of a monster through the door. This kicks off a search to discover what actually happened to the king…and what’s happening to other people around the country. Kingdom is by far one of the best zombie shows ever created. It’s dark and spooky and creepy in all the best ways. This show has political and medical suspense that is super gripping and entertaining to watch. There’s 12 episodes across this show’s two seasons, making it a super consumable, bingeable show to watch while doing your zombie makeup before your next Halloween party.
5. Save Me
Save Me by far one of the creepiest, scariest dramas I’ve seen and I think that’s because there’s nothing supernatural about this drama—humans do the scariest things. This K-drama centers around Im Sang-mi, whose family moves from Seoul to a suburb of Muji County when her father’s business fails. When Sang-mi’s brother is relentlessly bullied to the point where he commits suicide, her family is torn apart. Unfortunately, this makes them perfect targets for Goseonwon, a prominent religious cult in the area. Three years later, Sang-mi’s parents are brainwashed, and Sang-mi can’t escape—that is until her former classmate Han Sang-hwan and his two friends make it their personal mission to try to bring down the cult at whatever cost. This drama is SO creepy, and I still get scared thinking back about it. This K-drama is a must-watch, especially around the Halloween season to any thriller or true-crime fans out there.
6. Nightmare Teacher
When an accident hospitalizes the homeroom teacher of a 2nd-grade class at Yosan Private High School, Han Bong-Gu takes over temporarily. Soon mysterious things start happening in the class—the student’s dreams begin to come true. This drama has such a unique supernatural premise that it makes it such a fun show to watch around Halloween. It gives major Twilignt Zone vibes as students start to disappear into a magic mirror, and the rest of the class forgets their very existence. Soon some of the students begin to leave notes on the desk warning their future selves about the strange occurrences in their class. This drama is exciting and suspenseful, and perfect to get you in the spooky Halloween mood.
7. Orange Marmalade
Does anything scream Halloween more than vampires? Probably not. Well, vampires are alive and well, coexisting with humans in Orange Marmalade. High school is difficult for anyone, but being a vampire makes it even harder for Bae Mae-Ri. While vampires have evolved to no longer need human blood, they are still drawn to it. So, society has developed very strict rules that vampires must follow or risk being severely punished. After accidentally kissing Jung Jaemin on the neck, Mae-Ri falls in love with him and tries to change the perception around vampires. This coming-of-age high school drama is a great choice for Halloween. It isn’t particularly scary or creepy, but you could think of it as the K-drama version of Vampire Diaries. This drama is also much lighter than a lot of the other dramas on this list, making it a nice change of pace in case you need a break from the horror but want to stay in the Halloween spirit.
8. Sell Your Haunted House
Jang Na-ra is an exorcist and owns Daebak Real Estate. They specialize in selling houses with a ghost problem after Jang Na-Ra exorcises the spirit. She can’t exorcise a ghost alone, however, since it must possess a human body before she can banish it. Oh In-Bum is a medium whose body can be possessed by ghosts. As the two work together, they come to realize that the death of Jang Na-Ra’s mother and oh In-Bum’s uncle may be related and uncover a mystery of corruption and murder. The dark mood throughout the show, coupled with the paranormal aspect, make it perfect for Halloween. As far as K-dramas go, Sell Your Haunted House is more on the scary side, but don’t be too alarmed, it is perfectly manageable.
9. The Uncanny Counter
With evil spirits running amuck in Jugjin eating the souls of the dead and possessing the bodies of those still alive, it is up to the five-member Counter to protect the human world from those evil spirits. They have help from the good spirits in Yung, the realm between the living and dead, who guide the team and ensure they don’t abuse their powers. So Mun is a new Counter who is working hard on developing his skills and learning to control the power that comes with it. While working as a Counter, he learns that the souls of his own parents have been consumed by an evil spirit sparking a quest for revenge and a mission to set them free. The wickedness of the villains in this drama, coupled with the evil spirits, make this the perfect drama to put you in the Halloween mood. It also does an excellent job at drawing out the mystery adding to the suspense.
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