5 K-dramas to catch in Aug: Twelve, Beyond the Bar, Aema and more…

As Seoul’s temperatures rise to blazing heights, so does our excitement for the K-dramas which are dropping this August.

From a fantasy action drama starring Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyung-sik and Seo In-guk to a legal drama starring Lee Jin-wook, you’d be spoilt for choice.

Below, here are five K-dramas to catch this month.

1. Beyond the Bar

Shedding his warm, fatherly image from Squid Game 3, Lee Jin-wook takes on the role of Yun Seok-hun, a cold and composed partner at a law firm, in this legal drama. In the series, he unexpectedly becomes the mentor of Kang Hyo-min (Jung Chae-yeon), a clumsy yet brilliant rookie lawyer.

Despite their clashing personalities, his earnest guidance helps her flourish and grow into a confident lawyer, making them an unstoppable pair. 

Beyond the Bar premieres on Netflix on 2 Aug.

2. Love, Take Two

If we got a dollar for every time Park Hae-joon played a healing father figure in a slice-of-life drama, we’d have two dollars (which isn’t much, but it’s happening back to back).

Love, Take Two (2025) tells the story of Lee Ji-an (Yeom Jung-ah), a single mother whose first love reappears just as she’s grappling with her daughter’s rebellious phase.

He, too, is now a single parent, and his quiet life with his son is quickly turned upside down when the spirited mother-daughter duo barrels back into his world.

Love, Take Two premieres on Viu on 4 Aug.

3. Aema

A strong female lead in an era where misogyny was at its peak? Sign us up.

Set in the 1980s, this comedic drama follows Jung Hee-ran (Lee Ha-nee), the nation’s top actress. She is infamous for her fiery personality and razor-sharp tongue.

When those very traits cost her a coveted lead role in erotic film Madame Aema, she’s understandably furious at first. But her frustration soon gives way to curiosity when the actress who replaces her unexpectedly captures her attention.

Aema premieres on Netflix on 22 Aug.

4. Twelve

This highly anticipated fantasy action drama is sure to turn heads with its star-studded cast.

In Twelve (2025), Ma Dong-seok, Park Hyung-sik, and Seo In-guk star as animals reincarnated as angels, entrusted with the mission of saving the human world.

As the title suggests, there are twelve angels in total, each possessing a unique power they must wield to battle the demon king Asura and his army of minions.

Twelve premieres on Disney+ on 23 Aug.

5. Bon Appétit, Your Majesty

In this comedic fantasy drama, Yeon Ji-young (Lim Yoon-a), a French chef, is unexpectedly transported to the Joseon era after winning a prestigious cooking competition.

There, she ends up serving her food to King Lee Heon (Lee Chae-min). He is a feared tyrant with an extraordinary sense of taste, but her cooking quickly wins him over.

Despite being offered a position at a Michelin three-star restaurant in Paris, fate takes a different turn. Eventually, she becomes the king’s personal chef instead.

Bon Appétit, Your Majesty premieres on Netflix on 23 Aug.