K-dramas have a lot of great things to watch with lots of plots that are lifelike. One of them is Korean dramas about corruption which will show the audience how someone with power becomes greedy.
A theme like this is of course very related to today’s life when many people are greedy for taking other people’s rights and don’t care about their miserable lives.
Korean series about corruption will deal with the law, honest prosecutors, and detectives who will uncover money laundering cases of the government or powerful corporations. So for that, here are the best K-dramas about corruption that you must watch.
Korean Dramas about Corruption List
1. Numbers
Numbers is the latest K-drama whose storyline is related to corruption. It tells the story of Ho Woo, a man who recently graduated from high school and joined his country’s leading accounting firm.
With his extraordinary memory, observation, adaptability, and a sense of fairness that is rare for ordinary accountants, he is more than just the perfect employee.
There he meets Je Kyun, Vice President of an accounting firm who is known for his generous personality, but who does whatever it takes to get what he wants.
Meanwhile, Je Kyun’s son is Seung Jo, a top accountant at the firm whose attitude is the complete opposite of Ho Woo. Both work together with numbers to achieve their respective goals. It was released in 2023 with 12 episodes and is available on Viki.
2. Vagabond
Cha Dal Gun is an orphaned man who single-handedly raises his nephew in place of his deceased brother. But now he lives alone because his nephew died in a mysterious plane crash while he was going to study abroad.
Facing the death of his nephew, Cha Dal Gun became furious especially when he heard of the massive cover-up of the incident. He then sets off on a journey to discover the truth.
Meanwhile, Go Hae Ri, the eldest daughter of a marine, died during an operation. He always wanted to be an ordinary civil servant to support his family, but life had other plans and he ended up as an agent for the National Intelligence Service (NIS).
Go Hae Ri and Cha Dal Gun’s lives are intertwined when they discover the tangled web of corruption behind the plane crash.
This series was released in 2019 with 16 episodes. You can watch one of the best romance Korean dramas Corruption on Netflix.
3. Vincenzo
It tells the story of Park Joo Hyeong, a man who at the age of eight leaves for Italy after being adopted. When he grew up he was known as Vincenzo Cassano and was hired by a Mafia family as a consigliere.
Due to warring mafia factions, he flies to South Korea where he becomes involved with lawyer Hong Cha Young, a person who will do anything to win a case.
Now, after returning to his homeland, he provides experience in dealing with corrupt conglomerates with his own version of justice. It was released in 2021 with 20 episodes and is available on Netflix and TVING.
4. Reborn Rich
Yoon Hyun Woo is the loyal, hardworking, and devoted secretary of the Soonyang chaebol family. All he knows is to agree to whatever orders are given without asking any questions.
But during the power struggle of the Soonyang Group business empire between Jin Yang Cheol’s children, Yoon Hyun Woo was framed for money laundering that was ordered to him.
In the end, he was cruelly murdered under the orders of an unknown chaebol family member. But miraculously he wakes up as a child in the body of the youngest member of the family – Jin Do Jun.
Once he realizes what has happened, Yoon Hyun Wo plans to use his new “identity” to plan a hostile takeover of the group – and punish the people who killed him.
This is one of the best Korean dramas about corruption released in 2022. It has 16 episodes and you can watch it on Netflix and Disney Plus.
See Also: Reborn Rich K-drama Review and Ending Explained
5. Stranger
It tells the story of Hwang Shi Mok, a man who underwent brain surgery as a child to curb his violent nature, which left him emotionally bereft.
Currently, Hwang is a prosecutor known for his intelligence and sharp logic, but he is ostracized for his lack of empathy and social skills. He is also one of the few honest prosecutors who refuses to accept bribes.
One day, he meets a stabbing victim while investigating corruption. He meets Lieutenant Han Yeo Jin at the crime scene. They then work together to eradicate corruption in the prosecutor’s office and solve a serial murder case.
This Kdrama about corruption was released in 2017 with 16 episodes. It is available on Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.
6. The Devil Judge
The series is set in a dystopian version of present-day Korea where everyday life is chaotic and society is crumbling to the point where people openly voice their distrust and hatred of their leader.
In a world based on law and order, Chief Justice Kang signals the need for change. His courtroom was the subject of a reality show in which he mercilessly punished the guilty, earning him the nickname “Demon Judge”.
The only person who becomes his rival is Jung Sun Ah, a very ambitious girl, who has risen from poverty to become the director of a corporate social responsibility foundation.
It was released in 2021 with 16 episodes. You can watch one of the best Korean dramas whose storyline is related to corruption on iQiyi.
7. Signal
While still in elementary school, Park Hae Yeong accidentally saw a young girl kidnapped on her way from school and witnessed the crime. A few days later, the girl was found dead, and the police could not find the culprit.
As time goes by, Hae Yeong begins to distrust the police. But fifteen years later, Hae Yeong became a police officer and criminal profiler.
One day, she finds a walkie-talkie that allows her to contact Detective Lee Jae Han who is in the past. Police officers Hae Yeong, Jae Han, and Cha So Hyun then embark on a journey to solve cold corruption cases.
This Korean tv show was released in 2017 with 22 episodes and is available on Netflix.
8. Lawless Lawyer
Bong Sang Pil is a man who grew up living a gangster life, full of fierce physical fights and dodging the law. When his mother tragically dies, he is determined to avenge her death.
Sang Pil becomes a lawyer and starts going after people with absolute power who think he is outside the law. With the cunning and skill from his previous life, Sang Pil uses both his fists and loopholes of law to find information.
Meanwhile, Ha Jae Yi is a young female lawyer who believes that the law is sacred and fights for justice. But his license was suspended when he hit a judge for an unfair decision during the trial.
Jae Yi ends up working for Sang Pil so he can continue to pay off his father’s debts. Sang Pil and Jae Yi then discover a corruption case involving Cha Moon Sook, a senior judge who has great power, and Ahn Oh Joo, a former gangster who is now the CEO of a company.
This is one of the best Korean dramas about corruption on Netflix. It was released in 2018 with 16 episodes.
9. Again My Life
The storyline follows the story of Kim Hee Woo, a man who comes from unfortunate beginnings as a lower-class high school student to going to university and finally passing the bar exam.
His constant hard work finally paid off, and he became the current public prosecutor. During his investigation, he had to carry out an investigation into a politician suspected of corruption.
But his investigation suddenly ends when a mysterious man kills him. He then regained consciousness and discovered that he was actually still alive.
Restored to the mortal realm, he realizes that he must return to university and complete his academic journey again. While he tries to find out the truth about what happened to him.
On his journey, he meets Kim Hee Ah, a very intelligent young woman who is also the youngest daughter of the family that owns the wealthy Cheonha business group.
As Kim Hee Woo and Kim Hee Ah intensify their search for answers, they discover that a cabal of wealthy power brokers may have played a role in his “death.
This K-drama about corruption was released in 2022 with 16 episodes. You can watch it on Viki.
10. Bad and Crazy
It tells the story of Soo Yeol, a competent ‘bad boy’ in the police force who regains his humanity after meeting K, a righteous but ‘crazy’ man.
Despite having a high school diploma, Soo Yeol is an accomplished member of the Anti-Corruption Unit. He was ambitious, so he chose his boss’s favorite case and it produced the desired result.
Often this means turning a blind eye to injustice, especially if it hinders the desired outcome. With promotions fast approaching and without anyone’s support, Soo Yeol fears that he will be ostracized again.
Congressman Do Yoo Gon had given him hopes of advancing but was dashed when the pious yet insane K entered his life.
It was released in 2021 with 12 episodes. You can watch one of the best Korean dramas about fighting corruption on Netflix. This tv show stars Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon.
That’s the list of the best Korean dramas about corruption that you must watch right now. Thank you for reading this article, Have a nice day
Read Also:
