Made in Korea brings together political power games, organized crime, intelligence agencies, corrupt officials and a fierce battle between two men with very different ideas of justice. Like us, If you are also searching for shows like Made in Korea, there are several gripping Korean dramas that explore similar worlds where politicians, prosecutors, intelligence officers, gangsters and wealthy elites fight for control.
Some lean heavily into political conspiracy, while others focus on criminal empires, undercover investigations or prosecutors attempting to challenge seemingly untouchable men. From The Whirlwind and Stranger to The Worst of Evil and Narco-Saints, these shows like Made in Korea should be perfect for viewers who enjoy crime mixed with ambition, corruption and dangerous power struggles.
15 Shows Like Made In Korea To Watch
1. The Whirlwind
Prime Minister Park Dong-ho becomes determined to cleanse the government after discovering just how deeply corruption has penetrated South Korea’s political establishment. His drastic actions put him against Deputy Prime Minister Jeong Su-jin, an equally formidable political operator who has ambitions and secrets of her own. Their confrontation quickly develops into a ruthless fight involving the presidency, prosecutors, corporations and some of the country’s most influential people. It is easily one of the closest shows like Made in Korea because both dramas treat politics as a battlefield where justice, ambition and personal survival become almost impossible to separate.
Where to Watch: Netflix
2. Stranger
Prosecutor Hwang Si-mok teams up with police detective Han Yeo-jin after a murder exposes connections that reach far beyond an ordinary criminal case. As they follow the evidence, they encounter prosecutors, police officers and influential figures who have a strong interest in keeping certain secrets buried. Similar to Made in Korea, the series places a determined prosecutor against a system in which criminals and powerful officials can become dangerously intertwined. The investigation is slower and more cerebral, but its exploration of institutional corruption and the enormous personal cost of pursuing the truth makes it an excellent companion watch.
Where to Watch: Netflix
3. The Worst of Evil
Detective Park Jun-mo goes undercover inside the Gangnam Union, a rapidly expanding criminal organisation involved in an international drug trade connecting South Korea, Japan and China. To destroy the operation, Jun-mo has to gain the confidence of gang leader Jung Gi-cheul while hiding his real identity, a task made even more complicated when his wife becomes connected to the investigation. Like Made in Korea, this thriller combines illicit business, ambitious men, law enforcement and cross-border criminal networks. The deeper Jun-mo enters the organisation, the harder it becomes to distinguish between completing his mission and becoming part of the world he was supposed to destroy.
Where to Watch: JioHotstar
4. Chief of Staff
Jang Tae-jun works behind the scenes as the highly capable chief of staff to a powerful member of South Korea’s National Assembly, but he has political ambitions of his own. He knows how legislation, influence, favours and carefully timed betrayals can be used to move people up or push rivals out of the way. As Tae-jun climbs toward greater power, alliances become increasingly fragile and every decision carries consequences. The series is similar to Made in Korea in its fascination with extraordinarily ambitious men operating inside systems built on influence and compromise, although Chief of Staff replaces much of the gangster action with calculated political warfare.
Where to Watch: Netflix
5. Big Mouth
Park Chang-ho is a struggling lawyer with a terrible courtroom record until a murder case changes his life completely. Suddenly accused of being the notorious criminal mastermind known as Big Mouse, he is thrown into prison and forced to survive among dangerous criminals while trying to discover who framed him. His search leads toward wealthy and influential people protecting a much larger conspiracy. Among shows like Made in Korea, Big Mouth is a particularly good choice for viewers who enjoy watching an apparently untouchable establishment collide with someone determined to expose it. Both dramas also thrive on shifting loyalties and characters who cannot afford to trust appearances.
Where to Watch: Disney+ (JioHotstar)
6. Narco-Saints
Kang In-gu travels to Suriname hoping to build a profitable business, only to find himself trapped in the world of Korean drug lord Jeon Yo-hwan. After his legitimate venture collapses, South Korea’s National Intelligence Service recruits him for a dangerous undercover operation designed to capture the kingpin. In-gu must convince Yo-hwan that he can be trusted while intelligence agents attempt to manipulate the criminal organisation from outside. The series has strong similarities to Made in Korea through its mix of government intelligence, illegal trade, powerful businessmen and men constantly negotiating between money and survival. It also delivers the same sense that every deal could secretly be another trap.
Where to Watch: Netflix
7. Gangnam B-Side
When Jae-hee, a woman working in Gangnam’s nightlife scene, disappears, detective Kang Dong-woo returns to an investigation that pulls him into the district’s hidden criminal world. Ambitious prosecutor Min Seo-jin becomes involved as well, while mysterious fixer Yoon Gil-ho emerges as a crucial figure in the case. Their separate interests gradually uncover connections stretching far beyond a simple missing-person investigation. Like Made in Korea, the drama places prosecutors, criminals and law-enforcement officers inside the same tangled network, where each group has different reasons for wanting the truth exposed—or permanently hidden.
Where to Watch: Disney+ (JioHotstar)
8. Payback: Money and Power
Eun Yong has built enormous wealth as a money trader, but his past draws him into a battle against a financial cartel that has developed dangerous connections with the legal establishment. Instead of accepting that powerful people are beyond punishment, he uses money, strategy and his understanding of their world to strike back. Prosecutors and financial criminals soon become pieces in a much larger confrontation. The story is similar to Made in Korea because money and institutional power are inseparable from crime, while the people trying to deliver justice discover that following ordinary rules may not be enough to defeat opponents who helped shape those rules.
Where to Watch: Amazon Prime Video
9. The Veil
Elite National Intelligence Service agent Han Ji-hyuk disappears during an operation and unexpectedly returns a year later with missing memories and unanswered questions about what happened to his team. Determined to identify the person who betrayed him, Ji-hyuk begins investigating his own organisation and discovers that the threat may be coming from much closer than expected. Similar to Made in Korea, The Veil explores the darker side of Korea’s intelligence establishment, where personal ambition, secret operations and national interests frequently overlap. Its internal conspiracies make almost every senior official a possible ally, enemy or both.
Where to Watch: Rakuten Viki
10. Insider
Judicial trainee Kim Yo-han enters a dangerous undercover investigation into a corrupt prosecutor but finds himself abandoned when the operation goes wrong and he ends up behind bars. Instead of surrendering, he learns how power operates inside prison and begins building the connections he needs to turn the tables on the people responsible for destroying his life. If the power games are what draw you toward shows like Made in Korea, Insider deserves a place high on your list. Like Geon-young’s battle against forces larger than himself, Yo-han’s pursuit of justice gradually transforms into a strategic war in which he must understand his enemies before he can defeat them.
Where to Watch: Rakuten Viki in select regions
11. Designated Survivor: 60 Days
Environment Minister Park Mu-jin unexpectedly becomes acting president after a devastating attack on the National Assembly kills many of the officials ahead of him in the presidential line of succession. With almost no experience navigating high-level political warfare, he must stabilise the country while investigators search for the people responsible for the attack. Evidence soon points toward a much larger conspiracy involving competing political interests. The series is similar to Made in Korea because government power, hidden agendas and national security are constantly entangled, turning political institutions into another arena for survival and manipulation.
Where to Watch: Netflix
12. Again My Life
Prosecutor Kim Hee-woo dedicates himself to investigating corrupt politician Jo Tae-seob, a man whose respectable public image hides the enormous power he exercises behind the scenes. When Hee-woo gets too close, he is killed—but unexpectedly receives another opportunity to live his life. Armed with knowledge of what happened the first time, he begins carefully preparing to challenge Tae-seob again. It is one of the more unconventional shows like Made in Korea, but the central conflict feels very familiar: an obsessive prosecutor attempts to bring down a powerful man protected by political connections, money and a network built to keep him beyond the reach of ordinary justice.
Where to Watch: Rakuten Viki
13. Vagabond
Stuntman Cha Dal-geon loses his nephew in a plane crash and initially believes he is dealing with a terrible accident. After discovering evidence suggesting otherwise, he joins forces with National Intelligence Service operative Go Hae-ri and begins following a trail that leads toward government agencies, corporations and powerful individuals. Each revelation makes the conspiracy larger and more dangerous. Like Made in Korea, Vagabond mixes intelligence operations with political influence and people willing to commit serious crimes to protect their interests. It is more action-heavy, but its central mystery is ultimately about discovering how far powerful institutions will go to hide the truth.
Where to Watch: Netflix
14. Low Life
Set in 1977, Low Life begins when rumours spread about valuable treasure lying inside a shipwreck off the Korean coast. Gwan-seok and Hee-dong see the discovery as a chance to transform their fortunes and enter an increasingly competitive hunt involving criminals, opportunists and rival groups who all want a share of the prize. While the story is driven more by greed than politics, it is similar to Made in Korea through its 1970s setting and portrayal of men trying to climb into a world of wealth and influence. Both series capture a period where rapid change creates opportunities for people prepared to operate outside the law.
Where to Watch: Disney+ (JioHotstar)
15. Uncle Samsik
Set during another transformative period in South Korean history, Uncle Samsik follows influential fixer Park Doo-chill, better known as Uncle Samsik, and idealistic economist Kim San. Samsik promises he can help Kim San fulfil his dream of rebuilding the country, but achieving that vision requires entering a political world filled with manipulation, competing interests and increasingly questionable compromises. The drama is similar to Made in Korea because it examines ambition against the backdrop of Korea’s political and economic transformation, while asking how far someone can go in pursuit of power before the methods they use begin to change who they are.
Where to Watch: Disney+
Also Read: Best K-Dramas of All Time
Which Show Should You Watch After Made in Korea?
If you loved the political warfare most, start with The Whirlwind, Stranger or Chief of Staff. For the criminal operations and cat-and-mouse tension, The Worst of Evil, Narco-Saints and Gangnam B-Side are stronger choices. And if the period setting and rise-to-power story grabbed your attention, try Low Life or Uncle Samsik. Together, these shows like Made in Korea offer plenty of corruption, conspiracy, revenge and dangerous battles between people determined to control the system and those equally determined to bring them down.