10 K-Dramas That Were Canceled Too Soon

Beyond global phenomena like “Squid Game,” South Korean scripted television, or K-dramas, have taken the world by storm in recent years. From their tightly scripted stories, appealing main casts, and stylish staging, Korean television has found enormous success with audiences overseas. Notably, many of the best K-dramas of all time run for a set amount of episodes, often just a single season, in contrast to American shows on air for years. That said, there are still a number of Korean series that end their runs sooner than originally intended, to the dismay of their fans.

Whether it’s shows that quietly shelved plans for additional seasons or, on rare occasions, series that pulled the plug in the middle of production, there are K-dramas that ended prematurely. Sometimes these early endings are due to particularly low viewership while some are due to the productions being among the most controversial K-dramas of all time. Here are 10 K-dramas that were canceled too soon and why these shows wrapped earlier than initially intended.

The 2006 romantic drama “Wolf” had all the hallmarks to potentially become one of the saddest K-dramas ever. The series was to revolve around two men who fall in love with the same woman suffering from a terminal condition, with the show starring Ha Ji-min and Eric Mun (seen in the above image from the movie “The Spies Who Loved Me”). However, during filming, both Ha and Mun were injured during a stunt sequence gone wrong, with Mun grievously hurt in particular. A stunt driver failed to stop on cue while speeding towards both actors, with Mun moving Ha and shielding her with his body from the oncoming vehicle.

In the wake of the accident, “Wolf” was pulled off the air, having only aired three of its planned 16 episodes. Production was suspended to give Ha and Mun time to recuperate, with Mun’s recovery time slated to last at least a month at the time. However, when it became apparent that Mun’s injuries were more serious than initially anticipated, necessitating a longer recovery window, “Wolf” was quietly canceled. Mun would eventually return to acting, but his injuries were so severe his mandatory South Korean military service was impacted, continuing to cast a pallor over the tragic production.

Years before the streaming record-shattering success of “KPop Demon Hunters,” the competitive world of Korean pop music was explored in the live-action series “K-Pop Extreme Survival.” A screwball romantic comedy, the show has classical pianist Ji Seung-yeon (Go Eun-ah) pose as a man to audition for the boy band M2 Junior. This involves a rigorous process of dance, singing, and etiquette training to ensure aspiring pop stars can maintain a favorable public image. As Seung-yeon progresses, she gets to know M2 Junior’s arrogant leader Kang Woo-hyun (Park Yoo-hwan), with the two growing closer despite Seung-yeon’s secret identity.

Also known as “The Strongest K-Pop Survival” and “K-Pop: The Ultimate Audition” in some territories, “K-Pop Extreme Survival” suffers from the crunch of its reduced episode count. Originally planned to air for 16 episodes, the series’ episode order was reduced to 14 and principal photography was wrapped earlier than anticipated. This meant the last handful of episodes were heavily re-edited to make up for the truncated run, leading to a rushed conclusion. This practice is, unfortunately, not an isolated one when networks want to pull shows early, and one that will appear later on this list.

Also known as “Surplus Princess” in some territories, 2014’s “The Idle Mermaid” is a Korean update of the classic fairy tale “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen. The show’s titular mermaid princess is Aileen (Jo Bo-ah) who learns about human culture after finding a smartphone lost at sea. After saving celebrity chef Kwon Shi-kyung (Song Jae-rim) from drowning, Aileen falls in love with him and takes a magical potion that temporarily transforms her into a human. Given 100 days to find true love, Aileen tries to woo Shi-kyung, only to fall for struggling artist Lee Hyun-myung (On Joo-wan) instead.

While an intriguing modernization and subversion of “The Little Mermaid,” the episode count for “The Idle Mermaid” was dramatically shortened after its premiere. Originally intended to run for 14 episodes, the show was reduced to 10 episodes to improve the story’s pacing. This led to the completed episodes to be re-edited accordingly, truncating this Seoul-based modern fairy tale. With its story awkwardly accelerated, it would’ve been interesting to see how “The Idle Mermaid” would’ve unfolded if its conclusion hadn’t been pushed up by a full month.

At first glance, the 2020 romantic drama “A Piece of Your Mind” had all the hallmarks of the best romantic K-dramas. Appealing lead actors Jung Hae-in and Chae Soo-bin play a tech-minded burgeoning couple, each idealistic and kind in their own way. Moon Ha-won (Jung) is a focused entrepreneur who started his own artificial intelligence programming company while pining for his unrequited childhood love Kim Ji-soo (Park Ju-hyun). Ha-won meets classical music audio engineer Han Seo-woo (Chae), with the two falling in love over the course of the series.

Both Jung Hae-in and Chae Soo-bin each starred in successful romantic comedies prior to “A Piece of Your Mind,” but the 2020 series didn’t connect with audiences the same way. Due to low ratings, the network, tvN, decided to cut the number of episodes by four, bringing the episode total down to 12. Commentators attributed the reduced viewership to the series’ moving at a noticeably slower pace and more complex plot than many of its genre contemporaries. “A Piece of Your Mind” got to reach its happily ever after, but it raced across the finish line to get there.

There is no shortage of medieval period piece dramas produced in Korea, with many incorporating a supernatural twist like the critically acclaimed K-drama “Kingdom.” The 2021 series “Joseon Exorcist” looked to provide its own take on this genre mash-up, using real-life historical figures from Korea’s 15th century. The series has Kim Taejong (Kam Woo-sung) and his two sons defending their kingdom from demonic forces working with their rivals. This escalates into a full-blown showdown with the undead, as the royal family rallies to protect their people from evil.

Though “Joseon Exorcist” was planned for an industry-standard 16-episode run, it was canceled after two episodes aired for local audiences. This abrupt cancellation was attributed to widespread backlash over perceived historical inaccuracies, particularly its depiction of the historical royals and incorporation of Chinese cultural elements. In the face of thousands of submitted complaints, sponsors pulled support and filming on the remaining episodes was terminated. The other completed episodes never saw the light of day, leaving viewers in the dark on how the story was intended to progress beyond its first two episodes.

The popular webnovel “So I Married the Anti-Fan” by Kim Eun-jung was adapted into a television series of the same name that saw significant release delays. The show follows entertainment reporter Lee Geun-young (Choi Soo-young) who develops a grudge against pop star Hoo Joon (Choi Tae-joon) after she believes he had her fired. In response, Geun-young gains media attention for being Hoo Joon’s most vocal anti-fan, leading to them agreeing to live together for a reality series capitalizing on their feud. As the two get to know each other better, they begin to develop romantic feelings for one another and set aside their differences.

The enemies-to-lovers trope is not one isolated to Hollywood movies, but “So I Married the Anti-Fan” saw unexpected issues behind-the-scenes. The series’ debut was delayed for nearly three years after filming until it could find a platform to broadcast it, ultimately landing at Naver TV where it aired in 2021. Further complicating its release, star Choi Tae-joon and co-star Hwang Chan-sung were serving as part of South Korea’s mandatory military service following the production, impacting the show’s promotion. “So I Married the Anti-Fan” tells a complete story, but these setbacks killed any momentum the show may have had in proceeding with a continuation.

This is a particularly messy case, that led to significant cast and crew changes, a heavily retooled final product, and threats of legal action. In late 2017, production began on “Four Sons,” a romantic thriller starring Park Hae-jin and pop star Im Jin-ah, better known under her stage name Nana. The show was initially described as the story of a woman encountering a man with a striking resemblance to a former lover. By August 2018, Nana dropped out of the production citing considerable delays in its filming schedule after creative differences and the replacement of the series’ director.

By the following November, Park Hae-jin, through his agency, became embroiled in a contractual dispute with the production due to its delays and creative changes behind-the-scenes. Park ultimately left the series with its planned filming unfinished, and additional filming and rewrites employed to rework the completed material into a presentable show. This was eventually released as a six-episode series under the title “Genesis” in 2021, with the central narrative focus being Park’s character investigating his mother’s mysterious death. Not only dramatically shortened but heavily revised, the originally envisioned “Four Sons” will never see the light of day.

Apple TV+’s first K-drama was a sci-fi series that premiered in 2021, based on the webtoon “Dr. Brain” by Hongjacga. This cerebral thriller has neurologist Sewon Koh (Lee Sun-kyun) investigate the mysterious death of his family using his experimental neural technology. Using a headset, Sewon can interface with the brains of the dead to experience their memories for himself and gather clues from their perspective. However, the deeper and more frequently Sewon delves into the minds of the dead, the more he has trouble discerning his reality and separating his own memories from the deceased.

Flying relatively under the wire for international audiences, “Dr. Brain” is one of the most underrated K-dramas of all time. The show is stylishly staged and plays out like a tech noir that leans progressively into dark psychedelia. There were early plans for a second season to be produced, but these were quietly and understandably waylaid by the untimely death of Lee Sun-kyun in 2023. The first season of “Dr. Brain” tells a complete story, but it’s still hard not to imagine what it could’ve been if it had continued.

Some of the best K-dramas ever made are anthology shows. One with a particularly extensive legacy is the “School” series. Starting in 1999, each season of the show focuses on the trials and tribulations of life in school, predominantly centering on high school students. The most recent installment of the series is “School 2021,” which reached its planned conclusion in January 2022. This season focused on high schoolers as they prepare for life after graduation, either through attending universities or beginning their professional careers.

While it seems absurd to name a show with roots dating back to 1999 as being canceled too soon, the “School” series only aired sporadically and endured a decade-long hiatus. However, the behind-the-scenes circumstances regarding the production of “School 2021” may mean the anthology series may have been quietly shelved for the foreseeable future. Originally planned as “School 2020,” the departure of several major cast members, including departures after the release was delayed till 2021, delayed the production. This included a temporary suspension of filming after a lead actor was diagnosed with COVID-19.

Over three years later, there has been no official word for the anthology series’ potential return or if these production setbacks derailed any plans for additional seasons.

Here’s the case of a show being canceled before it was even released, topping even “Joseon Exorcist” in that dubious distinction. First announced in 2017, the espionage thriller “Prometheus” was intended to air on MBC TV, boasting an all-star cast and considerable production budget. The planned show followed a worldwide hunt for a group of missing North Korean scientists, with the South Korean National Intelligence Service among the highly interested parties. Leading the cast were Ha Ji-won (seen in the image above from the 2017 movie “Manhunt”), Jin Goo, and Park Ki-woong, with the series expected to premiere in 2019.

However, in October 2018, Ha Ji-won announced that she would be leaving the production, citing scheduling conflicts as the reason for her departure. The following month, both Jin Goo and Park Ki-woong followed suit in departing from the production, without any official comment from either actor at the time. These high-profile departures came in the wake of a statement from MBC that it had decided not to commit to airing the planned series on its platforms. The eagerly anticipated spy show was quietly shelved soon thereafter, leaving the unfinished series as a big what-if.