I was buzzing when I first started 북극성, and now that it’s complete, I know there will be people like me seeking more Kdramas like Tempest that may well provide the same shot of suspense, politics, and illicit love. It wasn’t just another political thriller—it marked Gang Dong-won’s comeback in dramas after Magic (2004) and Jun Ji-hyun’s after Jirisan (2021). I was expecting some thick political conspiracy with espionage, betrayal, and diplomacy. And it had all that, sure. But what took me aback was how much the romance got woven into it.
Along the way, somehow, the thriller that I had signed up for ended up being one that got my adrenaline pumping just as much as the action did. The chemistry between Jun Ji-hyun and Gang Dong-won caught me entirely by surprise. It was like seeing a fanfiction come alive a minute, I’d be wiggling my seat forward, waiting for each and every turn of the conspiracy, the next I’d be kicking my legs in wide-eyed wonder at the tension-charged glances and unspoken emotions between San-ho and Mun-ju. It was not just a sub-plot; it became the show’s emotional core.
And the cherry on top? It never ever got dumped on us. It was raw, magnetic, and bitter in the best possible way. What really set this drama apart, though, is how it combined all of that. The political immediacy was there and immediate, the action was quick, and the mystery had me guessing episode to episode. But simultaneously, the show never forgot the human element of its characters. Mun-ju was not painted as flawless—she was sometimes confused and weary and made all the more real because of it.
San-ho, however, was the perfect mystery, the protector you couldn’t help but care about. It all coalesced in a manner that has left me questioning why I love K-dramas in the first place. So if you’re craving K-dramas similar to Tempest with the same mix of suspense, politics, and forbidden romance, here are some that you just can’t miss out on.
Kdramas Like Tempest
Iris
There was Iris prior to Tempest, a trendsetter K-drama starring Lee Byung-hun and Kim Tae-hee that broke the standard for spy thrillers. IRIS leaps into political scandals, border clashes, and the devastating cost of betrayal. Just like Mun-ju dared everything for truth to reveal itself, the characters in IRIS walk a dangerous tightrope where each step would be tragedy.
IRIS’s romance, as well, echoes the bittersweetness of the Mun-ju and San-ho relationship. It’s not an easy love affair, but one that blooms in the shadows of violence and suspicion. To see actors grapple with duty and desire is no less vomit-inducing and indelible.
The K2
If you were addicted to the love affair of Mun-ju and San-ho, you will enjoy The K2 as well. Ji Chang-wook plays a mercenary who becomes the bodyguard of a politician’s illegitimate daughter, played by Yoona. Their love affair ensues amidst the cold-blooded politics, betrayal, and manipulations, as in the complicated lines of Tempest kdrama.
The protector-romance trope works at its best in The K2, with an emotional undertone that resonates deep below the shiny action sequences. Every sidelong glance and every cautious moment will make you remember San-ho’s unspoken love for Mun-ju. It’s tense, suspenseful, and romantic.
Designated Survivor: 60 Days
Designated Survivor: 60 Days will take you by the throat if your ears perked up at Tempest’s political manoeuvring. When a bombing kills off the South Korean government, a reluctant minister is coaxed into office and has to deal with conspiracies, hidden enemies, and no-win decisions. The show accomplishes the same high-wire balancing game of governing and staying alive that The North Star did so graphically.
As in the instance of Mun-ju, the main character is no power-seeker but a power-riser who must climb to the challenge. Watching Ji Jin-hee’s character Park Moo-jin evolve into a leader as he tightrope-walks morals, diplomacy, and security is so engrossing. It’s a snail-paced, human-interest Korean political thriller that’s worth it with its twisty and jolting turns.
Also Read: Tempest Episode 8-9 Review: San-ho’s Sacrifice and Mun-ju’s Rise Mark a Powerful Finale
Vagabond
If you liked the guardian-bodyguard theme of Tempest, Vagabond will be warm but suspenseful. Cha Dal-gun (Lee Seung-gi) is the hero who becomes embroiled in a massive government conspiracy when his nephew is killed in a plane crash. He teams up with undercover agent Go Hae-ri (Suzy) and finds himself ensnared in a network of lies and cover-ups that are lethal.
The chemistry between Dal-gun and Hae-ri reflects the tentative but authentic attraction between San-ho and Mun-ju. They’re always in motion, always in motion, resisting authorities beyond their control, but never cease relying on each other. Similar to Tempest, the drama gives us suspenseful action but moors it in an emotional connection that you’re investing in.
3 Days
3 Days is another addictive Korean political series with the same energy and mood as Tempest. The drama follows the bodyguards of the president who are eager to find out what transpired after he went missing suddenly. It’s a political drama-filled series, filled with wicked characters, and suspense that leaves you glued in front of your screen watching episode after episode.
It is so engaging because it revolves around the theme of personal sacrifice and responsibility. The characters, such as Mun-ju and San-ho, are caught between devotion to their nation and personal demons. Here also, each action seems to be weighed down by the burden of history and a constant battle between survival and the truth.
Red Swan
Both have that same thrilling mix of danger and romance, with love growing out of chaos. Red Swan is the story of a woman trapped in a powerful but stifling world, and one man who is her protector and her ruin. Seo Do-yoon, played by Rain, is a bodyguard who lives by discipline and distance, until his duty to protect Kim Ha-neul’s Oh Wan-soo blurs the line between loyalty and love.
It is the same give and take that makes it sound like Tempest. Like Mun-ju and San-ho, the characters of Red Swan live in a world where trust is an indulgence that very few can afford, and yet they cannot help but trust each other. They cultivate their love not in the midst of peace but in the chaos of betrayal and stabbing in the back, which makes the romance something that must happen immediately and is impossible to deny, so if you like bodyguard-to-lover kdrama with thriller and suspense, then this one is for you.
Athena: Goddess of War
If Tempest greeted you with its global intrigue and high-wire political manoeuvring, Athena: Goddess of War is where you’re going next. The series follows the South Korean agents tracking down a terrorist syndicate, betrayals and hidden agendas around each corner. It swings between month-of-the-action confrontation and backroom diplomatic manoeuvring, how fast peace shatters when interests are at play.
Athena is different in how it makes its characters relatable. In the bullets whizzing by and plots thickening, the agents battle with loyalty, love, and sacrifices on an individual level. If you were glued to Tempest’s Mun-ju sheer tenacity, you’ll love the same tenacity in Athena’s agents, who sacrifice everything for the security of their country.
So if kdramas such as Tempest made you hungry for more of that biting combination of love and high-drama conspiracies, these dramas are where you go next. Put the to-do list aside, grab some snacks, and sit down – because each one will sweep you up in a maelstrom of secrets, power plays, and feelings that refuse to release you until the final episode.
