10 Best K-Dramas for Line of Duty Fans

Same emotional DNA. Different language. These Korean, Chinese & Japanese dramas share the exact Crime and Thriller energy that makes Line of Duty so addictive.

2012 Crime Thriller
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1
The Knockout poster

The Knockout

34%
C-Drama 39 eps iQiyi / CCTV Crime Drama Thriller
Cat And Mouse Parallel Lives Moral Ambiguity
Why you'll love this

If you loved Line of Duty's relentless game of predator and prey where the tables keep turning, The Knockout delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is a slow-burn dread that accumulates until the weight of it is unbearable.

A meticulous police officer and a street-born kingpin cross paths across two decades of Chinese social transformation. One climbs through the law; the other climbs through crime. The story of how they…

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Viki
2
Shadow Detective poster

Shadow Detective

30%
K-Drama 8 eps Kakao TV Crime Thriller Drama
Falsely Accused Buddy Cop Corruption
Why you'll love this

The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

A veteran detective is framed for murder and must uncover the truth while working with a young detective who distrusts him.

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Prime Video▶ Viki
3
Nine Puzzles poster

Nine Puzzles

30%
K-Drama 10 eps Disney+ Crime Thriller Mystery
Brilliant Detective Puzzle Mystery Cat And Mouse
Why you'll love this

If you loved Line of Duty's relentless game of predator and prey where the tables keep turning, Nine Puzzles delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about an obsession that consumes a character completely and thrillingly. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

A former genius detective, now a reclusive puzzle constructor, is pulled back into an active case when a series of murders with perfectly crafted puzzles left at each scene seems designed specifically…

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Disney+▶ Hulu
4
Nobody Knows poster

Nobody Knows

30%
K-Drama 16 eps MBC Thriller Crime Drama
Survivor Becomes Detective Cold Case Reopened Serial Killer
Why you'll love this

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Twenty years ago, Cha Young-jin survived an attack that killed other children and destroyed the investigation. Now a detective, she recognizes the same pattern in a new series of murders — and the con…

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Viki
5
Defendant poster

Defendant

29%
K-Drama 18 eps SBS Thriller Crime Legal
Wrongly Accused Race Against Time Memory Loss
Why you'll love this

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

A star prosecutor wakes up on death row with no memory of the past several months — charged with murdering his wife and daughter. As fragments of memory return, he realizes he's been framed by a psych…

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Netflix▶ Viki
6
Day and Night poster

Day and Night

29%
C-Drama 32 eps Youku Crime Mystery Thriller
Twin Identity Swap Wrongly Accused Detective Procedural
Why you'll love this

If you loved Line of Duty's relentless game of predator and prey where the tables keep turning, Day and Night delivers exactly that. The emotional territory — institutional failure — is the same. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Guan Hongfeng and Guan Hongtao are identical twin brothers — one a police detective with an official badge, the other a fugitive wanted for mass murder. The problem: the fugitive is innocent and the d…

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Netflix▶ Viki
7
Through the Darkness poster

Through the Darkness

28%
K-Drama 12 eps SBS Crime Thriller Drama
Based On True Events Profiler Protagonist Procedural Drama
Why you'll love this

Like Line of Duty, it leans hard into procedural drama. At its core, it's about an obsession that consumes a character completely and thrillingly. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

Based on true events, Korea's first criminal profiler navigates bureaucracy to build a profiling unit in the 1990s.

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Viki▶ Kocowa
8
The Good Detective poster

The Good Detective

28%
K-Drama 16 eps JTBC Crime Thriller Drama
Buddy Cop Moral Dilemma Corruption
Why you'll love this

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it.

An honest but struggling detective partners with an experienced but morally flexible colleague to solve a difficult case.

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Viki▶ Kocowa
9
Karma poster

Karma

28%
K-Drama 10 eps Netflix Crime Thriller Mystery
Disgraced Detective Vigilante Killer Moral Ambiguity
Why you'll love this

If you loved Line of Duty's relentless game of predator and prey where the tables keep turning, Karma delivers exactly that. At its core, it's about the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is a slow-burn dread that accumulates until the weight of it is unbearable.

A disgraced former detective with a traumatic past becomes the unlikely investigator when a string of high-profile murders of powerful corrupt men seems to serve a brutal, poetic justice. As he hunts …

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Netflix
10
Memorist poster

Memorist

28%
K-Drama 16 eps tvN Thriller Mystery Supernatural
Supernatural Detective Buddy Cop Serial Killer Hunt
Why you'll love this

Both are built around the pursuit of justice in a system that was never built for it. The pacing is tense enough to make you watch through your fingers.

A detective with a rare supernatural ability to read memories by touch teams up with a cold but brilliant criminal profiler to hunt a serial killer whose methodical crimes seem impossible to predict.

Vibe Check
Gritty
Fluffy
Slow-Burn
Fast-Paced
Cynical
Heartfelt
Light
Heavy
Where to Watch
▶ Prime Video▶ Viki
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K-Dramas for Line of Duty Fans: FAQ

What are the best K-dramas for Line of Duty fans?

The top K-dramas for Line of Duty fans are The Knockout, Shadow Detective, and Nine Puzzles. All three share the same Crime and Thriller DNA that makes Line of Duty so compelling.

Are there Korean dramas similar to Line of Duty?

Yes — there are 10 strong K-drama matches for Line of Duty. Korean drama storytelling excels at Crime and Thriller, often in tightly-paced 16-episode seasons. The closest match is The Knockout at 34% similarity.

Where can I watch K-dramas like Line of Duty?

Most K-dramas similar to Line of Duty stream on Netflix, Viki, Amazon Prime Video, and Disney+. Each title on this page has a Watch Now button showing exactly which platforms carry it.

Why do Line of Duty fans love K-dramas?

Line of Duty fans love K-dramas because they deliver the same emotional intensity and genre mastery — especially in Crime and Thriller stories. K-dramas tend to tell complete stories without filler, which fans of binge-worthy series appreciate.

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