If you couldn’t move on after “Voice” — the iconic OCN series that defined Korean crime thrillers — this list is for you.
From the unforgettable “Golden Time Team” to the sound-based suspense that made your heart race, Voice (2017–2021) changed the game for K-crime dramas.
The series, starring Lee Ha-na, Jang Hyuk, and Lee Jin-wook, ran for four successful seasons and inspired remakes across Asia. Its signature blend of psychological tension, rescue urgency, and moral gray areas set a new standard for thrillers in Korea.
If you miss that same adrenaline and darkness, here are the must-watch dramas that carry Voice’s DNA — from cold-blooded serial killers to the quiet investigators who chase them.
1. The Hunter with a Scalpel (2024 | Wavve / Genie TV)
Dubbed “the modern heir to Voice,” The Hunter with a Scalpel dives into the mind of a surgical-pathologist-turned-serial killer profiler. Played by Joo Sang-wook, the protagonist hunts criminals by reading their surgical patterns — quite literally dissecting both their crimes and psyches.
The series earned praise for its grounded medical-crime fusion and the chilling realism of its forensic details. Viewers called it “a smarter, darker version of Voice,” and it trended on Wavve’s Top 5 for weeks. Each episode escalates with near-operatic tension — blending psychological horror with clinical precision.
If Voice kept you on the edge with sound, Scalpel keeps you frozen with silence.
2. Through the Darkness (악의 마음을 읽는 자들, 2022 | SBS)
Based on real events, this critically acclaimed drama follows Korea’s first criminal profiler, played by Kim Nam-gil. Adapted from profiler Kwon Il-yong’s memoirs, it’s a haunting, methodical look into how investigators learned to understand — not just catch — serial killers.
It’s less sensational and more psychological, showing the painful empathy behind profiling. If Voice was about hearing crime, Through the Darkness is about feeling it.
One of OCN’s crown jewels, Tunnel follows a detective from the 1980s (played by Choi Jin-hyuk) who time-travels to the present while chasing a serial killer.
What makes it gripping isn’t just the crime-solving — it’s the emotional bridge between past and present, justice and guilt.
Much like Voice, Tunnel uses each case to explore what happens when justice gets delayed but never denied.
3. Tell Me What You Saw (본대로 말하라, 2020 | OCN)
Fans of Voice 1 will instantly feel at home here — it even stars Jang Hyuk, once again playing a haunted genius profiler. After losing his fiancée in a terrorist attack, he isolates himself until a young detective with a photographic memory (played by Choi Soo-young) brings him back to the field.
Every case is eerie, every clue carries emotional weight, and the cinematography screams “OCN noir.” If you miss the chemistry and rhythm of Voice’s investigative team, this is the closest you’ll get.
4. Stranger (비밀의 숲, 2017–2020 | tvN)
A cerebral masterpiece. Stranger (Secret Forest) trades bloody murders for systemic corruption — but the suspense never fades. Cho Seung-woo and Bae Doona lead a slow-burn procedural that examines how morality can survive inside institutions built to suppress it.
If Voice made you fear the dark alleys, Stranger will make you fear the boardrooms.
5. Beyond Evil (괴물, 2021 | JTBC)
Winner of multiple Baeksang Awards, this drama is about two detectives — played by Shin Ha-kyun and Yeo Jin-goo — who slowly realize that monsters aren’t always the ones they’re chasing.
It’s quieter than Voice, but every look, every silence, every flashback burns deep. Psychological, poetic, and morally twisted — it’s Voice for those who crave depth over action.
6. Mouse (마우스, 2021 | tvN)
What if you could identify psychopaths before they kill?
Mouse takes that terrifying idea and turns it into a rollercoaster of morality, science, and identity. Lee Seung-gi’s shocking transformation from good cop to something far darker made headlines throughout its run.
It’s messy, brilliant, and endlessly discussable — perfect if Voice made you question the fine line between justice and obsession.
7. The Guest (손 the guest, 2018 | OCN)
A unique hybrid of horror and crime, The Guest follows a trio — a priest, a detective, and a psychic — tracking a demon that manipulates people into committing murder.
While supernatural, its storytelling mirrors Voice: trauma, empathy, and unseen evil. The result is a crime drama that terrifies as much as it moves you.
Bonus Picks for Voice Fans
- Signal (2016 | tvN): The gold standard of Korean crime dramas — time-crossing police communication at its finest.
- Partners for Justice (2018–2019 | MBC): Forensic accuracy meets procedural suspense.
- Inspector Koo (2021 | JTBC): Stylish, female-led and quirky — like Sherlock meets Killing Eve.
- The Fiery Priest (2019 | SBS): When crime meets comedy and redemption.
Why Crime Dramas Like Voice Still Hit So Hard
What keeps Voice and its successors alive in global fandoms is how they treat crime not just as entertainment, but as a mirror — reflecting fear, grief, and justice in society.
These stories aren’t just about catching killers. They’re about how much humanity survives in the process.
If Voice made you listen closely to every scream, these dramas will make you hear the silence too.