*This content was translated by AI.
[Editor’s Note] The preview prepared by Star News to mark the year of the new 丙午, 2026 New Year's plan
2026, the Year of the Red Horse, the Year of the 丙午, has dawned. The entertainment industry, which enhanced the status of 'K Culture' last year, is expected to target the global market with momentum again this year.
In particular, broadcasters are already expecting a richer lineup. From big stars such as Jungwoo Ha, Lee Na-young, So Ji-seop, and Lim Soo-jung's return to the small screen to stars such as IU, Byun Woo-suk, Suzy, and Lee Jong-seok that make viewers excited, we looked at the 2026 K-drama lineup that is more colorful than ever.
SBS was the only one of the three terrestrial broadcasters to keep their pride last year. Despite the ground wave's lack of power due to OTT's raid, genres such as "The Devil: The Killer's Outing," Lee Je-hoon's dark hero "Model Taxi 3," and Park Hyung-sik's rediscovery "Treasure Island" were loved and recorded double-digit ratings. It also completed a meaningful year through various genres such as "Tri: We Become a Miracle" and "Ghost Palace."
SBS will also present a large number of genres in the new year of the disease. First of all, So Ji-seop's return work, "Kim Jang-bu" (played by Nam Dae-jung/directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun), is based on the Naver webtoon of the same name. In addition to So Ji-seop, Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, Joo Sang-wook, Son Na-eun, and Kim Sung-kyu will appear.
"Kim Jang-bu," which represents an old-fashioned blockbuster depicting the counterattack of ordinary heads of household, is a drama about Kim (So Ji-seop), who has been living as an ordinary head of household and a small citizen, revealing his secrets that should never be known to find his beloved daughter and risking everything to save her daughter.
"Good Partner" and "Detective Chaebol X," which recorded the highest ratings of 17.7% and 11% (hereinafter provided by Nielsen Korea) in 2024, respectively, will return for season 2. "Good Partner," in which Jang Na-ra and Nam Ji-hyun collaborated, is a cold and hot human court office drama between Cha Eun-kyung (Jang Na-ra), a star lawyer whose vocation is divorce, and Han Yu-ri (Nam Ji-hyun), a new lawyer who is divorced for the first time. Kim Hye-yoon joins "Good Partner 2" (written by Choi Yuna/directed by Kim Garam) to demonstrate a partnership with Jang Na-ra.
Ahn Bo-hyun and Jung Eun-chae have confirmed their appearances in "Jaebeol X Detective 2." The drama depicts a flex investigator that shows a third generation of an immature chaebol as a detective on a strong team. The production team raised expectations by saying, "We are fully preparing to present a more fun and thrilling season 2 so that we can repay the love you gave us for season 1."
Yoo Yeon-seok transforms into Shin-rang, a lawyer who sees ghosts. "God and the Law Office" (scripted by Kim Ga-young, Kang Chul-kyu/directed by Shin Joong-hoon) is a strange and warm Han Pul-ri adventure in which Shin-rang, a lawyer with ghosts, and Han Han Han-hyun, an elite lawyer, solve the unfairness of very special clients by law, with Isom, Kim Kyung-nam, Kim Mi-kyung, Choi Kwang-il, and Jung Seung-gil.
"Doctor X: The Age of the White Mafia," in which Kim Ji-won turns into a genius surgeon, is also waiting. It is based on the "Doctor X" series, which was aired on TV Asahi and became a mega-hit by Dr. X Ko Soo-jung (played by Kim Ji-won), a doctor who proves what a doctor is with only his ability. SBS, which previously introduced the so-called Cider Universe such as "Model Taxi," "Fiery Priest," "Judge X" and "Judge from Hell," is considered an ambitious medical dark hero.
Lim Ji-yeon and Heo Nam-joon lead viewers into the world of romance through "A Wonderful New World" (played by Kang Hyun-joo/directed by Han Tae-seop). It is a romance drama like a flash war between Shin Seo-ri (Im Ji-yeon), an unknown actor who became evil due to the spirit of a rare Joseon evil girl, and Cha Se-gye (Heo Nam-joon), who is called the monster of capitalism.
KBS targets viewers of all ages through one-day and weekend plays as well as mini-series. From the new Saturday miniseries "Completion of Marriage," to the new daily drama "Red Pearl," and the new weekend drama "I Prescribe Love," they were listed in the 2026 lineup.
The new work that opens KBS's new year is the new Saturday-Sunday drama "My Dear Bandit" (written by Lee Sun/directed by Ham Young-gul), which premiered on the 3rd. It depicts a romance between Hong Eun-jo (Nam Ji-hyun), a woman who somehow became the most bandit in the world, and Lee Yeol (Moon Sang-min), a Joseon king who chased her, and two men and women who change their souls to save each other and eventually protect the people.
Attention is focusing on whether "Dear Bandit" will be able to break KBS's sluggishness, which was newly named in the Saturday drama, where the masterpiece "Twelve" last year and "A Good Day," which drew attention with Lee Young-ae's appearance, were sluggish.
Munmu, a epic drama about the unification of the three countries, is also scheduled. "Moonmu," which attracts attention from heavy casts such as Lee Hyun-wook, Jang Hyuk, Kim Kang-woo, Park Sung-woong, Jung Woong-in and Cho Sung-ha, is expected to be a KBS drama that premiered in November 2023 and will be presented for the first time in about two years since the "Koryeo Kitan War," which ended in March 2024.
MBC put Ji-sung as a relief pitcher to stop the 2026 start amid sluggish ratings. The new Friday-Saturday drama "Judge Lee Han-young" (played by Kim Kwang-min/directed by Lee Jae-jin), which premiered on the 2nd, is a return-to-justice drama in which Lee Han-young (played by Ji-sung), a deep-rooted judge who lived as a slave of a giant law firm and returned to 10 years ago, punishes major evil with a new choice, starring Ji-sung as well as Park Hee-soon, Won Jin-ah, Tae Won-seok and Baek Jin-hee. Attention is focusing on Ji-sung's performance, which held the grand prize in his arms with "Kill Me, Heal Me" in 2015.
This year's MBC's most anticipated film is definitely IU and Byun Woo-seok's destiny pioneering and breaking down status romance "21st Century Grand Prince Lady" (written by Yoo Ah-in/directed by Park Jun-hwa). The drama, which draws expectations with the all-time meeting between Sung Hee-joo (IU), a chaebol who has everything except his status, and Ian Dae-gun (Byeon Woo-seok), who failed to become a king, is a romance story that unfolds against the backdrop of the constitutional monarchy of Korea in the 21st century.
The romance between IU, who proudly became a box office guarantee check, and Byun Woo-seok, who rose to the ranks of popular actors with tvN's "Bounce With Sunjae," is already attracting expectations from fans at home and abroad.
In addition, the MBC drama lineup includes "Liar," starring Seo Hyun-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok, Gong Hyo-jin's "Killer of Married Women," Han Hyo-joo's "Your Ground," Shin Ha-kyun's "50%," and Lee Sung-kyung and Chae Jong-eui's "In Your Season."
tvN, which marks the 20th anniversary of its foundation this year, will be the first to introduce a new Monday-Tuesday drama "Spring Fever" (written by Kim A-jung/directed by Park Won-guk). The cold wind is a spring-day romance between Yoon Bom, a teacher, and Sun Jae-kyu, a man with a burning heart, who will melt his frozen heart, and Ahn Jung-hyun and Lee Ju-bin will work together sweetly.
Park Shin-hye will return to tvN for the first time in eight years through "Undercover Miss Hong" (written by Moon Hyun-kyung/directed by Park Seon-ho), which is scheduled to premiere on the 17th. In the late 1990s, it is a left-handed retro-office comedy that takes place at a securities company where the flow of funds won by Hong Geum-bo, an elite securities supervisor in his 30s, is disguised as a 20-year-old employee, starring Park Shin-hye, Ko Kyung-pyo, Ha Yoon-kyung, Cho Hang-yeol, Choi Ji-soo and Kang Chae-young.
"Creepy Love" (played by Choi Jeong-mi/directed by Lee Min-soo) starring Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong is also expected. It is a romance drama based on the 2011 film of the same name starring Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ki, an occult left-handed investigation by a hotel chaebol heiress who sees ghosts and a passionate emotional prosecutor.
Song Kang's return film "Four Hands" (scripted by Shin Lee-won/directed by Park Hyun-seok) will also meet with viewers. Song Kang and Lee Joon-young will breathe in acting through Four Hands, which depicts the friendship, love, competition and growth of young people who met at art high school.
"How to be a building owner in Korea" is drawing attention with Kim Jungwoo Ha's return to the small screen. Jungwoo Ha's last drama is 'Hit' in 2007, and through this film, he will return to the CRT for the first time in about 19 years.
"How to Be a Building Owner in Korea" (scripted by Oh Han-ki/directed by Lim Pil-sung) is a drama about a debt-ridden building owner who participates in crime to protect his family and buildings that are more precious than his life, and Jungwoo Ha, Lim Soo-jung, Kim Jun-han, Jung Soo-jung, and Shim Eun-kyung were listed in the lineup.
Seasonal dramas loved by viewers will also return. The main character is Yumi's Cells 3, starring Kim Go-eun and Kim Jae-won. In this season, Yumi (Kim Go-eun), who returned as a star writer, and cells that still only know Yumi are growing once again.
The "Second Signal," which was scheduled to be released this year to commemorate the 20th anniversary of tvN's founding, has become unclear due to the controversy over the retirement and juvenile delinquency of the lead actor Cho Jin-woong. The production team is in a position to "find the optimal solution."
JTBC contains the triangular romance of Han Ji-min, Park Sung-hoon, and Lee Ki-taek through "Efficient Meeting of Unmarried Men and Women" (script Lee Lee Lee-jin/directed by Lee Jae-hoon). The drama, based on the webtoon of the same name, tells the story of a woman who decides to love on a blind date, meets two men with different charms, is attracted and shaken, eventually finding the meaning of true love.
"Human X Gumiho," one of the most anticipated JTBC works, will also meet viewers. The drama, which draws expectations with the meeting of Jun Ji-hyun and Ji Chang-wook, is a fantasy romantic comedy that unfolds when humans attract and attract people meet at the intersection of fate.
Jeon Ji-hyun plays the role of Koo Ja-hong, a top actor who captivates people with his outstanding acting skills and beautiful visuals, and Ji Chang-wook plays the role of Choi Seok, the only human being whose ability does not work.
ENA's first drama of the new year is Lee Na-young's return film "Honor: Their Court" (written by Park Ga-yeon/directed by Park Geon-ho). Lee Na-young's "Honor," who returned to the small screen seven years after "Romance is a separate book" in 2019, is a mystery tracking drama of three female lawyers who face the past with a head-on breakthrough after returning as a huge scandal, and will premiere next month.
Ha Ji-won's first comeback in four years, "Climax" (script Lee Ji-won, Shin Ye-seul/director Lee Ji-won), is scheduled to air in March on Genie TV and ENA. "Climax" stars Oh Jung-se, Nana and Cha Joo-young, starting with Ha Ji-won and Joo Ji-hoon, as well as prosecutor Bang Tae-seop, who jumped into the cartel of power to stand in the best position in Korea.
Netflix will present "Can I Interpret This Love" (directed by Yoo Jeong-eun) by Hong sisters (Hong Jeong-eun and Hong Mi-ran) as a work that marks the first start of 2026. As multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho) takes over as the interpreter of global top star Cha Moo-hee (Ko Yoon-jung), he will capture the hearts of global viewers with an unpredictable romantic comedy.
Park Eun-bin and Cha Eun-woo's hero "The Wonderfuls" (scripted by Heo Da-jung/directed by Yoo A-sik) is also waiting. "The Wonderfuls," a superpower comic action adventure set in 1999, drew attention in that producer Yoo In-sik and Park Eun-bin were reunited after "Strange Lawyer Woo Young-woo."
The new work and the first period drama "Slowly and Intense" (tentative) released by writer Noh Hee-kyung in four years after "Our Blues" will also be released on Netflix. "Slowly and Intensely" is a drama about the Korean entertainment industry in the 1960s and 1980s, when barbarism and violence were rampant, and their fierce story of throwing their whole body in dreaming of brilliant success, starring Gong Yoo, Cha Seung-won and Lee Ha-nui.
Song Hye-kyo made a short cut transformation for "Slowly and Intensely." In response, he expressed his affection for the work, saying, "I was worried about the actor having such short hair, but I had nothing to fear at all if it was a style that suits Minja."
Expectations are also high for "Scandal" (written by Lee Seung-young, Ahn Hye-song/directed by Jung Ji-woo), where Son Ye-jin works with Ji Chang-wook and Nana. In addition to Scandal, Son Ye-jin also appears in "Variety," a thriller genre set in the K-pop industry.
There is also a popular Netflix series "Our School Now" Season 2 (scripted by Chun Sung-il/directed by Lee Jae-kyu, hereinafter "Ji Woo-hak 2"). Ji Woo-hak 2, which tells the story of students who are isolated and waiting for rescue in the school where the zombie virus began, joining hands to survive, will feature Park Ji-hoo, Yoon Chan-young, Joey-hyun, and Romon following season 1. Lee Min-jae, Kim Si-eun, Roh Jae-won, and Yoon Ga-yi joined.
The Disney+ lineup is also spectacular. "Goldland" (written by Hwang Jo-yoon/directed by Kim Sung-hoon) starring Park Bo-young, Kim Sung-chul, Lee Hyun-wook and Lee Kwang-soo is about to be released. "Goldland" is a drama about Hee-joo, who accidentally took over the gold bars of a smuggling organization, who is obsessed with the desire to monopolize the gold bars amid the chaos of greed and betrayal of various military merchants surrounding the gold bars.
"Empress of Re-marriage," which is scheduled to be released in the first half of the year, is the most anticipated work, with Shin Min-ah, Joo Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-seok, and Lee Se-young.
"Empress of Re-marriage" is a romance fantasy epic drama in which Navier (Shin Min-ah), the perfect empress of the contemporary empire, is notified of her divorce from Emperor Sobiech (Joo Ji-hoon), who is falling for Rasta (Lee Se-young), a runaway slave, and demands permission to remarry Hein-ri (Lee Jong-seok), a prince of the Western kingdom, instead of accepting it.
It will also release "Honorak" (script/directed by Han Jae-rim), where Su-ji and Kim Sun-ho work together. "Hyun-Hak" tells the story of artist Yoon Yi-ho, who was commissioned to paint a portrait of Song Jeong-hwa, a fascinating woman full of suspicions and rumors, who has not come out of the world for more than half a century in Gyeongseong, 1935, approaches her mysterious secret.
However, the timing of the release of "Nockoff," which was considered the most anticipated Disney+ film, is still unclear. "Nockoff" was postponed indefinitely in March last year, about a month before its release due to controversy over Kim Soo-hyun's private life.
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*This content was translated by AI.
