A poster for “Can This Love Be Translated?” / Courtesy of Netflix
From star-studded casts to high-budget fantasy worlds and daring reinterpretations of acquainted tales, 2026 goes to be a significant yr for Korean dramas. World streaming platforms and native broadcasters are rolling out formidable initiatives that pair high actors with acclaimed writers and administrators, reflecting the continued world urge for food for Okay-content.
A number of of essentially the most anticipated collection characteristic long-awaited returns by main stars and genre-blending narratives that span historic romance, authorized thrillers and fantasy epics. From Netflix and Disney+ to Genie TV and ENA, content material creators are vying for viewer consideration with productions designed for each home and worldwide audiences.
1. ‘Can This Love Be Translated?’
Scheduled for launch on Jan. 16 on Netflix, “Can This Love Be Translated?” is predicted to be the platform’s first main Korean authentic drama of the yr.
The 12-episode collection will depict an unpredictable romance between Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho), a multilingual interpreter, and Cha Moo-hee (Go Yoon-jung), a high world star. Ho-jin is fluent in a number of languages, together with English, Japanese and Italian, highlighting Kim’s versatility within the position.
A poster for “Honour” / Courtesy of Genie TV
2. ‘Honour’
Set to premiere on Feb. 2, “Honor” will mark actor Lee Na-young’s return to the small display screen after a seven-year hiatus.
Lee performs Yoon Ra-young, a star lawyer and social media movie star with an enormous following. She serves as the general public face of a legislation agency specializing in defending feminine victims of crime. Recognized for her eloquence and placing look, Yoon instructions consideration wherever she goes. Beneath her polished picture, nonetheless, lies relentless self-discipline and an internal resolve solid by way of fixed wrestle.
The collection will air on Genie TV and ENA.
A poster for “Good Crown” / Courtesy of MBC
3. ‘Good Crown’
Slated for an April launch, MBC’s “Good Crown” will mark the extremely anticipated return of Byeon Woo-seok, who rose to stardom with the 2024 hit “Pretty Runner.” His co-star, IU — who led final yr’s success “When Life Offers You Tangerines,” additional elevates expectations for the collection.
Set in an alternate Korea below a constitutional monarchy, the collection follows Grand Prince Ian (Byeon), a king’s son sure by royal responsibility, and Seong Hee-joo (IU), a chaebol heiress who has all the pieces besides noble lineage. Their assembly sparks a romance that challenges social boundaries.
The collection can even be out there on Disney+.
Forged of the Netflix drama “Present Enterprise” (tentative title) / Courtesy of Netflix
4. ‘Present Enterprise’ (tentative title)
Within the Netflix drama “Present Enterprise,” actor Track Hye-kyo will reunite with acclaimed screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung for the primary time since “Worlds Inside” (2008) and “That Winter, the Wind Blows” (2013).
Set towards the backdrop of Korea’s leisure trade from the Sixties to the ’80s, the collection follows people who throw themselves into their desires regardless of having nothing, pushed by the pursuit of stardom.
Track performs Min-ja, a decided girl navigating the fast-evolving music trade, whereas Gong Yoo portrays Dong-gu, her childhood good friend who additionally enters the leisure world. The drama marks the primary on-screen collaboration between the 2 actors. The discharge is scheduled for the primary half of the yr.
Forged of the Netflix drama “Scandal” (tentative title) / Courtesy of Netflix
5. ‘Scandal’ (tentative title)
One other Netflix drama, “Scandal,” will reimagine the 2003 movie “Untold Scandal,” which starred Jeon Do-yeon, Bae Yong-joon and Lee Mi-sook.
Set within the Joseon period, the drama portrays a harmful and provocative love affair between Woman Jo, a girl of extraordinary expertise who resists societal constraints, and Jo Received, the dominion’s most infamous romantic schemer.
Son Ye-jin will star as Woman Jo, reverse Ji Chang-wook as Jo Received, whereas Nana performs Hee-won, a personality caught between the 2. The collection follows Son’s high-profile return to tv after her 2025 movie “No Different Alternative.” The discharge is scheduled for the second half of the yr.
Shin Min-a in a scene from “The Remarried Empress” / Courtesy of Disney+
6. ‘The Remarried Empress’
Among the many 2026 lineup, Disney+’s “The Remarried Empress” stands out as one of the vital formidable large-scale productions.
Shin Min-a stars as Navier, the flawless empress of the Jap Empire. Her life unravels when her husband, Emperor Sovieshu (Ju Ji-hoon), falls for Rashta (Lee Se-young), a runaway slave, and calls for a divorce. Defying conference, Navier agrees on the situation that she be allowed to remarry Prince Heinrey (Lee Jong-suk) of the neighboring Western Kingdom.
The collection is predicted to discover energy struggles, political intrigue and emotional turmoil inside an expansive fantasy-romance setting within the second half of the yr.
Forged of the Genie TV drama “Climax” / Courtesy of Genie TV
7. ‘Climax’
Scheduled to be launched in March, “Climax” will middle on the wrestle of a pushed prosecutor who challenges an enormous net of energy.
Actor Ju Ji-hoon performs Bang Tae-seop, a prosecutor who edges dangerously near a strong cartel in his ambition to rise to the highest. Ha Ji-won stars as Choo Sang-ah, a former high actress who steps away from the highlight after marrying Bang. As her husband’s profession ascends, she finds herself caught in more and more precarious circumstances.
The drama will mark Ju’s second main venture of the yr, following “The Remarried Empress,” and can air on Genie TV and ENA.
A poster for “Portraits of Delusion” / Courtesy of Disney+
8. ‘Portraits of Delusion’
Set throughout the Japanese occupation of Korea, Disney+’s “Portraits of Delusion” will star Suzy as Track Jung-hwa, a mysterious girl who has lived in isolation for greater than half a century.
Kim Seon-ho will play Yoon I-ho, a painter commissioned to create her portrait. As he works, Yoon turns into entangled in an online of thriller, uncovering Jung-hwa’s secret identification as a vampire and the fateful love that binds them.
The collection will probably be Kim’s second main venture of the yr, following “Can This Love Be Translated?” The discharge is scheduled for the second half of the yr.
Actors Park Eun-bin, left and Yang Se-jong from “Spellbound” (tentative title) / Courtesy of tvN
9. ‘Spellbound’ (tentative title)
The tvN drama collection “Spellbound” will probably be an adaptation of the 2011 occult romance movie of the identical title, which starred Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ki.
Park Eun-bin stars as Cheon Yeol-ri, a resort heiress with the power to see spirits, whereas Yang Se-jong performs Ma Kang-wook, an elite prosecutor often called “the ace.” Mixing romance with supernatural intrigue, the drama follows the pair as they examine a string of weird incidents — progressively discovering that their skilled partnership could also be turning into one thing extra. The discharge is scheduled for the second half of the yr.
