Shin Min-a stars as Empress Navier in ‘The Remarried Empress,’ one of the highly anticipated K-dramas slated for release in 2026. Photo: Disney+, courtesy of Han Cinema.
The curtain is closing on 2025, but the drama is just beginning! While the year is preparing for a wrap with its last leg of K-drama releases in December, the upcoming year is glowing with promise with an eclectic lineup of new titles in 2026, featuring the who’s who of Korean entertainment – Hyun Bin, Ju Ji-hoon, Shin Min-a, Lee Jong-suk, Lee Dong-wook, Song Hye-kyo, Gong Yoo, Ji Chang-wook, Son Ye-jin, and more! Here are 10 unmissable K-dramas of 2026.
Made In Korea
Made in Korea takes place during the political upheaval of the 1970s as power, justice, and morality are put to the test in the lives of Baek Ki-tae and Jang Gun-young. Ki-tae (Hyun Bin), ruthless and power-hungry, goes head-to-head with an honest prosecutor, Gun-young (Jung Woo-sung). It’s a battle that will leave no stone unturned. With a stellar supporting cast, including Won Ji-an and Woo Do-hwan, the series is packed with corruption, action, suspense, and plenty of drama.
Release date: Dec. 24, 2025 (season 1), June 2026 (season 2).
Perfect Crown
A dashing prince, a charming heiress, and a royal marriage of convenience—that’s Perfect Crown starring Byeon Woo-seok and IU. Byeon’s Grand Prince Yi Wan is struggling to find his place and power, and IU’s Sung Hee-joo, a chaebol heiress, is feeling suffocated by her life. After a chance encounter, the two decide to enter into a contract marriage only to materialize their personal goals, but much to their surprise, the arrangement leads to real feelings. A slow-burning romance developing amid heated power struggles, this drama is surely one for the books.
Release date: First half of 2026 (tentative).
Delusion
Delusion is a dark, twisted tale set in 1935 Gyeongseong and 1800s Shanghai. Kim Seon-ho stars as Yun Il-ho, a talented painter who gets entangled with Bae Suzy’s character, Song Jeong-hwa, a mysterious vampire. As Il-ho paints Jeong-hwa’s portrait, he’s drawn to her and increasingly into a dangerous romance. Based on the webtoon of the same name, this live-action adaptation combines art, mystery, and the supernatural in a gripping narrative.
Release date: From July to December 2026.
Gold Land
Park Bo-young’s next, Gold Land, is a crime thriller in which her character, Hee-joo (Park), an airport security officer, succumbs to greed when she unexpectedly finds a stash of gold bars. The actor said in a statement that Hee-joo’s journey will be fascinating, as she evolves from being initially uninterested in the gold to being consumed by its power and the desires it awakens.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
A Shop for Killers 2
A Shop for Killers (2024) is back with a second season, with Kim Hye-jun reprising her role as Jeong Ji-an, the tough-as-nails girl who’s taken over her uncle Jeong Jin-man’s (Lee Dong-wook) shady online shop. The original series was a thrill ride, and the sequel promises more of the same—intense action, complex characters, and one that’s full of twists. Ji-an’s got her work cut out for her, but with her uncle by her side (or maybe not?), she’s ready to take on whatever comes next.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
The Remarried Empress
This romance fantasy K-drama is based on the popular webtoon called The Remarried Empress and follows Empress Navier, a strong and sharp leader, whose life takes a dramatic turn when her husband falls for another woman. Navier’s undeterred response to divorce and remarriage triggers a complex game of political maneuvering and personal growth, challenging cultural norms around women in power. The star-studded cast includes Shin Min-a as Empress Navier, Ju Ji-hoon as Emperor Sovieshu, Lee Jong-suk as Prince Heinrey, and Lee Se-young as Rashta.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
The Wonder Fools
This period drama takes you back to Haeseong in 1999, where Eun Chae-ni (Park Eun-bin), a quirky woman, suddenly gains superpowers alongside neighbors Son Kyeong-hoon (Choi Dae-hoon) and Kang Ro-bin (Im Seong-jae). Their new abilities attract danger, and it escalates when they team up with Lee Woon-jeong (Cha Eun-woo of Astro), a rigid civil servant, to unravel a disturbing pattern of missing people.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
Notes from the Last Row
Choi Min-sik and Choi Hyun-wook star in Notes from the Last Row, adapted from Juan Mayorga’s acclaimed Spanish play El Chico de la última fila (The Boy in the Last Row). Choi Min-sik plays a disillusioned, jaded Professor Heo Mun-ho, who starts mentoring a brilliant engineering student, Lee Kang (Choi Hyun-wook), when he finds that the latter has a flair for writing and is immensely good at it. As Mun-ho reads Kang’s stories more and more, he finds himself getting immersed in them even more, to the point that their relationship becomes very complex—perhaps more of control than guidance, exposing vulnerabilities and intense emotional turmoil in this psychological thriller.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
Show Business
Korean superstars Song Hye-Kyo and Gong Yoo will share screen time in this highly anticipated show. It delves deep into the vibrant yet nuanced world of Korea’s entertainment industry from the 1960s to the 1980s. They portray Min-Ja, a passionate singer who is chasing her dreams of fame, and Dong-Gu, her childhood friend who has been there for her no matter what. Think Drama, music, and relationships taking center stage in a rapidly evolving industry.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
Scandal
This series with Ji Chang-wook, Son Ye-jin, and Nana is inspired by the classic French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses (Dangerous Liaisons) and the 2003 superhit Korean film Untold Scandal. It follows Lady Cho, a smart and sassy noblewoman (Son Ye-jin) who is tired of playing by the rules, and she makes a bet with Cho Won (Ji Chang-wook), a Casanova determined to win both the wager and her affection. There’s also Nana’s Hui-yeon, a widow with a heart full of secrets. She just can’t help but be attracted to Cho Won. When their lives collide, the masks of propriety begin to slip, revealing the raw desires beneath.
Release date: TBA, 2026.
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