As Netflix looks toward 2026, its Korean slate arrives with the confidence of a label that knows exactly where the cultural pulse is beating. K content remains the platform’s most watched non English programming worldwide, and the year ahead doubles down on that momentum with an ambitious lineup shaped around five emotional lanes drawn from everyday life and the ways audiences fall into stories. Romance, laughter, suspense, emotional weight, and genre bending imagination form the backbone of a slate that stretches across drama series, films, and unscripted hits, deepening Netflix’s long standing partnership with Korea’s creative industry while aiming squarely at global fans who live and breathe K drama.
Romance leads the charge in 2026, opening the year with stories designed to make hearts race. The year kicked off with Can This Love Be Translated?, a playful romantic comedy pairing multilingual interpreter Joo Ho jin with an utterly unpredictable global celebrity, Cha Mu hee. The series unites the Hong Sisters, the writers behind hit romances including Alchemy of Souls, Hotel Del Luna, and The Greatest Love, with director Yoo Young eun of Bloody Heart. Kim Seon ho stars as Ho jin, a gifted interpreter fluent in languages from English to Japanese to Italian, while Go Youn jung plays Mu hee, a top celeb with chaos baked into her charm. Japanese star Sota Fukushi makes his first appearance in a Korean production, and Lee E dam and Choi Woo sung round out the ensemble. The premiere landed on Netflix January 16, 2026.

That same day, No Tail to Tell arrived with a love hate fantasy twist. Eun ho, a quirky nine tailed fox desperate not to become human, crashes into the life of Kang Si yeol, a narcissistic star soccer player, after an accident turns the fox into an ordinary human. Kim Hye yoon and Lomon headline the banter heavy romcom, directed by Kim Jeong kwon and written by Park Chan young and Jo Ah young. The series premiered January 16, 2026.
Netflix keeps the romantic experiments coming. Boyfriend on Demand imagines a world where exhausted webtoon producer Seo Mi rae subscribes to a virtual dating simulation service to live out perfect dates, with Jisoo of BLACKPINK starring opposite Seo In guk as her colleague and rival Park Kyeong nam. Director Kim Jung sik, known for Work Later, Drink Now and No Gain No Love, steers the wish fulfillment setup, written by Namgung Do young, with production by WHYNOT MEDIA, BARAM PICTURES, and Kakao Entertainment. The series is slated for Q1 2026.

Our Sticky Love leans into classic romcom chaos. Jung Hae in plays Jang Tae ha, a boxing coach with a gangster past who claims to be the boyfriend of Go Eun sae, an amnesiac prosecutor played by Ha Young, after she loses her memory chasing a career defining case. Director Kim Jang han reunites with writer Mo Ji hye for this Q3 2026 release produced by Studio S.
Sold Out On You turns insomnia into a meet cute. Ahn Hyo seop plays Matthew Lee, aka Quail Lee, a farmer juggling multiple jobs, while Chae Won bin plays Dam Ye jin, a famous show host plagued by severe insomnia. Director Ahn Jong yeon and writer Jin Seung hee bring the bickering dreamscape to Netflix in Q2 2026.
Take Charge of My Heart adds a high voltage jolt to the romcom lane. Kim Young kwang stars as Baek Ho rang, a third generation chaebol heir running a top resort with an artificial heart that is literally running out of battery. Chae Soo bin plays Na Bo bae, a screenwriter with electrical currents coursing through her body and the power to recharge him. The series, based on the Naver web novel Charge Me Up by Haebeon, is directed by Park Soo won, written by Song Yu chae, and produced by NEW POINT and WHYNOT MEDIA for a Q4 2026 release.

Reality romance stays hot. Singles Inferno returns for Season 5 on January 20, 2026, promising its largest cast yet, more rivalries, and more unpredictable island pairing chaos under directors Kim Jae won, Kim Jung hyun, and Park Su ji, produced by Sijak Company. Better Late Than Single returns for Season 2 in Q2 2026, continuing its heartfelt focus on adults who have never been in a relationship, directed by Kim Noh eun and produced by Studio Modak.
When Netflix pivots from flutter to fixation, the slate turns darker and deeper. Notes from the Last Row follows Heo Mun oh, a grumpy literature professor and failed writer played by Choi Min sik, whose obsession with a genius student in the last row, Lee Kang, played by Choi Hyun wook, spirals into dangerous territory. Huh Joon ho, Kim Yunjin, and Jin Kyung co star in the suspense drama directed by Kim Gyu tae and written by Jang Myung woo, based on Juan Mayorga’s Spanish play El Chico de la última fila. It lands in Q2 2026.
The Scandal takes seduction into forbidden territory. Son Ye jin stars as Lady Cho, Ji Chang wook plays Joseon’s greatest playboy Cho Won, and NANA plays Hui yeon, the widowed noblewoman pulled into their escalating deceit. Directed by Jung Ji woo and written by Lee Seung young and Ahn Hye song, the series is based on the 2003 film Untold Scandal and arrives in Q3 2026.

Mousetrap pushes suspense into paranoia. Ryu Jun yeol plays Moon je, a novelist living in isolation, and Sul Kyung gu plays the loan shark No ja as the unlikely pair hunt a mysterious figure known as the Rat. Director Kim Hong sun, known for The Guest, Voice, Dear Hongrang, and Money Heist Korea, leads the adaptation written by Lee Jae gon, based on the Kakao Entertainment webtoon Field Mouse by ludovico. It is set for Q3 2026.

Tantara goes straight for the jugular of the entertainment business. Set in the reckless Korean industry of the 1960s and 1980s, it chronicles the rise of dreamers who bet everything on dazzling success. Noh Hee kyoung writes, Lee Yoon jung directs, and Song Hye kyo and Gong Yoo lead a stacked cast that also includes Kim Seol hyun, Cha Seung won, Lee Hanee, Na Moon hee, and Kim Jeong woo. The series drops in Q4 2026.

We Are All Trying Here offers an intimate spiral. Koo Kyo hwan plays a man consumed by jealousy and envy as he tries to find peace while everyone around him seems to be winning, alongside Go Youn jung and Oh Jung se. Director Cha Young hun and writer Park Hae young bring it to Netflix in Q2 2026.
For full throttle thrills, the returning hits and new arrivals come swinging. Agents of Mystery returns for Season 2 in February 2026 with Jeong Jong yeon expanding the universe and bringing back Lee Yong jin, John Park, Lee Hyeri, Kim Do hoon, KARINA, and new member Gabee, produced by TEO. The Devil’s Plan returns in Q4 2026 for Season 3, once again promising alliances, betrayals, and punishing mind games under Jeong’s watch, written by Heo Jung hee and Jung Da hee, and produced by TEO.
The Art of Sarah premieres February 13, 2026. Shin Hye sun stars as Sarah Kim, a luxury brand regional CEO whose identity splinters into multiple names, ages, and careers, while Lee Jun hyuk plays Mu gyeong, the detective chasing the truth. Director Kim Jin min teams with writer Chu Song yeon and an A list behind the scenes crew including cinematographer Ju Sung rim, editor Nam Na young, and costume supervisor Cho Sang kyung, produced by SLL.

Teach You a Lesson arrives in Q2 2026 with a sharp premise. A fictional government task force called the Educational Rights Protection Bureau battles unruly students, demanding parents, and collapsing school authority. Hong Jong chan directs, Lee Nam kyu co writes with Kim Da hee and Moon Jong ho, and the cast includes Kim Moo yul, Lee Sung min, Jin Ki joo, and Pyo Ji hoon. It is based on the Naver webtoon Teach You a Lesson by Chae Yong taek and Han Ga ram, produced by YLAB PLEX and GTIST.

Bloodhounds returns in Q2 2026. Woo Do hwan and Lee Sang yi reprise their roles as Gun woo and Woo jin as they take on an illicit international boxing league, while Jung Ji hoon joins as the ruthless villain Baek jeong. Kim Joo hwan directs and writes, based on the Naver webtoon Bloodhounds by Jeong Chan, produced by Studio N with co production by GHOST STUDIO.

Road arrives in Q4 2026 with a grim cross border hunt. Son Suk ku stars as a Korean detective and Eita Nagayama plays his Japanese counterpart as they track gruesome murders marked by twisted bodies and dying messages. Han Jun hee directs and co writes with Cho Eu gene, based on the webcomic Blue Road, with a cast that also includes Kim Shin rock, Choi Sung eun, and Jung Jae young.

When it is time to breathe, Netflix leans into comedy and comfort. Undercover Miss Hong premieres January 17, 2026 as a chaotic 90s retro office comedy. Park Shin hye stars as Hong Keum bo, an elite stock market regulator who goes undercover as a 20 year old rookie at a shady brokerage firm, with Ko Kyung pyo, Ha Yoon kyung, and Cho Han gyeo co starring. Park Seon ho directs, Moon Hyeon kyeong writes, and production comes from Celltrion Entertainment and Studio Dragon.

Unscripted also goes big on warmth and weirdness. Ready or Not Texas arrives in Q1 2026, sending Lee Seo jin and producer Nah Yung suk on a spontaneous trip across the US toward Dallas, with direction by Nah Yung suk and Kim Ye seul, writing by Lee Woo jung, and production by Egg is Coming. Jae seok’s B and B Rules! drops in Q2 2026 with Yu Jae seok joined by Lee Kwang soo, Byeon Woo seok, and Ji Ye eun as they run a bed and breakfast under directors Jung Hyo min, Lee So min, and Hwang Yoon seo for Studio Modak. Take a Hike! arrives in Q3 2026, a winter mountain reality adventure led by Nah Yung suk and Park Hyun yong, produced by Egg is Coming, starring Car, the garden, Dowoon of DAY6, Lee Chae min, and Tarzzan of Allday Project. Kian’s Bizarre B and B returns in Q3 2026 for Season 2, directed by Lee So min, produced by Studio Modak, with Jung Hyo min as executive producer.

The slate closes on stories that dare to get strange. The WONDERfools arrives in Q2 2026, set in the doomsday panic of 1999 as awkward townies gain superpowers and stumble into heroism in Haeseong City. Yoo In sik directs, Huh Dah joong writes, and Park Eun bin leads alongside Cha Eun woo, Choi Dae hoon, Im Seong jae, Kim Hae sook, and Son Hyun joo. If Wishes Could Kill lands in Q2 2026 as Netflix’s first Korean young adult horror series. High schoolers are cursed by a wish granting app called GIRIGO and race to escape their fates under director and writer Park Youn seo, with Jeon So young, Kang Mi na, Baek Sun ho, Hyun Woo seok, and Lee Hyo je starring. The East Palace arrives in Q3 2026 with Nam Joo hyuk as Gu cheon, a man who traverses the world of ghosts, and Roh Yoon seo as Saeng gang, a court lady who can hear ghost voices, with Cho Seung woo as the King. Choi Jung kyu directs, Kwon So ra and Seo Jea won write, and the show is produced by Showrunners and Imaginus. Dead End Job closes out the year in Q4 2026 as a mystery horror fantasy about a man lured into “perfect” part time work paying 50 times the normal wage, only to enter a terrifying workplace. Kim Da min directs, Kyung Min sun and Lee Shin ji write, Han Jun hee serves as executive producer, and the cast includes Lee Jae wook, Ko Min si, Kim Min ha, and Lee Hee jun.

The films line up like a mini festival of mood swings, from quiet longing to chaos comedy and high stakes action.
Pavane arrives in Q1 2026 as director Lee Jong pil’s latest, based on the book Pavane for a Dead Princess by Park Min gyu. Go A sung plays Mi jung, a department store salesperson who keeps herself sealed off from the world, Byun Yo han plays Yo han, a free spirit working in the parking lot, and Moon Sang min plays Gyeong rok, who develops feelings for Mi jung after meeting her at his part time job. The film is produced by The LAMP ltd.

Husbands in Action lands in Q2 2026 as an action comedy about Si nae’s ex husband Chung sik and current husband Min seok teaming up to rescue her after she is kidnapped by a dangerous criminal group. Park Gyu tae directs and writes, with Jin Sun kyu starring as the hot headed cop ex husband and Gong Myoung as the gentle veterinarian current husband. The cast also includes Kim Ji seok, Yoon Kyung ho, Kang Hanna, Lee Da hee, and Jeon So min, produced by TPS Company.

Mission Cross 2 hits in Q3 2026, bringing back the franchise with a bigger, bolder heist as Kang mu and Mi seon try to stop a shadowy organization from smuggling Korea’s cultural heritage artifacts out of the country. Lee Myung hoon directs and writes, with Hwang Jung min and Yum Jung ah returning, plus Jung Man sik, Cha Rae hyung, Lee Ho cheol, and new additions including Yoon Kyung ho, Im Seong jae, Cha In pyo, and Kim Kuk hee. The film is produced by Sanai Pictures, Plus M Entertainment, and Obra Creative Inc.

Possible Love arrives in Q4 2026 as Lee Chang dong’s first film in eight years, following two married couples whose lives collide and begin to crack open. Lee writes and directs, with Jeon Do yeon as Mi ok, Sul Kyung gu as her husband Ho seok, and Zo In sung and Cho Yeo jeong as the other couple, Sang woo and Ye ji. The film is produced by Pinehouse Film Co., Ltd., Anonymous Content, LLC, and NOWFILM Co., Ltd.

Together, the 2026 slate reads like a mixtape built for K drama fans who want everything at once. Star driven romance, thorny psychological suspense, reality chaos, big laughs, and genre mutations that go full fever dream. Netflix Korea is not just stocking the shelves for 2026. It is trying to own the year across every emotion viewers are willing to feel.
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