Netflix’s highly anticipated period drama The Scandal has arrived, and it is quickly becoming one of the most talked about K dramas of 2026. Combining a star studded cast, a bold source story, and a visionary director, this series is a must watch for fans of romantic period dramas. Here is a complete breakdown of the cast, plot, and background you need before starting the show.
What Is The Scandal About?
The Scandal is a South Korean period romance drama written by Lee Seung Young and Ahn Hye Song and directed by Jung Ji Woo. The story is inspired by the French novel Les Liaisons dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos and by the acclaimed 2003 Korean film Untold Scandal. The series moves the story into the Joseon dynasty and follows characters who defy the rigid social order of their time to enter a dangerous game of love, seduction, and temptation.
The original film transposed the French novel’s tale of a decadent aristocracy into the Joseon era, where love and desire were considered taboo. That film was celebrated for its bold and elegant portrayal of seduction, betrayal, and revenge, and it drew an impressive 3.52 million viewers despite its restricted rating. This Netflix adaptation expands that same world into a full eight episode series, giving fans much more room to explore its characters.
The Scandal Cast
Son Ye Jin as Lady Cho
Son Ye Jin, widely loved for Crash Landing on You, Something in the Rain, and No Other Choice, plays Lady Cho, a brilliant and strategic noblewoman confined by the limits of her era. Despite her exceptional talents, she is unable to pursue her true desires simply because she is a woman. To reclaim a sense of control, she proposes a secret and dangerous wager, setting the entire story in motion.
Ji Chang Wook as Cho Won
Ji Chang Wook, known for The Sound of Magic and Revolver, takes on the role of Cho Won, the most famous playboy in Joseon. Once a close confidant and pen pal of Lady Cho during childhood, Cho Won grew into a man who lives only for pleasure. When Lady Cho reenters his life with a new proposal, he eagerly accepts the challenge, setting off a chain of events he cannot fully control.
Nana as Hui Yeon
Nana, recognized for her roles in Mask Girl and Omniscient Reader, The Prophecy, plays Hui Yeon, a young widow trapped by strict expectations of chastity and propriety. She becomes the unsuspecting target of the wager between Lady Cho and Cho Won, and her resistance to Cho Won’s advances becomes the emotional core of the series.
Supporting Cast
The ensemble includes Han Sun Hwa as Bun Hui, Kang Chan Hee as Kwon In Ho, Kang Ji Eun as Lady Jeong Kyeong, and Shin Youn Ha as So Ok, the young woman at the center of Lady Cho’s opening move in the wager.
The Director Behind The Scandal
Jung Ji Woo directs the series, bringing experience from a genre spanning career that includes Tune in for Love, A Muse, Happy End, and Somebody. His history with emotionally complex and boundary pushing stories makes him a fitting choice for this material.
The Plot of The Scandal
The story begins when Lady Cho proposes that Cho Won seduce So Ok, a young woman soon to become a concubine in her household. Cho Won raises the stakes even further by challenging himself to win the heart of Hui Yeon, a virtuous widow who wants nothing to do with him. As Cho Won closes in on Hui Yeon and she desperately resists, Lady Cho watches the entire game unfold from the shadows. What begins as a calculated wager slowly spirals into something none of the three can control, leading to unforeseen consequences for everyone involved.
Why The Scandal Is Worth Watching
For fans of K dramas, The Scandal offers a rare combination of elements. It has a proven and celebrated source story, a director known for elevated and daring storytelling, and three of Korea’s most recognizable stars playing sharply against their usual image. Anyone who loved the tension and elegance of Untold Scandal, or who simply wants a visually stunning period drama filled with desire, betrayal, and psychological tension, should add The Scandal to their watchlist.
The Scandal is now streaming globally on Netflix.