Netflix's supercharged 2026 Korean lineup
Netflix on Wednesday unveiled its 2026 Korean content slate, underscoring how dramatically the global standing of K-content has shifted over the past decade.
Speaking at a press event in Yeouido, Kang Dong-han, vice president of Netflix Korea’s content division, noted that Korean-language programming has risen to become the world’s second most-consumed content category, trailing only English-language fare.
Asked whether the Korean Wave had reached its peak, Kang dismissed the notion, saying the global expansion of K-content is still in its early stages. He emphasized that audiences worldwide are only beginning to discover Korean storytelling, with broadcasters and streaming platforms across multiple territories showing growing interest -- creating broader opportunities for Korea to tell diverse stories in new markets.
This year Netflix Korea’s 2026 lineup puts notable emphasis on its entertainment programming.
Returning popular franchises such as "Culinary Class Wars," "Single’s Inferno," "Devil's Plan" and "Better Late Than Single" anchor the slate, alongside a wave of new entertainment formats led by A-list celebrities and top-tier variety producers.
While quelling speculation that Netflix is pivoting toward entertainment shows due to rising scripted production costs, Kang said the strategy reflects a broader shift in global viewing behavior. Korean entertainment shows, once largely confined to domestic audiences, are now drawing substantial international viewership.
"One of the most recent trends I’ve noticed is that Korean variety content used to see very little consumption overseas, much like how Korean viewers rarely watched foreign entertainment shows in the past. But that has completely changed," Kang said, pointing to the global success of "Single’s Inferno" and "Physical: 100."
Among the streamer’s new entertainment highlights, alongside its returning popular IPs, are "Ready or Not: Texas," featuring star producer Na Young-seok and his longtime actor friend Lee Seo-jin in a travel series set in Texas; "Jae-seok’s B&B Rules!," starring Yoo Jae-suk and actor Byeon Woo-seok, centered on running a campsite; and "Take a Hike!," led by "Bon Appetit, Your Majesty" breakout star Lee Chae-min.
Meanwhile, the scripted slate largely split between lighter romance-driven titles and darker, high-stakes thrillers. Early releases include "The Art of Sarah," a psychological cat-and-mouse thriller starring Shin Hye-sun and Lee Jun-hyuk, and "Boyfriend on Demand," in which Blackpink’s Jisoo plays a webtoon producer who signs up for a virtual-reality dating subscription.
Veteran actor Choi Min-sik headlines "Notes from the Last Row," a series adaptation of the acclaimed Spanish play "The Boy in the Last Row," portraying a disillusioned literature teacher who becomes dangerously fixated on a student.
The latter half of the year ramps up with larger-scale projects, including Yeon Sang-ho’s "Mousetrap," starring Ryu Jun-yeol and Seol Kyung-gu; "The Scandal," led by Ji Chang-wook and Son Ye-jin -- virtually marking the latter’s first major historical drama; and "Road" (working title), pairing Son Suk-ku and Eita Nagayama as detectives investigating cross-border murder cases.
Probably one of the year’s biggest K-dramas arrives in the fourth quarter with "Tantara," starring Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo and written by celebrated screenwriter Noh Hee-kyung. Set against Korea’s entertainment industry from the 1960s through the 1980s, the series is positioned as a prestige human drama.
This year, on the film front, Netflix Korea leaned toward a smaller slate comprising four films, including the human drama "Pavane," action-comedy "Husbands in Action" starring Jin Sun-kyu, and a sequel to the hit Netflix comedy "Mission: Cross," reuniting Hwang Jung-min and Yum Jung-ah.
Acclaimed auteur Lee Chang-dong will make his Netflix debut in the fourth quarter with "Possible Love" (working title), starring Jeon Do-yeon, Seol Kyung-gu and Zo In-sung. The film explores the inner lives of a married couple through Lee’s signature introspective style.
Meanwhile, questions were also raised about whether Netflix’s reported talks with Warner Bros. Discovery and the conclusion of the company’s previously announced $2.5 billion investment pledge to Korea could impact the streamer's future spending in the region.
According to Kang, regardless of corporate developments elsewhere, Netflix Korea’s commitment to Korean content remains unchanged.
"Whether a merger happens or not, and however the situation unfolds, interest in Korean content will not disappear," Kang stressed, adding that Netflix will continue to pursue new stories in Korea with long-term consistency.
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