Autumn is Here: 10+ Extraordinary Korean Dramas Out in October 2026!

Well, it seems that we’re all bound to have an incredibly busy month ahead! With 12 exceptional new Korean dramas competing for your attention in October 2026, it’s almost impossible to pick just a couple — we’ll take them all!

Offering a blend of slice-of-life, thriller, romance and even cooking competitions (!), October awaits with a selection of much-anticipated, exhilarating releases that go from the short-and-sweet Your Personal Taxi to the Dr. Romantic reunion in MBC’s The Perfect Lie. Are you ready to start?

We’ll be updating this post with trailers, new dates, and international streaming services, so save this article for later! Our pin is at the bottom!

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• Release date: October 1st, 2026
• Episodes: 8
• Main cast: Cha Tae-hyun
• Where have I seen these people before? You might remember Cha Tae-hyun from Disney+’s Moving or KBS2’s Brain Works. While Cha is the show’s protagonist, guest roles include Im Se-mi (from SBS’s The Winning Try), Joo Jong-hyuk (from TV Chosun’s Confidence Queen), and Lee Kyu-hyung (from Disney+’s Uncle Samsik), among many others.
• Writer: Kim Jun-mo and Min Dong-hyun
• Director: Jeon Chang-geun (from JTBC’s Mystic Pop-Up Bar)
• Based on Mose Lee’s webtoon of the same name.

Mr Ko (Cha Tae-hyun) is a taxi driver who offers a very special, mysterious ride. He carefully selects his customers, people who are in need of an attentive ear to listen to their stories. Once aboard, Mr Ko not only listens to their joys and sorrows, but also finds the right song to comfort them and offer his customers the catharsis they need to move on.

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• Release date: October 5th, 2026 (Monday-Tuesday)
• Network: ENA & Genie TV
• Episodes: 12
• Main cast: Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun
• Where have I seen these people before? Choo Young-woo was last seen in tvN’s hit Head Over Heels (you might also remember him in Netflix’s The Trauma Code: Heroes on Call), and Kim So-hyun in JTBC’s Good Boy (you might also remember her in tvN’s Serendipity’s Embrace).
• Writer: Min Hyo-jeong (whose last K-drama was MBC’s Rules of Love in 2005!)
• Director: Ahn Pan-seok (from JTBC’s The Art of Negotiation)

Park Min-jae (Choo Young-woo) once had a promising swimming career. When he loses his left leg to illness and hits rock bottom, Min-jae discovers a new purpose in robotics and joins the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University. That’s where he meets Im Yu-jin (Kim So-hyun), a young woman about to graduate from the Department of Clothing and Textiles whose dreams were also forced to take on a different shape because of an unexpected incident.

Internationally, you can watch Between Steps on Disney+ and Hulu.

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• Release date: October 9th, 2026 (Friday-Saturday)
• Network: SBS
• Episodes: 12
• Main cast: Kim Ji-won, Lee Jung-eun, Son Hyun-joo, Kim Woo-seok, and Lee Jin-hee
• Where have I seen these people before? Doctor X marks Kim Ji-won’s return to the small screen after tvN’s massive hit Queen of Tears in 2024. Besides a few guest roles, the extraordinary Lee Jung-eun was last seen in JTBC’s A Hundred Memories and Heavenly Ever After. Son Hyun-joo has recently starred in JTBC’s Reborn Rookie, while Kim Woo-seok’s last main cast credit was in MBC’s The Forbidden Marriage. Lee Jin-hee has recently had supporting roles in KBS2’s To My Beloved Thief and Netflix’s As You Stood By.
• Writer: Pyeon Seong-geun
• Director: Lee Jeong-rim (from Netflix’s As You Stood By)
• Remake of TV Asahi’s Doctor X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon (Japan, 2012-2021)

Gye Su-jeong (Kim Ji-won) is a brilliant surgeon who is assigned to fill a vacancy at Guseo University Hospital. Through her excellent surgical skills and cunning ability to navigate hospital politics, Su-jeong exposes the dark secrets that make up the very fabric of Guseo University Hospital.

Internationally, you can watch Doctor X on Netflix.

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• Release date: October 9th, 2026
• Network: Netflix
• Episodes: 10
• Main cast: Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin
• Where have I seen these people before? Kim Young-kwang was last seen in KBS2’s Walking on Thin Ice, but we haven’t had the pleasure of seeing him lead a rom-com since KBS2’s Hello, Me! and SBS’s The Secret Life of My Secretary (before anyone mentions anything, Disney+’s Call It Love was a romantic drama!). The lovely Chae Soo-bin was last seen in MBC’s quite excellent makjang drama When the Phone Rings (Could we say that her last rom-com was SBS’s Where Stars Land? Perhaps!)
• Writer: Song Yoo-chae
• Director: Park Su-won (from tvN’s Birthcare Center)
• Based on Hae Beon’s webtoon of the same name.

According to Netflix,

After being struck by lightning as a child, Na Bo-bae (Chae Soo-bin) developed mysterious electrical powers. With sparks flying from her hands, Bo-bae resorts to wearing gloves and being alone, rather than risk electrocuting the people around her. Enter Baek Ho-rang (Kim Young-kwang), a third-generation chaebol heir and executive director at one of the nation’s top resorts, whose only weakness is his artificial heart.

When the two meet, they unintentionally share a kiss, and Bo-bae realizes her electricity doesn’t seem to affect Ho-rang. For the first time ever, she thinks she has encountered her fated “human rubber glove” and tries to talk to him, but Ho-rang runs away. The two meet again at the hospital, where Ho-rang receives the final surgery to change his artificial heart’s battery to a high-power one. However, when the surgery is disrupted by a blackout due to a storm, Ho-rang’s new battery runs low, recharging only when Bo-bae is near him.

Ho-rang needs her to keep his heart going for three months until he can receive another surgery, especially so he can take over TS Group. Meanwhile, Bo-bae has three months until her writer contract is up, facing the predicament of having to write a good romance by then, even though she has never been able to date anyone due to her electric touch. And so Ho-rang offers Bo-bae a deal she can’t refuse: charge him through touch, in exchange for him fulfilling her “romance bucket list”.

Internationally, you can watch Take Charge of My Heart on Netflix.

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• Release date: October 10th, 2026 (Saturday-Sunday)
• Network: tvN
• Episodes: 16
• Main cast: Kim You-jung, Park Jin-young, Kim Hyun-joo, Lee Moo-saeng, and Jin Sun-kyu
• Where have I seen these people before? The incredibly talented Kim You-jung was last seen in TVING’s Dear X, while Park Jin-young was last seen in JTBC’s Still Shining earlier this year. Kim Hyun-joo’s last main cast credit was in Netflix’s Hellbound Season 2, and Lee Moo-saeng’s was in Netflix’s As You Stood By. Jin Sun-kyu was also last seen on Netflix in The Price of Confession last year.
• Writer: Ryu Bo-ri (from SBS’s Do You Like Brahms?)
• Directors: Yoo In-sik (from Netflix’s The Wonderfools) and Kim Yoon-jin

During the Japanese colonial period, Ga Gyeong (Kim You-jung) was known as Gyeongseong’s most talented pickpocket. She then strikes a deal with the independence army: Ga Gyeong is to go undercover at the Japanese Government-General of Joseon for 100 days. There, she meets Tae Ung (Park Jin-young), a Joseon-born Korean interpreter. As their fates intertwine, Ga Gyeong and Tae Ung become entangled in a web of secrets, loyalty, and growing political tension.

Internationally, you can watch 100 Days of Deception on Netflix.

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• Release date: October 15th, 2026 (Episodes 1-4 will be released on Oct. 15th; then two episodes will be released every Thursday)
• Network: TVING
• Episodes: 10
• Main cast: Nam Ji-hyun and Kim Jae-yeong
• Where have I seen these people before? Nam Ji-hyun’s recent shows include KBS2’s To My Beloved Thief and SBS’s Good Partner, while you might remember Kim Jae-yeong in ENA & Genie TV’s Idol I or Channel A’s My Lovely Journey.
• Writers: Ahn Sae-bom (from Disney+’s Soundtrack #1) and Lee Hwa-jin
• Director: Kim Ye-ji
• Creators: Kang Eun-kyung and Joo Hwa-mi

Gong Yeon-Soo (Nam Ji-hyun) is a marketer at an advertising agency who is assigned to a project with a sex-toy start-up founded by Dokgo Dal (Kim Jae-young). While Yeon-soo was raised in a conservative household that values tradition and chastity, Dal believes in the importance of emotional and physical intimacy. As their principles clash, their relationship helps them both see love and relationships in a completely new light.

Internationally, you can watch Make Me Tingle on HBO Max and Viki.

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• Release date: October 19th, 2026 (Monday-Tuesday)
• Network: tvN
• Episodes: 12
• Main cast: Yim Si-wan, Seol In-ah, Kim Jung-hyun, and Yeon Woo
• Where have I seen these people before? Yim Si-wan starred in the second and third seasons of Netflix’s Squid Game, but you might also remember him in Coupang Play’s Boyhood or ENA & Genie TV’s Summer Strike. The underrated Seol In-ah’s last projects were MBC’s Oh My Ghost Clients and tvN’s Twinkling Watermelon. You might recall Kim Jung-hyun in tvN’s Siren’s Kiss and JTBC’s A Hundred Memories, and Yeon Woo in tvN’s My Bias, My Boss or U+ Mobile TV’s Love Phobia.
• Writer: Moon Su-jeong
• Director: Park Dan-hee (from ENA & Genie TV’s Tastefully Yours)
• Based on Lee A-yeon’s webnovel Why You Don’t Know It’s a Girl?

When third-generation chaebol Yun Yi-jun (Yim Si-wan) becomes the prime suspect in the murder of his secretary, police officer Kang Jae-hui (Seol In-ah) agrees to go undercover as Yi-jun’s new personal secretary and bodyguard. A renowned former special forces officer, Jae-hui uses her exceptional strength, combat and investigative skills to protect and investigate Yi-jun — all the while disguising herself as a man.

Internationally, you can watch Love in Disguise on Prime Video.

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• Release date: October 24th, 2026 (Saturday-Sunday)
• Network: JTBC
• Episodes: 12
• Main cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Hong Hwa-yeon, Chang Ryul, and Jung Eugene
• Where have I seen these people before? Ahn Hyo-seop’s latest projects include SBS’s Sold Out on You, Netflix’s A Time Called You, and SBS’s Dr. Romantic. Hong Hwa-yeon recently starred in tvN’s Filing for Love, Chang Ryul in JTBC’s Love Me, and Jung Eugene in TV Chosun’s DNA Lover.
• Writer & Director: Kim Do-hoon (from OCN’s Chimera)

After her father’s sudden death, Choi Song-yi (Hong Hwa-yeon) needs to find a creative way to save her family’s restaurant. She joins forces with the secretive but talented head chef Kang Han (Ahn Hyo-seop) to participate in The Table: K-Chef 2026, a global cooking survival competition set to find the top Korean culinary talent. Also joining the race is perfectionist chef Cha Woo-jin (Chang Ryul), Kang’s fierce rival. As they compete, they find themselves at the mercy of executive producer Seon Jeong-won (Jung Eugene), who orchestrates the ups and downs of The Table to offer her audience the most thrilling quest possible for Korea’s top chef.

Internationally, you can watch Final Table on Prime Video.

• Release date: October 24th, 2026 (Saturday)
• Network: Lifetime (we’re waiting to hear about international distribution)
• Episodes: 16
• Main cast: Jung Yong-hwa and Hong Seung-hee
• Where have I seen these people before? This is Jung Yong-hwa’s first television project since KBS2’s Brain Works in 2023, while this is Hong Seung-hee’s first main role since Netflix’s Move to Heaven in 2021.
• Writer: Byun Sang-soon (from MBC’s Two Cops)
• Directors: Yoon Jong-ho (from MBC’s A Bona Fide Killer) and Lee Seung-hoon

Um Tae-bong (Jung Yong-hwa) is a Hallyu star known as a “melodrama master” who secretly detests on-screen kissing. His life is thrown upside down when he meets Oh Hae-ra (Hong Seung-hee), a young woman who suffered an accident. She now believes that she’s actually Cha Hong-doo, the heroine of a drama.

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• Release date: October 26th, 2026 (Monday-Tuesday)
• Network: Wavve
• Episodes: TBC
• Main cast: Cho Yi-hyun and Jin Young
• Where have I seen these people before? The charming Cho Yi-hyun was last seen in tvN’s Head Over Heels, while you might remember Jin Young in ENA & Genie TV’s Ms. Incognito last year.
• Writer: Hangaram
• Director: Song Ji-won

Kim Ha-yeon (Cho Yi-hyun) is an ordinary 18-year-old high schooler who spends her summer break in the rural village of Upo, where her father is sent on a business trip. Unhappy with the humdrum of her days, Ha-yeon is always imagining herself as a movie protagonist just waiting for her big twist to come.

The twist she longs for might come in the shape of Jo Yoo-gyeom (Jin Young), the eldest grandson of the local head family. Yoo-gyeom is a talented swimmer who lives a boring life under the antiquated rules set by his family. When these two young people meet, they give each other’s lives the spark they have been looking for.

Internationally, you can watch Summer Vacation on Viki.

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• Release date: October 30th, 2026
• Network: Netflix
• Episodes: 8
• Main cast: Lee Jae-wook, Go Min-si, Kim Min-ha, and Lee Hee-jun
• Where have I seen these people before? The great Lee Jae-wook was last seen in ENA & Genie TV’s Doctor on the Edge, while Go Min-si’s last television role was in ENA & Genie TV’s Tastefully Yours. Kim Min-ha finally returns to the small screen this year after two successful projects last year: TVING’s Way Back Love and tvN’s Typhoon Family. Lee Hee-jun has recently finished ENA & Genie TV’s excellent The Scarecrow.
• Writers: Kyung Min-seon and Lee Shin-ji
• Director: Kim Da-min
• Creator: Han Jun-hee

According to Netflix,

Desperate to escape crushing debt, Hyeok-jun (Lee Jae-wook) is drawn to a strange flyer advertising a high-paying part-time job — and ends up at the mysterious Spider Staffing Agency, where the pay starts at 50 times the minimum hourly wage and there’s just one rule: never reveal what happens on the job. Sent to what looks like an ordinary convenience store, Hyeok-jun soon discovers that in this nightmarish workplace, every shift could cost him his life.

Internationally, you can watch Dead-End Job on Netflix.

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• Release date: October 30th, 2026 (Friday-Saturday)
• Network: MBC
• Episodes: 12
• Main cast: Seo Hyun-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok
• Where have I seen these people before? Did anyone say Dr. Romantic reunion? This is Seo Hyun-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok’s second project together after their very successful run in the first season of SBS’s Dr. Romantic in 2016! Since then, you might have seen Seo Hyun-jin in JTBC’s The Beauty Inside, tvN’s You Are My Spring, Netflix’s The Trunk, and JTBC’s Love Me; and Yoo Yeon-seok in tvN’s Mr. Sunshine and Hospital Playlist, MBC’s When the Phone Rings, and SBS’s Phantom Lawyer.
• Writer: Baek Jae-young
• Director: Jo Young-min (from JTBC’s Love Me)

After a difficult childhood, elementary school teacher Kang Ji-seon (Seo Hyun-jin) struggles to trust others. However, she decides to give Min Jun-ho (Yoo Yeon-seok) a chance. Intelligent, kind, and gentle, Jun-ho is a cardiac surgeon who has been raising his son on his own since his wife’s passing.

After Ji-seon and Jun-ho go on a seemingly perfect first date, the two begin giving completely opposing accounts of the same events. They decide to uncover what really happened that night through a quest that blurs the line between truth and lie.

Internationally, you can watch The Perfect Lie on Disney+ and Hulu.

Why not pin this post to help you remember to watch all these exciting K-dramas coming out in October 2026?

So, which new Korean dramas are you watching in October 2026?