Netflix Korea has laid out its 2026 plan and the lineup is stacked.
Speaking at a press conference in Seoul, Netflix Korea vice president Kang Dong-han opened with a reflection on how far things have come. "If someone had said 10 years ago that Korean content would become the global center of the industry and people worldwide would wear costumes from Korean dramas and sing K-pop-themed animation soundtracks, they would have called it a dream," he said. He then made two commitments on behalf of the company: long-term investment in Korean content, and an unwavering belief in its potential.
The 2026 drama slate gives those words some weight. Leading the lineup is "Boyfriend on Demand," already streaming, in which BLACKPINK's Jisoo plays a webtoon producer who escapes work exhaustion through a virtual dating simulation service. She stars opposite Seo In-guk.
Veteran actor Choi Min-sik makes his Netflix debut in "Notes from the Last Row," a suspense drama about a failed writer turned professor who becomes obsessed with a gifted student. The project is based on a Spanish play by Juan Mayorga. Action drama "Bloodhounds" returns for a second season with Woo Do-hwan and Lee Sang-yi reprising their roles, now joined by singer-actor Jung Ji-hoon as a villain running a global illegal boxing league. Ryu Jun-yeol and Sul Kyung-gu star in "The Rat," a thriller based on a folk tale about a mouse eating fingernails to take human form, following a novelist whose identity has been stolen by a mysterious stranger.
Other projects teased at the event include "Possible Love" with Jeon Do-yeon, "The East Palace" with Nam Joo-hyuk, "Scandal" with Son Ye-jin, and "The Wonderfuls" with Park Eun-bin. At the event, Park addressed the absence of her co-star Cha Eun-woo, who is currently completing mandatory military service. "I hope he returns in glory," she said.
On the reality side, Netflix Korea is bringing back several established formats. "Single's Inferno" returns for a fifth season. "Better Late Than Single" comes back for a second run after connecting with viewers who appreciated its focus on people with no previous dating experience. "Culinary Class Wars," which topped the non-English show category for two consecutive weeks after its second season release, will return for a third season with a format change to team-based competition rather than solo showdowns. Judges are already teasing that the chef applicants for season three are strong. "Agents of My