Are you a K-drama enthusiast? 2026 is already shaping up to be a fantastic year, with several K-dramas planned for release in January.
From gripping thrillers to heartwarming romances and funny comedies, the upcoming K-dramas offer a variety of stories for everyone.
Here’s the complete list of all Korean dramas you can look forward to watching in January 2026.
1. The Judge Returns
- Cast: Ji Sung, Park Hee-soon, Won Jin-ah, Tae Won-Seok, Baek Jin-hee, Oh Se-young, Ahn Nae-sang, Kim Tae-woo, Kim Bup Rae.
- Release date: January 2, 2026
The Judge Returns (original title: Judge Lee Han-Young) is an upcoming Korean drama that will premiere on KST on January 2, 2026. It will also be available to stream on HBO Max, TVING, and Wavve.
The Judge Returns is based on a famous web novel by the same name. It promises to be one of the most exciting K-dramas of 2026, with a unique storyline that combines elements of courtroom drama, time travel, and redemption.
It follows Judge Lee Han-Young, an ambitious, corrupt judge who has used his courtroom to amass power and wealth. However, after an unexpected event, he is sent back 10 years to his past, retaining all his prior memories.
Lee Han-Young gets a second chance at life, using his position as a judge to seek redemption by punishing the big evil.
2. To My Beloved Thief
- Cast: Nam Ji-Hyun, Moon Sang-Min, Hong Min-Gi, Han So-Eun.
- Release date: January 3, 2026
To My Beloved Thief is an upcoming romantic historical comedy drama that will premiere on KBS2 and KST.
The K-drama follows the story of Hong Eun-Jo, a physician who cares for patients during the day. She also leads a secret life as Gil-Dong, a notorious thief who steals from corrupt officials and uses that money to help people.
Eun-Jo crosses paths with Prince Lee Yeol, a handsome noble who likes to play detective by solving crimes and catching thieves. Lee Yeol becomes fascinated with Eun-Jo and starts pursuing her, but their blossoming romance becomes complicated when they swap souls.
3. Spring Fever
- Cast: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-bin, Cha Seo-won, Lee Jae-in, Jo Joo-Young, Bae Jeong-nam, Jin Kyung, Oh Man-seok, Jeong Yeong-gi, Jo Seung-yeon, and Seo Sang-won.
- Release date: January 5, 2026
Spring Fever is one of the top upcoming K-dramas scheduled for January 2026 release. It will be available on tvN and Prime Video (globally).
It follows Yoon Boom, a popular, beloved teacher in Seoul, who moves to a small town as an exchange teacher after enduring emotional turmoil.
Initially, Yoon Boom is cold and detached. However, she begins to open her heart when she meets Seon Jae-gyu, one of her students’ uncles, who is tough-looking but has a warm, pleasant personality.
4. Can This Love Be Translated?
- Cast: Kim Seon-ho, Go Young-jung, Hyunri, Jonathan Tangiaki, Jocelyn Chugg, Bryan Larkin, Scott Olynek, Lee Yi-Dam, Choi Woo-Sung,
- Release date: January 16, 2026.
Can This Love Be Translated? is an upcoming K-drama set to premiere exclusively on Netflix in January 2026.
The show is a romantic comedy that follows Ju Ho-jin, a multilingual interpreter with outstanding language skills. He starts working as an interpreter for Cha Mu-hee, a famous actress.
Both Ho-jin and Mu-hee have different views, leading to misunderstandings. However, over time, they grow closer and begin to understand one another, which makes their conversations more enjoyable.
5. No Tail to Tell
- Cast: Kim Hye-yoon, Lomon, Lee Si-woo, Jang Dong-joo, Choi Seung-yoon, In Gyo-jin, Lee Seung-joon, Hong Soo-hyun, Yu Hwan, Kim Tae-Jung, Ji Seung-Jun, Kim Tae-Hee.
- Release date: January 16, 2026
No Tail to Tell (also known as I’m Human from Today)is another of the most anticipated K-dramas set to be released in January 2026.
It tells the story of Eun-ho, an eccentric, carefree guminho (nine-tailed fox), who shuns human interactions for fear of becoming human.
However, Eun-ho’s life changes dramatically after an incident involving Kang Si-yeol, a self-assured, famous soccer star. The accident turns her into an ordinary human, forcing her to confront and navigate human interactions and emotions for the first time.
6. Marble of God
- Cast: Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Sung-min, Claudia Kim, Ha Yoon-kyung, Yoon Kyun-sang, Bae Jeong-nam, Son Woo-hyeon.
- Release date: January 17, 2026
Marble of God (also known as God’s Beads) is an upcoming JBTC period drama, set in the Goryeo Dynasty era. The drama depicts the friendship and love within an expedition team on a mission to find sacred relics for their country.
Central to the storyline are Baek-gyeol, the commander of an elite escort unit, and Wang-hee, the youngest daughter of the king. The two fall in love amidst rising political tensions within the Kingdom.
Marble of God is an excellent K-drama to watch in 2026, especially if you are a fan of period dramas and military action.
7. Undercover Miss Hong
- Cast: Park Shin-Hye, Ko Kyoung-Pyo, Ha Yoon-Kyung, Cho Han-Gyeol, Kim Hyung-mook, Kang Chae-Young.
- Release date: January 17, 2026
Undercover Miss Hong is an upcoming K-drama that will be available on KST, tvN, and Netflix. It follows Hong Geum-Bo, a career woman in her 30s who works as an elite supervisor at the Financial Supervisory Service.
Hong Geum-Bo goes undercover as a high school student to work for a securities company after suspicious fund movements are detected. There, she meets Sing Jeon-Woo, the company’s ambitious CEO, who also happens to be her ex.
8. Positively Yours
- Cast: Cho Jin-hyuk, Oh Yeon-seo, Hong Jong-hyun, Kim Da-som, Kim Ki-doo, Son Byung-ho, Kim Sun-kyung, Jang Yeo-bin, and Baek Eun-hye.
- Release date: January 17, 2026
Positively Yours is another top K-drama that will premiere in January 2026. It will air on KST every Saturday and Sunday, starting from January 17, 2026.
The K-drama is based on a web novel by the same name. It depicts the story of Kang Doo-joon, a conglomerate heir who takes over his family’s business after his brother’s death, and Jang Hee-won, a career woman scarred by her parents’ divorce.
Doo-joon and Hee-won are commitment-averse people who have sworn never to get married. However, their lives are upended after an impulsive one-night stand, which results in an unexpected pregnancy.
9. I’ll Prescribe You Love
- Cast: Ji Se-yeon, Park Ki-woong, Kim Seung-so, Yoo Ho-jeong, Kim Hyung-mook, So Yi-hyun, Kim Mi-sook, Joo Jin-mo, Cho Dae-chul, Jo Mi-ryung, Kim Sun-bin, Yoon Seo-ah, Jeong Ye-seo.
- Release date: January 31, 2026
I’ll Prescribe You Love is a K-drama that explores the journey of falling in love and healing emotional scars amidst two feuding families.
The drama features Gong Joo-A, the daughter of a respected doctor, who gives up the chance to become a doctor to pursue a career in fashion design. Also central to the story is Yang Hyeon-bin, an expert in fashion trends and a newly appointed director of a fashion company.
Joo-A and Hyeon-bin, who were each other’s first love when they were little, meet again, this time as employee and boss. They rekindle their relationship, but their romance is complicated by their families, who have been feuding for 30 years.