10 Korean Dramas You Need to Be Watching in January 2026

2026 is kicking off with lots of new kdramas to check out! Hopefully, we start the year off right with some good ones. Let’s see what we have to look forward to in this January 2026 edition of “Korean Dramas You Need to Be Watching.” 

This monthly series is meant to keep you updated on what’s happening in that amazing world of Korean dramas so that you don’t miss out on anything! Here are the kdramas you should keep an eye out for in January 2026:

My Pick:

1. To My Beloved Thief

To My Beloved Thief Korean Drama - Moon Sang Min and Nam Ji Hyun

To My Beloved Thief is a historical romantic comedy about a woman (Nam Ji Hyun) who unintentionally becomes a righteous thief that swaps souls with a prince (Moon Sang Min) who likes to help solve cases and has been pursuing her.

To My Beloved Thief is scheduled to premiere in January 3 on KBS.

PREMIERING IN JANUARY:

2. Undercover Miss Hong

Undercover Miss Hong Korean Drama - Park Shin Hye

Undercover Miss Hong is a romantic comedy set during the 1990’s IMF crisis where a financial supervisory officer (Park Shin Hye) goes undercover as a recently graduated 20 year old to investigate suspicious happenings at a security firm.

Undercover Miss Hong is scheduled to premiere January 17 on tvN.

3. The Judge Returns

The Judge Returns Korean Drama - Ji Sung

The Judge Returns is about a judge (Ji Sung) who is falsely accused and tragically dies but is then transported back in time 20 years where he gets involved with a prosecutor (Won Jin Ah) trying to bring down the chairman responsible for her father’s death.

The Judge Returns is scheduled to premiere January 2 on MBC.

4. No Tail to Tell

No Tail to Tell Korean Drama - Lomon and Kim Hye Yoon

No Tail to Tell is a fantasy romantic comedy about a carefree gumiho (Kim Hye Yoon) who has no desire to become human but accidentally becomes one after getting involved with a narcissistic star soccer player (Lomon).

No Tail to Tell is scheduled to premiere January 16 on SBS.

5. Spring Fever

Spring Fever Korean Drama - Ahn Bo Hyun and Lee Joo Bin

Spring Fever is a romance about an exchange teacher (Lee Joo Bin) who moves to a small town after going through emotional difficulties in Seoul. She meets a man (Ahn Bo Hyun) in the village known for his crazy antics and begins to open up and heal.

Spring Fever is scheduled to premiere January 5 on tvN.

6. Positively Yours

Positively Yours Korean Drama - Choi Jin Hyuk and Oh Yeon Seo

Positively Yours follows the romance between a successful career woman (Oh Yeon Seo) with no desire to marry who unexpectedly becomes pregnant and the company president (Choi Jin Hyuk) who wants to marry her when he finds out he’s the father.

Positively Yours is scheduled to premiere January 17 on Channel A.

7. Can This Love Be Translated?

Can This Love Be Translated? Korean Drama - Kim Sun Ho and Go Youn Jung

Can This Love Be Translated? follows the romance between an interpreter (Go Youn Jung) and a top actor (Kim Seon Ho) who express love in opposite ways and frequently misunderstand each other.

Can This Love Be Translated? is scheduled to premiere January 16 on Netflix.

CURRENTLY AIRING IN JANUARY:

8. Idol I

Idol Eye Korean Drama - Kim Jae Young and Sooyoung

Idol I is a mystery romance about a star lawyer (Sooyoung ) who ends up defending her favorite idol (Kim Jae Young) who becomes a murder suspect.

Idol I airs Monday and Tuesday on ENA.

9. Surely Tomorrow

Surely Tomorrow Korean Drama - Pare Seo Joon and Won Ji An

Surely Tomorrow is a romantic comedy about an entertainment reporter (Park Seo Joon) who reunites with his ex-girlfriend (Won Ji An) after her husband is involved in a cheating scandal.

Surely Tomorrow airs Saturday and Sunday on JTBC.

10. Pro Bono

Pro Bono Korean Drama - Jung Kyung Ho

Pro Bono is a comedy about a materialistic judge (Jung Kyung Ho) who is also a popular legal influencer that ends up stepping down to become a public interest lawyer. He then meets another public interest lawyer (So Ju Yeon) who is passionate about helping people.

Pro Bono airs Saturday and Sunday on tvN.


Other Premieres & Ongoing Dramas
(These dramas will be highlighted in the coming months)

Villains


AND SO YOU’RE UP TO DATE,
OTHER DRAMAS THAT WILL BE ENDING IN JANUARY:

Made in Korea

Made in Korea Korean Drama - Hyun Bin

Made in Korea follows major events that happened during the turbulent 1970’s in Korea and tells the story of a man (Hyun Bin) driven by wealth and ambition and a prosecutor (Jung Woo Sung) who gives up everything to stop him.

Made in Korea airs Wednesday on Disney+.

Love Me

Love Me Korean Drama - Seo Hyun Jin

Love Me is the story of a successful but lonely Obstetrics and Gynecology doctor (Seo Hyun Jin) as she grows and matures.

Love Me airs Friday and Saturday on JTBC.

Taxi Driver 3

Taxi Driver 3 Korean Drama - Lee Je Hoon

Taxi Driver 3 is about a taxi service where the drivers help their passengers get revenge on those who wronged them which includes a taxi driver (Lee Je Hoon) that was a special forces officer whose mother was murdered by a serial killer.

Taxi Driver 3 airs Friday and Saturday on SBS.


What dramas are you looking forward to or enjoying in January?

Make sure to get caught up because there are more dramas coming your way in February!


For the latest dramas, check out the
April Drama Guide

Perfect Crown Korean Drama - Byun Woo Seok and IU


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6 responses to “10 Korean Dramas You Need to Be Watching in January 2026”

  1. R. Leigh Bricken Avatar
    R. Leigh Bricken

    I had to say all of them looked pretty great, except maybe no tail to tell

    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      It does look like a pretty solid line-up this month 😊

  2. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    “Always”. What a great movie! I was worried that a 2011 movie would not have good production qualities. In fact it is better then most of the Korean dramas on TV. The movie has romance, drama and showed the love and intimacy of the couple better the must Kdramans today

    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      I’ve had Always on my watch list for ages now. I don’t watch a lot of movies though and am not a big fan of So Ji Sub, but I’ve heard really good things about it over the years, and it’s from a time period I really like. I should check it out. Yay that it was a good one for you! 😄

  3. soviet_red_star. Tom Avatar
    soviet_red_star. Tom

    I wanted a rom/com without a lot of serious drama. I found this Cdrama that sounded good and I wasn’t disappointed. It is: A Romance of the Little Forest. A very good show. The main couple were good though the romance did take a little long to develop. The male lead was a professor of phytology and the backstory (plant science or phytology) was better then usual and interesting. There were many scenes in the woods and other outdoor locations. The second couple was also good, their relationship developing quickly. They received a lot of screen time. Rating: 8.5/10).

    1. Kay Avatar
      Kay

      That sounds like a sweet drama. Nice that it has a lot of woodsy, outdoor scenes too. It’s definitely good to get in some less serious and more lighthearted dramas sometimes 😊

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