Ringing in 2026, Korea's small screen is set to heat up with everything from heartwarming romance to body-swapping fantasy — and the long-awaited comeback of "melodrama masters" is already sparking buzz. With expectations sky-high to revive KBS's drama lineup, Nam Ji-hyun leads the flagship romance sageuk To My Beloved Thief (hereafter 'Beloved Thief'), while Kim Hye-yoon — fresh off the public's love for Lovely Runner — headlines No Tail to Tell (hereafter 'No Tail'). Both are staking their claim as the season's must-watch titles.
There's more: Ji Sung returns to MBC for the first time in a decade as judge Lee Han-young. And 14 years after Bridal Mask (2012), Jin Se-yeon and Park Ki-woong reunite in a KBS weekend series — a chemistry fans are eager to see again.
Week 1 (Jan 1–Jan 4)
▲ The Judge Returns
Premieres Friday, Jan 2, 9:40 p.m.
Broadcaster MBC, Wavve, TVING · 14 episodes
Cast Ji Sung, Park Hee-soon, Won Jin-ah
Synopsis A corrupt judge who lived as a "slave" to a mega law firm is hurled back 10 years. As Lee Han-young (Ji Sung) makes different choices the second time around, he hunts down deep-rooted evil in this justice-obsessed time-reset thriller.
▲ To My Beloved Thief
Premieres Saturday, Jan 3, 9:20 p.m.
Broadcaster KBS, Wavve, Netflix · 16 episodes
Cast Nam Ji-hyun, Moon Sang-min, Hong Min-gi, Han So-eun
Synopsis A woman who becomes the nation's most notorious thief and the Joseon prince who once chased her end up swapping souls. Together, they save each other — and ultimately their people — in a perilous, epic romance.
Week 2 (Jan 5–Jan 11)
▲ Spring Fever
Premieres Monday, Jan 5, 8:50 p.m.
Broadcaster tvN, TVING · 12 episodes
Cast Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Joo-bin, Cha Seo-won
Synopsis A frosty teacher, Yoon Bom (Lee Joo-bin), and a man with a blazing heart, Sun Jae-gyu (Ahn Bo-hyun), spark a hot, pink-tinged spring romance that could melt even the iciest hearts.
Week 3 (Jan 12–Jan 18)
▲ No Tail to Tell
Premieres Friday, Jan 16, 9:50 p.m.
Broadcaster SBS, Netflix · 12 episodes
Cast Kim Hye-yoon, Lomon
Synopsis A Gen Z gumiho who refuses to become human and a hyper self-loving human collide in a wild, life-reviving fantasy romance.
▲ Undercover Miss Hong
Premieres Saturday, Jan 17, 9:10 p.m.
Broadcaster tvN, TVING, Netflix · 16 episodes
Cast Park Shin-hye, Go Kyung-pyo, Ha Yoon-kyung, Jo Han-gyeol
Synopsis Set in the late 1990s, elite thirty-something securities regulator Hong Geum-bo (Park Shin-hye) goes undercover as a 20-year-old entry-level employee at a brokerage firm flagged for suspicious funds — a chaotic, retro office comedy ensues.
Week 5 (Jan 26–Jan 31)
▲ Love, Prescribed
Premieres Saturday, Jan 31, 8:00 p.m.
Broadcaster KBS 2TV, Wavve · 50 episodes
Cast Jin Se-yeon, Park Ki-woong
Synopsis Two families bound by 30 years of bad blood clear up old misunderstandings, tend to each other's wounds, and ultimately become one — a feel-good "family makeup" drama.
From fantasy sageuk and legal thrillers to swoony melodramas, January's lineup is primed to dominate buzz. Which series will capture 2026 — and who will rise as the industry's next breakout star?