In October 2026, the South Korean small screen will be buzzing with many highly anticipated projects. Particularly noteworthy are the return of “Queen of Tears” Kim Ji Won as a genius surgeon and Kim Yoo Jung in a spy drama set during the Japanese occupation.

In addition, viewers will also get to enjoy Ji Chang Wook’s cross-border love story between Korea and Japan, and the final work of the late director Ahn Pan Seok.

Between Steps

• Other name: Love Doctor
• Release date: October 5, 2026
• Platforms: ENA, Genie TV, Disney+
• Number of episodes: 12

Between Steps is the final work of the late director Ahn Pan Seok, the man behind beloved romantic dramas such as Something in the Rain and One Spring Night. The screenplay was written by screenwriter Min Hyo Jung.

The drama revolves around the love story and coming-of-age journey of robotics graduate students. The two main characters, played by Choo Young Woo and Kim So Hyun, meet in the laboratory. Through their collaborations, they gradually come to understand and heal each other.

Director Ahn Pan Seok has repeatedly expressed surprise at Choo Young Woo’s acting, even joking that the actor “had read the latter part of the script beforehand.” The drama airs at 10 PM every Monday and Tuesday on ENA.

Merry Berry Love

• Release date: October 7, 2026
• Platforms: Disney+, Hulu, Nippon TV
• Number of episodes: 10

The October Korean drama Merry Berry Love is a Korean-Japanese co-production starring Ji Chang Wook and Japanese actress Mio Imada. Following The Scandal in September, this is the actor’s second consecutive project this year.

Ji Chang Wook plays a Korean space designer who loses everything overnight. He travels to Japan and meets a strawberry farmer in the countryside, played by Mio Imada. This encounter begins to turn his life upside down.

With its peaceful rural setting and a story that transcends cultural barriers, Merry Berry Love is expected to be a gentle, healing choice for audiences who enjoy romantic films.

Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia

• Other name: Doctor X: Mafia In White
• Release date: October 9, 2026
• Platform: SBS, Netflix
• Number of episodes: 12

Following the success of Queen of Tears , Kim Ji Won returns with a completely different role. Doctor X is a remake of the popular Japanese series Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon, broadcast on TV Asahi.

Kim Ji Won plays Gye Su Jeong, a genius surgeon nicknamed “the mad dog of the operating room.” She is sent to Gu Seo University Hospital by a medical referral company to fill a vacancy in the surgical department. Using only her skills, she proves her worth and exposes the absurdities of the medical profession.

Joining Kim Ji Won are Lee Jung Eun as the owner of a doctor referral company, Son Hyun Joo as the hospital director, and Kim Woo Seok as a medical intern.

Directed by Lee Jung Rim (VIP, Revenant), the drama airs on SBS at 9:50 PM every Friday and Saturday, and is also available on Netflix.

Take Charge of Khanh Heart

• Other name: Charge Me
• Release date: October 9, 2026
• Platform: Netflix
• Number of episodes: 10

Adapted from the webtoon “Charge Me” by author Hae Beon, “Take Charge of My Heart” is a fantasy romance drama with a rather unusual plot. Kim Young Kwang plays a third-generation heir of a wealthy family who lives on an artificial heart, but the battery of that heart is gradually running out.

His savior is a female screenwriter played by Chae Soo Bin . Her body possesses a special electrical current that can “recharge” the male lead’s heart. From here, a bittersweet relationship between the two begins.

With Kim Young Kwang’s tall, cool demeanor and Chae Soo Bin’s adorable charm, the drama is expected to deliver many sweet and humorous moments.

100 Days of Deception

• Other name: 100 Days of Lies
• Release date: October 10, 2026
• Platforms: tvN, TVING, Netflix
• Number of episodes: 16

The new Korean drama, 100 Days of Deception, marks a collaboration between Kim Yoo Jung and Park Jin Young . The drama is directed by Yoo In Shik, the director behind the hit series Extraordinary Attorney Woo .

Set during the Japanese occupation, the drama tells the story of a skilled con artist (Kim Yoo Jung) who teams up with independence fighters. She infiltrates the Japanese Governor-General’s office for 100 days and encounters an elite translator (Park Jin Young). Amidst lies and probing, the two gradually become drawn to each oth

The combination of spy elements, historical drama, and romance, along with the return of Kim Yoo Jung, has made the film one of the most anticipated works of October.

Love In Disguise

• Other name: My Guilty One
• Release date: October 19, 2026
• Platform: tvN, Prime Video
• Number of episodes: 12

Adapted from the web novel Why Don’t You Know She’s A Woman?, Love In Disguise is a romantic thriller with a familiar “woman disguised as a man” trope.

A wealthy heir (Yim Si Wan) becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. To investigate, a female police officer ( Seol In Ah ) poses as his personal secretary and follows him closely. The suspicious yet budding relationship between the two creates many tense and humorous situations.

Other notable names

Besides the six works mentioned above, the latter half of October offers many more attractive options. Final Table (October 24th, JTBC and Prime Video) is a drama about chefs competing in a cooking competition, starring Ahn Hyo Seop .

The Perfect Lie (October 30th, MBC and Disney+) is a psychological thriller starring Yoo Yeon Seok and Seo Hyun Jin . It tells the story of a surgeon and a dance teacher who are caught in a web of truth and falsehood after their seemingly perfect first date.

On the same day, October 30th, Netflix released Dead-End Job, an 8-episode fantasy horror series starring Lee Jae Wook and Go Min Si. The series tells the story of a debt-ridden young man who takes a high-paying job at a mysterious company, only to gradually fall into a series of terrifying nightmares.

Source: Compiled from various sources.