The 7 Best K-dramas of 2026 So Far

Some people mistakenly describe K-dramas (even the best K-dramas) as soap operas. While daytime shows certainly exist in Korea—typically airing Monday through Friday for about 50 to 200+ episodes—the K-drama umbrella covers a multitude of genres. Read more in my latest article for Teen Vogue.

“Teach You a Lesson” (참교육)

There is a contingent of people who do not approve of adults hitting children. I am one of those people. But I also recognize that in a fictional setting like this, it can be incredibly cathartic to watch morally reprehensible youngsters getting their comeuppance — especially for real-life victims of school violence whose lives were treated as dispensable by those who were supposed to protect them.

“The Scarecrow” (허수아비)

Based on the real-life Hwaseong Serial Killer who brutally murdered 15 South Korean girls and women from 1986-1994, The Scarecrow covers much of the same ground as Bong Joon-ho’s 2003 film Memories of Murder. But this K-drama more than holds its own, adding fictional twists to keep viewers engaged and guessing.

“Phantom Lawyer” (신이랑 법률사무소)

In one of the most delightfully clever K-dramas of 2026, Yoo Yeon-seok portrays Shin Yi-rang, a smart attorney who no one will hire. Why? Because his now-deceased father had been accused of being a corrupt prosecutor, and no law firm wants to have their company associated with those allegations.