January 2026 offers Korean drama fans a strong lineup of new series across Netflix, Viki, Prime Video, SBS, and more. Building on Netflix's announced 2026 slate, highlights include fantasy romance 'No Tail to Tell' and the previously spotlighted 'Can This Love Be Translated?', both arriving January 16, alongside workplace thrillers, reality dating, and more spanning genres.
January 2026 kicks off with diverse K-dramas blending fantasy, romance, comedy, suspense, and reality TV, available internationally on platforms like Netflix, Viki, Prime Video, SBS, tvN, and MBC.
Early in the month:
'The Judge Returns' premiered January 2 on MBC, starring Ji Sung in a fantasy-legal revenge drama.
'To My Beloved Thief' launched January 3 on Viki, a Joseon-era historical romance involving thievery and palace intrigue.
'Spring Fever' began January 5 on tvN and Prime Video, a 12-episode healing story set in rural surroundings.
Mid-month highlights on January 16:
Netflix and SBS debut 'No Tail to Tell', starring Kim Hye-yoon as a gumiho (mythical nine-tailed fox) who meets soccer player Kang Si-yeol (Lomon). Blending Korean folklore, humor, and romance, it has generated buzz from trailers.
Also on Netflix, 'Can This Love Be Translated?'—previously featured in Netflix's 2026 lineup announcements—arrives as a Hong Sisters rom-com. Multilingual interpreter Joo Ho-jin (Kim Seon-ho) teams with actress Cha Mu-hee (Go Youn-jung) during a reality TV project, leading to romance amid language barriers.
January 17 brings:
'Undercover Miss Hong' weekly on Netflix post-Korean broadcast, with Park Shin-hye as financial inspector Hong Geum-bo infiltrating a securities firm. It mixes corporate suspense and humor, marking her TV comeback.
Rakuten Viki streams 'Positively Yours', a webtoon adaptation starring Choi Jin-hyuk and Oh Yeon-seo, about two commitment-phobes dealing with a one-night stand's consequences.
Finally, Netflix's 'Single’s Inferno' Season 5 premieres January 20, the popular reality dating show on a deserted island entering its fifth season.
