Most Anticipated K-Dramas of October 2026 and Where to Watch Them

October seems to be a very busy month for K-dramas fans. From romantic comedies to horror mysteries, every fan has something to pick from this month. It also sees the return of Kim Ji Won to our screens after two years. From Love in Disguise to Dead-End Job, the month is packed with highly anticipated releases.

Here are some of the K-dramas to look out for this month.

1. Between Steps

Premiere Date: October 5
Where to Watch: Disney+

The final work of late director Ahn Pan Seok, who is famous for Dramas such as Something in the Rain and One Spring Night is releasing this October.

The healing romance drama follows Park Min Jae (Choo Young Woo), a former swimmer who lost his leg to an illness. After his life as an athlete is over, he pursues a career in robotics. There, he meets Im Yoo Jin (Kim So Hyun), a graduate student who gave up on her dream of being a medical student. Together, they deal with their losses, insecurities and failures, finding comfort in each other.

Premiere Date: October 9
Where to Watch: SBS/Netflix

Kim Ji Won is back on screen as a genius surgeon.

The 12-episode medical drama is her first role after the success of Queen of Tears. A remake of the Japanese drama Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon, the story is about Gye Soo Jung, a skilled surgeon who takes on the corrupt forces in her hospital. Nicknamed the 'mad dog of the operating room', she reaches Guseo University Hospital plagued with rigid hierarchy and corrupt practices and starts exposing the corruption within the system. Kim Ji Won is joined by Lee Jung Eun, Son Hyun Joo and Kim Woo Seok in the cast.

Premiere Date: October 9
Where to Watch: Netflix

Netflix's Take Charge of My Heart is a romantic comedy starring Chae Soo Bin and Kim Young Kwang. Baek Ho Rang is a chaebol heir with an artificial heart. When his heart is running out of battery, he strikes a 3-month deal with Na Bo Bae, who can administer electric shock through physical touch.

Meanwhile, Bo Bae is a screenwriter who takes this opportunity to know more about dating and physical intimacy after finding someone immune to her touch. The 12-episode drama will see literal sparks as they both navigate their feelings and complexities in this temporary arrangement.

4. 100 Days of Deception

Premiere Date: October 10
Where to Watch: tvN/Netflix

We are going back to the 1930s.

100 Days of Deception is set in the Japanese colonial period, where Lee Ga Kyeong, a top pickpocket, goes undercover in the Japanese government for the Korean Independence Movement. She joins as an intern interpreter for 100 days where she gets entangled with the adopted son of the Inspector-General, Kim Tae Woong. The 16-episode period spy drama with Kim You Jung and GOT7's Park Jinyoung in the leads is sure to be a classic story of star-crossed lovers.

5. Make Me Tingle

Premiere Date: October 15
Where to Watch: Viki

What happens when conflicting values collide?

Make Me Tingle follows Gong Yeon Su (Nam Ji Hyun), a conservative woman who grew up in a strict household with traditional values. She meets her new client, Dokgo Dal (Kim Jae Yeong), a CEO of a sex toy company who has conflicting ideas about dating, intimacy and relationships. This chaotic romantic comedy will explore how they challenge each other’s values while developing unexpected feelings for each other.

Premiere Date: October 30
Where to Watch: Netflix

Would you take a job which pays 50 times more than the usual wage?

Lee Jae Wook's Byeon Hyeok Jun is a young man who is riddled with debt and struggling to make ends meet. That is when he discovers an employment agency, Spider Human Resource Agency, which offers part-time jobs that pay 50 times more. But the money comes with its own risks as Hyeok Jun gets dragged into a dangerous and bizarre world. The highly anticipated drama is a blend of horror and mystery and also stars Go Min Si and Kim Min Ha.

7. Love in Disguise

Premiere Date: October 19
Where to Watch: tvN/Prime Video

tvN's Love in Disguise is a romance thriller where Yoon Yi Jun, a third-generation chaebol heir, becomes the prime suspect in a murder case. Kang Jae Hee, a detective, goes undercover as his male personal secretary to investigate him from the inside. It stars Yim Si Wan and Seol In Ah in the lead roles.

8. Final Table

Premiere Date: October 24
Where to Watch: JTBC/Prime Video

If you thought Korean cooking survival shows were the best, now you have a K-drama that brings the same excitement to the small screen.

Final Table follows Kang Han (Ahn Hyo Seop), a mysterious overseas chef who is recruited by Familia restaurant. There, he crosses paths with Choi Song Yi (Hong Hwa Yeon), who takes charge of her family's restaurant after her father's sudden death and struggles to save the business. The two soon find themselves competing in The Table: K-Chef 2026, a survival competition to find the best chef in Korea.

With delicious food, high-stakes competition and plenty of drama, this new K-drama has all the ingredients for an entertaining watch.

Premiere Date: October 30
Where to Watch: MBC/Disney+

MBC’s The Perfect Lie is a psychological thriller where Min Joon Ho (Yoo Yeon Seok), a surgeon, and Kang Ji Sun (Seo Hyun Jin), a librarian, give conflicting accounts of the same memory. The couple begin to question everything they once knew, raising the suspense over who is lying and who is telling the truth. The drama sees the return of the Dr. Romantic couple as Yoo Yeon Seok and Seo Hyun Jin reunite on screen after a decade.

10. Merry Berry Love

Premiere Date: October 7
Where to Watch: Disney+

Ji Chang Wook is finally returning to romance!

After Netflix's The Scandal, Ji Chang Wook is now starring in a romantic comedy called Merry Berry Love. A Korean-Japanese co-production, the drama stars Imada Mio, the Japanese actress known for the film Tokyo Revengers, as the female lead. The story follows Lee Yu Bin (Ji Chang Wook), who travels to a remote Japanese island after struggling in Korea. There, he meets Karin Shirahama (Imada Mio), a strawberry farmer, and the two connect despite their different backgrounds.

As you wait for these upcoming K-dramas, check out ongoing dramas such as A Love Other Than Yours, Dive Into You, The Ordinary Jackpot and more.