9 New K-Dramas Coming in October 2026: Release Dates, Cast & Where to Watch
October is shaping up to be one of the busiest months for K-drama fans in 2026.
The month brings a little bit of everything, from romantic comedies and healing romances to historical spy stories, medical noir, psychological thrillers, and even a cooking competition drama.
There are also several major actors returning to the screen, including Choo Young-woo, Kim So-hyun, Kim Ji-won, Kim Young-kwang, Chae Soo-bin, Kim Yo-jung, Park Jin-young, Ahn Hyo-seop, and Yim Si-wan.
If you are already wondering what to add to your October watchlist, here are the confirmed K-dramas arriving throughout the month.
1. Your Personal Taxi
October begins with one of the more unusual dramas on the list.
Your Personal Taxi stars Cha Tae-hyun as a mysterious taxi driver whose passengers do not simply hail his cab from the street. They make reservations in advance, and every passenger comes with a personal story and a song they want to hear during the journey.
Lee Yeon-hee, Im Se-mi, and Joo Jong-hyuk also star in the Korean Japanese production.
The drama has a healing, slice-of-life concept, with each taxi ride offering another personal story rather than following one conventional romance or thriller plot.
Aired: October 1, 2026
No. of Episodes: 8
Cast: Cha Tae-hyun, Lee Yeon-hee, Im Se-mi, Joo Jong-hyuk
Streaming Platform: Netflix
2. Between Steps
Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun are heading into a much softer kind of romance with Between Steps.
Choo Young-woo plays Park Min-jae, a former swimmer who loses his right leg because of illness and later becomes a robotics PhD student. Kim So-hyun plays Im Yoo-jin, a graduate student whose own career plans take an unexpected turn.
The two meet through their robotics research, and their relationship gradually develops while both try to figure out what they actually want from life.
With its healing storyline and romance, the drama is already attracting attention as a warmer side of Choo Young-woo after some of his more intense recent roles.
Aired: October 5, 2026
No. of Episodes: 12
Streaming Platform: Disney+
3. Take Charge of My Heart
Take Charge of My Heart has one of the strangest romantic comedy concepts arriving this month.
Kim Young-kwang plays a man whose heart depends on an artificial device to keep functioning, while Chae Soo-bin plays the woman who unexpectedly becomes connected to his unusual condition.
The drama mixes romance, comedy, and fantasy while placing the two leads in a situation where their relationship becomes much more literal than the usual “you make my heart race” K-drama line.
The Netflix series is based on the web novel Recharge Me and is scheduled to release all 12 episodes on October 9.
Aired: October 9, 2026
No. of Episodes: 12
Cast: Kim Young-kwang, Chae Soo-bin
Streaming Platform: Netflix
4. Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia
Kim Ji-won is making her highly anticipated return after Queen of Tears with a very different kind of character.
Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia follows a brilliant surgeon who refuses to play by the rules of a corrupt medical establishment.
The drama combines medical storytelling with noir elements, putting Kim Ji-won's character in conflict with powerful figures inside the hospital system.
The trailers have already shown a much colder and more dangerous side of the actress, making this one of the month's biggest comeback dramas.
Aired: October 9, 2026
No. of Episodes: 12
Cast: Kim Ji-won, Kim Woo-suk, Lee Jung-eun, Son Hyun-joo
Streaming Platform: SBS, Netflix
5. 100 Days of Deception
Kim You-jung and Park Jin-young are entering a completely different world in 100 Days of Deception.
Set during the Japanese occupation of Korea, the period spy romance follows Lee Ga-kyeong, a talented pickpocket who becomes involved with the independence movement and goes undercover inside the Japanese Government-General.
There, she crosses paths with Kim Tae-woong, played by Park Jin-young, an interpreter who is caught between his position inside the Japanese administration and the growing suspicions surrounding Ga-kyeong.
The story combines espionage, romance, and hidden identities, with the title referring to the limited period in which their dangerous deception unfolds.
Aired: October 10, 2026
No. of Episodes: 16
Streaming Platform: tvN, Netflix
6. Make Me Tingle
Nam Ji-hyun and Kim Jae-young are bringing one of October's most unusual rom-coms.
Make Me Tingle follows Gong Yeon-su, played by Nam Ji-hyun, a woman raised in an extremely conservative family despite working as a trend-savvy marketer.
Her carefully controlled world changes when she encounters Dokgo Dal, played by Kim Jae-young, the CEO of a sex toy startup.
The unusual setup gives the drama plenty of room for comedy, awkward situations, and a clash between Yeon-su's traditional beliefs and Dal's very different world.
Aired: October 15, 2026
No. of Episodes: 10
Cast: Nam Ji-hyun, Kim Jae-young, Kang Tae-ju, Park So-jin
Streaming Platform: TVING
7. Love in Disguise
Yim Si-wan and Seol In-ah are mixing romance with a murder investigation in Love in Disguise.
Yoon Yi-jun, played by Yim Si-wan, is a third-generation chaebol heir who suddenly becomes a murder suspect.
Kang Jae-hee, played by Seol In-ah, is a former special forces officer who goes undercover as his personal secretary to investigate him.
The situation becomes even more complicated as the investigator and her suspect start developing feelings for each other.
The drama is based on the web novel and webtoon Why Don't You Know She's a Woman? It will premiere on October 19.
Aired: October 19, 2026
No. of Episodes: 12
Cast: Yim Si-wan, Seol In-ah, Kim Jung-hyun, Yeonwoo
Streaming Platform: tvN, Prime Video
8. Final Table
Ahn Hyo-seop is trading romantic dramas for the kitchen in Final Table.
The JTBC drama follows talented Korean chefs from around the world as they compete in a high-stakes culinary competition called The Table: K Chef 2026.
Ahn Hyo-seop plays Kang Han, a mysterious chef who has spent much of his career working overseas. After an unexpected incident, he enters the competition while representing restaurant Familia.
He soon finds himself competing against other highly skilled chefs, including Cha Woo-jin, played by Chang Ryul.
Aired: October 24, 2026
No. of Episodes: 12
Cast: Ahn Hyo-seop, Hong Hwa-yeon, Chang Ryul, Jung Eugene
Streaming Platform: JTBC, Prime Video
9. The Perfect Lie
October ends with a psychological thriller starring Yoo Yeon-seok and Seo Hyun-jin.
The Perfect Lie follows Kang Ji-sun and Min Joon-ho, a couple whose relationship suddenly becomes complicated when they give completely different accounts of the same incident.
Instead of simply asking who committed a crime, the drama builds its mystery around a much more basic question: which version of the story is actually true?
The series also marks the reunion of Yoo Yeon-seok and Seo Hyun-jin, who previously appeared together in Dr. Romantic around a decade ago. The Korean drama is scheduled to premiere on October 30.
Aired: October 30, 2026
No. of Episodes:
Streaming Platform: MBC
Final Thoughts
October 2026 is looking seriously packed for K-drama fans.
This month's lineup offers plenty of variety, so viewers can move from the healing romance of Between Steps to Kim Ji-won's darker Doctor X, then switch completely into historical espionage with 100 Days of Deception.
Rom-com fans also have plenty to look forward to with Take Charge of My Heart, Make Me Tingle, and Love in Disguise.
And if you prefer mystery, Final Table and The Perfect Lie bring something very different to the October schedule.
With major stars, unusual premises, and several highly anticipated comebacks, October could easily become one of the busiest K-drama months of 2026.
Which October K-drama are you planning to watch first?
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