2026 Summer K-Drama Guide — Complete July & August Airing Lineup

For viewers pondering "What should I watch?" in the summer of 2026, we have gathered all the K-dramas premiering in July and August in one place. From broadcasters and platforms to premiere dates, cast, and key highlights to watch out for, we have collected only the essentials so you don't have to go searching through schedules one by one. (The information below is based on official announcements and press releases from each broadcaster and production company, and schedules are subject to change.) 5 Highly Anticipated Works This Summer 1. Chilling Romance — tvN (Sat-Sun, July 18) Cast: Park Eun-bin (Cheon Yeo-ri, Hotel CEO), Yang Se-jong (Prosecutor Ma Kang-wook), Ong Seong-wu (Kang Min-hwan)Genre: Occult romance investigative drama (Based on the movie of the same name)Key Highlights: The story unfolds as a chaebol heiress who sees ghosts and hears their voices teams up with a prosecutor who digs into unsolved cases. With a unique combination of romance, occult, and investigation, it has garnered attention even before its broadcast as Park Eun-bin's next project. 2. A Shop for Killers Season 2 — Disney+ (July, 8 Episodes) Cast: Lee Dong-wook, Kim Hye-jun (Returning from Season 1), Jo Han-sun, Geum Hae-na, etc. returning / New additions: Hyunri (Mercenary Team Leader Q), Masaki Okada (Jay), Jung Yun-ha (Kusanagi)Genre: ActionKey Highlights: A full-scale action Season 2 that continues the critical acclaim of Season 1. As the East Asian mercenary organization 'Babylon' enters as the central axis, a new power dynamic and the tense relationship between brother mercenaries are added. An 8-episode series released twice a week. 3. Flex X Cop 2 — SBS (Late July) Cast: Ahn Bo-hyun (Parachute Detective Jin Yi-soo), Jung Eun-chae (Violent Crimes Team 1 Leader Joo Hye-ra · replacing Park Ji-hyun from Season 1)Genre: Comic action investigative dramaKey Highlights: The second season of the refreshing investigative drama where an irresponsible chaebol heir acts as a violent crimes detective. Ahn Bo-hyun returns as Jin Yi-soo, bringing a new dynamic to Violent Crimes Team 1. 4. My Bias Employee — tvN (Early August) Cast: Kang Hoon (Kang Ha-gi), Kim Hye-jun (New Employee Nam Da-reum), Cha Woo-min (Director Lee Chan), ITZY's YunaGenre: Romantic Comedy (Based on the popular Naver webtoon "My Oppa is an Idol")Key Highlights: An office romance intertwined between a tough-on-the-outside, soft-on-the-inside CEO, a bubbly new employee, and a 'once-in-a-millennium idol' director. The solid fandom of the original webtoon and idol-turned-actress Yuna's second acting challenge are points of interest. 5. New Recruit 4: Sabotage — ENA (August 24) Cast: Kim Min-ho and all original members from Season 1 returning (Nam Tae-woo, Kim Yo-han, Lee Sang-jin, Jo Jin-se, etc.)Genre: Military ComedyKey Highlights: A rare Season 4 where the original lineup returns exactly as is without any cast changes. The series' strength of portraying the familiar space of the military with relatable reality and laughter continues. July–September Premiere Broadcast Calendar In addition to the highly anticipated works, various new series will launch from summer to early autumn. Below is a summary in order of their premiere dates (Schedules and dates are subject to change). PremiereTitleBroadcaster/Platform7/3A Shop for Killers Season 2Disney+7/4Completion of MarriageKBS27/6Family Relations CertificateMBC7/11ApartmentJTBC7/13Dream for YouENA7/18Chilling RomancetvN7/25Love is ComingKBS27/31Flex X Cop 2SBS8/3My Bias EmployeetvN8/22Final TableJTBC8/24New Recruit 4: SabotageENA8/29Four HandstvN9/5Another Romance But YouKBS29/14Even the 1st Prize Lottery Winner Goes to WorktvN At a Glance by Platform tvN: Chilling Romance (7/18) · My Bias Employee (8/3) · Four Hands (8/29) — Strong in Sat-Sun/Mon-Tue romance/comedySBS: Flex X Cop 2 (7/31) — Seasonal comic investigative dramaDisney+: A Shop for Killers Season 2 (July) — Full-scale actionENA: Dream for You (7/13) · New Recruit 4 (8/24) — Comedy/MilitaryTerrestrial/JTBC: Completion of Marriage · Family Relations Certificate · Apartment · Love is Coming, etc. featuring diverse slice-of-life and mystery Choose Like This and You Won't Regret It If you want lighthearted flutters → My Bias Employee (Webtoon-based office rom-com)If you want a unique genre combination → Chilling Romance (Occult+Investigation+Romance)If you're craving refreshing action → A Shop for Killers Season 2, Flex X Cop 2If you want to laugh and relate → New Recruit 4: Sabotage Summer new releases see their rankings change quickly depending on word-of-mouth after the first broadcast. Once airing begins, we will reorganize and update focusing on the most talked-about works. Check out the Drama category for more works, and the Netflix category for global hits. It's also great to browse through recently trending works like Get Schooled.