Summer Dramas & Shows

2026 Summer Dramas & Shows — What to Watch First This Summer

As July begins, Netflix and terrestrial broadcasters have simultaneously released new productions. From an occult historical drama set in a palace, a crime drama uncovering apartment corruption, to a thriller about a former hospital director fighting to save his wife, the genres are diverse. With a variety show that has been airing on Sunday evenings for 16 years also in the mix, this summer is a season with the enjoyable dilemma of choosing "what to watch first." This page is a curation hub that offers an overview of new dramas and summer variety shows, and more detailed information such as character profiles, episode details, and binge-watching tips will follow on each show's dedicated page.

At a Glance — 2026 Summer New Release Calendar

With terrestrial broadcasters and OTT platforms releasing new productions in quick succession from early to mid-July and continuing into early August, the second to third week of July will be the peak season for this summer's content. Each work will be covered in more detail in the sections below.

Netflix·OTT New Release — Donggung

Donggung is a dark fantasy historical drama set in a palace. It tells the story of Gucheon (Nam Joo-hyuk), who has the ability to slay ghosts, and court lady Saenggang (Noh Yoon-seo), who harbors a secret, as they receive the king's (Jo Seung-woo) command to uncover the curse lingering in Donggung. All 8 episodes will be released simultaneously on Netflix on July 17th. It has garnered significant attention as Nam Joo-hyuk's first comeback project after his military discharge and Jo Seung-woo's first appearance in an OTT series. The setting, which crosses between the real world and the world of ghosts (鬼), is an extension of the K-occult trend seen in historical and thriller dramas in recent years. Another advantage is that with all episodes released at once, it can be binge-watched in a single weekend day. Character introductions and episode-by-episode viewing points will continue on the Donggung page.

Meanwhile, JTBC's Saturday-Sunday drama Apartment will be exclusively streamed for re-watching on Netflix after its broadcast concludes. This means if you miss the original broadcast or want to binge-watch it, you can catch it on OTT regardless of the broadcast schedule.

Terrestrial Broadcast New Releases — Apartment·The Completion of Marriage

Apartment is a JTBC Saturday-Sunday drama about a former gangster who runs for apartment residents' association president, aiming for illicit gains, but unexpectedly uncovers corruption within the complex and becomes a hero. With a solid lineup including Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Park Byung-eun, and Moon So-ri, it premiered on July 11th and airs two episodes every Saturday and Sunday night, totaling 12 episodes. The setting, which brings the familiar living space of an apartment into a crime drama, is a key viewing point.

The Completion of Marriage is a crime thriller starring Namkoong Min, returning to KBS after 7 years, as Kang Tae-joo, a former neurosurgeon and hospital director. It tells the story of his wife being kidnapped just before their divorce, leading him to fight criminals to save her. It began airing on July 4th, has been cruising with viewership ratings exceeding 6%, and is scheduled to conclude on August 9th. As the first among the summer new releases to start and finish, viewers can catch the ending ahead of other new works. Episode-by-episode viewing points will continue to be covered on The Completion of Marriage page.

Key Viewing Points for Binge-Watching This Summer

• Donggung is perfect for binge-watching if you set aside an entire weekend day, as all 8 episodes are released simultaneously. If historical dramas are unfamiliar, following the central relationship between the King (Jo Seung-woo) and Gucheon (Nam Joo-hyuk) will make the story easier to grasp.
• Both Apartment and The Completion of Marriage air on Saturday and Sunday, so you can watch two shows back-to-back if you catch them live. Since The Completion of Marriage started first, it's better to catch up on this one first if you're curious about the ending.
• All three works share the common genre of crime and mystery, but they have different tones. Donggung features a supernatural curse, Apartment deals with everyday corruption, and The Completion of Marriage is a kidnapping/medical thriller, each offering different kinds of tension. If you alternate between them instead of sticking to one genre, you won't get bored all summer long.
• Apartment has Netflix re-streaming, making it easy to catch up even if you miss the original broadcast. Conversely, for The Completion of Marriage and Donggung, you need to keep track of the schedules for each broadcaster/platform.

Summer Variety Shows·Shows — Running Man 16th Anniversary

SBS Running Man celebrated its 16th anniversary on July 11, 2026, since its first broadcast on July 11, 2010. Earlier, on April 26, 2026, it broke the record for the first variety show in history to surpass 800 episodes, once again cementing its status as one of the longest-running variety shows in Korea. To mark its 16th anniversary, a celebratory video featuring current members like Yoo Jae-suk, Ji Suk-jin, Kim Jong-kook, Haha, Song Ji-hyo, Yang Se-chan, and Ji Ye-eun, as well as past cast members like Cha Tae-hyun, Yoo Yeon-seok, and Kang Hoon, was released, delighting long-time fans. Running Man airs every Sunday at 6:10 PM, maintaining its position as a great weekend variety show to accompany the new dramas.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. When and how can I watch Netflix's 〈Donggung〉? A. All 8 episodes will be released simultaneously on Netflix on July 17, 2026. It is an occult mystery historical drama starring Nam Joo-hyuk, Noh Yoon-seo, and Jo Seung-woo.

Q. Can I watch JTBC's 〈Apartment〉 on Netflix as well? A. Yes. Netflix exclusively streams it for re-watching, separate from its JTBC Saturday-Sunday night broadcast. If you miss the original broadcast, you can binge-watch it on Netflix.

Q. How many episodes is 〈The Completion of Marriage〉 and when does it air until? A. It is a KBS 2TV Saturday-Sunday mini-series that started on July 4th and concludes on August 9th. It is a crime thriller starring Namkoong Min as a former neurosurgeon and hospital director.

Q. Among the new summer dramas, which one should I watch first? A. There's no fixed answer, but a good sequence would be to catch up on The Completion of Marriage first, as it started earliest and finishes first, then set aside a weekend day to binge-watch Donggung, and finally consistently follow the weekly episodes of Apartment.

Q. Is Running Man still airing? A. Yes. It first aired on July 11, 2010, celebrated its 16th anniversary on July 11, 2026, and new episodes are broadcast every Sunday at 6:10 PM.

Web Verification: Source + Reuse/Additional Verification Summary

• Reuse (Maintain Existing Verification): Reuse information as is from Summer2026Calendar-ko.md for Donggung (Netflix release July 17, Nam Joo-hyuk·Noh Yoon-seo·Jo Seung-woo, 8 episodes)·Apartment (JTBC Sat/Sun drama, premieres July 11, Ji Sung·Ha Yoon-kyung·Park Byung-eun·Moon So-ri, 12 episodes, Netflix exclusive re-streaming)·The Completion of Marriage (KBS 2TV July 4~August 9, Namkoong Min). Festival and girl group sections excluded as they do not fit the nature of this page (dtree=drama·show).
• New Verification (Added in this task):
  • Articles about "Vacance Club (Yoo Jae-suk·Nana)" from tvN and other summer variety shows (e.g., issueinsight.co.kr, single low-quality source, casting·scheduling both "(working title)"·unconfirmed) failed cross-verification — not supported by WebSearch re-search either → excluded and not adopted (principle of preventing fabrication).
  • Instead, Running Man 16th Anniversary was verified and adopted: First broadcast date July 11, 2010 (Wikipedia) confirmed → basis for calculating July 11, 2026 as the 16th anniversary secured. Breaking 800 episodes on April 26, 2026, release of 16th-anniversary congratulatory video (including current members·past cast list), and weekly Sunday 6:10 PM broadcast cross-checked with SBS/YouTube·Namuwiki.
  • Information not supported despite two WebSearch re-verifications (many new tvN·MBC·SBS variety shows besides Vacance Club) was discarded and not included in the main text.