FanAsia has rounded up a selection of new Korean series set to premiere in May 2026.

Read more: New Korean Dramas: April 2026

"My Royal Nemesis" 

(Brave New World, 멋진신세계, Wicked World)

Premieres 08.05.2026
14 episodes, SBS

Cast: Im Ji Yun, Heo Nam Joon

A top royal concubine of the Joseon era, known as the “national seductress” Shin So Ri, is sentenced to death by poisoning. After her death, she is transported to the 21st century. There she meets Cha Se Ge, a chaebol heir dubbed a “capitalist monster” for his arrogance and cruelty. The clash between these two extraordinary personalities ignites a fierce struggle for power and love.

Read more here, here, here

"Kitchen Soldier"

(Becoming a Cooking Soldier Legend, 취사병 전설이 되다, Become A Chef Legend)

Premieres 11.05.2026
12 episodes, TVING

Cast: Park Ji Hoon, Yoon Kyung Ho, Han Dong Hee, Lee Hong Nae, Jung Woong In

Park Ji Hoon plays a new army recruit assigned to the regimental kitchen. His culinary talents initially draw only mockery from his fellow soldiers, but soon become the secret weapon of his entire company. Yoon Kyung Ho transforms into a despotic yet charming sergeant major who hates instant noodles. Chaos, provocations, escapes from the base in search of rare spices, and battles over canned stew – every episode is filled with military absurdity and warm humour. In the finale, the hero not only masters the art of army life but also uncovers a web of military corruption and dangerous secrets possibly linked to his father’s death.

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"Azure Spring"

(아주르 스프링)

Premieres 11.05.2026
6 episodes, MBN, TVing, WAVVE

Cast: Yeri, Kang Sang Joon

In their final year of university, an aspiring nature photographer and a solo traveller receive a mysterious assignment: to shoot an uninhabited island that appears on maps only once every few decades. Yeri plays an anxious young woman used to planning every step, while Kang Sang Joon portrays a cheerful adventurer who believes in signs of fate. Together they set sail on an old boat into dangerous waters, where instead of romance they face storms, a lack of fresh water and secrets left by previous explorers. Gradually, their clashing personalities lead not only to mutual support but also to their first real love.

"The WONDERfools" 

(The Wonder Fools, 더 원더 풀스)

Premieres 15.05.2026
8 episodes, Netflix

Cast: Park Eun Bin, Cha Eun Woo, Kim Hae Sook

On the eve of the new year 2000, the most absurd predictions from cheap glossy horoscopes begin coming true all over the planet – someone suddenly starts flying, while someone else accidentally erases the memory of an entire city block. Park Eun Bin plays a reserved high school girl who gains the ability to hear other people’s thoughts – at the very moment she least wants it. Cha Eun Woo appears as a cocky pretty boy whose superpower is triggering uncontrollable laughter in others at the worst possible times. Kim Hae Sook plays a retired physics teacher who tries to bring order to this chaos and save the world from a “digital apocalypse” threatening to erase all data about humanity. The heroes realise that their “gifts” often do more harm than good, yet it is precisely in this absurdity that the key to salvation lies. This is a nostalgic, crazy and very kind comedy about how real miracles happen to those who are not afraid to look foolish.

Read more here, here, here

"Fifties Professionals" 

(Fifty Percent 50%, Fifty Pro, 오십프로, Fifties Professionals)

Premieres 22.05.2026
10 episodes, MBC

Cast: Shin Ha Kyun, Oh Jung Se, Heo Sung Tae

Three men in their late forties used to be top special agents:

Jung Ho Myung (Shin Ha Kyun) – a former best agent of the South Korean NIS, a strategist whose physical and mental powers are no longer what they used to be, keenly feeling the world’s injustice and dreaming of a small business without bosses.

Pong Jae Song (Oh Jung Se) was North Korea’s finest special agent, but now suffers nightmares about dressing as a woman, and his depression over life grows daily.

Kang Bom Ryung (Heo Sung Tae) – a former gangster from Hwasanpa, an IT specialist who now runs a small shop, in the basement of which he keeps a server room made of old hardware.

All three decide to found their own agency that will do exactly half the work for half the price. Their first deal – arranging a funeral for a local crime boss – sets off a chain of criminal and comedic events where every percentage point of profit has to be clawed back with their teeth. This is a bitter-sweet drama about a midlife crisis, true male friendship, and the fact that starting from zero is never too late – even when your zero looks like a complete failure.

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"Reborn Rookie" 

(New Employee Chairman Kang, 신입사원 강회장, Chairman Kang, The New Employee)

Premieres 30.05.2026
12 episodes, jTBC

Cast: Son Hyun Ju, Lee Joon Young, Jung Chae Yeon, Jun Hye Jin, Jin Goo

The 70-year-old chairman of a large conglomerate, Kang (Son Hyun Ju), built his company single-handedly and is now known as the God of Business. One day he encounters footballer Hwang Jun Hyung (Lee Joon Young), and after an accident their souls are swapped. The chairman, trapped in the young man’s body, goes to work at his own company as a new employee.

Read more here, here