As the curtains closed on another successful year of Korean dramas, the 2025 SBS Drama Awards on December 31st served a dual purpose. The award ceremony honored the best of 2025 and gave a preview of what’s to come in 2026.
The show was hosted by veteran Shin Dong Yup alongside rising stars Chae Won Bin and Heo Nam Jun, who themselves will headline new SBS dramas this year. SBS unveiled exclusive first looks at the network’s most exciting upcoming series.
Doctor X: Age of White Mafia
SBS is bringing a beloved franchise to Korea with”Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia,” a Korean adaptation of the popular Japanese series. The show’s first special teaser, unveiled at the awards ceremony, instantly captured viewers’ attention.
Kim Ji Won, who also graced the awards as a presenter, stars as the brilliant and bold surgeon Gye Su Jeong. Nicknamed the “mad dog of the operating room,” she is dispatched to the corrupt Gu Seo University Hospital from a physician-for-hire agency.
In a powerful first look, Su Jeong rejects the traditional white coat. She arrives in a black leather jacket and challenges the hospital’s rigid hierarchy with a simple, defiant declaration: “I object”. In short, it is about a genius surgeon battling a corrupt system.
In addition, Lee Jung Eun plays Jang Hee Sook, the head of the staffing agency. Son Hyun Joo portrays the hospital director trying to save the failing institution. Kim Woo Seok rounds out the lead cast as a privileged intern.
“Doctor X: Age of the White Mafia” is scheduled to premiere in October 2026, airing in SBS’s prestigious Friday-Saturday timeslot.
Flex X Cop Season 2
The chaebol detective returns with a new partner in the follow-up season of the beloved action comedy. “Flex X Cop” Season 2 will air this year on SBS. Ahn Bo Hyun reprises his role as Jin Yi Soo, the immature third-generation chaebol who surprisingly found his calling as a detective in Season 1.
After completing formal training at the police academy, Jin, now a full-fledged detective returns to the Violent Crimes Uni. There, he finds that his new team leader is his former “devil instructor” from the academy, Joo Hye Ra. This new partner and supervisor is played by Jung Eun-chae, who joins the cast following the departure of Park Ji Hyun due to scheduling conflicts.
The original director and writer are returning, so expect chaotic chemistry when the show arrives in 2026. The new duo appeared as presenters at SBS Drama Awards on the final day of 2025.
Sold Out Again Today
Host Chae Won Bin gave fans a preview of her next project,”Sold Out Again Today,” at the very ceremony she was leading. The romantic comedy follows an unlikely pair: Matthew Lee (Ahn Hyo Seop), a hardworking farmer nicknamed “Quail” who cherishes his quiet life, and Dam Ye Jin (Chae Won Bin), a top show host with severe insomnia.
The teaser showed their explosive first meeting, with Ye Jin crashing into Matthew’s peaceful farm to demand his rare white flower mushrooms. Her relentless “bulldozer” personality immediately clashes with his desire for solitude.
“Sold Out Again Today” is set to air in spring 2026.
Brave New World
Another SBS Drama Awards hosting MC, Heo Nam Jun, is set to star in the unique fantasy romantic comedy “Brave New World”. The drama stars “The Glory” fame Lim Ji Yeon in a dual role as Sin Seo Ri, a struggling actress, and the spirit of a vicious Joseon-era royal concubine who possesses her body.
Heo Nam Jun plays Cha Se Gye, a ruthless modern-day conglomerate heir who enters a love-hate relationship with this “legendary villainess” now navigating the 21st century. This fresh premise combines historical intrigue with modern-day corporate drama.
The 12-episode drama, “Brave New World,” will begin airing on SBS in May.
Manager Kim
Billed as an “everyman revenge blockbuster,” “Manager Kim” marks the return of legendary actor So Ji Sub to the network for the first time in 13 years, since the hit drama Master’s Sun. The drama follows the life of a seemingly ordinary single father who works as a quiet, unassuming manager at a small savings bank. In reality, he is actually a former elite North Korean special forces agent who has been blacklisted, so his existence in South Korea is extremely risky.
His peaceful routine is completely overturned when his daughter, Min Ji, is kidnapped. With no other choice, he abandons his gentle façade and puts his life on the line as he faces old enemies to rescue his daughter.
So Ji Sub is joined by two powerful supporting characters. Choi Dae Hoon plays Sung Han Soo, a former taekwondo gold medalist and undercover agent who now runs a local martial arts studio. Yoon Kyung Ho stars as Park Jin Chul, once a feared and uncontrollable presence on the battlefield, now living a quiet life as a devoted father.
Set to premiere in 2026 in the highly competitive Friday–Saturday time slot, Manager Kim is already being described as a “mature blockbuster.”
Good Partner 2
Good Partner 2 picks up the story of Cha Eun Kyung, played by Jang Nara. She is now the lead attorney at Korea’s first law firm dedicated entirely to divorce cases. In the new season, she opens her own firm called Spring Again.
At the awards show, a special teaser showed Eun Kyung looking calm, stylish, and confident. In one key moment, she says, “Just trust me.” Her new partner, played by Kim Hye Yoon, enters the scene and replies without hesitation, “No. Trust me.
The exchange sets the tone for the season. The two lawyers are equally strong, equally confident, and clearly headed for both rivalry and teamwork.
Phantom Lawyer
Phantom Lawyer follows Yoo Yeon Seok as Shin Yi Rang, a lawyer who unexpectedly gains the ability to see and be possessed by ghosts.
After moving his office into a former shaman’s space, spirits seeking justice begin to appear in his life. These are souls who cannot rest until their stories are heard.
His path crosses with Han Na Hyun, played by Esom. She is a top lawyer who believes only in logic and facts. Her perfect win record is broken when she loses a case to Shin Yi Rang. Faced with things she cannot explain, her rigid worldview begins to crack, both professionally and emotionally.
Set to premiere in March 2026, the drama focuses on justice, loss, and healing.
