Welcome back, K-drama Insiders! 💫

This intro will be much shorter than last week! I finished Family By Choice on Viki between newsletters and just started Our Sticky Love.

I really enjoyed Family By Choice, with a wonderful cast including Hwang In-youp, Jung Chae-yeon, and Bae Hyun-sung as the siblings, and Choi Won-young and Choi Moo-sung as their dedicated single dads.

This heartwarming slice-of-life family drama follows three non-biological siblings from early childhood into adulthood. It explores the challenges of growing up in single-parent households, how families without blood ties can form incredibly deep bonds and sometimes be more supportive than biological relatives, and how everyone has a chance at redemption. It is a sweet, steady story without a lot of over-the-top melodrama.

I’m only on episode 2 of Our Sticky Love, but I always enjoy Jung Hae-in’s dramas, so I’m sure this one will not disappoint. The premise: a new prosecutor gets herself into a sticky situation, loses her memory, and an old friend steps in to pretend to be her boyfriend in order to protect her from harm.

For comparison, I’m thinking Overboard with Goldie Hawn, only this time her character is a super-rich, overconfident prosecutor who is actually in danger.

I’ll keep you posted!

👉 What are you watching? Hit reply and let me know.

A Shop for Killers Season 2 surged to No. 1 in this week’s FUNdex TV-OTT drama buzz rankings, climbing two spots and increasing its Buzz Share from 12.45% to 20.07%. Lee Dong-wook also claimed the No. 1 spot in the performer rankings, with three of his co-stars joining him in the Top 10.

Two new dramas made strong entrances this week, with A Bona Fide Killer debuting at No. 2 and The Affair Was Just the Beginning entering at No. 6. Meanwhile, Spooky in Love moved up to No. 3, just 0.06 percentage points behind A Bona Fide Killer.

👉 See the full Top 10 rankings, performer buzz, streaming snapshot and this week’s takeaways

In case you missed it, the 5th Blue Dragon Series Awards were held July 31 at Paradise City in Incheon, celebrating the best in Korean streaming dramas and variety programming. The awards, launched in 2022, specifically recognize original content released through OTT streaming platforms.

Kim Go-eun took home the Daesang (Grand Prize) for You and Everything Else, while The Legend of Kitchen Soldier won Best Drama. Park Hae-soo won Best Actor for The Scarecrow, and Shin Hae-sun earned Best Actress for The Art of Sarah.

Other drama winners included Yoon Kyung-ho for Best Supporting Actor in The Legend of Kitchen Soldier, Park Bo-kyung for Best Supporting Actress in The Art of Sarah, Kim Jae-won for Best New Actor in Yumi’s Cells 3, and Jeon So-young for Best New Actress in If Wishes Could Kill.

The ceremony once again highlighted just how strong Korea’s streaming-original landscape has become, with Netflix, Disney+, TVING and other platforms represented across the major categories.

On August 5, tvN confirmed Kim Woo-bin as the lead of the upcoming drama Gifted (working title), based on the webtoon of the same name. He plays a former professional baseball coach who gains the ability to instantly recognize a player’s talent and winds up coaching a struggling high school team. The drama is expected in the second half of 2026.

This is one we missed in the last newsletter! Lee Chae-min and Roh Yoon-seo have been confirmed to reunite in the upcoming tvN romance My Reason to Die, based on the popular webtoon of the same name.

The story follows a man caught in a time loop who repeatedly tries to save the woman he loves. The drama will also reunite Lee Chae-min and Roh Yoon-seo after their previous appearance together in Crash Course in Romance. My Reason to Die is currently expected to premiere in 2027.

My Bias, My Boss (August 3 on tvN and Viki): A devoted fangirl joins a company to get closer to her longtime celebrity bias, but an unexpected new contender for her heart appears in the form of her handsome CEO. The tvN rom-com stars Kim Hye Jun, Kang Hoon, and Cha Woo Min, and will stream internationally on Viki.

Our Sticky Love (August 7 on Netflix): Starring Ha Young and Jung Hae-in, this feel-good romantic comedy follows an ambitious prosecutor who loses her memory and moves in with a boxing coach claiming to be her boyfriend. Unbeknownst to her, she is his first love and his lie may be the only thing keeping her safe.

Flex X Cop Season 2 (August 7 on SBS and Disney+ / Hulu): Wealthy heir turned detective Jin I-su returns to Violent Crimes Unit 1 after completing police academy training. He is partnered with Ju Hye-ra, his strict former academy instructor, and the two tackle high-stakes crimes while navigating frequent personality clashes.

👉 Are you watching any? Hit reply and let me know!

A Trap Called Desire (August 10 on KBS2, Kocowa, OnDemandKorea, Viu): A revenge melodrama about a woman falsely accused of murder who sets out to expose the truth and reclaim her stolen life. Starring Jang Seo-hee and Jeon Hye-won, the KBS2 daily drama airs Monday through Friday.

👉 Want to see what’s coming next?
Browse our full list of upcoming 2026 K-drama premieres.

김밥 (gimbap) is a popular Korean dish made by rolling rice with various types of vegetables and/or meat in a sheet of dried seaweed, then slicing it into bite-sized pieces.

김 (gim) = seaweed
밥 (bap) = rice

You often see K-drama characters eating gimbap at home, in restaurants, or even on the go. Unlike sushi, the rice is typically seasoned with sesame oil rather than sushi vinegar, and the fillings are usually cooked or preserved rather than raw fish.

👉 What is your favorite K-drama word or expression? Hit reply and let me know.

Among Seoul’s royal palaces, Changgyeonggung feels quieter and more intimate.

Originally established as Suganggung Palace in 1418 for the retired King Taejong, the palace was expanded in 1483 by King Seongjong as a residence for members of the royal family, especially queens, queen dowagers and other royal women.

Over the centuries, Changgyeonggung experienced fires, invasions, rebuilding and dramatic changes in purpose. During the Japanese colonial period, much of the palace was transformed into a zoo, botanical garden and public amusement park. Today, it is once again a royal palace, but traces of its many different lives remain.

👉 Explore Changgyeonggung Palace in this week’s full blog post…

This weekend, we’re celebrating dramas with characters and premises that are just a little outside the ordinary.

👉 Perfect for: Viewers who like offbeat ensembles, supernatural comedy and heroes who are anything but polished.

An unlikely group of ordinary people suddenly develops some very unusual abilities. It’s quirky, chaotic and definitely not your typical superhero story.

👉 Perfect for: Anyone in the mood for quirky workplace humor, oddball characters and a lighthearted romance.

Yes, it really is set at a potato research center. Add an eccentric group of coworkers, workplace comedy and an unexpected romance, and you have one of the more unusual drama settings around.

👉 Perfect for: Fans of supernatural rom-coms, college-age chaos and charmingly strange relationship setups.

A college student accidentally swallows the magical bead of a centuries-old gumiho, forcing the two of them into a very unconventional living arrangement.

👉 Which drama matches your weekend-watch personality?

Clay and Butterflies

Two art students keep circling back to each other.
She knows he is probably bad news.
He never promises forever.
Butterflies follow him everywhere,
but she may be the only one who finally makes him stay.

Can you guess the drama?

A. Crushology 101
B. Our Beloved Summer
C. Nevertheless
D. Love Alarm

A big Happy Birthday to this week’s birthday stars!

August 4: Jang Keun-suk: A longtime Hallyu star known for classics including You’re Beautiful and Love Rain.

August 5: Wi Ha-jun: Known internationally for Squid Game, The Worst of Evil, and The Midnight Romance in Hagwon.

August 6: Lee Ji-ah — Known for The Penthouse: War in Life, My Mister, and Queen of Divorce.

August 7: Rowoon: Former SF9 member and leading actor known for The King’s Affection, Destined With You, She Would Never Know, and The Murky Stream.

August 7: Jang Ki-yong: Known for My Roommate Is a Gumiho, The Atypical Family, and Dynamite Kiss.

Wishing them all a wonderful year filled with exciting roles, memorable performances and plenty of reasons to celebrate! 🎉

💙 Happy Birthday from all of us at Korean Drama Insider!

👉 What did you think of this week’s K-drama updates? Or, what are you watching right now? Hit reply and tell me.

Until next time… 💙
Do you believe in the magic of K-dramas?