SEOUL, South Korea — This year’s Chuseok holiday is giving Korean entertainment fans plenty of reasons to stay home and keep watching.
With terrestrial television schedules heavily occupied by coverage of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, streaming platforms are filling the holiday with new dramas, variety programs and mystery entertainment. Among the biggest names are Hyun Bin, Son Ye-jin and Gian84, whose latest projects offer very different ways to spend the extended break.
From a political thriller set in 1979 to a Joseon-era drama filled with hidden desires—and even a bizarre mountain inn—the Chuseok lineup has something for viewers looking for suspense, historical drama, comedy or mystery.
Hyun Bin returns with ‘Made in Korea’ Season 2
First up is Disney+’s “Made in Korea” Season 2, starring Hyun Bin.
All six episodes became available just before the Chuseok holiday, allowing viewers to watch the entire season rather than waiting week after week for new episodes.
The story jumps forward nine years from the first season.
Hyun Bin returns as Baek Ki-tae, who has risen to become a powerful figure within the Korean Central Intelligence Agency after building a drug empire. His ambitions put him on a collision course with prosecutor Jang Geon-yeong, played by Jung Woo-sung, while his younger brother Baek Ki-hyun, portrayed by Woo Do-hwan, is pulled into the conflict.
The six-episode season unfolds against the turbulent political period between the October 26 incident and the December 12 military coup, using fictional characters to portray power struggles associated with the era.
Director Woo Min-ho has described the second season as having a more consistent tone and visual identity than the first, aiming to make the six episodes feel like one extended film.
For viewers who prefer intense political noir and historical tension, the complete season arrives at exactly the right time for a holiday binge.
Son Ye-jin returns to period drama
Meanwhile, Son Ye-jin is taking viewers back to Joseon with Netflix’s “The Scandal.”
Released on September 18, the eight-part series marks Son’s first period-drama role in 24 years, following her appearance in the 2002 film Chihwaseon.
The series reimagines the 1782 French novel “Les Liaisons dangereuses” in Joseon-era Korea.
Son plays Lady Jo, an aristocratic woman searching for greater self-realization. She proposes a secret game involving love to her cousin Jo-won, played by Ji Chang-wook.
Their scheme draws Hee-yeon, a young widow played by Nana, into a complicated relationship that changes the course of her life.
The drama also distinguishes itself visually, incorporating traditional Korean elements including pansori performances, folk paintings and elaborate hanbok costumes.
At the centre of the story is the contrast between what characters reveal publicly and what they keep hidden—a dynamic that creates much of the show’s psychological tension.
Gian84 takes viewers to a bizarre winter inn
For viewers wanting something lighter, Netflix’s “Kian’s Bizarre B&B 2” brings a very different kind of holiday entertainment.
The second season moves from the sea off Ulleungdo, where the first season was set, to the snowy mountains of Daegwallyeong.
And this time, the accommodation has a strange twist: ordinary household objects and furniture have been made unusually enormous, creating the feeling of a giant’s world.
Gian84 is joined by Kim Yeon-koung, Lee Jun-ho and Kazuha, along with other guests.
The cold mountain setting provides the backdrop for conversations, comedy and unexpected relationships as the participants spend time together. The second season premiered on September 22.
Mystery fans have another option
Viewers looking for something more investigative can turn to Wavve’s “Legendary Investigators.”
The program premiered on Wednesday and combines entertainment with forensic investigation, revisiting major past criminal cases using modern investigative techniques.
Among the experts participating are crime scientist Pyo Chang-won, former National Police Agency Forensic Science Center chief Lee Moon-kuk, and bloodstain-pattern-analysis specialist Lee Sang-yoon.
Rather than simply discussing old cases, the program recreates crime scenes and uses forensic methods to examine evidence and reconstruct what happened.
Chuseok becomes a streaming marathon
The timing of the releases is significant.
With a longer holiday giving viewers more time to watch multiple episodes in succession, Korean streaming platforms have assembled a lineup that covers several very different genres.
“Made in Korea” Season 2 offers political noir and historical drama.
“The Scandal” combines period drama, romance and psychological intrigue.
“Kian’s Bizarre B&B 2” provides variety entertainment and comedy.
And “Legendary Investigators” brings forensic mystery into the mix.
Other Korean outlets have similarly highlighted Made in Korea 2, The Scandal and Kian’s Bizarre B&B 2 as major Chuseok viewing options, reflecting the breadth of new OTT programming arriving around the holiday.
This year’s Chuseok streaming lineup is therefore less about finding one show to watch—and more about deciding which world to disappear into first.
WWC ONE MEDIA G,A
