2026’s Biggest K-Drama Ends A 26-Year Drought For Song Hye-kyo

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The upcoming K-drama, expected to be the biggest of 2026, marks a significant return for Song Hye-kyo, a veteran of Korean television. Before her recent success with The Glory on Netflix, Song Hye-kyo was already a well-known and beloved actress in South Korea, starring in many classic K-dramas. Now, with increased international attention, she’s experiencing a new wave of popularity after a 26-year gap.

K-dramas have evolved significantly since they first gained international popularity. Streaming services are now heavily investing in them, and the massive success of Squid Game has especially encouraged Netflix to create even more Korean shows across different genres. While other platforms are also expanding their offerings, Netflix is leading the way with a major new K-drama, Tantara, starring Song and Gong Yoo.

Tantara Gives Song Hye-kyo Her First Friends-To-Lovers Romance Since Autumn In My Heart

So, this new Netflix project, originally called Slowly, Intensely, is really grabbing my attention. It’s about the Korean entertainment world, and it looks like it’s going to be a pretty raw look, starting way back in the 60s and 70s. It follows an aspiring musician, Min-ja, played by Song, and her friend Dong-gu, who eventually joins her in the industry. From the first glimpses, it seems like Song and Gong have amazing chemistry – a dynamic Song hasn’t really gotten to explore on screen for a while now, which is exciting!

As a big fan of Song Hye-kyo, I was so excited to see her in a classic friends-to-lovers story in Tantara – it’s been almost 30 years since she last played that kind of role! The last time was way back in Autumn In My Heart, after the years had passed and her character, Eun-seo, reunited with Jun-seo, finally realizing they weren’t siblings, but before her illness. While The Glory did have a romantic element, it wasn’t really the main point, you know? It felt more like a side story that helped move Moon Dong-eun’s revenge plot along.

Song Hye-kyo’s K-dramas often feature romances built on situations that bring the characters together quickly – like being forced to live together (Full House), destined connections (Encounter), or workplace relationships (Descendants Of The Sun, Hotelier, Worlds Within). But she hasn’t often played a couple that develops feelings slowly, starting as friends with hidden tension. Her new drama, Tantara, is different – Min-ja and Dong-gu begin as friends and gradually fall in love.

Why Tantara Is Already The Biggest K-Drama Of 2026 (Even Though It Hasn’t Released Yet)

Netflix

Korean TV and movies have become increasingly popular in North America and Europe recently. This is largely thanks to streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount, which are now investing more in South Korean content. While many new faces are emerging, it’s especially exciting to see established stars like Song and Gong collaborating on a major new series.

The recent surge in popularity of K-dramas in the West often overshadows the fact that the industry was already successful for years beforehand. Actors Song and Gong were major stars during that earlier period of regional popularity. Because of this, some viewers of the streaming service Tantara who may have lost interest in Korean dramas might be drawn back in by seeing these well-known actors in this new Netflix series.

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2026-02-21 22:32