Key takeaways
- JTBC announced four dramas for 2026-2027: Final Table, God's Beads, Gold Digger, and Human X Gumiho.
- The slate spans culinary competition, historical military drama, contemporary romantic thriller, and fantasy rom-com genres.
- Final Table features Korean chefs competing in "The Table: K-Chef 2026," while Human X Gumiho pairs Jun Ji Hyun and Ji Chang Wook in a supernatural romance.
- God's Beads explores a 1258 expedition during the Goryeo dynasty's 30-year conflict with Mongolia, searching for sacred relics.
JTBC released a comprehensive teaser video on September 4 introducing four dramas slated for the remainder of 2026 and throughout 2027.
Final Table: Korea’s Greatest Culinary Battle
The announcement opens with “Final Table,” a drama centered on Korean culinary talent recruited from across the world to participate in an unprecedented competition. Ahn Hyo Seop, Hong Hwa Yeon, Chang Ryul, and Jung Yoo Jin comprise the cast of this competition-driven narrative. The story tracks these accomplished chefs as they converge to participate in “The Table: K-Chef 2026,” a high-stakes survival competition designed to crown the finest Korean chef among the participants. The premise emphasizes the competitive stakes inherent in such a tournament—advancement requires culinary excellence and strategic performance, while elimination removes competitors from further rounds.
God’s Beads: Sacred Relics and Medieval Warfare
Goryeo Under Siege
JTBC further unveiled “God’s Beads,” a historical drama designated as a “military action romance.” The setting is 1258, a period marking the peak intensity of the Goryeo dynasty’s prolonged 30-year military engagement with the Mongolian empire. This backdrop of national crisis and cultural threat grounds the drama’s central conflict. The narrative balances intimate human stories against the backdrop of a civilization under siege.
The Expedition’s Mission
Against this backdrop of widespread warfare spanning three decades, the narrative follows an expedition team undertaking a dangerous and pivotal mission to locate and recover the nation’s sacred relics—artifacts of both spiritual and political significance to Goryeo’s cultural survival. Simultaneously, a princess launches her own courageous campaign to protect and preserve these same treasures, creating parallel storylines of heroism and sacrifice that interweave the personal stakes of individual characters with the broader survival of the nation itself during its most vulnerable hour. Ahn Bo Hyun, Lee Sung Min, Claudia Kim, and Ha Yun Kyung anchor the cast in these interconnected roles of duty, courage, and devotion to country.
Gold Digger: A Cross-Cultural Romance Adaptation
JTBC’s roster includes “Gold Digger,” a Korean-language remake adapting the British series of the same name into a local context. The premise centers on a fateful meeting between a younger man and a financially successful, middle-aged woman, with the narrative structured around her internal struggle: is his approach rooted in genuine love or is it a calculated deception designed to exploit her wealth and position? Kim Hee Ae plays Min Young Joo, a publishing company CEO whose professional accomplishment and personal vulnerability drive the emotional core of the story. Noh Sang Hyun takes the role of Jung Jae Hee, a freelance designer whose involvement with Min Young Joo creates the charged emotional dynamic that defines the drama’s central relationship.
Human X Gumiho: Mythological Encounters and Fantasy Romance
Gu Ja Hong, the Nine-Tailed Fox
The final teased drama is “Human X Gumiho,” a fantasy rom-com pairing Jun Ji Hyun and Ji Chang Wook. Jun Ji Hyun inhabits Gu Ja Hong, a character embodying both supernatural and public dimensions—specifically, a gumiho, the nine-tailed fox from Korean mythology, and an accomplished actress. The gumiho’s fundamental nature enables her to bewitch humans through seduction, establishing the supernatural premise within the romantic framework.
Choi Seok, the Shaman with Mysterious Appeal
Ji Chang Wook portrays Choi Seok, a gifted shaman who directs the Osung Museum. His character represents the human element, one equipped with mystical knowledge and heightened spiritual sensitivity—attributes rare in the mortal world. More distinctively, Choi Seok possesses an irresistible quality that draws mythical creatures toward him, establishing a supernatural dynamic inverse to the gumiho’s seductive power. The drama’s core concept places these two figures—a supernatural being capable of enchanting humans and a human who attracts mythical entities—meeting at “the intersection of fate,” initiating their rom-com arc as two beings each accustomed to their own supernatural magnetism encounter one another.
JTBC’s Multifaceted Season
JTBC’s four-title preview for the 2026-2027 season demonstrates deliberate variety in genre and tone: culinary competition drama, historical military romance, contemporary romantic thriller, and supernatural fantasy rom-com. This range reflects a network strategy aimed at engaging multiple viewer demographics across the coming year and beyond. Broadcast times and episode details remain unannounced as of the September 4 teaser reveal, with the network likely to disclose additional information in the approaching months.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the premise of Human X Gumiho?
Human X Gumiho is a fantasy rom-com featuring Jun Ji Hyun as Gu Ja Hong, a gumiho (nine-tailed fox) and actress, and Ji Chang Wook as Choi Seok, a shaman and Osung Museum director, who meet at the intersection of fate.
Who stars in Gold Digger and what is its plot?
Gold Digger stars Kim Hee Ae as Min Young Joo, a publishing company CEO, and Noh Sang Hyun as Jung Jae Hee, a freelance designer, in a story exploring whether his romantic approach is genuine or a calculated deception.
When and where is God's Beads set?
God's Beads is set in 1258 during the Goryeo dynasty's 30-year military conflict with the Mongolian empire, following an expedition team searching for the nation's sacred relics.
