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K-Drama

The Highest-Rated K-Dramas on Terrestrial TV in 2026

2026년 지상파 최고 시청률 드라마

SBS's Agent Kim Reactivated drew the biggest audience of 2026 so far, 23.1% of Korean households on July 18. This ranks the 20 terrestrial dramas with the highest nationwide household rating on any episode aired from January 1 to November 9, 2026.

Data as of

Close-up of a man in round glasses turning up his collar in the rain, with the SBS logo and the title 김부장
Pictured: a still from SBS's first teaser for #1 Agent Kim Reactivated (김부장), which peaked at 23.1%.
The 20 terrestrial Korean dramas with the highest nationwide household rating on a 2026 episode, as of November 9, 2026
Rank Drama Network Slot Peak rating (%) Peak date Premiered Status Source
1Agent Kim Reactivated김부장SBSFri–Sat23.1%Jul 18, 2026Jun 26, 2026Ended Jul 251, 4
2Our Golden Days화려한 날들KBS2Weekend20.5%Jan 25, 2026Aug 9, 2025Ended Jan 251, 5
3Doctor X: Mafia in White닥터 X: 하얀 마피아의 시대SBSFri–Sat19.5%Oct 24, 2026Oct 9, 2026Ongoing1, 8
4Recipe for Love사랑을 처방해 드립니다KBS2Weekend18.0%Mar 8, 2026Jan 31, 2026Ended Jul 191, 6
5Love on the Menu사랑이 온다KBS2Weekend16.7%Oct 18, 2026Jul 25, 2026Ongoing1, 7
6Taxi Driver 3모범택시3SBSFri–Sat14.2%Jan 3, 2026Nov 21, 2025Ended Jan 101, 9
7Perfect Crown21세기 대군부인MBCFri–Sat13.8%May 16, 2026Apr 10, 2026Ended May 161, 10
8The Judge Returns판사 이한영MBCFri–Sat13.6%Feb 13, 2026Jan 2, 2026Ended Feb 141, 11
9Marie and Her Three Daddies마리와 별난 아빠들KBS1Daily12.6%Mar 2, 2026Oct 13, 2025Ended Mar 271, 12
10My Royal Nemesis멋진 신세계SBSFri–Sat11.8%Jun 20, 2026May 8, 2026Ended Jun 201, 13
10Flex X Cop 2재벌X형사2SBSFri–Sat11.8%Sep 19, 2026Aug 7, 2026Ended Sep 191, 14
12Our Happy Days기쁜 우리 좋은 날KBS1Daily11.7%Jul 23, 2026Mar 30, 2026Ended Sep 171, 15
13Mission: Mompossible엄마가 미쳤어요KBS1Daily10.9%Nov 9, 2026Sep 28, 2026Ongoing1, 15
14A Graceful Liar친밀한 리플리KBS2Daily10.7%Feb 5, 2026Sep 22, 2025Ended Feb 201, 15
14A Bona Fide Killer유부녀 킬러MBCFri–Sat10.7%Sep 12, 2026Jul 31, 2026Ended Sep 121, 15
16Phantom Lawyer신이랑 법률사무소SBSFri–Sat10.0%Mar 28, 2026Mar 13, 2026Ended May 21, 15
17Pearl in Red붉은 진주KBS2Daily9.4%Mar 3, 2026Feb 23, 2026Ended Aug 71, 15
18The Husband결혼의 완성KBS2Sat–Sun8.5%Aug 9, 2026Jul 4, 2026Ended Aug 91, 15
19A Trap Called Desire욕망의 덫KBS2Daily8.0%Sep 14, 2026Aug 10, 2026Ongoing1, 15
20To My Beloved Thief은애하는 도적님아KBS2Sat–Sun7.7%Feb 21, 2026Jan 3, 2026Ended Feb 221, 15

Ratings are Nielsen Korea's nationwide household figures for each program's best daily result among episodes aired January 1 to November 9, 2026.1 Only terrestrial dramas (KBS, MBC, SBS) are ranked: the Nielsen Korea cable and general-programming pages weren't reachable, so tvN, JTBC and other cable dramas aren't included. Nielsen's daily list shows only each day's top 20 programs, so a drama that never reached that list can't appear. Specials, previews and binge re-runs are left out. Four rows began before January 1, 2026 (Our Golden Days, Taxi Driver 3, Marie and Her Three Daddies and A Graceful Liar), and only their 2026 episodes count. "Slot" is the broadcaster's own: weekend and Sat–Sun are KBS2's weekend slots, Daily is Monday to Friday. Ties share a rank. Status follows Wikipedia's 2026 television list.23

The top 10

#1

Agent Kim Reactivated 김부장

23.1%

SBS aired this 10-episode Friday–Saturday revenge thriller from June 26 to July 25, 2026. It peaked at 23.1% on July 18 and ended at 23.0%, the 2026 high for any terrestrial drama in this list.14

It adapts the Naver Webtoon Manager Kim by Jeong Jong-taek and Toy and stars So Ji-sub (소지섭) as a retired covert agent working as a bank employee and single father. Studio S and Fantagio produced it.4

#2

Our Golden Days 화려한 날들

20.5%

KBS2 aired this family drama on weekends from August 9, 2025 to January 25, 2026. Its 20.5% peak came on the finale, up from 19.6% on January 18.15

Jung Il-woo (정일우), Jung In-sun (정인선) and Yoon Hyun-min (윤현민) star, with a script by So Hyun-kyung (소현경).5

#3

Doctor X: Mafia in White 닥터 X: 하얀 마피아의 시대

19.5%

SBS premiered this Friday–Saturday medical noir on October 9, 2026, and the October 24 broadcast drew 19.5%, its highest so far. It is still airing, so this figure can move.18

Kim Ji-won (김지원) plays a surgeon who proves her worth through skill. The series adapts TV Asahi's Doctor-X: Surgeon Michiko Daimon and streams on Netflix.8

#4

Recipe for Love 사랑을 처방해 드립니다

18.0%

KBS2 ran the 2026 weekend drama from January 31 to July 19. It reached 18.0% on March 8, then held between about 13% and 16% on weekends through June and July.16

Jin Se-yeon (진세연) and Park Ki-woong (박기웅) star as childhood friends whose families have been rivals since their grandparents' generation.6

#5

Love on the Menu 사랑이 온다

16.7%

The newest KBS2 weekend drama premiered on July 25, 2026 and is still airing; its 16.7% peak came on October 18.17

Hani (하니) and Ha Seok-jin (하석진) star as two ex-lovers who reunite after eight years, in a script by Lee Kyung-hee (이경희).7

#6

Taxi Driver 3 모범택시3

14.2%

The third and final season of SBS's vigilante drama ran from November 21, 2025 to January 10, 2026. Its 2026 peak, 14.2%, came on January 3.19

Lee Je-hoon (이제훈) stars as Kim Do-gi, a former special-forces captain who drives for the Rainbow Taxi Company; the series is based on the webtoon The Deluxe Taxi.9

#7

Perfect Crown 21세기 대군부인

13.8%

MBC aired the 12-episode romantic comedy from April 10 to May 16, 2026, and the finale set its 13.8% peak.110

IU (아이유) and Byeon Woo-seok (변우석) star in a story about a marriage contract between a chaebol heir and a grand prince in a fictional constitutional monarchy; Kakao Entertainment co-produced.10

#8

The Judge Returns 판사 이한영

13.6%

MBC's Friday–Saturday legal drama aired from January 2 to February 14, 2026, reaching 13.6% on February 13, the day before its finale.111

Ji Sung (지성) plays a judge who returns to the past to change his fate; it is based on the Naver series of the same name by Lee Hae-nal.11

#9

Marie and Her Three Daddies 마리와 별난 아빠들

12.6%

The highest-rated daily drama in this list ran on KBS1 on weekday evenings from October 13, 2025 to March 27, 2026, and hit 12.6% on March 2.112

Ha Seung-ri (하승리) stars as a woman who learns she was conceived through sperm donation and sets out to find her father.12

#10

My Royal Nemesis (tie) 멋진 신세계

11.8%

SBS's fantasy romantic comedy aired from May 8 to June 20, 2026, and its 11.8% peak came on the finale. It shares the rank with Flex X Cop 2, whose own finale on September 19 drew the same figure.11314

Lim Ji-yeon (임지연), Heo Nam-jun (허남준) and Jang Seung-jo (장승조) star as a Joseon-era villainess whose soul transmigrates into a modern actress.13 Flex X Cop 2 (재벌X형사2) returned Ahn Bo-hyun (안보현) as a chaebol-turned-detective, with Jung Eun-chae (정은채) joining as a new team leader.14

Sources

  1. Nielsen Korea, TV ranking, terrestrial daily Top 20, nationwide households (전국, 가구시청률), one page per day from January 1 to November 9, 2026 (November 10 not yet published), retrieved 2026-11-11.
  2. Wikipedia, 2026 in South Korean television, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  3. Wikipedia, 2025 in South Korean television, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  4. Wikipedia, Agent Kim Reactivated, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  5. Wikipedia, Our Golden Days, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  6. Wikipedia, Recipe for Love, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  7. Wikipedia, Love on the Menu, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  8. Wikipedia, Doctor X: Mafia in White, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  9. Wikipedia, Taxi Driver, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  10. Wikipedia, Perfect Crown, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  11. Wikipedia, The Judge Returns, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  12. Wikipedia, Marie and Her Three Daddies, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  13. Wikipedia, My Royal Nemesis, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  14. Wikipedia, Flex X Cop, retrieved 2026-10-18.
  15. Wikipedia articles for the remaining titles, used for their Hangul titles and network: Our Happy Days, A Graceful Liar, A Bona Fide Killer, Mission: Mompossible, Phantom Lawyer, Pearl in Red, The Husband, A Trap Called Desire, To My Beloved Thief, retrieved 2026-10-18.