Son Ye-jin returns to Netflix K-dramas with a story of seduction, power, and deceit

South Korean actress Son Ye-jin is set to make her highly anticipated return to K-dramas with 'The Scandal,' a new Netflix production scheduled for release on September 18, 2026. This marks her first television role in four years, following her international success in dramas like 'Crash Landing on You' and 'Something in the Rain.'

The series is set in Korea's Joseon Dynasty and centers on Lady Cho, portrayed by Son Ye-jin. Lady Cho is depicted as a noblewoman whose intelligence and ambitions exceed the societal limitations placed upon women of her era. She proposes a dangerous bet to Cho Won, a notorious libertine of Joseon, played by Ji Chang-wook. This wager draws in Hui-yeon (NANA), a virtuous widow, who becomes entangled in a game of seduction she never sought.

'The Scandal' draws inspiration from the 1782 French epistolary novel 'Les Liaisons dangereuses' by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The story was previously adapted into the acclaimed 2003 South Korean film 'Untold Scandal,' which transposed the narrative to the Joseon era. This new Netflix series offers a fresh interpretation of the classic tale.

Directed by Jung Ji-woo, known for films such as 'Eungyo' and 'Tune in for Love,' 'The Scandal' is his first venture into streaming series. The drama promises a compelling narrative filled with seduction, high-stakes gambles, and hidden secrets, unfolding within a society governed by strict behavioral norms, particularly for aristocratic women. The series will consist of eight episodes.