tvN’s new Saturday-Sunday drama “오싹한 연애” (“Ossakhan Yeonae,” roughly “Chilling Romance”) is set to premiere July 18, 2026, taking over one of Korean television’s most closely watched programming slots — the tvN weekend drama block that has launched numerous hit series in recent years and functions as a reliable barometer for which shows the network is betting on as flagship titles.
The series blends romance and thriller genre elements, a hybrid approach that has become increasingly common in Korean drama programming as networks look for ways to differentiate weekend slate offerings from straightforward melodrama or comedy, aiming to capture audiences drawn to genre-blending, tonally unpredictable storytelling over more conventional romantic narratives.
tvN’s weekend drama slot carries particular strategic weight within CJ ENM’s broader content portfolio, given the network’s established track record of using the slot to launch titles that go on to perform strongly in both domestic ratings and international streaming syndication — meaning “Ossakhan Yeonae’s” performance in its opening weeks will likely be read by industry observers as a signal of the network’s programming instincts heading into the back half of 2026.
The July premiere timing places the series in a competitive mid-summer environment, arriving alongside a broader wave of new drama launches, webtoon-based IP adaptations, and returning franchise content all vying for viewer attention during what is traditionally a slower ratings period for Korean television compared to the spring and fall premiere seasons.
Further casting and plot details continued to roll out ahead of the premiere, with tvN’s promotional rollout following the network’s typical pattern of staged teaser releases building anticipation in the weeks before a flagship weekend drama’s debut.
Source: tvN 2026 drama programming schedule, “오싹한 연애” July 18 premiere announcement.
