The Scandal hits Netflix on September 18, 2026, with all 8 episodes dropping worldwide at 5PM KST.
Son Ye-jin plays Lady Cho, Ji Chang-wook plays Jo Won, and the series reworks Dangerous Liaisons into a Joseon-era romance rated 19+.
This post covers the date and time, the cast, the story it adapts, and what the adult rating means for viewers outside Korea.
Contents
- The Scandal Netflix release date and time
- What The Scandal is about: Dangerous Liaisons in Joseon
- Cast: Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook, Nana
- From the 1782 novel to the 2003 film
- Why it is rated 19+ and what that means
- How to watch: all 8 episodes at once
The Scandal Netflix release date and time
The Scandal premieres on Netflix on Friday, September 18, 2026.
The drop happens at 5:00 PM KST, which is early morning in Europe and the middle of the night in the US.
All 8 episodes arrive at once, so there is no weekly waiting after the first hours.
Netflix released the teaser poster and trailer in late August, and the cast confirmed the date at the September 9 production press conference in Seoul.
Mark the Friday evening if watching in KST, or set the alarm for the exact local time once converted.
| Release date | Friday, September 18, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Release time | 5:00 PM KST, worldwide |
| Episodes | 8 (single drop) |
| Platform | Netflix only |
| Rating | 19+ (adults, Korean rating) |
| Director | Jung Ji-woo |
| Writers | Lee Seung-young, Ahn Hye-song |
What The Scandal is about: Dangerous Liaisons in Joseon
The story centers on a dangerous wager between two aristocrats in late Joseon.
Lady Cho, a sharp woman boxed in by the rules of the era, proposes a scandalous love bet to Jo Won, the kingdom’s most famous playboy.
The person caught between them is Hui-yeon, a young widow forced into strict widowhood after losing her husband before the wedding ceremony.
Jo Won and Lady Cho are cousins who exchanged letters in childhood, lost contact, and reconnect when she starts the bet.
The setting is Bukchon, the Seoul quarter where the scholar-official class lived.
Director Jung Ji-woo has said he wanted more than a straightforward melodrama, portraying characters with modern self-identity who defy the taboos of their time.
Cast: Son Ye-jin, Ji Chang-wook, Nana
Son Ye-jin leads as Lady Cho, her first period drama in 24 years.
She has described the character as layered, where the demure surface, the spoken words, and the real thoughts all differ.
Ji Chang-wook plays Jo Won, the man of pleasure who has filled the years since losing contact with Lady Cho.
Nana plays Hui-yeon, the widow at the center of the bet, and this is her first-ever sageuk role.
Kang Chan-hee, Han Sun-hwa, and Son Jung-hyuk appear in supporting parts.
The September 9 press conference was attended by the director and the three leads, and a making-of video followed on September 10.
From the 1782 novel to the 2003 film
The Scandal adapts Dangerous Liaisons, the 1782 French novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, into a Joseon setting.
That makes the source material 244 years old at this point.
The series also connects to the 2003 Korean film Scandal: Joseon Namnyeo Sangyeoljisa, which starred Bae Yong-jun, Lee Mi-sook, and Jeon Do-yeon, released 23 years ago.
The director has said the relationship between Lady Cho and Hui-yeon is something no earlier version of the story created.
Another signature choice is the pansori framing, with the series opening and closing with the traditional narrative singing form.
Why it is rated 19+ and what that means
The Scandal carries a 19+ rating in Korea, confirmed at the September 9 press conference.
Asked about the intensity, director Jung Ji-woo answered, "You may look forward to it."
The 19+ label is a Korean classification, so viewers outside the country will see Netflix’s own maturity rating for their region instead.
What that label is in each country has not been announced, so check the rating shown on the series page in your own Netflix account.
The rating fits the source material, since Dangerous Liaisons is a story of manipulation and seduction between adults.
👉 Made in Korea 2 release date Sept 9, 2026 — 6 episodes, weekly Disney+ schedule
How to watch: all 8 episodes at once
The Scandal is a Netflix exclusive, with no Korean TV broadcast beforehand.
The full 8-episode season drops at once, not weekly, on September 18 at 5:00 PM KST.
One subscription is enough, since the series streams in every Netflix region at the same moment.
Episode runtime has not been published, so plan viewing time generously if finishing in one sitting.
A Netflix making-of video from September 10 offers a preview of the three leads’ chemistry and the pansori sequence.
👉 Netflix’s Korean period drama lineup and upcoming premiere dates
👉 Production press conference coverage including the 19+ rating announcement
👉 Cast interviews and character details for the series
Related posts
📎 Reawaken Man The Red release date confirmed for Sept 30, 2026
📎 A Love Other Than Yours where to watch: Prime Video, Sept 12, 14 Episodes
📎 📅 다가오는 일정 — 발매·개봉·발표 캘린더
Sources
- Per-episode runtime not found in 6-month-window sources (cineplay.co.kr)
- No results (wikitree.co.kr)
- Sept 9 press conference at JW Marriott Dongdaemun; director (xportsnews.com)
What to line up next on your watchlist
- Convert 5PM KST September 18 to your local time before the premiere date.
- Check your regional maturity rating on the series page once it is live.
- Expect the full 8-episode season available from minute one.
- The series works as an entry point to the 2003 film and the original 1782 novel.
FAQ
Q. When does The Scandal with Son Ye-jin come out on Netflix?
Friday, September 18, 2026, at 5:00 PM KST, released worldwide at the same time.
Q. How many episodes does The Scandal have?
Eight episodes, all released at once as a full-season drop.
Q. Is The Scandal rated 19+?
Yes, it carries a 19+ rating in Korea, confirmed at the September 9 press conference.
Q. Is The Scandal based on Dangerous Liaisons or the 2003 film?
Both. It reworks the 1782 French novel into Joseon and also serves as a new version of the 2003 Korean film of the same story.
Q. Where can viewers watch The Scandal?
Only on Netflix, with no Korean TV broadcast, available worldwide simultaneously.
Set a reminder for September 18, 2026, 5PM KST, and the full 8-episode season of The Scandal is there the moment it opens.
Cover photo: Historical Korean fortress architecture, Hwaseong — CC0 1.0
#TheScandalNetflix #TheScandalreleasedate #SonYe-jin #JiChang-wook #K-drama2026 #DangerousLiaisonsadaptation #NetflixK-drama #sageukromance #TheScandal19+rating #K-dramaSeptember2026
📅Upcoming Dates — 이번 주 16 · D-day 'The Scandal' global Netflix release전체 보기 →
