The Husband ( is a 2026 South Korean romantic thriller television series written by Jung Jae-ha, directed by and Kim Min-tae, and starring Namkoong Min, Lee Seol, Lee Sang-hee and Kim Dae-myung. The series centered around Kang Tae-ju, a man who becomes both a fugitive and a pursuer after his estranged wife is kidnapped the day after they agree to divorce. To save her from a ruthless criminal, he is forced into a desperate struggle that uncovers deep-seated secrets surrounding their marriage.
Produced by Red Nine Pictures and KBS Media, it aired on KBS2 from July 4, to August 9, 2026, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Disney+.
Synopsis The life of neurosurgeon and hospital director Kang Tae-ju is upended following a discussion of divorce with his estranged wife, Ko Se-yun, the chairwoman of Uri Hamkke Hospital. The following day, Se-yun is abruptly kidnapped, plunging Tae-ju into an extreme crisis. The abduction is orchestrated by Noh Man-hee, a criminal operating under the guise of a local academy director. As Tae-ju desperately fights to save his wife from the perpetrators, he becomes entangled in a volatile web of deception that forces him to simultaneously operate as a fugitive from the law and a pursuer of the kidnappers. Along the way, he encounters Kim Kyung-ae, a mysterious woman who appears before the captive Se-yun, exuding a strange, unsettling presence despite her kind behavior.
Cast and characters Main Namkoong Min as Kang Tae-ju, director of Uri Hamkke Hospital and a neurosurgeon Lee Seol as Ko Se-yun, Tae-ju's wife and chairwoman of Uri Hamkke Hospital Kim Dae-myung as Noh Man-hee, owner and operator of a computer academy Lee Sang-hee as Kim Kyung-ae, a mysterious woman who suddenly appears before Se-yun Park Byung-eun as Lee Soo-hyung, a former police officer who runs a private investigation agency
Supporting Se-yun's family Jang Gwang as Go Dong-chan, Se-yun's father and the founder of Uri Hamkke Hospital Oh Min-ae as Choi Suk-young, Se-yun's mother
Tae-ju's family Cha Mi-kyung as Yoo Jung-won, Tae-ju's mother Kwon Hyuk as Kang Tae-young, Tae-ju's brother
People of Uri Hamkke Hospital Woo Ji-hyun as Choi Chi-woong, Deputy Director and a neurosurgeon Jo Yun-seo as Cha Myung-hee, a psychiatrist as Ha Jung-soo, Chief of Neurosurgery
Seongjin Police Station, Violent Crimes Team 1 as Jang Do-sik, Team Leader of Violent Crimes Team 1 at Seongjin Police Station as Choi Hyun-soo, an inspector of Violent Crimes Team 1 at Seongjin Police Station as Oh Seung-taek, the youngest member of Violent Crimes Team 1 at Seongjin Police Station
Production Development KBS announced a romantic thriller series penned by screenwriter Jung Jae-ha and helmed by director . Later, Kim Min-tae was added as co-director and co-produced by Rednine Pictures and KBS Media. The production received financial support from the Broadcasting and Telecommunications Development Fund of the Korea Media and Communications Commission.
Casting The casting process was revealed through several media reports throughout mid-2025. On May 13, Ilgan Sports reported that Namkoong Min would lead the series and marks a significant return to KBS following a string of award-winning performances on other networks. On September 18, Ilgan Sports reported that Lee Seol was cast to play the female lead. On November 20, SPOTV News reported Kim Dae-myung's addition to the project.
The full main cast line-up was officially finalized on May 27, 2026, with the inclusion of Lee Sang-hee.
Filming Principal photography began in November 2025.
Release In May 2025, The Husband was reported to be broadcast on KBS in 2026. By January 2026, Disney+ confirmed it is scheduled to be released on their platform in late 2026. It was confirmed that the series would premiere on KBS2 on July 4, 2026, airing every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST). This marked the revival of the KBS weekend miniseries time slot, which had been on hiatus for five months since the conclusion of To My Beloved Thief in February 2026.
Viewership
+ Average TV viewership ratings Original broadcast date Average audience share(Nielsen Korea)Nielsen Korea ratings:
Nationwide Seoul 1 July 4, 2026 4.0% 2 July 5, 2026 6.4% 5.5% 3 July 11, 2026 5.3% 4.9% 4 July 12, 2026 7.2% 6.7% 5 July 18, 2026 5.0% 4.4% 6 July 19, 2026 6.4% 6.0% 7 July 25, 2026 4.8% 8 July 26, 2026 7.3% 6.0% 9 August 1, 2026 7.5% 6.9% 10 August 2, 2026 7.2% 6.2% 11 August 8, 2026 7.5% 6.9% 12 August 9, 2026 Average In the table above, the represent the lowest ratings and the represent the highest ratings.
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