Cast, plot and release date guide to Netflix’s historical drama ‘The Scandal’
Want the lowdown on The Scandal—who’s in it, what it’s about, and when you can watch?
Ambition, seduction and score‑settling move from 18th‑century France to Joseon‑era Korea in The Scandal, where a powerful noblewoman, Lady Cho, proposes a perilous wager to the notorious rake Cho Won. The target is Hui‑yeon, a young widow whose reputation becomes the currency in their game — and the collateral damage when it spirals.
Who’s in it
- Son Ye-jin — Lady Cho. Known to U.S. viewers from Netflix ’s Crash Landing on You, she’s also appeared in Something in the Rain and A Moment to Remember, and starred in Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice, which received a standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival.
- Ji Chang-wook — Cho Won. Recently in the film Colony, his credits include The Manipulated, Suspicious Partner, The K2 and The Worst of Evil.
- Nana — Hui-yeon. The former After School member has appeared in Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, The Swindlers, The Good Wife, Into the Ring and Glitch.
From page to palace intrigue
The series reimagines Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ 1782 novel Dangerous Liaisons in a Korean historical setting. It follows the path of the 2003 film Untold Scandal — another Korean take on the same source — but spins its own web of rivalries, temptation and revenge inside rigid court etiquette.
A first teaser is out now: Cho Won closes in on Hui‑yeon while Lady Cho watches from the shadows, and that “friendly” bet starts to look like a trap with life‑altering consequences.
The Scandal premieres September 18, 2026 on Netflix.
The season runs eight episodes, bringing its courtly mind games and romantic fallout to Netflix’s growing slate of Korean dramas. The teaser is streaming now.