Spooky in Love (2026)

Spooky in Love (Korean: 오싹한 연애) is a 2026 South Korean horror romantic comedy television series written by Choi Jung-mi, directed by Lee Min-soo and starring Park Eun-bin, Yang Se-jong, and Ong Seong-wu. Based on the 2011 film Spellbound, the series tells the story of a chaebol heiress who can see ghosts and causes anyone she touches to see them as well, and a prosecutor whose greatest fear is ghosts. It aired on tvN from July 18, to August 23, 2026, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Netflix.

Synopsis

Spooky in Love follows Cheon Yeo-ri, a chaebol heiress and hotel CEO who secretly sees ghosts and is haunted nightly by the spirits of people who died unjustly, and Ma Kang-wook, a prosecutor who investigates unsolved murder cases. After joining forces to solve paranormal cases, the two develop romantic feelings for each other.

Cast and characters

Main

Park Eun-bin as Cheon Yeo-ri

Heiress to a major national conglomerate and CEO of the Reina Hotel. She was a realistic girl who didn't believe in ghosts or the afterlife, but after a yacht accident, she began seeing ghosts. Driven by a desire not to harm others and the need to remain in the family's succession structure, she chose to isolate herself from everyone. She spent nearly a decade living in solitude, but the problem persisted because ghosts visited her from time to time. One day, while following one of them to the place where they had abandoned its body, she met prosecutor Ma Kang-wook. She eventually makes a deal with him.

Yang Se-jong as Ma Kang-wook

A prosecutor in the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office. He was demoted to the cold case unit after charging a politician's son with murder. While investigating an abandoned body, he repeatedly encounters Yeo-ri in the woods, which leads him to suspect her and learn of her secret.

Ong Seong-wu as Kang Min-hwan

Heir to the prestigious Korean hotel group CL Hotel & Resort Group and CEO of the CL Raymond Hotel. He appears polite and reasonable, but is described as ambitious and insecure. He seeks recognition and is willing to manipulate or harm others, including family members, to achieve it.

Supporting

Yeo-ri's family

Jo Hye-joo as Cheon Ha-ri

Yeo-ri's younger cousin, although she is not related by blood to President Baek Gyeong-ja, the head of the group, which puts her at a disadvantage in the race for succession. Because of this, she feels an inferiority complex towards Yeo-ri, whose position she covets.

Ye Soo-jung as Baek Gyeong-ja

Yeo-ri's grandmother and president of Reina Hotel & Resort, Korea's leading hotel chain. Yeo-ri is her only blood relative.

Baek Ji-won as Ok Gye-hee

Daughter-in-law of President Baek Gyeong-ja, and mother of Dong-jun and Ha-ri. She is the director of the Cheon Gallery. Her late husband was not her mother-in-law's biological son, but while President Baek, the conglomerate's founder and Gyeong-ja's husband, was alive, she enjoyed his immense favor and, therefore, the full support of the group's directors.

Lee Dal as Cheon Dong-jun

Yeo-ri's cousin and Ha-ri's older brother. An ambitious, straightforward man with a knack for intrigue, he craves success and ostentation.

Prosecutor's office people

Lee Chang-hoon as Go Pil-dong

An investigator at the Seoul District Prosecutors' Office.

Kim Min-ho as Son Hyeong-min

Im Chae-young as Lim Seo-hyeon

Min-hwan's family

Kim Seo-ra as Song Hee-won

Vice Chairman of the CL Hotel & Resort Group. She were Min-hwan and Ji-hwan's mother.

Others

Kim Do-wan as Park Seung-jae

Ha-ri's fiancé and a professional golfer. He is the only son of one of the leading presidential contenders. He was acquitted in the first instance in the trial where Kang-wook accused him of murder, but in the aftermath of that trial, he is consumed by an uncontrollable desire to take revenge on the prosecutor.

Lee Jun-hyeok as Bong Ji-wook

General Manager of the Reina Hotel and Yeo-ri's closest confidant.

Kim Han-na as Uhm Ji-soo

Yeo-ri's closest secretary.

Kim Min-chul as Kang Ji-hwan

A ghost with the appearance of a young man who haunts Yeo-ri.

Cha Mi-kyung as Paeng Myo-sun

Kang-wook's grandmother.

Production

Development

Spooky in Love is a remake of the 2011 film Spellbound written and directed by Hwang In-ho. The series is directed by Lee Min-soo, who helmed Resident Playbook (2025), written by Choi Jung-mi, and produced by CJ ENM, CJ ENM Studios, B.pic, and the original movie's production company Sangsang Film.

Casting

In August 2025, Namoo Actors and Zion Entertainment confirmed that Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong had been offered the lead roles, respectively. Two months later, Fantagio confirmed Ong Seong-wu had received an offer and was positively considering it. By November 2025, the casting of the series was completed and filming was already underway, with Ong Seong-wu set to begin filming on November 27. The same month, Park and Yang's appearances were officially confirmed. In comparison to the original version, the series introduces a new character, Kang Min-hwan, played by Ong Seong-wu, who serves as the central figure in the conflict that drives the plot.

Episodes

Filming

Principal photography began in November 2025. Eun-bin and Se-jong, were seen filming in various locations in Singapore, including Lau Pa Sat and Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade.

Production and locations

Production for Spooky in Love took place between November 2025 and June 2026, utilizing a mix of domestic spots across South Korea and international locations to represent the characters' upscale corporate and travel lifestyles.

Filming locations

Seoul, South Korea: The majority of the series was shot in and around Seoul, utilizing urban commercial districts, modern corporate backdrops, and traditional neighborhoods such as Bukchon-ro to provide traditional-meets-modern aesthetics for romantic sequences.

Singapore: To capture the high-end international atmosphere fitting for a luxury hotel empire, the production traveled to Singapore in early 2026, filming at prominent landmarks including Lau Pa Sat, the Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade, East Coast Park, and Clarke Quay.

Andong, North Gyeongsang Province: For regional travel scenes, the crew filmed at the Wolyeonggyo Bridge, a famous 387-meter wooden pedestrian bridge.

Release

In late April 2026, Spooky in Love was confirmed to premiere on tvN in July 2026. The next month, the first poster was unveiled, and the series was confirmed to premiere on July 18, airing every Saturday and Sunday at 21:10 (KST). It is available for streaming on Netflix.

Viewership

References

External links

Official website (in Korean)

Spooky in Love at IMDb

Spooky in Love at HanCinema