Over 22 years ago, Choi Min-sik gave a dominant tour de force in a film project that would launch a massive wave of modern Korean cinema on the global stage, while defining the country’s powerhouse position as leading revenge film creator. The movie in question, Oldboy,was a layered, complex tale full of brilliant visual storytelling and arresting imagery that commanded viewer attention, particularly with the portrayal of a complicated, deeply broken man at its center courtesy of Choi. The actor’s performance wasn’t a one-off, either, with plenty of credits to his name in the decades since, establishing him as a chameleon among dramatic leading men.
Now, Netflix viewers will get an exclusive glimpse at his latest role, his latest K-drama since 2022’s Big Bet. Set to join an impressive array of romances, action thrillers, medical dramas, and more than one manhwa adaptation among these, Notes from the Last Row promises a concise, six-episode psychological thriller in which Choi plays a Korean literature professor.
His pride wounded by not being able to succeed as a writer, Choi’s character, Heo Mun-ho, soon discovers one of his students, Lee Gang, exhibiting unexpected talent, awakening his own passion for writing again. But soon enough, Mun-ho’s mentorship will devolve into a dangerous obsession as he dives into Gang’s writing. Notes from the Last Row is set for release on June 26, 2026.
Oldboy’s Star Set To Lead Psychological Thriller On Netflix In June
Realistically, anybody who’s seen Choi’s body of work from the past several decades will quickly understand they’re in for a standout performance. His obsessive vengeance-driven journey in Oldboy carved out a transgressive epic that only ends in his psychological ruin is merely one highlight among several in his career. Notes from the Last Row could easily take notes from Choi’s performance in Oldboy, but also from his work in I Saw the Devil as its central villain. Perhaps most interesting is his other Vengeance Trilogy role in Lady Vengeance, in which he serves as main antagonist Mr. Baek, an all-around complete monster, but also relevant, a teacher.
Choi’s roles are approaching four decades with critical acclaim and increasing global appeal with each passing year. In 2014, he portrayed the iconic villain Mr. Jang in Scarlett Johansson vehicle Lucy, and three years prior, he lent his voice to Leafie, A Hen into the Wild, which was the highest-grossing home-grown Korean-animated movie ever at the time. His award-winning portrayals have continued since then, including The Admiral: Roaring Currents, and many more are likely to follow. As Choi plays the lead, he’s joined by co-star Choi Hyun-wook (My Dearest Nemesis, Mantis) in one of the most promising K-dramas of June 2026.
June 2026’s K-Drama Lineup Has Something For Everyone
With multiple webtoon adaptations, a returning Alchemy of Souls star among the headliners, and a glorious match made in heaven for manhwa and revenge K-drama fans alike, June 2026 is set up to be one for the books. Beyond Notes from the Last Row’s psychological thriller trappings, which are already considerably concealed to protect spoilers at all costs, there’s a noteworthy spread of all the usual K-drama hits.
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🎭Squid GamePlayer 456
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🌹BridgertonDearest readers
01
Squid Game shattered records on launch in 2021, becoming Netflix’s biggest-ever series debut. Hwang Dong-hyuk’s South Korean thriller centres on a desperate gambler named Seong Gi-hun. What is his player number?
✓ Correct! Gi-hun is Player 456 — the last number drawn. Kang Sae-byeok (the North Korean defector) is 067, Cho Sang-woo (the Stanford-educated finance crook) is 218, and the mysterious elderly Oh Il-nam is 001. Squid Game became Netflix’s first show to hit #1 in every country it launched in, amassing over 1.6 billion hours watched in its first month alone.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is 456. Gi-hun’s number is the very last of the 456 players. 067 is Sae-byeok the defector, 218 is Sang-woo the Stanford grad, and 001 is the mysterious old man Oh Il-nam whose identity becomes the series’ biggest reveal. Squid Game became Netflix’s most-watched launch ever, hitting #1 in 94 countries.
02
The Tim Burton-directed Addams Family spin-off set at Nevermore Academy became Netflix’s second-biggest English-language debut in 2022 and launched a TikTok dance craze. Which young actress plays the deadpan title character?
✓ Correct! Jenna Ortega — a Disney Channel graduate and indie-horror favourite (X, Scream VI) — took the role Christina Ricci made iconic in the 1990s films and made it entirely her own. Her now-famous cello-accompanied dance scene became an overnight TikTok phenomenon, and her performance earned Wednesday two Emmy nominations despite airing mid-season.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Jenna Ortega. Millie Bobby Brown is Eleven on Stranger Things, Sadie Sink plays Max Mayfield (also Stranger Things), and Maya Hawke plays Robin. Ortega’s deadpan Wednesday Addams — and her viral cello-dance scene — turned the show into a global phenomenon in late 2022.
03
In 2013, Netflix released a dark political thriller starring Kevin Spacey as a ruthless congressman breaking the fourth wall. It became the first major streaming original to land a Primetime Emmy nomination and effectively invented prestige streaming TV. Which show was it?
✓ Correct! House of Cards — adapted by Beau Willimon from the 1990 BBC series — became Netflix’s first prestige original and proved a streaming service could go toe-to-toe with HBO. Kevin Spacey’s Frank Underwood and his asides to camera defined early streaming TV. Orange Is the New Black followed months later in July 2013 and became Netflix’s longest-running original at the time.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is House of Cards (February 2013). Orange Is the New Black launched five months later (July 2013), Arrested Development’s Netflix revival came in May 2013, and Hemlock Grove was a horror effort the same spring. House of Cards was the flagship — the first streaming original to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Drama Series.
04
Peter Morgan’s The Crown famously recast its entire ensemble every two seasons to age the royal family. After Claire Foy played Queen Elizabeth II in seasons 1-2, which Oscar-winning actress took the crown for seasons 3-4?
✓ Correct! Olivia Colman — fresh off her Best Actress Oscar for The Favourite — played the Queen across seasons 3 and 4, covering the late 1960s through the early Thatcher years. Imelda Staunton took over for seasons 5-6, Helena Bonham Carter played Princess Margaret in seasons 3-4, and Gillian Anderson stole the show as Margaret Thatcher in season 4.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Olivia Colman. Imelda Staunton took over for the final two seasons (5-6). Helena Bonham Carter played the chain-smoking Princess Margaret during seasons 3-4 alongside Colman. Gillian Anderson delivered an Emmy-winning Margaret Thatcher in season 4. Colman anchored the show’s middle era fresh off her 2019 Oscar win.
05
The Duffer Brothers’ 1980s nostalgia juggernaut sees Eleven and the gang battle inter-dimensional horrors from a portal beneath the town’s Hawkins National Laboratory. In which fictional US town and state is the series set?
✓ Correct! Hawkins, Indiana — a fictional Midwestern small town that became one of TV’s most iconic settings. The Duffer Brothers chose Indiana for its unassuming, ordinary-America vibe, making the supernatural chaos feel more jarring. Derry is Stephen King’s It setting, Hill Valley is from Back to the Future, and Twin Peaks is David Lynch’s famous town.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Hawkins, Indiana. Derry, Maine is the fictional town from Stephen King’s It. Hill Valley is Marty McFly’s home in Back to the Future. Twin Peaks, Washington is David Lynch’s famous fictional town. Hawkins is The Duffer Brothers’ deliberately ordinary Midwestern setting — the flat, unassuming backdrop that makes Vecna’s horrors hit harder.
06
Netflix’s Regency romance juggernaut — based on Julia Quinn’s novels and famous for its colour-blind casting, string-quartet pop covers, and narrated gossip column — is produced by which prolific showrunner’s production banner?
✓ Correct! Shonda Rhimes — the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal — produces Bridgerton through her Shondaland banner as the first major fruit of her massive 2017 Netflix deal. Chris Van Dusen created the show, but Shondaland’s signature ensemble-romance DNA is all over it. Julian Fellowes did Downton Abbey, Ryan Murphy did Monster/Dahmer, and Jenji Kohan did Orange Is the New Black.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Shonda Rhimes (Shondaland). Ryan Murphy produces true-crime anthologies like Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story. Julian Fellowes is the Downton Abbey/Gilded Age creator — a different period drama entirely. Jenji Kohan is behind Orange Is the New Black and Weeds. Bridgerton was the first big payoff of Rhimes’ nine-figure Netflix deal.
07
La Casa de Papel (Money Heist) became a global phenomenon on Netflix after a modest Spanish TV debut — partly thanks to its gang’s instantly recognisable red jumpsuits paired with a mask of which famous figure?
✓ Correct! The Salvador Dalí mask — with its upturned moustache — became the show’s defining visual alongside the red jumpsuits, a nod to Spanish artistic rebellion and surrealist individuality. It inspired protest iconography worldwide, from Lebanon to France. The original Antena 3 version underperformed; Netflix acquired it in 2017, re-edited it, and turned it into a global sensation.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Salvador Dalí. Guy Fawkes is the V for Vendetta mask that Anonymous adopted. Che Guevara is a common revolutionary image but not the heist crew’s mask. Picasso is a frequent wrong answer given he’s the more globally-known Spanish artist — but the Dalí mask, with its iconic moustache, is the one fused forever with Money Heist’s red jumpsuits.
08
Netflix’s 2020 limited series about a Cold War-era chess prodigy named Beth Harmon caused a global surge in chess-set sales and was one of the streamer’s most-watched shows that year. Who played Beth?
✓ Correct! Anya Taylor-Joy — already a cult favourite from The Witch and Emma — broke out globally as Beth Harmon, winning the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The Queen’s Gambit pulled 62 million households in its first 28 days and caused such a chess-boom that Chess.com and retailers ran out of sets. It also made Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel a surprise bestseller almost 40 years later.
✗ Eliminated! The answer is Anya Taylor-Joy. Florence Pugh (Midsommar, Oppenheimer), Saoirse Ronan (Lady Bird), and Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People, Where the Crawdads Sing) are all frequent competitors in similar roles. Taylor-Joy’s Beth Harmon earned her a Golden Globe, a SAG Award, and turned Walter Tevis’s 1983 novel into a sudden bestseller.
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This includes, but is not limited to, office romance with See You at Work Tomorrow!, medical drama Doctor on the Edge, action-packed school drama Teach You a Lesson, and Agent Kim Reactivated, the Manager Kim adaptation starring Mercy for None’s So Ji-sub. Add to that the star of Oldboy, one of Korean cinema’s most iconic leading men in the modern age, and it’s an incredible spread of talent and genre appeal for most of the typical audiences. With the recent output by Netflix of comedies like The WONDERFools and cozy romance like Sold Out on You, there’s plenty to enjoy for every K-drama flavor, with plenty of promise for more as Summer forges on.
