To My Beloved Thief
2026 South Korean television series
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To My Beloved Thief (Korean: 은애하는 도적님아) is a 2026 South Korean television series written by Lee Sun, directed by Ham Young-geol, and starring Nam Ji-hyun, Moon Sang-min, Hong Min-gi, and Han So-eun. The series depicts the story of an uinyeo who secretly becomes a righteous thief, chased by a grand prince who loves solving crimes. It aired on KBS2 from January 3, to February 22, 2026, every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST).[3]
| To My Beloved Thief | |
|---|---|
Promotional poster | |
| Hangul | 은애하는 도적님아 |
| Lit. | Dear Bandit |
| RR | Eunaehaneun dojeongnima |
| MR | Ŭnaehanŭn tojŏngnima |
| Genre | |
| Written by | Lee Sun[2] |
| Directed by | Ham Young-geol |
| Starring | |
| Country of origin | South Korea |
| Original language | Korean |
| No. of episodes | 16 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Yoon Jae-hyuk (CP) Jang Kyung-ik Yoo Sang-won Jo Ah-ra |
| Producers | Kim Chang-min Baek Ji-hyun Ryu Won-sang |
| Production company | Studio Dragon |
| Original release | |
| Network | KBS2 |
| Release | January 3 – February 22, 2026 |
Synopsis
Set in Joseon, the series follows Hong Eun-jo, a commoner hiding her secret life as the righteous thief Hong Gil-dong, who steals from the rich to help the poor. She attracts the attention of Yi Yeol, a grand prince tasked with capturing her. One night, the souls of the two individuals are swapped, triggered by a mysterious bracelet given to them by a young monk, forcing them to navigate each other's worlds amidst the complexities of duty, identity, and forbidden love.
Cast
Main
- Nam Ji-hyun as Hong Eun-jo[3]
- Born to a yangban father and a commoner mother, she was legally considered a commoner due to her maternal lineage. When her family's fortunes declined and her father fell ill, she became the family's main support. She is a female physician (uinyeo) and thief, known as Hong Gil-dong in the shadows, leading a double life. A skilled healer by day at Hyeminseo, she treats the sick. A thief by night, she steals the granaries and other goods from corrupt officials to help her people.
- Moon Sang-min as Prince Dowol / Yi Yeol[3]
- A grand prince. He lives a seemingly quiet royal life in the shadow of his brother, the King of Joseon, but he's actually resourceful and often sneaks into investigations at the Bureau of Research and Statistics, racking up successes. Then he meets Eun-jo and falls for her without realizing she's the thief he's been chasing.
- Hong Min-gi as Im Jae-yi[1]
- Yi Yeol's rival. He has lived under his father's strict control, suppressing his own desires and following his father's plans. He has consistently prioritized his father's expectations, pursuing education and career paths dictated by his father, leaving his personal life and aspirations unfulfilled. The arrival of Eun-jo at his family's mansion marks a turning point, as he experiences unfamiliar emotions and desires, gradually becoming aware of his suppressed emotions.
- Han So-eun as Shin Hae-rim[4]
- Born into a noble family, she's Jae-yi's fiancée and the queen's niece. Their engagement was a strategic family arrangement, not a reflection of their personal desires.
Supporting
- Jae-yi's father.
- Ha Seok-jin as King Yeonsan / Yi Gyu[5]
- Lee Seung-woo as Daechu[6]
- Yi Yeol's bodyguard.
- Song Ji-ho as Hong Dae-il[7]
- Eun-jo's older brother.
Production
Development
Ham Young-geol, who previously helmed KBS Drama Special: The True Love of Madam (2023), was attached to direct. Lee Sun, who won the Excellence Award at Studio Dragon's 2nd Drama Script Contest for the series in 2020[2], wrote the screenplay. The production is handled by Studio Dragon. Additionally, the series, written by Lee, began serialization on Naver Webtoon on December 27, 2025.[8][1][3]
Casting
In October 2024, Nam Ji-hyun and Moon Sang-min were cast to star.[9]
Ha Seok-jin, Choi Won-young and Hong Min-gi were reportedly set to join the cast in April 2025.[1][5] On September 10, Han So-eun was reportedly cast.[10]
Filming
Principal photography began in March 2025, and was concluded in October 2025.[11][12] Filming for the series took place in Gyeongnam Province over a period of eight months. The main filming locations included the House of Choi Champan in Hadong-gun, Ildu House in Hamyang-gun, Sam-eunjeong in Miryang, and Hwangmaesan mountain in Hapcheon.[13]
Original soundtrack
Part 1
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Loving You" |
| Kim Tae-young | Ha Sung-woon | 3:13 |
| 2. | "Loving You" (Inst.) | Kim Tae-young | 3:13 | ||
| Total length: | 6:26 | ||||
Part 2
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Something Feels Wrong" (뭔가 잘못된 것 같아) |
|
| KickFlip | 2:51 |
| 2. | "Something Feels Wrong" (뭔가 잘못된 것 같아; Inst.) |
| 2:51 | ||
| Total length: | 5:42 | ||||
Part 3
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Again" | Petra |
| Kassy | 4:10 |
| 2. | "Again" (Inst.) |
| 4:10 | ||
| Total length: | 8:20 | ||||
Part 4
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Seen the Scene" | MonoTree | MonoTree | Ha Hyun-sang | 3:17 |
| 2. | "Seen the Scene" (Inst.) | MonoTree | 3:17 | ||
| Total length: | 6:34 | ||||
Part 5
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Words I Never Said" (사랑한다 말할 수 있을까) |
|
| Jung Seung-hwan | 3:58 |
| 2. | "Words I Never Said" (Inst.) |
| 3:58 | ||
| Total length: | 7:56 | ||||
Viewership
| Season | Episode number | Average | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | |||
| 1 | 786 | 912 | 1016 | 1202 | 1340 | 1267 | 1208 | 1279 | 1013 | 1367 | 1282 | 1400 | 1313 | 1262 | 1483 | 1461 | 1224 | |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[14] | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nationwide | Seoul | ||
| 1 | January 3, 2026 | 4.3% (14th) | 4.2% (13th) |
| 2 | January 4, 2026 | 4.5% (9th) | 4.1% (12th) |
| 3 | January 10, 2026 | 5.3% (7th) | 5.3% (6th) |
| 4 | January 11, 2026 | 6.3% (5th) | 6.2% (3rd) |
| 5 | January 17, 2026 | 7.0% (3rd) | 6.8% (3rd) |
| 6 | January 18, 2026 | 6.9% (4th) | 6.1% (6th) |
| 7 | January 24, 2026 | 6.6% (3rd) | 6.2% (3rd) |
| 8 | January 25, 2026 | 7.1% (4th) | 6.6% (4th) |
| 9 | January 31, 2026 | 5.5% (3rd) | 5.0% (5th) |
| 10 | February 1, 2026 | 7.0% (4th) | 6.6% (5th) |
| 11 | February 7, 2026 | 6.8% (3rd) | 6.8% (3rd) |
| 12 | February 8, 2026 | 7.3% (4th) | 7.4% (3rd) |
| 13 | February 14, 2026 | 6.9% (3rd) | 6.6% (3rd) |
| 14 | February 15, 2026 | 6.4% (3rd) | 6.2% (3rd) |
| 15 | February 21, 2026 | 7.7% (2nd) | 7.8% (2nd) |
| 16 | February 22, 2026 | 7.6% (4th) | 6.8% (5th) |
| Average | 6.5% | 6.2% | |
| |||
Accolades
| Award ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baeksang Arts Awards | 2026 | Best Screenplay | Lee Sun | Pending | [15] |
| Best New Actor | Hong Min-gi | Pending |
