Gong Yoo dramas are suddenly back on a lot of watchlists. Netflix confirmed on October 22, 2026, that Tantara, his new series with Song Hye-kyo, premieres on December 11. For many viewers, that raises a simple question: which of his shows should you watch first, and which of hers?
Both actors have long careers, and not every title is on Netflix in every country. This guide picks the dramas that are easiest to start with, says what each one is about and shows where each stood on Netflix when we checked on October 23, 2026. It finishes with Song Hye-kyo’s key dramas so you arrive at Tantara knowing both leads.
For Gong Yoo, start with The Trunk or The Silent Sea, two short Netflix series of eight episodes each, then add Goblin if you can find it in your region. For Song Hye-kyo, The Glory is the obvious first pick, and That Winter, the Wind Blows is her earlier drama with Tantara writer Noh Hee-gyoung.
Why watch Gong Yoo dramas before Tantara
In Tantara, Gong Yoo plays Dong-gu, the childhood friend of Song Hye-kyo’s Min-ja. Netflix’s 2025 casting announcement calls Dong-gu “reckless and unpredictable,” a man who still listens to anything Min-ja says. That mix of rough edges and loyalty is a good reason to see how he has played very different men before.
His recent Netflix work also covers the music business. In The Trunk, Netflix says he plays Han Jeong-won, a music producer, which makes it a natural warm-up for a series about the 1960s to 1980s Korean music industry. His older hits show the romantic side that made him famous in the first place.
Gong Yoo dramas and Netflix status
The table lists Gong Yoo’s main series with the role Netflix or our own guides name for him. Netflix status was checked from South Korea, and catalogs change by country, so open the title page from your own account.
| Drama | Year | Gong Yoo’s role | Netflix in South Korea (Oct 23, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tantara | 2026 | Dong-gu | Coming December 11, 2026 |
| The Trunk | 2024 | Han Jeong-won, a music producer | Available, 8 episodes |
| The Silent Sea | 2021 | Han Yun-jae, exploration team leader | Available, 8 episodes |
| Squid Game | 2021 to 2025 | The Recruiter | Available, 3 seasons |
| Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (Goblin) | 2016 to 2017 | Kim Shin, the Goblin | Not on Netflix in most regions |
| The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince | 2007 | Lead role | No Netflix page found from Korea |
The Trunk (2024)
The Netflix page for The Trunk says a mysterious trunk washes up on shore and threatens to unravel secrets around a discreet matchmaking service and one of its couples. Seo Hyun-jin co-stars, and Netflix lists eight episodes with a 19+ rating in Korea. The director, Kim Gyu-tae, also directed Our Blues, a Noh Hee-gyoung drama, according to Netflix’s production announcement.
The Silent Sea (2021)
Netflix’s casting announcement says Gong Yoo plays Han Yun-jae, an exploration team leader who puts his team’s safety above everything. The title page describes a 24-hour mission on the moon to retrieve samples from an abandoned research station. It has eight episodes and co-stars Bae Doona and Lee Joon. Pick this one if you prefer sci-fi over romance.
Squid Game and Goblin, his two biggest calling cards
Gong Yoo’s part in Squid Game is small but famous. Netflix’s Tudum guide to the Squid Game season 2 cast says the Recruiter appears in only a single episode of season 1, playing ddakji in the subway, and returns in season 2 with a deeper storyline. You can watch his scenes without a full binge, though the Netflix page now lists all three seasons together.
Goblin, officially titled Guardian: The Lonely and Great God, is the role Netflix named first when it announced The Trunk in 2023. It is also the one most people cannot find on Netflix. Our Goblin where-to-watch guide explains which services carry it, region by region.
His early romance era
Tantara director Lee Yoon-jung is credited by Netflix with The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, the 2007 romance where Gong Yoo played the lead. We could not find a working Netflix page for it from South Korea on our check date, so we do not list a streaming link. Tudum also notes that Gong Yoo first worked with Squid Game director Hwang Dong-hyuk on the 2011 film Silenced.
Song Hye-kyo dramas to watch before Tantara
Song Hye-kyo plays Min-ja, who enters the music business after an impoverished childhood, according to Netflix’s Tantara announcement. Her best-known Netflix role is very different: in The Glory she plays Moon Dong-eun, a woman planning revenge on her high school bullies. The Glory is a Netflix series with 16 episodes, and its dark tone is a sharp contrast with her earlier romance roles.
Netflix’s The Glory announcement names three earlier dramas as contrast: Now, We Are Breaking Up, Encounter and That Winter, the Wind Blows. It also notes her earlier work with writer Kim Eun-sook on Descendants of the Sun. The table shows which of these had a playable Netflix page from Korea.
| Drama | Year | Song Hye-kyo’s role | Netflix in South Korea (Oct 23, 2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Glory | 2022 | Moon Dong-eun | Available, 16 episodes |
| Encounter | 2018 | Cha Su-hyeon | Available, limited series |
| That Winter, the Wind Blows | 2013 | A blind heiress | Available, limited series |
| Descendants of the Sun | 2016 | Lead role | No Netflix page found from Korea |
That Winter, the Wind Blows connects her to Tantara
Netflix lists Noh Hee-gyoung as the creator of That Winter, the Wind Blows, and she also writes Tantara. Netflix’s synopsis says con man Oh Soo plans to deceive a blind heiress, played by Song Hye-kyo, but his plans soon change. Watching it gives you the writer and the star together, thirteen years before Tantara.
Encounter for a softer start
The Encounter title page says a woman with much to lose and a man with little to his name meet overseas and later meet again as employer and employee. Park Bo-gum co-stars, and episode 1 opens on a business trip to Havana. Choose this one if you want romance rather than revenge.
A simple watch order before December 11
You have about seven weeks between October 23 and the December 11 premiere. Two short series fit easily in that window: The Trunk for Gong Yoo and That Winter, the Wind Blows for Song Hye-kyo. If you have more time, add The Glory, then Goblin wherever it streams in your country.
For more shows that are on Netflix right now, our best K-dramas on Netflix right now list sorts current picks by genre. If you want to know what else is coming before the year ends, the guide below covers every release still on the 2026 calendar.
Gong Yoo dramas FAQ
What is Gong Yoo’s new drama?
His new drama is Tantara, co-starring Song Hye-kyo. It premieres on Netflix on December 11, 2026, and he plays Min-ja’s childhood friend Dong-gu.
Which Gong Yoo dramas are on Netflix?
From South Korea, The Trunk, The Silent Sea and Squid Game were playable on October 23, 2026. Goblin is not on Netflix in most regions, so check other services for it.
Who does Gong Yoo play in Squid Game?
He plays the Recruiter, the man who challenges players to ddakji in the subway. He appears in one episode of season 1 and returns in season 2, according to Netflix’s Tudum.
Have Song Hye-kyo and Gong Yoo worked with Noh Hee-gyoung before?
Song Hye-kyo led Noh Hee-gyoung’s That Winter, the Wind Blows in 2013. Gong Yoo has no earlier Noh drama among the five titles Netflix credits to her, so Tantara looks like their first project together.
What is the best Song Hye-kyo drama to start with?
The Glory is the easiest start because it is a Netflix series with 16 episodes. That Winter, the Wind Blows ties in best with Tantara, since it shares the same writer.
