South Korean actor Kim Woo Bin is set to make his return to television in a new leading role.
On August 5, 2026, broadcast network tvN officially confirmed that Kim Woo Bin has been cast as the protagonist in its upcoming series, tentatively titled Gifted (also referred to as Gift).
Adapted from a popular webtoon of the same name, the series is scheduled to air during the second half of 2026.
An official representative from tvN announced the casting decision and release window:
“Our new drama Gifted will premiere in the second half of 2026. Kim Woo Bin’s casting has been finalized.”
Plot Overview and Character Dynamics
Gifted is a coming-of-age sports-fantasy drama that centers around a former professional baseball coach whose life takes an unexpected turn following a severe accident.
Upon recovering, he gains an extraordinary supernatural ability: the power to instantly evaluate a person’s latent baseball talent with a single glance.
Leaving behind the high-stakes professional league, he transitions to coaching a struggling high school baseball team ranked last nationwide, embarking on a journey of personal growth alongside his young athletes.
Kim Woo Bin will play the lead role of Jung Min Yong, the former professional pitching coach navigating this new chapter.
His character uses his unique vision to uncover raw talent in unlikely players while confronting the challenges of leading a team from the bottom rank to potential success.
A spokesperson from tvN highlighted what viewers can expect from Kim Woo Bin’s performance:
“Kim Woo Bin will bring Jung Min Yong’s growth and transformation to life in a three-dimensional way with his signature depth of emotion and powerful presence.
In particular, he will convincingly portray the change in Jung Min Yong as he grows together with the players while constantly struggling with the question of talent versus hard work.”
Television Comeback and Viewing Information
Gifted marks Kim Woo Bin’s return to broadcast television following his performance as Park Jung Joon in tvN’s hit 2022 human drama Our Blues.
In recent years, he has continued to expand his filmography across platforms, including roles in the action-dystopian series Black Knight and the sci-fi feature film Alienoid: Return to the Future.
Production and secondary casting for Gifted are currently underway ahead of its late-2026 premiere on tvN.
In the meantime, international viewers can watch Kim Woo Bin in Alienoid: Return to the Future, which is available for streaming on platforms like Viki.
