Prime Video is kicking off 2026 with a new Korean romantic comedy that leans into small-town vibes and emotional healing. Spring Fever, directed by Park Won-kook and adapted from a popular web novel, premieres worldwide (excluding mainland China and South Korea) on January 5, 2026. The 12-episode season rolls out two episodes per week, giving K-drama fans a steady dose of romance and character-driven drama through mid-February.
What Is Spring Fever About?
At the heart of Spring Fever is Yoon Bom, played by Lee Joo-been, a teacher who leaves city life behind after circumstances force her to rethink everything. She relocates to the remote village of Sinsu, hoping for a quieter, more stable routine. Instead, she steps into a community where everyone pays attention to everyone else — and where her attempt at a fresh start quickly becomes anything but simple.
Her new life is shaken up by Sun Jae-gyu (Ahn Bo-hyun), a newcomer whose presence rewrites the social rules of the village. As he settles into Sinsu, long-standing dynamics shift, and Bom is pushed to confront who she really wants to be when she is no longer defined by her past in the city.
A Character-Driven K-Drama About Reinvention
Rather than centering on high-stakes corporate intrigue or fast-paced city romance, Spring Fever focuses on the slow, sometimes uncomfortable work of rebuilding your life. The rural setting becomes more than background: it’s a pressure cooker where gossip spreads fast, looks matter, and the collective opinion of the town can either support or crush a person’s efforts to change.
The show plays with the contrast between physical isolation and emotional intensity. Sinsu may look peaceful from the outside, but inside this small community, every interaction matters. Bom’s journey unfolds in small moments — awkward encounters, quiet conversations, and the gradual shift from being the outsider to finding her place.
- A female lead pushed out of her old life and forced to start over on unfamiliar ground
- A male lead whose arrival acts as a catalyst, exposing hidden tensions and desires
- A village where community judgment, curiosity, and support shape each character’s choices
The Leads: Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-been Step Into New Territory
Ahn Bo-hyun, known to international audiences for a range of intense and charismatic roles, approaches Sun Jae-gyu as a character that lets him experiment with a different tone. One notable aspect for Korean viewers is the use of regional dialect in several scenes, which adds authenticity to the village atmosphere and gives his performance a distinct flavor compared with his earlier work.
For Lee Joo-been, Yoon Bom is not just a love interest — she’s the emotional center of the story. Her arc is built around how environment shapes identity: the way she interacts with fellow teachers, long-time residents, and her students becomes a mirror for her internal growth. The more she invests in the community, the clearer it becomes what she truly wants from her new life.
Ensemble Cast and the Power of Community Storytelling
Like many successful K-dramas, Spring Fever leans into an ensemble approach. Around the main couple, you’ll find a variety of supporting characters, played by Cha Seo-won, Jo Joon-young, Lee Jae-in, Jin Kyung, and Bae Jung-nam. Their storylines intersect with Bom and Jae-gyu’s in ways that highlight generational clashes, local traditions, and the complicated politics of a close-knit town.
This broader cast helps the show move beyond a simple two-person romance. Instead, it becomes a portrait of how entire communities react when someone new shows up, when someone leaves, or when long-held assumptions are challenged.
The series is produced by BON Factory, a company with solid experience in character-focused K-dramas. The script is written by Kim Ah-jeon, known for romantic comedies that revolve around nuanced human relationships rather than just cliché meet-cutes. That background suggests Spring Fever will balance light, feel-good moments with sharper observations about how people relate to one another when everyone is watching.
Release Strategy: How and When to Watch Spring Fever on Prime Video
Prime Video is clearly treating Spring Fever as an early-year anchor for its K-drama lineup. Instead of dropping the entire season at once, the platform is following a semi-weekly release model popular with Korean series, designed to build routine viewing habits and online conversation.
Key details for U.S. and international viewers:
- Platform: Prime Video
- Global availability: Worldwide, except mainland China and South Korea
- Launch date: January 5, 2026
- Episodes: 12 total
- Release pattern: 2 episodes per week
- Finale: Scheduled for mid-February 2026
This pacing allows viewers to sit with the emotional beats of each week’s episodes instead of racing through the entire story in one weekend. It also gives time for fan theories, social media buzz, and word of mouth to grow — all crucial for a new K-rom-com trying to stand out in a crowded streaming landscape.
Spring Fever Episode Release Calendar on Prime Video
Here is the complete release schedule for Spring Fever Season 1 on Prime Video. All dates are based on the announced rollout and may vary slightly by time zone, but the weekly structure remains the same.
| Episode | Release Date |
|---|---|
| Episode 1 | January 5, 2026 |
| Episode 2 | January 5, 2026 |
| Episode 3 | January 12, 2026 |
| Episode 4 | January 12, 2026 |
| Episode 5 | January 19, 2026 |
| Episode 6 | January 19, 2026 |
| Episode 7 | January 26, 2026 |
| Episode 8 | January 26, 2026 |
| Episode 9 | February 2, 2026 |
| Episode 10 | February 2, 2026 |
| Episode 11 | February 9, 2026 |
| Episode 12 (finale) | February 9, 2026 |
The two-episode launch on January 5 lets viewers immediately get a feel for both the setting and the central relationship. From there, each weekly drop continues to explore themes of personal recovery, second chances, and what it really means to call a place “home.”
Why Spring Fever Could Click With U.S. K-Drama Fans
For American audiences already familiar with K-dramas through hits on Netflix and other platforms, Spring Fever offers a different flavor from the usual city-centric romances:
- Small-town energy: If you like shows where the entire community feels like a character — from neighbors to coworkers — this series leans into that dynamic.
- Slice-of-life pacing: Instead of nonstop twists, the narrative builds around emotional beats, personal choices, and how slowly changing routines can completely redirect a life.
- Rom-com with emotional depth: While the show uses the familiar comfort of romantic comedy, it anchors the story in recovery, regret, and the hard work of starting over.
As Prime Video continues to broaden its international catalog, Spring Fever fits into a strategy aimed at younger adults who are happy to follow subtitled dramas if the payoff is emotionally satisfying and binge-worthy over time.
FAQ
When does Spring Fever Season 1 come out on Prime Video?
Spring Fever premieres on Prime Video on January 5, 2026, with the first two episodes available on launch day. New episodes then arrive in pairs each week through February 9, 2026.
What is the main story of Spring Fever?
The series follows Yoon Bom, a teacher who moves from the city to the rural village of Sinsu to rebuild her life after a major upheaval. There, she meets Sun Jae-gyu, a newcomer whose arrival reshapes the village’s balance and forces Bom — and the people around her — to confront what they truly want from their lives and relationships.
Who stars in Spring Fever?
The lead roles are played by Ahn Bo-hyun as Sun Jae-gyu and Lee Joo-been as Yoon Bom. The supporting cast includes Cha Seo-won, Jo Joon-young, Lee Jae-in, Jin Kyung, and Bae Jung-nam, creating a rich ensemble around the central couple.
How many episodes does Spring Fever Season 1 have, and how often are they released?
Season 1 of Spring Fever consists of 12 episodes. Prime Video releases two episodes per week, starting January 5, 2026, and wrapping up with the finale on February 9, 2026.
