Phantom Lawyer Preview: Yoo Yeon-seok Channels the Dead Inside Korea's Most Inventive Legal Drama

Yoo Yeon-seok has never played a character like this before. In Phantom Lawyer (신이랑 법률사무소), the Hospital Playlist star takes on a lawyer who sees ghosts, channels their grievances, and gets possessed mid-courtroom by an ever-rotating cast of restless spirits. It is the most inventive legal drama premise SBS has put together in years, and the first full trailer confirms it delivers on every bizarre, emotionally charged promise.

Premiering March 13, 2026, the 16-episode Friday-Saturday drama follows Shin Yi-rang, a late-blooming attorney who sets up shop in a former fortune-teller's office. The moment he moves in, the supernatural catches up with him. Ghosts flood his practice. Without warning, they take over his body, flooding the courtroom with the personalities, mannerisms, and unfinished business of the dead. Yoo Yeon-seok plays a middle-aged man one episode, a young girl the next, and a hyped-up scientist after that. Each possession is a completely different performance, and the trailer alone shows enough range to make this the actor showcase of early 2026.

The Ghost-Possession Mechanic Is the Show

Yoo Yeon-seok described the role in an interview with Harper’s Bazaar Korea: "I just went for it without holding back. I wondered when else I would ever get the chance to completely throw myself into a role like that and let go of myself entirely if not now with the possession concept." He prepared by observing each guest actor and incorporating their specific gestures into his performance, meaning every episode delivers something brand new.

The result is a legal drama built entirely around transformation. Shin Yi-rang takes on cases that conventional attorneys would turn away. His clients are ghosts seeking justice for wrongs that outlasted their lives. The courtroom becomes a stage for possession, and every spirit brings a completely different energy to the proceedings. The production team has confirmed viewers will see him possessed by an aspiring idol, a scientist, a grandparent, and more across the run.

Esom Plays the Counterweight

Esom, known internationally for Taxi Driver and My Unfamiliar Family, plays Han Na-hyeon, a cold-blooded elite attorney with a perfect win rate who does not believe in ghosts. Where Shin Yi-rang is driven by empathy and instinct, Han Na-hyeon is calculated and precise. The production has described her character as an eagle: surveying situations from a strategic distance, striking only when certainty is guaranteed.

Their pairing sets up the core tension. She dismisses his ghost clients entirely. He cannot ignore their pain. As increasingly bizarre cases pile up, something shifts. The trailer teases a partnership forming between two attorneys who should have nothing in common.

The Trailer

The second full trailer is out now. Watch it below.

SBS Continues Its Run of Distinctive Legal Dramas

SBS has built a track record in the legal drama space with One Dollar Lawyer and The Judge from Hell. Phantom Lawyer leans harder into fantasy than either predecessor, blending courtroom procedure with supernatural elements and dry comedic timing. The show is co-written by Kim Ga-young and Kang Cheol-gyu and directed by Shin Jung-hoon.

The premiere falls in a competitive spring window, but the core hook is distinctive enough to cut through. A possession story requires an actor who can genuinely become different people on demand. Based on everything released so far, Yoo Yeon-seok is doing exactly that.

Where and When to Watch

Phantom Lawyer premieres Friday, March 13, 2026 at 9:50 p.m. KST on SBS. New episodes air every Friday and Saturday. International audiences can stream on Viki, which holds the global rights. The series runs 16 episodes.