Photo source: iMBC Entertainment DB

# Global Stars Assemble

"Ask the Stars"

 The new Saturday-Sunday drama "Ask the Stars," premiering on Saturday, January 4th, depicts the extraterrestrial life of an OB-GYN working at a zero-gravity space station and an uninvited guest with a secret mission. Featuring actors loved by global fans such as Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin, and Oh Jung-se, it is particularly notable as the first space station-set space office drama attempted in Korea.

"Seocho-dong"

Scheduled to air in the first half of 2025, "Seocho-dong" is a legal office drama about associate lawyers—lawyers hired by law firms who receive a monthly salary—working in different firms within the same building in Seocho-dong, where various law firms are gathered, as they search for their life's direction. Actors Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang You-seok, Ryu Hye-young, and Im Sung-jae will work together as the "Associate Five," a group of lawyers who share their golden lunch hours.

"Taepung Trading"

"Taepung Trading" is set during the 1997 IMF financial crisis. It is a story about a young CEO's growth and his family's struggle to protect the small-to-medium enterprise "Taepung Trading" left behind by his father amidst the threat of bankruptcy. It stars Lee Jun-ho, who captured the hearts of drama fans worldwide with "King the Land" and "The Red Sleeve," and Geum Sae-rok, who has shown a wide acting spectrum in various dramas.

"Divorce Insurance"

"Divorce Insurance," starring Lee Dong-wook, Lee Joo-bin, Lee Kwang-soo, and Lee Da-hee, is an office romantic comedy that unfolds when an innovative product team at an insurance company, consisting only of the best brains, introduces "divorce insurance." With a fresh premise of putting a price on divorce—such as quantifying all situations related to divorce to set insurance premiums—the meeting of global stars is expected to deliver a story that resonates with reality.

# Well-made Dramas with Unique Subjects

"Won-gyeong"

The tvN X TVING original drama "Won-gyeong" centers on Queen Won-gyeong, who dreamed of a new world and seized power alongside her husband, King Taejong Lee Bang-won, depicting the intense story hidden between the king and queen, husband and wife. Cha Joo-young and Lee Hyun-wook, taking on their first historical drama, are expected to herald the birth of a new "historical drama queen" and "historical drama king." Episodes 1 and 2 will be pre-released on TVING on Monday, January 6th at 2:00 PM, followed by the first episode airing on tvN at 8:50 PM, maximizing efficiency and satisfaction for both TV and OTT viewers.

"Unknown Seoul"

"Unknown Seoul" is a romantic growth drama about twin sisters who are identical in every way except for their faces, as they find true love and life through the lie of swapping lives. Actors Park Bo-young and Park Jin-young, who possess a wide acting spectrum ranging from emotional melodrama to intense thrillers, are meeting to promise unique synergy. Notably, Park Bo-young will be taking on her first dual role since her debut through "Unknown Seoul."

"Happy My Home"

"Happy My Home" deals with the cruel history that unfolds when the Kim family, who restart a counterfeit money business to pay for non-covered medical expenses, gets entangled with an unexpected criminal organization. It is expected to deliver fresh entertainment with its unique subject and setting.

"Tyrant's Chef"

In "Tyrant's Chef," a French chef who time-slips meets a king who is the worst tyrant but the greatest gourmet, depicting a fantasy survival romance spanning over 500 years.

# Trend-Leading Romances

"Potato Research Institute"

"Potato Research Institute" (written by Kim Ho-soo, directed by Kang Il-soo, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Chorokbaem Media) is a healing comic romance set in the mountain valley Potato Research Institute, where things swirl like a tornado potato. Lee Sun-bin, who received favorable reviews for "Work Later, Drink Now" and "Boyhood," and Kang Tae-oh of "Extraordinary Attorney Woo" have been confirmed to star.

'He is the Black Flame Dragon'

Based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, 'He is the Black Flame Dragon' will also meet viewers in 2025. It is a "seal-breaking romance" between team leader Baek Soo-jung, a "department head killer" suffering from a dark past, and Ban Joo-yeon, a third-generation conglomerate heir who harbors a "black flame dragon" in his heart. Moon Ga-young, Choi Hyun-wook, Im Se-mi, and Kwak Si-yang have been confirmed to star, drawing attention for the new acting synergy they will showcase.

'Please Stop Drinking'

'Please Stop Drinking' is a "sobriety-guarding romance" about a woman who prides herself on being a highly sensible drinker, who reunites with a public health doctor for whom quitting alcohol is harder than anything else, and attempts to quit drinking. As the first domestic drama recommending sobriety, it is expected to feature the delightful chemistry between Choi Soo-young and Gong Myung.

"Gyeon-woo and Fairy"

"Gyeon-woo and Fairy" is based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name and is a fantasy romance drama about a high school girl shaman who directly saves her first love. With the meeting of rising stars Cho Yi-hyun and Chu Young-woo, it is expected to provide unique entertainment by adding the stories of chilling yet poignant ghosts to a fresh first-love romance.

In addition, tvN plans to establish a Wednesday-Thursday drama lineup in the second half of 2025 to provide more diverse entertainment. Beyond the lineup released this time, there is much interest in the drama works that will visit viewers in 2025.

Source: ©MBC Entertainment News

These are English translations of articles from our GTTOUR Japanese website.