In 2024, tvN, which captured viewership ratings and global attention with hits like ‘Queen of Tears’, ‘Jumping with Sunjae’, and ‘Marry My Husband’, has confirmed its major drama lineup for 2025.
CJ ENM recently announced the ‘30th Anniversary Visionary Selections’ that created No.1 impact in the industry and led paradigm shifts, celebrating its 30th anniversary in cultural business. Among tvN dramas, the ‘Reply’ series, which pioneered a new genre, the representative Korean romance fantasy ‘Goblin’ that broke the stereotypes of cable channel dramas, and masterpieces like ‘Dear My Friends’ and ‘My Mister’ that connected generations and became life works for both viewers and critics, were selected. The ‘Queen of Tears’, which surpassed 600 million cumulative views globally, showcased the unique K-storytelling capabilities worldwide. There is growing interest in what steps tvN dramas, which have captivated fans beyond Korea, will take this year.
In particular, tvN aims to continue its role as a K-content visionary by adding a Wednesday-Thursday drama block in the second half of this year, presenting the most drama works on a single domestic channel. Through the Monday-Tuesday, Wednesday-Thursday, and Saturday-Sunday drama blocks, a variety of materials and entertaining works are set to reach viewers.
First, on February 17, Monday at 8:50 PM, ‘The Guy is a Black Dragon’ (written by Kim Soo-yeon, directed by Lee Soo-hyun, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Studio N) will meet viewers. Based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, it tells the romance of ‘Department Head Killer’ team leader Baek Soo-jung, who suffers from a dark past, and ‘Chaebol 3rd Generation’ department head Ban Joo-yeon, who has a black dragon in his heart. Moon Ga-young, Choi Hyun-wook, Lim Se-mi, and Kwak Si-yang will star. On March 1, Saturday, the healing romantic comedy ‘Potato Research Institute’ (written by Kim Ho-soo, directed by Kang Il-soo and Shim Jae-hyun, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Green Snake Media) will premiere, set in a potato research institute in a mountain valley where Mi-kyung (played by Lee Sun-bin), whose life revolves around potatoes, meets the cold principled Baek Ho (played by Kang Tae-oh), creating a whirlwind romance. Lee Sun-bin and Kang Tae-oh are expected to bring delightful laughter and excitement with their sizzling romance. Additionally, ‘Divorce Insurance’ (written by Lee Tae-yoon, directed by Lee Won-seok and Choi Bo-kyung, planned by CJ ENM and Studio Genie, produced by Mongjakso and Studio Mondo) will also premiere in March. ‘Divorce Insurance’ is a pure guarantee office romantic comedy that introduces a new ‘divorce insurance’ product that quantifies all matters related to divorce and sets appropriate insurance payouts.
In April, the spin-off drama of ‘Hospital Playlist’, ‘Someday, a Wise Resident Life’ (creators Shin Won-ho and Lee Woo-jung, written by Kim Song-hee, directed by Lee Min-soo, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Egg is Coming) will meet viewers. It will depict the hospital life and friendship stories of obstetrics and gynecology residents at the ‘Jongno Yulje Hospital’, a branch of Yulje Hospital, which was the backdrop of ‘Hospital Playlist’. Rising stars such as Go Yoon-jung, Cynthia, Han Ye-ji, and Kang Yoo-seok will participate, with director Shin Won-ho and writer Lee Woo-jung joining as creators. Additionally, writer Kim Song-hee, who participated as a supporting writer in ‘Reply 1988’ and ‘Hospital Playlist’, and director Lee Min-soo, who directed short dramas like ‘Stain’ and ‘Meeting in a Strange Season’, will add fresh fun.
In May, the romantic drama ‘Please Stop Drinking’ (written by Myung Soo-hyun and Jeon Ji-hyun, directed by Jang Yoo-jung, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by How Pictures) will be confirmed. It tells the story of a woman who considers herself a very ordinary drinker, who challenges sobriety after reuniting with her first love, who hates alcohol. It is the first drama in Korea to recommend sobriety, and the delightful chemistry between Choi Soo-young and Gong Myung is expected to add to the fun. The romantic growth drama ‘Unknown Seoul’ (written by Lee Kang, directed by Park Shin-woo, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Monster Union and High Ground) will also meet viewers. The story follows twin sisters who are completely different except for their faces, as they find true love and life through a lie that swaps their lives. There is much anticipation for the meeting of Park Bo-young, who is taking on her first dual role since her debut, and Park Jin-young. The protagonists, who live completely opposite lives due to their respective stories, are expected to offer empathy, healing, and excitement as they meet each other and find their true selves. In June, the youth romance drama ‘The Cowherd and the Weaver Girl’ (written by Yang Ji-hoon, directed by Kim Yong-wan, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Studio Dragon, Dexter Pictures, and IO Content Group) will air, based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name. It tells the story of a high school girl shaman who tries to save her first love filled with misfortune. Rising stars Jo Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo will add a fresh touch to the story of first love, combined with eerie yet poignant tales of ghosts.
In the second half of the year, ‘Seochodong’ (written by Lee Seung-hyun, directed by Park Seung-woo, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Green Snake Media) will be unveiled, featuring Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang Yoo-seok, Ryu Hye-young, and Lim Sung-jae as the ‘Five Avengers’. It is a courtroom office drama where associate lawyers (lawyers employed by law firms) working in different law firms within the same building in Seochodong search for their life goals. Following that, interest is growing in the fantasy survival romance ‘The Chef of the Tyrant’ (tentative title, directed by Jang Tae-yoo, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Film Greeda and Jung Universe), where a time-slipped French chef meets the worst tyrant and the best gourmet king, transcending 500 years and generations. Based on a popular web novel, the drama is directed by Jang Tae-yoo, who has continued the historical drama success myth with works like ‘Deep-rooted Tree’, ‘The Flower in Prison’, ‘Hong Chun-ki’, and ‘Night Blooming Flowers’, and features the box office queen Lim Yoona and rising star Lee Chae-min. ‘For the First Love’ (tentative title, written by Yang Hee-soon, directed by Yoo Je-won, planned and produced by Studio Dragon and Showrunners) is also on the lineup. It is a human comedy drama that depicts the story of a mother and daughter who find their first love, not the end, as they enter the second act of their lives, expected to bring warm laughter.
‘Taepung Sangsa’ (written by Jang Hyun, directed by Lee Na-jung, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Imaginas and Studio PIC and Tree Studio) is also in preparation, telling the story of a young CEO’s growth to protect the small business ‘Taepung Sangsa’ left by his father during the IMF bankruptcy crisis, along with the struggles of his family. Lee Junho and Kim Min-ha, who are captivating drama fans worldwide, are expected to shine in this story. The ‘CEO Project’ (written by Ban Gi-ri, directed by Shin Kyung-soo, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Do Frame) is a nationwide communication project where the ‘CEO’ of negotiations intervenes in dispute mediation for people in crisis during a time of communication breakdown, and it will also meet viewers in the second half of the year.
Additionally, a comic human courtroom drama ‘Pro Bono’ (tentative title, written by Moon Yoo-seok, directed by Kim Sung-yoon, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Sequence One, Lotte Culture Works, and Studio Flow) is also on the lineup. Writer Moon Yoo-seok, known for works like ‘Miss Hammurabi’ and ‘Devil Judge’, and director Kim Sung-yoon, who directed ‘Itaewon Class’ and ‘Moonlight Drawn by Clouds’, will collaborate. The drama ‘Spring Fever’ (written by Kim Ah-jung, directed by Park Won-guk, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Bon Factory) will also meet viewers, depicting a comic romance on a spring day at a quiet rural school, featuring Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Joo-bin. Furthermore, a new Wednesday-Thursday drama block is expected to be established in the second half of the year, adding to the rich lineup.
A tvN representative stated, “Through continuous investment in content, tvN has grown into a leading channel for K-content and aims to reach viewers with the most drama works in Korea in 2025,” adding, “The keywords for this year’s drama success that tvN envisions are ‘True Happiness’, ‘Joyful Humanism’, and ‘Vicarious Excitement’. We will provide endless joy to viewers through various materials and genres, including growth narratives seeking true happiness, joyful humanism that resonates with viewers, and romantic comedies that stimulate excitement based on captivating character play.”
