No.1 K-content channel tvN has unveiled a luxurious lineup that will dominate 2025.
This year, tvN captivated viewers with both popularity and ratings, providing endless enjoyment. ‘Jumping with Sunjae’, ‘Queen of Tears’, ‘Retirement Age’, ‘Marry My Husband’, and ‘Mom's Friend's Son’ ranked 1st to 5th in the 2024 TV drama popularity rankings, with ‘Queen of Tears’ achieving a peak rating of 31%, solidifying its position as a drama powerhouse. In entertainment, various genres such as ‘You Quiz on the Block’, ‘Seo Jin’s’, ‘Amazing Saturday’, and ‘Sisters’ Direct Delivery’ have led the K-entertainment industry, proving that tvN is in a golden age of entertainment.
Additionally, tvN has ranked first in the TV channel category for two consecutive years in the ‘Broadcast Channel Brand Competitiveness (Brand Power Index·BPI)’ survey conducted among viewers. The BPI survey, conducted annually since 2012, is designed by CJ ENM in collaboration with external research firms, measuring brand competitiveness through quantitative assessments of brand value recognition, consumer behavior, and quality-related items. The survey covers 11 items, including channel awareness, preferred channels, viewing time, and program completeness, targeting 3,000 viewers aged 15 to 64 in the Seoul metropolitan area and six major cities who watched broadcast/OTT programs for more than one hour in the past week.
In the ‘2024 BPI Survey’ conducted among a total of 19 channels, including terrestrial channels, tvN ranked first with a score of 47.2 among the target audience of men and women aged 20-49, followed by MBC, SBS, KBS, and JTBC. Programs such as ‘Queen of Tears’, ‘Jumping with Sunjae’, and ‘You Quiz on the Block’ received high ratings, and viewers expressed that they perceive tvN as “new”, “fun”, “matching my taste”, and “addictive”.
As 2024 comes to a hot close, there is great interest in the tvN lineup that will adorn 2025. tvN is expected to continue to present well-made content that broadens its content base with various themes in 2025.
■ 2025 tvN Drama Lineup
# Global Stars Gather
<Ask the Stars>
The new Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Ask the Stars’ (written by Seo Suk-hyang, directed by Park Shin-woo, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by KeyEast·MYM Entertainment) will premiere on January 4 (Saturday). It depicts the life of a boss Eve working in a zero-gravity space station and an unexpected guest dinosaur with a secret mission. The drama is generating hot topics with a cast of globally loved actors such as Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin, and Oh Jung-se, along with the romantic comedy master Seo Suk-hyang and director Park Shin-woo, known for his delicate direction in works like ‘Jealousy Incarnate’. It is particularly attracting attention as the first space office drama set in a space station in Korea. The drama promises to deliver universal stories of human life through the intertwined relationships of characters armed with diverse personalities, like the countless stars filling the vast universe.
<Seocho-dong>
Scheduled to air in the first half of 2025, ‘Seocho-dong’ (written by Lee Seung-hyun, directed by Park Seung-woo, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Green Snake Media) is a courtroom office drama about associate lawyers working in different law firms within the same building in Seocho-dong, where various law firms are located, as they seek their life goals. Actors Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang Yoo-seok, Ryu Hye-young, and Lim Sung-jae will portray the ‘Lawyer Avengers’ who share golden lunch times together. They will depict the cheerful and warm daily lives and intense concerns of associate lawyers in the cold Seocho-dong. Expectations are high for the script based on the experiences of current lawyer Lee Seung-hyun and the unique visual style shown by director Park Seung-woo.
<Typhoon Company>
‘Typhoon Company’ (written by Jang Hyun-sook, directed by Lee Na-jung, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Imaginas·Studio PIC·Tree Studio) is set against the backdrop of the 1997 International Monetary Fund (IMF) foreign exchange crisis, telling the story of a young CEO's growth as he strives to protect the small business ‘Typhoon Company’ left by his father during the IMF crisis. Lee Junho, who has captured the hearts of drama fans worldwide with ‘King the Land’ and ‘Red Sleeve Cuff’, and Kim Sae-rok, who has shown a wide acting spectrum in various dramas, will star, and the sensuous direction of Lee Na-jung, who directed ‘Please Take Care of My Refrigerator’ and ‘Mine’, is raising expectations for the project.
<Divorce Insurance>
‘Divorce Insurance’ (written by Lee Tae-yoon, directed by Lee Won-seok·Choi Bo-kyung, planned by CJ ENM, produced by KT Studio Genie·Mongjakso·Studio Mondo) features Lee Dong-wook, Lee Joo-bin, Lee Kwang-soo, and Lee Da-hee in an office romantic comedy about a team of innovative product developers at an insurance company who introduce a product called ‘divorce insurance’. The fresh concept of ‘divorce insurance’, which quantifies all aspects related to divorce and sets insurance payouts, along with the gathering of global stars, is expected to present a relatable story. This is the first drama debut of director Lee Won-seok, known for the film ‘Killing Romance’, with co-direction by Choi Bo-kyung, who directed ‘Ants Are Riding’, and writing by Lee Tae-yoon, who wrote ‘The Tale of Nokdu’.
# Well-Made with Unique Themes
<Wongyeong>
tvN X TVING original drama ‘Wongyeong’ (written by Lee Young-mi, directed by Kim Sang-ho, produced by Studio Dragon·JS Pictures) centers around Queen Wongyeong, who dreams of a new world and seizes power alongside her husband, King Taejong Lee Bang-won, depicting the hot stories hidden between the king and queen, husband and wife. The drama aims to add interest by recreating and interpreting the story of this couple, known as political partners, from Wongyeong's perspective. Cha Joo-young and Lee Hyun-wook, who are making their first challenge in historical dramas, are expected to give birth to a new ‘historical drama queen’ and ‘historical drama king’. The first two episodes will be pre-released on TVING on January 6 (Monday) at 2 PM, and the first episode will air on tvN at 8:50 PM, maximizing the efficiency and satisfaction of both TV and OTT viewing audiences.
<Unknown Seoul>
‘Unknown Seoul’ (written by Lee Gang, directed by Park Shin-woo, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Monster Union·High Ground) is a romantic growth drama about twin sisters who swap lives through a lie, with everything different except their faces, as they search for true love and life. Actors Park Bo-young and Park Jin-young, who have a wide acting spectrum from emotional melodrama to intense thriller, are expected to create a unique synergy. In particular, Park Bo-young plans to challenge her first dual role since her debut through ‘Unknown Seoul’. Director Park Shin-woo, who has formed a solid fan base through dramas like ‘It’s Okay to Not Be Okay’ and ‘Jealousy Incarnate’, and writer Lee Gang, who showed delicate writing in ‘Youth of May’, are joining forces.
<My Happy Home>
‘My Happy Home’ (written by Choi I-rang, directed by Kim Cheol-kyu, planned by Studio Dragon) deals with the brutal story of the Kim family, who restart a counterfeiting business to pay for non-covered medical expenses, unexpectedly getting entangled with criminal organizations. The unique theme and setting are expected to deliver fresh entertainment, with writer Choi I-rang, known for ‘Marriage White Paper’, and director Kim Cheol-kyu, who has showcased well-made direction in ‘Flower of Evil’ and ‘Mother’, at the helm.
<Chef of the Tyrant>
‘Chef of the Tyrant’ (written by HapJak, directed by Jang Tae-yoo, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Film Greeda·Jung Universe) depicts a fantasy survival romance where a time-slipped French chef meets the worst tyrant and the best gourmet king, spanning over 500 years. Director Jang Tae-yoo, who has received much love for ‘The Flower of Evil’ and ‘My Love from the Star’, will direct.
# Trendsetting Romance
<Potato Research Institute>
‘Potato Research Institute’ (written by Kim Ho-soo, directed by Kang Il-soo, planned by CJ ENM STUDIOS, produced by Green Snake Media) is a healing comic romance set in a potato research institute in a mountain valley, where people laugh and cry over potatoes. Lee Sun-bin, who received praise for ‘City Girls’ and ‘Boys’ Generation’, and Kang Tae-oh from ‘Extraordinary Attorney Woo’ have confirmed their appearances. The direction will be by Kang Il-soo, who directed ‘The Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung’, and writer Kim Ho-soo, reuniting to deliver a work that offers both laughter and emotion.
<That Guy is a Black Dragon>
Based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, ‘That Guy is a Black Dragon’ (written by Kim Soo-yeon, directed by Lee Soo-hyun, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Studio N) tells the romance of ‘Department Head Killer’ Baek Soo-jung, who suffers from a dark past, and ‘Chaebol 3rd Generation Department Head’ Ban Joo-yeon, who has a black dragon in her heart. Director Lee Soo-hyun, known for ‘The Beneficial Fraud’, will direct, with Moon Ga-young, Choi Hyun-wook, Lim Se-mi, and Kwak Si-yang confirmed to star, promising a new acting synergy with their chemistry.
<Please Help Me Quit Drinking>
‘Please Help Me Quit Drinking’ (written by Myung Soo-hyun·Jeon Ji-hyun, directed by Jang Yoo-jung, planned by Studio Dragon) is a sober romance about a woman who considers herself a very reasonable drinker, who reunites with a public health doctor who is hard to quit drinking, challenging herself to quit. It is the first drama in Korea to recommend sobriety, and the delightful chemistry between Choi Soo-young and Gong Myung is expected to be added. The script is written by Myung Soo-hyun and Jeon Ji-hyun, who have penned the ‘My Name is Kim Sam-soon’ series, and directed by Jang Yoo-jung, known for ‘Finding Kim Jong-wook’ and ‘Honest Candidate’.
<Cowherd and Weaver Girl>
‘Cowherd and Weaver Girl’ (written by Yang Ji-hoon, directed by Kim Yong-wan, planned by Studio Dragon, produced by Studio Dragon·Dexter Pictures·Eo Content Group) is based on the popular Naver webtoon of the same name, depicting the story of a high school girl shaman who directly saves her first love. Rising stars Jo Yi-hyun and Choo Young-woo's meeting is expected to add a fresh first love romance intertwined with eerie yet poignant stories of ghosts.
In addition, tvN plans to establish a new Wednesday-Thursday drama lineup in the second half of 2025 to provide more diverse enjoyment. There is much interest in the drama works that will reach viewers in 2025, beyond the lineup revealed this time.
■ 2025 tvN Entertainment Lineup
# Endless Enjoyment
In the new year, tvN aims to find viewers with endless enjoyment. First, in January, the spin-off of ‘Where Beans Grow’ titled ‘Where Beans Grow, Eating Rice Gives Strength’ will be released. Lee Kwang-soo and Do Kyung-soo, who showcased a close brotherly chemistry in ‘Where Beans Grow’, will run a cafeteria. ‘Bbang Bbang Earth Arcade’, which has captured the hearts of MZ viewers with its various popularity indices, will also return for Season 3. ‘Bbang Bbang Earth Arcade 3’, featuring the unpredictable laughter of the MZ generation represented by Lee Eun-ji, Mimi, Lee Young-ji, and Ahn Yu-jin, along with PD Na Young-seok, is set to find viewers in the first half of 2025.
The second season of ‘Sisters’ Direct Delivery’, which provided harmless clean laughter with a salty fishing village reality featuring various jobs and seasonal dishes that can only be tasted there, is also on the lineup. Additionally, ‘Jangsa Genius Baek Sang-jang’, where Korea's top restaurant management expert Baek Jong-won directly starts and operates a business in a food desert, will also return for its third season.
# New Enjoyment
tvN's fresh plans for entertainment continue to challenge new enjoyment. ‘Handsome Guys on Sundays’, a Sunday variety show directed by Ryu Ho-jin and Yoon In-hye, featuring Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Dong-hyun, Lee Yi-kyung, Shin Seung-ho, and Oh Sang-wook, will set sail as they directly explore Korea's representative cultural heritage and materials, adding both fun and learning. On the 6th (Friday) at 8:40 PM, ‘Finnish Roommate’, featuring city boys Lee Je-hoon, Lee Dong-wook, Kwak Dong-yeon, and Cha Eun-woo living in a genuine rural village in Finland without electricity, water, or Wi-Fi, will premiere.
In February next year, a new program featuring chef Edward Lee, who embarks on a journey to find irresistible flavors, will also be unveiled. Edward Lee will wander around Korea with his perfect partner, daughter Arden, showcasing dishes using seasonal ingredients with various concepts each episode. Additionally, a travel knowledge variety show exploring Europe’s economy, culture, language, and food will follow. Directed by Yang Jeong-woo, who directed the ‘All About’ series, it will feature scholars like Yoon Jong-shin and Dr. Kim Sang-wook traveling along the Mediterranean. Furthermore, a new project by Yoo Jae-suk and PD Jung Cheol-min, who have had great chemistry in ‘Apartment 404’ and ‘Sixth Sense’, is also in the works.
