"Passionate at Work, Fiery in Love" — Seo In-guk and Park Ji-hyun Set to Spark Office Romance in tvN’s New K-Drama

 "This is a story about ordinary office workers who love passionately and work just as intensely," director Cho Eun-sol shared. Lead actors Seo In-guk and Park Ji-hyun are set to heat up the summer screen with tvN’s highly anticipated office romance, injecting a heavy dose of heart-fluttering excitement into the mundane daily routine of clocking in, working overtime, and commuting.

Based on the hit webtoon of the same name, the series aims to bring the original webtoon’s sensation to the small screen. Following in the footsteps of tvN’s legendary romance lineage—including I Need Romance, Another Miss Oh, and Lovely Runner—the production team expressed their strong resolve to deliver the network's next big romantic hit. On the afternoon of June 15, the upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama Off to Work Again Tomorrow! (written by Kim Kyung-min, directed by Cho Eun-sol) held an online press conference featuring director Cho alongside stars Seo In-guk, Park Ji-hyun, Kang Mi-na, and Choi Kyung-hoon.

Finding Extraordinary Romance in Ordinary Routines

Off to Work Again Tomorrow! captures the journey of an ordinary employee battling corporate burnout and her strict boss as they unexpectedly become irreplaceable parts of each other's lives, rediscovering passion in both their careers and romance.

"I read the script on my way home from work, and it made my heart race," director Cho recalled. "I knew right away that this would be the perfect drama for office workers or exhausted parents to unwind with alongside a cold beer after a long day."

Highlighting how the adaptation diverges from the source material, Cho added, "We intricately fleshed out the process of how ordinary co-workers build their relationship. The tightly woven narrative, which gains immense momentum as the story progresses, is our biggest competitive edge."

The director emphasized relatable realism as the show's core charm. "Countless things happen in a single day. The very act of surviving that day is a powerful story in itself. We took that realistic relatability and added a spoonful of fantasy-like romance through Seo In-guk’s character. We hope audiences cry, laugh, and find a sense of catharsis through it."

The '3-NO Man' Meets Corporate Burnout

Seo In-guk stars as Kang Si-woo, a senior manager in the Digital Appliances division at Saeum Electronics. Guided strictly by principles and efficiency, Si-woo is a notoriously rigid boss who rarely smiles, distances himself from others, and never easily apologizes—earning him the corporate nickname "The 3-NO Man."

"He is a character who meticulously plans every waking second of his day, from the moment he opens his eyes until he goes to sleep," Seo explained. "He’s so thorough that I wouldn't be surprised if he planned his own dreams."

To portray a character detached from life's simple pleasures, Seo did extensive research. "Kang Si-woo is someone who doesn't even know the joy of having fried chicken and beer after work. To find hobbies that suited his rigid persona, I personally studied traditional tea ceremonies and how to operate various intricate machinery."

On his decision to join the project, Seo revealed, "Expressing natural, everyday emotions is actually much harder than portraying characters in extreme, dramatic situations. The challenge of playing someone like Si-woo, who constantly represses his own desires, really triggered my ambition as an actor."

Director Cho praised Seo's performance, stating, "It’s an incredibly demanding role where the actor must generate romantic tension solely through his gaze, voice, and aura. Now that filming is wrapped, I can't imagine anyone else playing him. He was the living embodiment of Kang Si-woo."

Real-Life Inspiration and the 'Fox Couple' Chemistry

Park Ji-hyun stars opposite Seo as Cha Ji-yoon, a senior associate in the same division. Trapped in a repetitive corporate cycle and endless workloads, Ji-yoon is experiencing severe burnout, with her only solace being her post-work ritual of chicken and beer.

"She is a character anyone who has ever experienced the ups and downs of work and love can relate to," Park noted. "Her passion to push forward despite failures and heartbreak is what drew me to her."

Park also revealed she drew inspiration from her own family. "My older sister is a real-life Korean office worker, and I’ve heard so many stories from her. The corporate episodes in the script felt so realistic and plausible that it made it much easier for me to immerse myself in the performance."

Describing the romance between the two leads, Director Cho teased, "It depicts a process where they slowly seep into each other's lives. Their love is mature and adult-like. The way they care for and shield one another even in the midst of a corporate crisis will bring great excitement to viewers."

The lead duo has already coined a couple nickname. "We both have fox-like facial features, so fans have been calling us the desert fox and arctic fox," Seo laughed. "Since my character already has the nickname 'Fox Kang,' please just call us the 'Fox Couple.'"

Rounding out the cast, Kang Mi-na plays Yoon Noah, a junior associate in the same department who confronts unexpected questions about her future and love life, while Choi Kyung-hoon adds dramatic tension as Jo Ga-eul, Ji-yoon’s college classmate and first love.

Ratings Pledges and High Hopes

Looking to carry on the ratings success of tvN's previous hits, Seo In-guk and Park Ji-hyun made a bold ratings promise: if viewership ratings surpass the 10% milestone, the duo pledged to perform a special celebratory stage on Mnet’s music program M Countdown.

"We hope this project serves as a source of strength for everyone heading to work," the cast shared in unison. "We want viewers to finish an episode and find the energy to say, 'Well, I guess I can make it through work again tomorrow.'"

Seo In-guk concluded, "I want this to be a drama where viewers can grow and heal alongside us. I hope that by the time the final episode airs, it leaves everyone with a warm desire to fall in love."

Off to Work Again Tomorrow! is scheduled to premiere on June 22 at 8:50 PM KST.

https://www.dispatch.co.kr/2344043