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Kim Hye Joon Torn Between Her K-Pop Bias and Her CEO Boss in New Drama “My Bias, My Boss”

Key takeaways

  • The drama adaptation draws from the massively popular Naver Webtoon *My Bias, My Boss* by Seong Eun, which has amassed over 660 million global views.
  • The main cast pairs established actors with emerging talent in strategic roles designed to maximize audience appeal.
  • Industry observers note that *My Bias, My Boss* arrives during a period of renewed interest in workplace romantic comedies that blend professional conflict with personal attraction.
  • *My Bias, My Boss* joins a growing catalog of successful webtoon-to-screen adaptations that have become fundamental to tvN’s content strategy.

tvN will premiere the workplace romantic comedy *My Bias, My Boss* on August 3, 2026, introducing viewers to a love triangle anchored by an idol obsession and corporate conflict. Kim Hye-joon stars as Nam Da-reum, an 11-year devoted fan who joins startup Appello Company only to discover her new CEO boss is Kang Ha-gi—the man she drunkenly attacked while defending her idol bias. The 12-episode series airs Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 KST, marking a high-profile collaboration between Studio Dragon, Studio N, and Npio Entertainment.

A Webtoon Phenomenon Becomes Peak-Time Television

The drama adaptation draws from the massively popular Naver Webtoon *My Bias, My Boss* by Seong Eun, which has amassed over 660 million global views. This extraordinary reach justifies the investment from three major production houses and signals strong pre-existing audience demand across multiple continents. The source material’s success virtually guarantees a built-in fanbase eager to see their beloved webtoon characters brought to life on screen.

Co-written by Lee Young and Kim Ji-an, with direction from Park Ji-hyun, the series transforms the webtoon’s core romantic conflict into a television narrative spanning 12 episodes. The production timeline confirms active filming preparations, with official script readings bringing the full cast together ahead of the summer premiere window. This condensed development schedule reflects tvN’s confidence in the project’s commercial and critical potential.

A Star-Studded Ensemble Balances Established and Rising Talent

The main cast pairs established actors with emerging talent in strategic roles designed to maximize audience appeal. Kang Hoon portrays Kang Ha-gi, the CEO whose initial antagonism toward Nam Da-reum masks deeper romantic tension, while Cha Woo-min plays Lee Chan, the idol at the emotional center of the protagonist’s 11-year fandom obsession. This casting creates a genuine love triangle where the protagonist must navigate professional respect for her boss against her lifelong devotion to her celebrity bias.

Notably, ITZY member Shin Yu-na makes her major K-Drama acting debut in a support role as Yun Cho-i, marking a significant career milestone for the multinational K-pop idol. Her involvement signals tvN’s strategy to cross-promote across the entertainment industry and appeal to both K-Drama and K-pop fan communities. The ensemble’s official script reading, documented through released photographs, confirmed the cast’s full assembly and readiness for production in early 2026.

The Comedy-Romance Formula Meets Corporate Workplace Dynamics

Industry observers note that *My Bias, My Boss* arrives during a period of renewed interest in workplace romantic comedies that blend professional conflict with personal attraction. The “clash-turned-Romance” narrative structure—where a drunken assault on the CEO becomes the catalyst for romantic development—offers comedic potential while exploring themes of workplace power dynamics and authentic connection. This formula has proven successful across multiple Asian markets, from South Korea to Thailand and beyond.

The drama’s August premiere on tvN’s primetime Monday-Tuesday slot positions it as a major mid-summer entertainment event, competing for viewership during a traditionally competitive broadcasting period. By launching just weeks after the official announcement, tvN demonstrates accelerated production confidence and a desire to capitalize on webtoon adaptation momentum. The 20:50 KST timeslot, tvN’s established prime real estate, reflects the network’s substantial investment in this project’s success.

Webtoon Adaptations Continue Dominating Korean Television

*My Bias, My Boss* joins a growing catalog of successful webtoon-to-screen adaptations that have become fundamental to tvN’s content strategy. The 660 million global views achieved by the source material demonstrate how digital storytelling platforms have created pre-validated intellectual property ready for television expansion. This ecosystem—where webtoons generate massive audiences before television production even begins—has fundamentally restructured how South Korean networks develop original content.

The drama’s classification as Comedy, Romance, and Drama targets the same demographic that has sustained webtoon platforms through subscriptions and advertising. Studio Dragon’s involvement particularly signals prestige-level production values, as the company has built its reputation on adapting webtoons and original screenplays into international hits.

What Lies Ahead for Fans and Industry Observers

Audiences should monitor the drama’s first-week ratings and social media reception when it premieres on August 3, as early performance will indicate whether the webtoon’s massive global fanbase translates to television viewership. The chemistry between Kim Hye-joon and Kang Hoon, established during script readings, will likely become a central talking point across fan communities and entertainment media. Additionally, Yuna’s acting debut performance will draw particular scrutiny from both K-drama critics and K-pop fan communities invested in her career trajectory.

The 12-episode structure allows for a complete narrative arc without the extended seasons that sometimes dilute romantic comedies, positioning *My Bias, My Boss* to deliver a tightly paced story from August through October 2026. This premiere represents a pivotal moment for webtoon adaptation viability on traditional television, demonstrating whether digital comics can sustain viewership across a full drama season in the contemporary streaming-dominated landscape.

Written by
Mia Tanaka

Mia Tanaka covers Asian drama across all borders — K-Drama, J-Drama, C-Drama, and the growing Thai drama scene. She is passionate about streaming platform strategy, how global audiences discover Asian content, and the rise of xianxia fantasy as a globally consumed genre. Mia writes for both longtime fans and viewers just starting their drama journey.