''The Potato Lab'' () is a

South Korean television series Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise of the Korean Wa ...

written by Kim Ho-soo, directed by Kang Il-soo, and starring Lee Sun-bin and

Kang Tae-oh Kim Yoon-hwan (; born June 20, 1994), known professionally as Kang Tae-oh () is a South Korean actor and singer. He was a member of the actor group 5urprise. He rose to international popularity for his starring role in the television series '' ...

. The series is about a woman obsessed with potatoes swept away by a principled man like a tornado potato. It aired on tvN every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 ( KST) from March 1 to April 6, 2025. It is also available for

streaming Streaming media refers to multimedia delivered through a network for playback using a media player. Media is transferred in a ''stream'' of packets from a server to a client and is rendered in real-time; this contrasts with file downl ...

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

in selected regions.

Synopsis

A passionate researcher's life takes a turn when a strict director arrives at her potato lab — proving that love can sprout in the most unusual places. Set in a mountain valley at a potato research center, the story is about a woman named Kim Mi-kyung, a potato-crazy researcher who is starting a fresh life again, and So Baek-ho, who energizes her fighting spirit.

Cast

Main

* Lee Sun-bin as Kim Mi-kyung : A potato-crazy researcher. She is quite annoying, unorthodox, and fiery, which interests So Baek-ho. However, she is very passionate about her work and cares a lot about her friends, even if she doesn't show it. *

as So Baek-ho : Wonhan Retail's organizational innovation director is efficient and composed—a no-nonsense man who strictly follows his principles. His rigid discipline and sharp focus make him an intimidating figure, known for getting things done with impressive speed and precision. However because of these traits, he seems a bit awkward at times as he isn't sure how to deal with unusual things, like Mi-kyung's unpredictable behavior.

Supporting

Lee Hak-joo Lee Hak-joo (born January 9, 1989) is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television series ''The World of the Married ''The World of the Married'' () is a South Korean television series starring Kim Hee-ae, Park Ha ...

as Park Ki-se : Mi-kyung's ex-boyfriend. He serves as executive director of Wonhan Retail's strategic planning division. *

Jung Shin-hye Jung Shin-hye (Korean: 정신혜; born 11 October 1994) is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as '' Angry Mom'', ''Love Playlist'', ''Snowdrop ''Galanthus'' (from Ancient Greek , (, "milk") + (, "flower")) ...

as Yoon Hee-jin : Park Ki-se's ex-wife. *

Kim Ga-eun Kim Ga-eun (; born January 8, 1989) is a South Korean actress. Filmography Television series Web series Film Awards and nominations References External links * * 1989 births Living people South Korean television actress ...

as Lee Ong-ju : Mi-kyung's best friend. She is a web novel writer. She loves to ship Mi-kyung and Baek-ho constantly and tease her about it. She's subtly possessive over Kim Hwan-gyeong, getting angry when other girls interact or flirt with him. Despite this, she won't admit that she's interested in him, displaying a "

tsundere is a Culture of Japan, Japanese term for a character development process that depicts a character with an initially harsh personality who gradually reveals a warmer, friendlier side over time. The word is derived from the terms (adverb, 'mo ...

" personality. * Shin Hyun-seung as Kim Hwan-gyeong : Mi-kyung's younger brother. He confessed to Lee Ong-ju several times in the past, but got rejected. However, his feelings still linger. * Yoo Seung-mok : * Kwak Ja-hyung as Go Jeong-hae : The

self-proclaimed Self-proclaimed describes a legal title that is recognized by the declaring person but not necessarily by any recognized legal authority. It can be the status of a noble title or the status of a nation. The term is used informally for anyone declar ...

hipster manager. * Woo Jung-won as Joo Seung-hee : A deputy manager. She has made the biggest contribution to the Potato Research Institute's teamwork. * Kim Ji-ah as Jang Seul-gi : * Yoon Jeong-seop as Lee Chung-hyun : * Nam Hyun-woo as Kwon Hee-dong : An enthusiastic new hire at the Potato Research Institute.

Production

Development

''The Potato Lab'' is a

romantic comedy Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...

series directed by Kang Il-soo and written by Kim Ho-soo. It was planned by CJENM Studios and produced by Chorokbaem Media.

Casting

On March 18, 2024, it was reported that

, who was about to be discharged from his military service, was considering to star in the series. The next day, media reported that Lee Sun-bin would play the female lead, and that Kang had confirmed his appearance. On May 14, tvN officially confirmed the two actors' casting.

Release

''The Potato Lab'' premiered on tvN on March 1, 2025, and aired every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 ( KST). It was also made available for

in selected regions.

Viewership

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Potato Lab, The 2025 South Korean television series debuts 2025 South Korean television series endings Korean-language Netflix exclusive international distribution programming Korean-language television shows South Korean romantic comedy television series Television series by Chorokbaem Media TvN (South Korean TV channel) television dramas