[News Culture] Kim Hye-jun’s dream of working alongside her favorite celebrity takes an unexpected turn in tvN’s new Monday-Tuesday drama ‘My Bias, My Boss.’
The romantic comedy premiered on August 3, following Nam Da-reum, played by Kim Hye-jun, as she leaves a stable corporate job for a position at the fashion label where her longtime idol works. Instead of a picture-perfect fan encounter, however, she finds herself repeatedly crossing paths with the company’s sharp-tongued CEO, Kang Ha-gi, played by Kang Hoon.
The premiere drew an average nationwide rating of 4.2 percent and peaked at 5.3 percent. In the Seoul metropolitan area, it averaged 3.9 percent and reached a high of 5.1 percent, placing first among cable and general programming channels in its time slot.
The episode also ranked first across all channels nationwide among viewers aged 20 to 49, tvN’s key target demographic, according to Nielsen Korea.
A Fangirl’s Dream Job Gets Off to a Chaotic Start
Nam Da-reum appears to have everything in place after joining major corporation SE Trading, but the routine quickly wears her down. Looking for a fresh start, she applies to Apello, a fashion label where Lee Chan, played by Cha Woo-min, works as both a designer and a member of idol group D.N.X.
For Nam Da-reum, the move is more than a career change. It is a rare chance to work in the same building as the star she has supported for years.
Her carefully imagined new beginning starts unraveling even before her first day.
While Kang Ha-gi is visiting SE Trading for an investment meeting, Nam Da-reum accidentally crashes into him in the hallway. Her apology does little to soften the moment, especially after the collision leaves a visible mark on his shirt.
Their second encounter is even worse. Drunk at a celebration for her new job, Nam Da-reum runs into Kang Ha-gi again and creates another scene, all without realizing that the stranger she has now offended twice is about to become her boss.
Her Idol Is There, but So Is the Boss She Cannot Avoid
Nam Da-reum arrives at Apello expecting to meet Lee Chan, only to discover that he has stepped down as co-CEO to focus on his work as a fashion director. Kang Ha-gi is now running the company.
The revelation leaves her stunned. Kang Ha-gi, meanwhile, has no trouble recognizing the employee responsible for two of his most memorable recent encounters.
Nam Da-reum’s unconventional arrival quickly becomes office gossip, establishing a workplace dynamic driven by irritation, embarrassment and reluctant curiosity.
Then comes the moment she has been waiting for. As an elevator door opens, Lee Chan is standing inside.
The long-awaited meeting gives Nam Da-reum the thrill she imagined, but it also completes the drama’s central triangle. One man is the celebrity she has admired from afar. The other is the boss she would rather avoid but keeps running into.
Fandom, Office Politics and Romantic Friction
‘My Bias, My Boss’ finds its comic rhythm by placing a devoted fan inside the everyday reality of corporate life.
Nam Da-reum’s enthusiasm is sincere but rarely controlled, while Kang Ha-gi’s rigid personality makes him the perfect counterweight. Lee Chan occupies a more complicated position, moving between celebrity life and the demands of the fashion business.
Kim Hye-jun gives Nam Da-reum an impulsive energy that keeps the character from becoming a one-note fangirl. Kang Hoon plays Kang Ha-gi with a dry edge, allowing the pair’s constant friction to carry much of the premiere’s humor. Cha Woo-min brings an easy charm to Lee Chan, whose role as both idol and colleague is likely to complicate the relationships around him.
The production also uses recognizable details from fan culture, including Nam Da-reum’s room filled with D.N.X merchandise and the group’s performance scenes, to make her devotion feel grounded rather than exaggerated.
What begins as a fan’s attempt to get closer to her favorite star is already turning into something far less predictable. With Nam Da-reum caught between the idol she chose and the boss she never expected, ‘My Bias, My Boss’ has opened its office romance with enough tension to keep both relationships in play.
Episode 2 of ‘My Bias, My Boss’ airs August 4 at 8:45 p.m. on tvN.
Reported by News Culture M.J._mj94070777@nc.press
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