When the Phone Rings
지금 거신 전화는 • When The Phone Rings, The Number You Have Dialed
- Genre : Drama · Mystery · Romance · Thriller
- Broadcast : November 22, 2024
- Where to watch: MBC, Netflix
- Director : Park Sang-woo, Wi Deuk-gyu
- Screenwriter : Kim Ji-woon
- Casting : Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-joon, Jang Gyu-ri, Han Jae-yi, Jung Dong-hwan, Yoo Sung-joo, Chu Sang-mi, Choi Kwang-il, Oh Hyun-kyung, Im Chul-soo, Choi Woo-jin, Park Sun-young, Song Jin-hee, Jung Ji-hwan, Ko Sang-ho, Kim Tae-han, Hong Seo-jun, Yang Jo-ah, Kang Hyeon-woo, Park Jae-yoon, Park Won-sang, Shin Yeon-woo, Lee Jae-joon, Yoon Seo-yeon, Lee Si-on, Kang Ji-yong, Kim Min-seok, Park Geon-rak, Lee Seung-joon
The Story
Baek Sa-eon (Yoo Yeon-seok) is South Korea’s youngest presidential spokesperson. Coming from a powerful political family, this former war correspondent and hostage negotiator has been married for three years to Hong Hee-joo (Chae Soo-bin), a sign language interpreter who has stopped speaking following a traumatic childhood experience.
Their arranged marriage, entered into to serve their families’ interests, is nothing but a facade: they live under the same roof without truly communicating. But when Hee-joo is the victim of a kidnapping attempt and Sa-eon receives mysterious threatening calls, their relationship is turned upside down. As family secrets and everyone’s true intentions begin to surface, the couple gradually discovers feelings they had always kept hidden. Amid blackmail, hidden identities, and political intrigue, their marriage becomes the center of a dangerous affair.
Adaptation
The series is adapted from the South Korean web novel *The Number You Have Dialed* by Geon Eomul Nyeo, published on KakaoPage. Its success on television has also reignited interest in the original work: the novel climbed to the top spot on KakaoPage’s daily web novel chart, while its webtoon adaptation reached second place on the weekly romantic webtoon chart.
Impact and Success
When the Phone Rings The series saw steady growth in viewership on MBC, rising from 5.5 % in the first episode to 8.6 % for the finale—its highest rating—with a national average of 6.5 %, according to Nielsen Korea. On Netflix, the series debuted with 3.3 million views, reached a weekly peak of 6.6 million, and ended its run with 4.6 million views during its final week. It also ranked second among the most-discussed dramas in Good Data Corporation’s TV-OTT category during its finale.
Awards
At the 2024 MBC Drama Awards, Yoo Yeon-seok won the Top Excellence Actor award in a miniseries, Chae Soo-bin won the Excellence Actress award in a miniseries, and the two actors were honored with the Best Couple award. Heo Nam-jun also won the Best New Actor award. The series was also nominated in the Drama of the Year category, while Yoo Yeon-seok was among the nominees for the Daesang (Grand Prize).
Trailers
Casting
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