The Dream Life of Mr. Kim Review: A Brutally Honest Korean Drama About Corporate Life | Netflix 2025
Three minutes into the first episode, I found myself unconsciously checking my own resume.
This Korean workplace drama premiered on October 25, 2025, and it's already making waves internationally for all the right reasons.
Unlike typical office K-dramas filled with romance and glamour, this one hits different. Uncomfortably different.
Essential Information
Original Title: 서울 자가에 대기업 다니는 김 부장 이야기
English Title: The Dream Life of Mr. Kim
Broadcast: JTBC (Saturdays and Sundays)
Genre: Drama, Slice of Life
Episodes: 12
Where to Watch: Netflix International
Lead Actor: Ryu Seung-ryong (Kingdom, Extreme Job, Moving)
Based on: Best-selling novel by Song Hee-gu
First Impressions: Reality Bites
Fresh off his acclaimed performance in Disney+'s "Moving" (2023), Ryu Seung-ryong now takes on traditional broadcast TV for the first time in 15 years. And what a choice it is.
His portrayal of Kim Nak-su, a 25-year veteran sales manager, feels less like acting and more like documentary footage.
The first episode opens with Kim carefully selecting a bag that costs less than his boss's but more than his junior team members'. That one scene alone tells you everything about Korean corporate hierarchy.
This isn't the glossy, aspirational office life you see in most K-dramas. This is the 7am subway commute. The fake laughs at executive jokes. The silent panic when a colleague younger than you gets promoted first.
Key Line from Episode 1
"Remember this: surviving 25 years as a manager at a major corporation, owning an apartment in Seoul, and putting your kid through college... that's a magnificent life."
What Makes This Drama Stand Out
Unflinching Honesty
The show doesn't shy away from the uncomfortable truths of middle-aged corporate life. Manager Kim has done everything "right" by Korean societal standards. He owns property in expensive Seoul, works for a prestigious company, has a family. Yet he's slowly realizing that none of these achievements guarantee happiness or even job security.
The Generational Divide
One of the most compelling aspects is how the drama portrays the tension between generations. Kim represents the old guard who sacrificed everything for company loyalty. His junior team members, like rookie employee Kwon Song-hee, question authority and prioritize work-life balance. Neither side is portrayed as wrong. They're just... different. And that difference creates friction that feels painfully real.
Ryu Seung-ryong's Performance
After box office hits like "Extreme Job" and the critically acclaimed Disney+ series "Moving" (2023), Ryu returns to broadcast television with this project. He picked this because, in his words, "it's my story now." At 57, he's living the questions this drama asks. His performance isn't flashy. It's the quiet kind of brilliant. Watch his eyes when his junior colleague gets hospitalized from overwork. No dialogue needed. You feel the weight of decades of similar incidents, of knowing the system is broken but not knowing how to fix it.
Mild Spoiler Alert
The following section discusses plot elements from Episode 1
The Turning Point
The first episode ends with a gut-punch. Manager Kim, who thought he had everything figured out, suddenly loses it all. His Seoul apartment, his prestigious position, his carefully maintained facade. In one swift narrative move, he becomes "just Kim Nak-su" without the impressive title and address.
This isn't a spoiler because it happens in episode one. It's the premise. The show isn't about the fall. It's about what happens after. It's about a man finally forced to confront who he is when stripped of all external validation.
The drama is based on a novel that went viral in Korea, selling over 300,000 copies and generating millions of online views. Readers praised it for being the most accurate portrayal of modern Korean office culture they'd ever encountered. The TV adaptation keeps that raw authenticity intact.
Why International Viewers Should Watch
Universal Themes in Korean Context
While the setting is specifically Korean corporate culture, the questions are universal. What defines success? When does ambition become self-destruction? How do you find your identity when you've spent decades being what others expect?
Cultural Window
For international viewers curious about Korean work culture beyond the K-drama stereotypes, this show is invaluable. It explains why Koreans work such long hours, the importance of social hierarchy, the pressure of maintaining appearances, and the devastating psychological cost of it all.
No Language Barrier for Emotion
The beauty of this drama is that its emotional core transcends language. You don't need to understand Korean corporate terminology to recognize the exhaustion in Kim's eyes, or to feel the sting when younger colleagues dismiss his experience as outdated.
Production Quality and Direction
Director Jo Hyun-tak opts for a naturalistic approach. There are no dramatic musical swells or over-the-top emotional scenes. The camera work is intimate, often following Manager Kim from behind as he navigates crowded subway stations and endless office corridors. It creates a documentary-like feel that enhances the realism.
The supporting cast deserves mention too. Myung Se-bin plays Manager Kim's wife with such nuanced understanding. She's not just the supportive spouse. She has her own dreams and frustrations, her own journey of self-discovery. Their marriage feels lived-in, complete with comfortable silences and unspoken resentments.
Minor Criticisms
The drama does make some changes from the beloved source material. The novel used a multi-perspective structure, showing the same events from Manager Kim, Manager Song, Deputy Jung, and Employee Kwon's viewpoints. With only 12 episodes, the drama focuses primarily on Manager Kim's perspective. Some fans worry this loses the novel's richness.
Additionally, certain subplot additions feel slightly melodramatic compared to the grounded main story. Manager Kim's son's romance plotline, for instance, veers into more traditional K-drama territory.
Final Verdict
"The Dream Life of Mr. Kim" premiered with a 3.1% viewership rating in Korea, solid numbers for a cable drama. More importantly, it's generating the kind of buzz that suggests staying power. Online communities are filled with viewers saying "this is my dad's story" and "I see myself in this."
This is not a feel-good drama. It's not escapist entertainment. It's a mirror held up to anyone who's ever wondered if climbing the ladder was worth the climb. It's uncomfortable, occasionally depressing, but ultimately deeply human.
If you're tired of glossy office romances and want something that respects your intelligence and life experience, this is your show. Just maybe don't watch it right before bed. Or right before work. Actually, maybe watch it on weekends when you have time to process.
What did you think of Episode 1's ending? Share your thoughts below!
International viewers: How does Korean corporate culture compare to your country?
