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When the Phone Rings (Korean: 지금 거신 전화는) is a South Korean drama combining mystery, suspense, and emotional depth. Written by Kim Ji-woon and co-directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu, it stars Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-joon, and Jang Gyu-ri.
When the Phone Rings premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, airing Fridays and Saturdays at 9:50 pm (KST), and is streaming on Netflix in select regions.
The plot of When the Phone Rings follows Baek Sa Eon, a man from a prestigious political family who becomes the youngest presidential spokesman in Korea. He is married to Hong Hui Ju, a woman who became mute due to a childhood accident.
Their marriage, built on convenience rather than love, has been strained and distant. However, everything changes when Hui Ju is kidnapped, propelling their lives into a whirlwind of secrets, danger, and unexpected emotional connections.
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When the Phone Rings blends the tension of a marriage of convenience with elements of hidden identities, revenge, and suspense, keeping viewers on edge.
4 K-Dramas featuring a marriage of convenience, suspense, and hidden identities like When the Phone Rings
For those who enjoy the combination of psychological depth and thrilling narrative of When the Phone Rings, here is a list of 4 other K-Dramas that feature similar themes of strategic marriages, hidden motives, and intricate plot twists.
1) Perfect Marriage Revenge (2023)
Perfect Marriage Revenge (Korean: 완벽한 결혼의 정석) is a 2023 South Korean drama featuring Sung Hoon, Jung Yoo-min, Jin Ji-hee, Kang Shin-hyo, and Oh Seung-yoon. The series is based on the webtoon The Essence of a Perfect Marriage (완벽한 결혼의 정석) by Young (영) and Lee Beom Bae (이범배), with illustrations by Je Ri Bol (제리볼).
It offers a tale of second chances, a marriage of convenience, revenge, and romance like When the Phone Rings.
The story follows Han I-ju (Jung Yoo-min), a talented painter adopted by Han Jin-ung and Lee Jeong-hye. She has spent her life overshadowed and ignored, even by her younger sister, Han Yu-ra (Jin Ji-hee). Trapped in a loveless marriage with Yoo Se-hyeok (Oh Seung-yoon), I-ju discovers his true affections lie with her sister.
After a car accident sends her back in time, I-ju seizes the opportunity to rewrite her destiny. She cancels her engagement with Yoo Se-hyeok and boldly suggests a contract marriage to Seo Do-guk (Sung Hoon), the charismatic heir of the Taeja Group. Although Do-guk agrees with the arrangement, he secretly wishes for their relationship to turn real.
The series aired on MBN from October 28 to December 3, 2023, with episodes released every Saturday and Sunday at 9:50 pm KST. It is also available to stream on Viki.
2) Remarriage & Desires (2022)
Remarriage & Desires (Korean: 블랙의 신부) is a 2022 South Korean drama directed by Kim Jeong-min, starring Kim Hee-sun, Lee Hyun-wook, Cha Ji-yeon, Jung Yoo-jin, and Park Hoon. The series offers a satirical take on Korean society, exploring ambition and greed within the elite matchmaking industry.
The drama has themes of contract relationships, revenge, and second chances, like When the Phone Rings, and is also adapted from a webtoon.
At the center of the story is Rex, an exclusive matchmaking company catering to the upper class. For its wealthy clientele, Rex provides a gateway to power, prestige, and influence through marriage or remarriage. Among its clients are Seo Hye-seung (Kim Hee-sun), a former Gangnam housewife who lost everything overnight, and Lee Hyung-ju (Lee Hyun-wook), a businessman seeking stability.
Hye-seung joins Rex with a personal mission of revenge against the woman responsible for her downfall. In a world where marriage is a game of strategy and desire, Hye-seung plunges into a high-stakes battle to reclaim her life.
The drama premiered on Netflix on July 15, 2022, and is available for streaming worldwide.
3) The Trunk (2024)
The Trunk (Korean: 트렁크), a 2024 South Korean mystery melodrama, is based on Kim Ryeo-ryeong's novel of the same name. Written by Park Eun-young and directed by Kim Kyu-tae, the series stars Seo Hyun-jin and Gong Yoo in a tale of unconventional relationships and buried secrets.
This drama also explores similar themes to When the Phone Rings, including contract marriage, romance, and mystery.
This newly released drama's story revolves around Noh In-ji (Seo Hyun-jin), a staff member at NM (New Marriage), a company that arranges one-year contract marriages for its elite clientele. Despite her years of facilitating these partnerships—including completing four contracts of her own—In-ji struggles with profound loneliness.
Her fifth contract brings her to Han Jeong-won (Gong Yoo), a music producer haunted by the longing for his ex-wife, Seo-yeon, who ironically introduced him to NM. As their one-year marriage progresses, the two begin to understand each other and navigate their shared loneliness.
However, their lives take a dark turn when a mysterious trunk is pulled from a lake, unraveling hidden truths about NM and the people it serves. What begins as a professional arrangement transforms into a journey of self-discovery, connection, and uncovering dangerous secrets.
The series premiered on Netflix on November 29, 2024, and is available for streaming globally.
4) Mask (2015)
Mask (Korean: 가면;) is a 2015 South Korean drama starring Soo Ae, Ju Ji-hoon, Yeon Jung-hoon, and Yoo In-young. This series weaves a tale of deception, ambition, and love set against the backdrop of wealth and power struggles. This drama too delves into themes similar to When the Phone Rings, such as arranged marriage, identity swaps, hidden identities, trauma, cohabitation, slow-burn romance, gaslighting, and faked deaths.
Byun Ji-sook (Soo Ae) struggles to make ends meet as a department store clerk, burdened by her family's crippling debt and relentless loan sharks. Her life takes a shocking turn when she encounters Seo Eun-ha, her wealthy doppelgänger who is the daughter of a congressman, engaged to chaebol heir Choi Min-woo (Ju Ji-hoon).
Min-woo, the illegitimate son of SJ Group's chairman, grew up in an environment devoid of warmth or affection. Despite his status as the company's heir, he is deeply resented by his stepmother and her daughter, Mi-yeon. His engagement to Eun-ha is purely a business arrangement, and the latter is having an affair with Mi-yeon's manipulative husband, Min Seok-hoon (Yeon Jung-hoon).
Seok-hoon, driven by ambition, conspires to destroy Min-woo's credibility and even uses his psychiatrist to gaslight him into doubting his sanity.
When Eun-ha unexpectedly dies, Seok-hoon coerces Ji-sook into taking Eun-ha's place with threats involving her family. As Ji-sook steps into the role of Eun-ha, she must navigate a world of luxury, lies, and betrayal while hiding her true identity. As Ji-sook lives with Min-woo, she begins to see his vulnerable side beneath the corporate heir facade. In turn, he is captivated by her unexpected warmth and sincerity.
The 20-episode drama aired on SBS from May 27 to July 30, 2015, every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:55 pm KST. It is available for streaming on Viki.
Meanwhile, episodes 5 and 6 of When the Phone Rings, originally slated for release on December 6 and 7, 2024, have been postponed. The delay is due to recent developments involving alleged legal charges against South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. The updated broadcast dates of When the Phone Rings are now set for December 13 and 14, 2024, at 9:50 pm (KST).
