“The rom in the romcom is hitting”— Kang Tae-oh and Lee Sun-bin’s Netflix drama ‘The Potato Lab’ premieres to positive viewer reviews

The Potato Lab premiered on March 1, 2025 on tvN and received positive repsonse from viewers, especially for the leading actors' on-screen chemistry. The K-drama is set in a rural potato research institute.

The story follows Kim Mi-kyung (played by Lee Sun-bin), a potato researcher and So Baek-ho (portrayed by Kang Tae-oh), Wonhan Retail company's innovation director and an outsider whose arrival disrupts the lab’s close-knit dynamic.

When So Baek-ho enters Kim Mi-kyung’s world, the two find themselves entangled in a romance. In the first two episodes, Baek-ho and Mi-kyung constantly clash. However, after a tiring day and a drinking session, they get closer and Mi-kyung eventually kisses Baek-ho, calling him the "Hot Director."

The romantic comedy has kept a steady viewership through the first two episodes. According to Nielsen Korea, the drama’s second episode has recorded a nationwide average rating of 1.8 percent, matching the previous night’s performance.

Fans reacted to the protagonists' chemistry and wrote on X:

"Pushing him away but ends up kissing him later on… the rom in the romcom is hitting" said one fan.

"The shots in this drama are so pretty" another commented.

"ThePotatoLabEp1 was so good AAA i can see now how it balances romcom and action it's light (so far), has really goofy and tight-knit family and friendships WHICH I LOVE SM IN ROMCOMS, and I like how they showed sm about the fl's past already" noted another fan.

Fans cannot get enough of the romance between the couple in The Potato Lab.

"Both were drunk. man suddenly looked like a protagonist that came straight out of a novel in her eyes and girl just went to grab him by the collar kissing him afterwards NOW THIS IS A REAL ROMCOM" another fan said.

"Not real pictures from taeoh's childhood, high school (?), and military era being used to depict baekho's life flashing before him REAL COMEDY IS BACK" responded another fan.

"Her friend told her that she'll fall for him at the end of ep2 and she did and I really can't blame her he's gorgeous" reacted another viewer.

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Lee Sun-bin and Kang Tae-oh share insights on The Potato Lab

Lee Sun-bin expressed her excitement about this project in an interview with Singles on February 25, 2025, noting that her character Mi-kyung embodies many traits she has portrayed in previous works.

"She’s not the oldest in the lab, but she’s trusted and a passionate character. But she’s also a realistic character. She has great empathy," she said.

The actress found the script appealing because all characters, despite their flaws, remain lovable.

Describing Kang Tae-oh's character Baek-ho in The Potato Lab, Sun-bin humorously compared him to an AI—rigid and logical, standing out among the affectionate lab members. Kang Tae-oh agreed that Baek-ho appears cold and rational but emphasized his hidden warmth.

Despite enjoying the camaraderie on set, he shared he felt lonely at times since his character remained an outsider in a group. He even joked about feeling left out in his formal suits while the rest wore research uniforms.

"It was a good sense of ‘craziness’ because we had a lot of fun conversations and were all friendly. But on the other hand, I was really lonely." he said.

Filming The Potato Lab has even changed how the actors view potatoes. Kang Tae-oh admitted he now gets excited whenever he sees potato dishes, and co-star Kim Ji-ah gifted the cast potato-shaped keychains to commemorate their experience.

The Potato Lab stars further said that they hope audiences appreciate the warmth and humor of the story. Kang Tae-oh shared his excitement for viewers to witness the character developments, while Lee Sun-bin called this project a significant chapter in her acting journey.

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The next episode of The Potato Lab is scheduled to be released on March 8, 2025, on tvN. It will be available for streaming on Netflix.