Kim Hyejun Lands a Job at Idol Company After a Decade-Long Crush—“My Favorite Employee” Starts at 4.2%

Actor “Kim Hyejun” ignited instant attention as an office romance unfolded in which she rises to an overnight “successful fan” by joining the company of an idol she has been crushing on for 10 years.

A Fatal Feud and a Fated Encounter—A Triangular Romance Reveals Itself

According to Nielsen Korea, a television ratings survey company, the rating for the first episode of the tvN Monday-Tuesday drama “My Favorite Employee”, which aired the day before, recorded 4.2% (based on nationwide paid households), signaling a strong start. Based on the hit webtoon “Our Oppa Is an Idol”, which boasts a devoted fandom, the series strongly piqued viewers’ curiosity from the very first episode with a fast-paced rollout.

In that episode, the drama closely mapped out the tough journey of new employee Nam Da-reum (played by Kim Hyejun) as she joins “Apelo”, a fashion platform founded by Lee Chan (played by Cha Woomin), a member of the idol group D.N.X whom she has passionately admired for 10 years.

But the thrill of getting hired was short-lived. Nam Da-reum made a fatal mistake while heavily intoxicated, causing the beginning of an irreversible feud as she erred in front of Apelo’s cold CEO Kang Ha-gi (played by Kang Hoon). After that, as Nam Da-reum spent days trying to avoid Kang Ha-gi’s gaze, the scene in which she finally shares a dramatic encounter with Lee Chan—the one she had longed for—right in front of the elevator amplified anticipation about the story that will unfold next.

The “My Favorite Employee”, which previews a precarious web of entanglements inside the company, is also praised for successfully building three-dimensional characters while making full use of the original work’s appeal. Attention now turns to what kind of ripple the intertwining ties of the three young adults will trigger as their story moves fully onto the track.