The Potato Lab (Korean: 감자연구소) is aSouth Korean television series written by Kim Ho-soo, directed by Kang Il-soo, and starringLee Sun-bin andKang Tae-oh. The series is about a woman obsessed with potatoes swept away by a principled man like atornado potato. It aired ontvN every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST) from March 1 to April 6, 2025. It is also available forstreaming onNetflix in selected regions.
A passionate researcher's life takes a turn when a strict director arrives at her potato lab — proving that love can sprout in the most unusual places.
Set in a mountain valley at a potato research center, the story is about a woman named Kim Mi-kyung, a potato-crazy researcher who is starting a fresh life again, and So Baek-ho, who energizes her fighting spirit.
A potato-crazy researcher. She is quite annoying, unorthodox, and fiery, which interests So Baek-ho. However, she is very passionate about her work and cares a lot about her friends, even if she doesn't show it.
Wonhan Retail's organizational innovation director is efficient and composed—a no-nonsense man who strictly follows his principles. His rigid discipline and sharp focus make him an intimidating figure, known for getting things done with impressive speed and precision. However, because of these traits, he seems a bit awkward at times as he isn't sure how to deal with unusual things, like Mi-kyung's unpredictable behavior.
Mi-kyung's best friend. She is a web novel writer. She loves to ship Mi-kyung and Baek-ho constantly and tease her about it. She's subtly possessive over Kim Hwan-gyeong, getting angry when other girls interact or flirt with him. Despite this, she won't admit that she's interested in him, displaying a "tsundere" personality.
On March 18, 2024, it was reported thatKang Tae-oh, who was about to be discharged from his military service, was considering to star in the series.[7] The next day, media reported thatLee Sun-bin would play the female lead,[8] and that Kang had confirmed his appearance.[9] On May 14,tvN officially confirmed the two actors' casting.[6]
The Potato Lab premiered ontvN on March 1, 2025, and aired every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST).[3] It was also made available forstreaming onNetflix in selected regions.[10]
In the table above, theblue numbers represent the lowest ratings and thered numbers represent the highest ratings.
This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS,SBS,MBC, andEBS).
^감자연구소 OST [The Potato Lab].Bugs (in Korean). Genie Music, Stone Music Entertainment. Stone Music Entertainment, CJ ENM STUDIOS. April 7, 2025. RetrievedApril 7, 2025.
^감자연구소 [The Potato Lab].CJ ENM (in Korean). RetrievedMarch 5, 2025.
^Kim, Hyun-rok (December 20, 2024).남현우, 디퍼런트컴퍼니 전속계약...'감자연구소' 합류[공식] [Official: Nam Hyun-woo stars in 'The Potato Lab' after signging exclusive contract with a Different Company].SPOTV News (in Korean). RetrievedJanuary 21, 2025 – viaNaver.
^abChoi, Yi-jung (May 14, 2024).강태오X이선빈, 로코 '감자연구소' 첫 만남 호흡... '병맛 커플' 탄생 [Birth of the crazy couple... Kang Tae-oh and Lee Sun-bin's first chemistry meeting in romantic comedy 'The Potato Lab'].OSEN (in Korean). RetrievedJanuary 21, 2025 – viaNaver.
^Lee, Seung-hoon (March 19, 2024).[단독]이선빈, '전역' 강태오와 로코 호흡... '감자연구소' 주인공 [Exclusive: Lee Sun-bin stars in romantic comedy drama 'The Potato Lab' with Kang Tae-oh, who was discharged from the military...].Star News (in Korean). RetrievedJanuary 21, 2025 – viaNaver.
^Choi, Yi-jung (March 19, 2024).[단독] '오늘 전역' 강태오, 휴식없이 차기작 '감자연구소' 돌입..로코킹 노린다 (종합) [Exclusive: Kang Tae-oh, who was discharged from the military today, is rushing into his next work – 'The Potato Lab' – without resting.. He aims to be the romantic comedy king (Comprehensive)].OSEN (in Korean). RetrievedJanuary 21, 2025 – viaNaver.
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