Ha Jung Woo and Im Soo Jung Join Forces in tvN’s New Dark Comedy-Thriller – kdramadiary
It’s a wildly unpredictable ride through real estate, debt, and desperation — The Landlord is coming to tvN in early 2026, with filming officially kicking off this July.
This highly anticipated new drama brings together an all-star cast including Ha Jung Woo, Im Soo Jung, Kim Jun Han, Jung Soo Jung, and Shim Eun Kyung, promising a blend of suspense, dark humor, and biting social commentary.
Titled How to Become a Building Owner in Korea (aka The Landlord), the drama follows an ordinary man who becomes the owner of a small residential building thanks to a soul-crushing loan. Now drowning in debt, he finds himself backed into a corner — and driven to commit a staged kidnapping in a desperate attempt to protect what matters most: his family and his building. What starts as a reckless plan quickly spirals into chaos, drawing viewers into a tense and unpredictable story filled with twists, secrets, and moral ambiguity.
Marking his first drama appearance in 19 years, Ha Jung-woo stars as Ki Soo-jong, delivering his signature intensity as a man fighting tooth and nail to hold onto his crumbling life. Im Soo Jung makes her return to television after Melancholia as Kim Sun, Soo-jong’s wife, who is thrust into emotional and psychological turmoil as her husband’s actions unravel. Expect a compelling transformation as she portrays a woman tested by escalating crises.
Joining them is Kim Jun Han as Min Hwal-seong, Soo-jong’s well-meaning but chronically unlucky friend, who’s driven by ambition and a desperate desire for validation, ultimately making a shocking move of his own. Jung Soo Jung (Krystal) plays Jeon Yi-kyung, Hwal-seong’s wife and the daughter of a real estate mogul, whose sheltered world is shattered as she becomes entangled in events far beyond her control.
Shim Eun Kyung returns to Korean TV for the first time in six years as Yona, a mysterious and pressure-inducing employee of Real Capital, the ruthless finance company hounding Soo-jong. With an enigmatic past as an overseas adoptee and a chilling calm, Yona adds an extra layer of tension to an already volatile situation.
Behind the camera, director Yim Pil-sung (Doomsday Book, Persona) brings his signature cinematic flair and moody direction, while novelist Oh Han-ki makes his screenwriting debut, promising a drama that’s as thought-provoking as it is unpredictable.
Featuring a powerhouse cast and a plot that merges thriller, satire, and raw emotion, The Landlord is shaping up to be one of tvN’s boldest offerings yet. Don’t miss the chaos, comedy, and mayhem of survival in Korea’s high-stakes real estate game — coming your way in early 2026.
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