When the Phone Rings (Korean: 지금 거신 전화는) is a 2024–2025 South Korean television series written by Kim Ji-woon, co-directed by Park Sang-woo and Wi Deuk-gyu, and starring Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin, Heo Nam-jun, and Jang Gyu-ri. It premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST) for 12 episodes. It is available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.
Contents
Synopsis
When the Phone Rings is a story that unfolds when a Show Window couple, who have been living without speaking to each other for three years in an arranged marriage, receive a threatening phone call from a kidnapper.
Cast
Main
Yoo Yeon-seok as Baek Sa-eon
Lee Jae-hoon as young Sa-eon
A former war correspondent and announcer, Baek is from a politically connected family. He is the youngest presidential spokesperson.
Chae Soo-bin as Hong Hee-joo / Na Hee-joo
Shin Yeon-woo as young Hee-joo
A sign language interpreter, who lost her voice due to a traffic accident from childhood. She is Sa-eon's wife.
Heo Nam-jun as Ji Sang-woo
Kang Ji-yong as young Sang-woo
A psychiatrist who is also active as a YouTuber at the same time, which is mostly related to unsolved cases.
Jang Gyu-ri as Na Yu-ri
A broadcasting station announcer and Sa-eon's junior. She is a cheerful person.
Supporting
Jung Dong-hwan as Baek Jang-ho
Sa-eon's late grandfather and politician.
Yoo Sung-joo as Baek Ui-yong
Sa-eon's father and candidate of an upcoming presidential election.
Chu Sang-mi as Shim Kyu-jin
Sa-eon's mother.
Choi Kwang-il as Hong Il-kyung
The chairman of Cheongwoon Ilbo. Hee-joo's stepfather.
Oh Hyun-kyung as Kim Yeon-hui
A former club singer. Hee-joo's mother. Il-kyung's second wife.
Han Jae-yi as Hong In-ah
Yoon Seo-yeon as young In-ah
Il-kyung's eldest daughter.
Park Won-sang as Na Jin-cheol
Hee-joo's biological father. A former club host. He is hospitalized in a nursing home after being diagnosed with dementia.
Im Chul-soo as Kang Young-woo
A Spokesperson's Office Manager.
Choi Woo-jin as Park Do-jae
A special administrative officer who most closely assists Sa-eon.
Park Sun-young as Kim Soo-young
Production
Development
When the Phone Rings series is planned by Kwon Sung-chang, written by Kim Ji-woon, who previously wrote Doctor John (2019) and Melancholia (2021), and co-directed by Park Sang-woo, who previously directed The Forbidden Marriage (2022–2023), and Wi Deuk-gyu. It was produced by Bon Factory and Baram Pictures. It is based on the popular Kakao Page web novel The Number You Have Dialed by Geon Eomul Nyeo. The series consists of 12 episodes.
On May 8, 2024, MBC announced that they had finalized the casting for the series and were starting the production.
Casting
On March 13, 2024, Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin are under review considering appearing in the series. On June 27, it was reported that Jang Gyu-ri received an offer for the series and is positively reviewing it. On May 8, Yoo and Chae had been confirmed to appear in the series. On September 24, Yoo, Chae, Heo Nam-jun, and Jang had confirmed their appearances as the main characters in the series.
Release
When the Phone Rings premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST). Netflix announced that the series would be available for streaming exclusively on its platform.
Original soundtrack
Reception
Viewership
When The Phone Rings debuted on Netflix with 3.3 million views, peaked at 6.6 million views, and ended its run with 4.6 million views during its final week. In the series finale, it achieved second place in the TV-OTT drama category for buzzworthiness, as reported by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex.
Sales
Following the series' release, the original web novel and webtoon saw significant increases in popularity. The web novel experienced a substantial rise in both viewership and sales, reaching the top spot on KakaoPage's daily web novel rankings. Similarly, the webtoon, which debuted shortly before the drama series, climbed to the number two in KakaoPage's weekly romance webtoon rankings, demonstrating a notable increase in viewership and sales.
Criticisms
The initial episode featured a scene portraying the fictional country of Paltima issuing airstrikes against another country, Izmael, as well as holding Korean nationals hostage. Many viewers believed the two countries represented Palestine and Israel, respectively. This led to netizens boycotting the show, claiming that the portrayal of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict was insensitive. Others accused the show's creators of misrepresenting the conflict or pushing a Zionist agenda. The creators have yet to clarify on the controversy. A user on MyDramaList later claimed there was a translation error that altered the narrative of the scene, as the original dialogue and visuals depict Izmael as the country issuing airstrikes on Paltima, instead of the other way around.