K Drama Chat Weekly

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 8 of Start-Up , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Bae Suzy as Seo Dal-mi, Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do-san, Kim Seon Ho as Han Ji Pyeong, Kang Han Na as Won In Jae, and Kim Hae Sook as Choi Won Deok. We also discuss Yoo Su Bin, the actor who plays Lee Chul San, and Kim Do Wan, the actor who plays Kim Yong San. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: “Even for a Moment” by CHEEZE, “My Past” by Park Sejun and Kim Min Ji, and “Heart Signal” by Kim Dong Hyeok, plus a fun mention of IU’s “Good Day.” The theme of backups—literal and metaphorical—including cloud, device, and hard drive backups and what they signify about risk management and emotional safety. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): what it is, its key components, and how Samsan Tech uses CSR to fund their app for the visually impaired. The evolving nature of NoonGil and how Seo Dal-mi and Nam Do-san combine image recognition and AI voice tech to empower visually impaired users. ...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 7 of Start-Up , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Bae Suzy as Seo Dal-mi, Nam Joo-hyuk as Nam Do-san, Kim Seon-ho as Han Ji-pyeong, Kang Han-na as Won In-jae, and Kim Hae-sook as Choi Won-deok. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: My Love by Davichi, Maybe You Know It by Park Se-jun, and Alchemist by Park Se-jun. The startup terms "burn rate," "nut," and "valuation" and how they relate to Samsan Tech’s financial situation. How Dal-mi bombards Ji-pyeong with 400 questions, revealing her inexperience and eagerness, and how Ji-pyeong answers them all. The intensifying love triangle and growing tension between Ji-pyeong and Do-san, especially as Ji-pyeong begins to realize his feelings for Dal-mi. The hilarious but symbolic scene where Ji-pyeong tries to throw out the money plant and gets scolded by the building manager. The heartbreaking moment when Choi Won-deok begs Do-san not to reveal her deter...

Today, we take a quick break from Start-Up , the K Drama we're recapping and analyzing in Season 13 of K Drama Chat, to reflect on the best K Dramas of 2025. We share our top 5 shows, actors, actresses, scenes, and songs of the year—and we hear from YOU, our amazing listeners! We discuss: The listener-favorite and TIME Magazine’s top K Drama of 2025: When Life Gives You Tangerines Songs we loved in 2025 The top shows of our listeners. We hear from: MrsDJQ Irma Christine Malcolm Shine Sue Ernabel Our personal top 5 shows and honorable mentions A special treat: audio clips from listeners sharing their top shows! The actresses who blew us away in 2025 The standout male performances The most memorable scenes from K Dramas we watched K Dramas we’re looking forward to in 2026 Korean films from 2025 we recommend watching A reminder to join us next week when we return to Start-Up and discuss Episode 7 and Stephanie Lee, the actress who plays Jeong Sa-ha References 60+ K Dramas f...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Start-Up , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Bae Suzy as Seo Dal-mi, Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do-san, Kim Seon Ho as Han Ji Pyeong, Kang Han Na as Won In Jae, and Kim Hae Sook as Choi Won Deok. We discuss: The songs we featured during the recap: Where Is Dream by 10CM, Maybe You Know It by Park Sejun, and Game Room by Park Sejun. We also shared insights into 10CM’s music career and unique vocal style. The concept of the “key man,” and how Nam Do-san, as the brilliant coder, is the true key person behind Samsan Tech’s success, not Seo Dal-mi. An in-depth conversation about equity and ownership, with Han Ji Pyeong insisting that a CEO must have majority equity to lead effectively — a controversial claim that causes major friction in the team. The fallout among the Samsan Tech founders when Chul San and Yong San feel betrayed by Nam Do-san’s proposed equity structure, prompting a near breakup. Seo Dal-mi’s growth as a CEO, including how sh...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 5 of Start-Up , the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Bae Suzy as Seo Dal-mi, Nam Joo Hyuk as Nam Do-san, Kim Seon Ho as Han Ji Pyeong, Kang Han Na as Won In Jae, and Kim Hae Sook as Choi Won Deok. We discuss: The songs featured during the recap: "Running" by Gaho and "Shake Shake." The intense and emotional hackathon that tests our characters’ ambition, determination, and self-worth. Seo Dal-mi’s rising ambition and her impressive performance as the new CEO of Samsan Tech. Nam Do-san’s growing confidence, his romantic development, and his beautiful metaphor involving Tarzan. The theme of imposter syndrome and how both Dal-mi and Do-san feel they’re not worthy — but believe in each other. The critical role APIs, GPUs, data sets, and artificial neural networks play in tech — and how they’re introduced in the show. Han Ji Pyeong’s internal turmoil, guilt, and shift from dismissive investor to personal mentor and backer of S...