The Korean drama "The Potato Lab" starring Kang Tae Oh and Lee Sun Bin has achieved extraordinary global success on Netflix. In fact, the drama which aired on tvN's weekend slot recorded a fairly low rating on its premiere.
According to Nielsen Korea, the premiere episode of "The Potato Lab" which aired on March 1, 2025, only achieved a viewership rating of 1.7 percent. Meanwhile, the second episode saw a slight increase to 1.8 percent, so there is still room for improvement.
However, the response of global viewers to "The Potato Lab" was very different. On March 3, FlixPatrol reported that the drama, which also stars Lee Hak Joo , ranked 7th in Netflix's Global TV Show Rankings in its first week.
"The Potato Lab" also achieved impressive success by ranking 9th in Netflix's largest market, the United States. Furthermore, the drama entered the Top 10 on Netflix in 52 countries around the world. On the same day, the drama ranked 6th on Netflix's South Korean chart and rose two spots to 4th on March 4 , 2025.
"The Potato Lab" marks Tae Oh's first comeback project after completing his military service, following his successful starring role in "Extraordinary Attorney Woo." This time, the actor plays So Baek Ho, a principled executive from Wonhan Retail's Strategic Planning Department, who intends to close the Potato Research Lab due to budget cuts.
Since the first episode, Tae Oh has given an intense performance, engaging in a physical confrontation with a fired employee. Meanwhile, Sun Bin plays Kim Mi Kyung, who is nicknamed "Potato Obsessed" because of her determination to protect the Potato Research Lab.
The first episode of "The Potato Lab" follows Mi Kyung's struggle to survive the company's restructuring after Sunyeo Foods is acquired by Wonhan Retail, and Baek Ho's internal investigation. The intrigue increases as the drama progresses.
In the second episode of "The Potato Lab", the relationship between the two main characters changes sharply. Mi Kyung starts a strategy to protect the Potato Research Laboratory, but suddenly becomes closer to Baek Ho.
A particularly memorable moment occurs during a company dinner when Mi Kyung, upon seeing Baek Ho drunk, suddenly kisses him, reminding her of the “hot director” from a romance novel she admires. This surprising turn of events increases viewers’ heart rates and heightens anticipation for their unexpected romance.
As the plot of "The Potato Lab" progresses, Mi Kyung learns that her ex-boyfriend, Park Gi Se (Hak Joo), is involved with the Potato Research Lab, which creates a new source of conflict. The global success of the drama is an example of how the value and influence of a drama cannot be judged solely by its domestic ratings.
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