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| Chinese Drama The Rational Life Gets Korean Version Starring Park Min Young. (Photo: Naver) |
Park Min Young is officially leading the Korean adaptation of The Rational Life, titled Nine to Six, where she will star opposite Sungjae in a mature workplace romance with a noona twist. The drama is already drawing buzz for marking their first on-screen pairing and for reimagining one of China’s most talked-about modern romance hits for a Korean audience.
Nine to Six is based on the 2021 Chinese drama The Rational Life, originally led by Qin Lan and Dylan Wang Hedi. The Korean version shifts the focus slightly but keeps the emotional backbone intact: a high-powered career woman who has practically scheduled love out of her life.
Park Min Young plays Kang Yi-ji, the sharp and composed head of a legal team at a major automobile company. She believes relationships are built more on practicality than passion and treats marriage like a logical decision rather than a fairy tale.
Enter Sungjae as Han Seon-woo, a former law graduate who chooses creativity over corporate ambition and works as a jewellery designer. He is calm, emotionally open and quietly persistent.
Where Yi-ji is structured and guarded, Seon-woo is instinctive and warm. Their dynamic sets up a slow-burn romance rooted in emotional contrast, professional tension and generational difference.
Directed by Lee Hyung Min, known for Strong Girl Bong-soon, the series revives the beloved noona romance trope but grounds it in realistic office politics and social expectations.
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Expect sharp boardroom conflicts, subtle workplace power plays, and heartfelt conversations about age gaps, ambition and vulnerability.
Unlike the original, where the male lead worked closely under the female lead, Nine to Six introduces a stronger “structured versus creative” clash. That contrast is expected to give the romance a fresher emotional rhythm rather than a direct remake feel.
From a genre perspective, Nine to Six blends workplace romance, mature melodrama and character-driven healing arc storytelling.
Viewers can expect steady pacing rather than chaotic twists. It looks set to explore themes of emotional growth, career pressure and how love fits into an already full calendar.
Before Nine to Six clocks in, Park Min Young will appear in the romantic thriller Siren’s Kiss alongside Wi Ha Joon, premiering on 2 March 2026 on tvN and streaming on Prime Video.
In that series, she plays Han Seol-ah, an elite art auctioneer whose life becomes entangled in a tense investigation led by an ace insurance fraud investigator. The tone is dramatically different.
Where Nine to Six promises warmth and emotional development, Siren’s Kiss leans into psychological tension, suspenseful romance and layered character mystery.
Reports say Park Min Young even adjusted her voice and limited expressive gestures to fully embody the role’s icy aura.
Looking at her recent projects, including the global success Marry My Husband and her sharp turn in Confidence Queen, Park Min Young is clearly diversifying her portfolio.
She is moving from revenge fantasy to crime caper to mature office romance and psychological thriller without losing her signature charm.
As for fan reactions, they are already split in the most interesting way.
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Some fans are excited about the fresh on-screen chemistry between Park Min Young and Sungjae, praising the casting as bold yet balanced. Many feel Sungjae’s softer, artistic image suits the role perfectly and are curious to see how he handles a more grounded romantic arc.
Others are cautiously optimistic. A section of netizens wonder whether the remake can capture the same emotional pull as the original Chinese version.
There are also discussions about whether Korean audiences will embrace the age-gap storyline as warmly as international viewers did.
Meanwhile, thriller fans are more focused on Siren’s Kiss, saying Park’s darker transformation might steal the spotlight before Nine to Six even premieres.
Either way, 2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for Park Min Young. Two contrasting genres, two very different male leads, and two versions of love under pressure. Which one are you more curious about — the rational office slow burn or the high-stakes cat-and-mouse romance?