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When the Phone Rings

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When the Phone Rings
Promotional poster
Hangul
지금 거신 전화는
Hanja
只今 거신 電話는
Literal meaningThe Number You Have Dialed
Revised RomanizationJigeum geosin jeonhwaneun
McCune–ReischauerChigŭm kŏshin chŏnhwnŭn
Genre
Based onThe Number You Have Dialed
by Geon Eomul Nyeo
Developed byKwon Seong-chang
Written byKim Ji-woon
Directed by
  • Park Sang-woo
  • Wi Deuk-gyu
Starring
Music byRoh Hyeong-woo [ko][4]
Opening theme"When the Phone Rings"
by Oh Hee-joon
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes12
Production
Executive producers
  • Oh Jin-seung
  • Lee Min-ji
Producers
  • Lee Dae-yong
  • Park Ji-eun
  • Bae Ji-hyun
  • Moon Seok-hwan
  • Oh Kwang-hee
  • Park Ho-sik
Running time64–70 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkMBC TV
ReleaseNovember 22, 2024 (2024-11-22) –
January 4, 2025 (2025-01-04)

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.

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

A former war correspondant and announcer, Baek is from a politically-connected family. He is the youngest presidential spokesperson.
A sign language interpreter, she lost her voice due to an accident. She is Sa-eon's wife.
A psychiatrist who is also active as a YouTuber at the same time, which is mostly related to unsolved cases.
A broadcasting station announcer. She is a cheerful person.

Supporting

Sa-eon's family

Sa-eon's grandfather.
Sa-eon's father.
Sa-eon's mother.

Hee-joo's family

The chairman of Cheongwoon Ilbo. He is Hee-joo's stepfather.
A former club singer. She is Il-kyung's second wife.
Il-kyung's eldest daughter. She is the former head of Cheongun Art Center.
Hee-joo's biological father. He is a former club host. He is hospitalized in a nursing home after being diagnosed with dementia.

People in the presidential office

A Spokesperson's Office Manager.
A special administrative officer who most closely assists Sa-eon.
  • Park Sun-young as Kim Soo-young[6]
A Spokesperson's Office Administrative Officer.
  • Song Jin-hee as Ahn Jin-hee[6]
A Spokesperson's Office Administrative Officer.
  • Jung Ji-hwan as Jeong Won-bin[9]
A rookie sign language interpreter.

People around Sa-eon

A reporter and Sa-eon's close friend.
An experienced servant who handles all Baek family's affairs and also serves as Sa-eon's father's personal secretary.

People around Hee-joo

 A director of the Sign Language Interpretation Center.

Other

  • Park Jae-yoon as Kidnapper[6]

Episodes

No.TitleOriginal release dateSouth Korea viewers
(millions)
1"Episode 1"November 22, 20240.852
Politician Baek Sa-eon and selectively mute sign-language interpreter Hong Hee-joo have spent the past three years in a loveless arranged marriage. While she isdriving at night, a masked man forcibly enters Hee-joo's vehicle and threatens her. He calls Sa-eon and demands ransom for his wife, but Sa-eon refuses to cooperate without evidence and suggests that he call again when Hee-joo is dead. Though he believes the call to be a scam, Sa-eon attempts to trace the call. Hee-joo, hurt by her husband's words, escapes by crashing her car and does not tell Sa-eon she was kidnapped. Hee-joo recalls the clause in her pre-nup that forbids her from initiating divorce. Hee-joo attends a party with Sa-eon, posing only as his interpreter for a deaf guest. In the bathroom, Hee-joo calls Sa-eon from the kidnapper's phone and speaks to him, her voice disguised by a voice modulator. "He" blackmails Sa-eon with knowledge of his failed wedding to Hee-joo's older sister In-ah, which prompted Sa-eon to privately marry Hee-joo instead. "He" orders Sa-eon to divorce Hee-joo and return to In-ah. Sa-eon refuses and vows to track "him" down.
2"Episode 2"November 23, 20240.855
3"Episode 3"November 29, 20240.942
4"Episode 4"November 30, 20241.020
5"Episode 5"December 13, 20241.054
6"Episode 6"December 14, 20241.343
7"Episode 7"December 20, 20241.048
8"Episode 8"December 21, 20241.248
9"Episode 9"December 27, 20241.130
10"Episode 10"December 28, 20241.380
11"Episode 11"January 3, 20251.469
12"Episode 12"January 4, 20251.652

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.[3] 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.[2]

On May 8, 2024, MBC announced that they had finalized the casting for the series and were starting the production.[11]

Casting

On March 13, 2024, Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin are under review considering appearing in the series.[12] On June 27, it was reported that Jang Gyu-ri received an offer for the series and is positively reviewing it.[13] On May 8, Yoo and Chae had been confirmed to appear in the series.[5] On September 24, Yoo, Chae, Heo Nam-jun, and Jang had confirmed their appearances as the main characters in the series.[3]

Release

When the Phone Rings premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST).[14] Netflix announced that the series would be available for streaming exclusively on its platform.[15]

Original soundtrack

Part 1

Released on November 30, 2024
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."See The Light"Kinsha
  • AllThou
  • Suhyun Kim
Im Hyun-sik3:02
2."See The Light" (Inst.) 
  • AllThou
  • Suhyun Kim
 3:02
Total length:6:04

Part 2

Released on December 7, 2024
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Numb"
  • Red Anne (BadX)
  • Nam Hee-yoon (Anne Story)
  • Maxx Song (BadX)
  • Sam Carter (MonoTree)
  • Jisan Park (BadX)
  • True Choi (BadX)
  • Ton Kim
Lim Yeon3:17
2."Numb" (Inst.) 
  • Maxx Song (BadX)
  • Sam Carter (MonoTree)
  • Jisan Park (BadX)
  • True Choi (BadX)
  • Ton Kim
 3:17
Total length:6:34

Part 3

Released on December 14, 2024
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Hear Me Out"
  • Kim A-Hyun
  • Kim Lee-Hyeon
  • Noh Hyeong-Woo
Suran3:43
2."Hear Me Out" (Inst.) 
  • Kim Lee-Hyeon
  • Noh Hyeong-Woo
 3:43
Total length:7:26

Part 4

Released on December 21, 2024
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."May l Love You?"
  • Dinnercoat
  • Kim Dinnercoat
  • Yoo Junghyun
Jae Yeon3:53
2."May l Love You?" (Inst.) 
  • Kim Dinnercoat
  • Yoo Junghyun
 3:53
Total length:7:44

Part 5

Released on December 28, 2024
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."I Feel It Now"
  • sla
  • Im Se-Jun
  • Klozer
  • Klozer
  • Im Se-Jun
  • sla
  • Sondia
Whee In3:54
2."I Feel It Now" (Inst.) 
  • Klozer
  • Im Se-Jun
  • sla
  • Sondia
 3:54
Total length:7:45

Part 6

Released on January 4, 2025
No.TitleLyricsMusicArtistLength
1."Say My Name"Chae Si-hyeon
  • Alysa
  • William Seldahl
Yoo Yeon-seok3:30
2."Say My Name" (Inst.) 
  • Alysa
  • William Seldahl
 3:30
Total length:7:00

Chart performance

List of singles, showing year released, with selected chart positions and notes
Title Year Peak chart positions Notes
US
World
[16][17]
"See The Light" (Im Hyun-sik) 2024 10 Part 1
"Say My Name" (Yoo Yeon-seok) 2025 7 Part 6

Reception

Viewership

When the Phone Rings : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
SeasonEpisode numberAverage
123456789101112
10.8520.8550.9421.0201.0541.3431.0481.2481.1301.3801.4691.6521.166
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[18]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
Nielsen Korea[18]
Nationwide Seoul
1 November 22, 2024 5.5% (9th) 5.4% (9th)
2 November 23, 2024 4.7% (11th) 4.8% (7th)
3 November 29, 2024 6.0% (9th) 5.6% (11th)
4 November 30, 2024 5.7% (4th) 6.0% (3rd)
5 December 13, 2024 5.9% (9th) 5.3% (9th)
6 December 14, 2024 6.9% (5th) 6.4% (5th)
7 December 20, 2024 6.0% (10th) 5.1% (9th)
8 December 21, 2024 7.0% (2nd) 6.8% (3rd)
9 December 27, 2024 6.4% (9th) 6.0% (9th)
10 December 28, 2024 7.5% (3rd) 7.4% (3rd)
11 January 3, 2025 8.3% (4th) 8.8% (4th)
12 January 4, 2025 8.6% (3rd) 8.5% (3rd)
Average 6.542% 6.342%
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

When The Phone Rings debuted on Netflix with 3.3 million views,[19] peaked at 6.6 million views,[20] and ended its run with 4.6 million views during its final week.[21] In the series finale, it achieved second place in the TV-OTT drama category for buzzworthiness, as reported by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex.[22]

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
MBC Drama Awards 2024 Best Couple Award Chae Soo-bin and Yoo Yeon-seok Won [23][24]
Best New Actress Jang Gyu-ri Nominated
Best New Actor Heo Nam-jun Won
Best Supporting Actress Chu Sang-mi Nominated
Drama of the Year When the Phone Rings Nominated
Excellence Award, Actress in a Miniseries Chae Soo-bin Won
Grand Prize (Daesang) Yoo Yeon-seok Nominated
Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries Yoo Yeon-seok Won

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.[25][26]

Criticisms

Claims that Izmael and Paltima are Israel and Palestine

The final 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 the Israel and Palestine, respectively. This led to netizens boycotting the show,[27] 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.[28] The creators have yet to clarify on the controversy.[29]

References

  1. ^ Yeon, Hwi-seon (November 13, 2024). "유연석 '어른 멜로' 정점 찍어"...'지금 거신 전화는' 작가, 직접 밝힌 관전 포인트 ["Yoo Yeon-seok's 'Adult Melodrama' Hits Its Peak"...'The Number You Have Dialed' Writer Reveals Points to Watch] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 13, 2024 – via Naver.
  2. ^ a b c Yoon, Sang-geun (May 5, 2024). "유연석X채수빈 MBC '지금 거신 전화는' 주연 호흡 확정[공식]" [Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin Confirmed to Lead Role in MBC's 'The Number You Have Dialed' [Official]] (in Korean). Star News. Archived from the original on July 12, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024 – via Naver.
  3. ^ a b c d e Choi, Yu-na (September 24, 2024). "'지금 거신 전화는', 유연석X채수빈X허남준X장규리 출연 확정 [공식]" ['The Number You Have Dialed', Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin X Heo Nam-joon X Jang Gyu-ri Confirmed to Appear [Official]] (in Korean). Sports Donga. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved September 24, 2024 – via Naver.
  4. ^ Su, ran (December 14, 2024). 지금 거신 전화는 OST Part 3 / 수란 [When the Phone Rings OST Part 3 / SURAN]. Bugs (in Korean). Genie Music. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c Jeong, Hye-won (June 27, 2024). "유연석·채수빈, 부부된다...'지금 거신 전화는' 출연 확정[공식]" [Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin become a couple... Confirmed to appear on 'The Number You Have Dialed' [Official]] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m 등장인물 [Characters]. iMBC (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved December 9, 2024.
  7. ^ Son, Bong-seok (October 7, 2024). "배우 최광일, '지금 거신 전화는' 출연···유연석X채수빈 호흡" [Actor Choi Kwang-il, 'The Phone Call You're Answering' Appearance···Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin Breathing] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Naver.
  8. ^ Park, Soo-in (October 29, 2024). 최우진, 유연석 보필한다 '지금 거신 전화는' 으로 지상파 드라마 데뷔 [Choi Woo-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok to Debut in Terrestrial Drama 'The Phone Call You're Answering'] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Naver.
  9. ^ Ahn, Byeong-gil (November 8, 2024). 정지환 '지금 거신 전화는' 캐스팅... 유연석과 호흡 [Jung Ji-hwan casts 'The phone you're calling right now'···Breathing with Yoo Yeon-seok] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on November 11, 2024. Retrieved November 11, 2024 – via Naver.
  10. ^ Park, A-reum (October 15, 2024). "고상호 '지금 거신 전화는' 합류, 유연석 유일한 친구 된다[공식]" [Ko Sang-ho joins 'The Phone Call You're On' and becomes Yoo Yeon-seok's only friend [Official]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 29, 2024 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Oh, Myeong-eon (August 2, 2024). "유연석·채수빈, MBC드라마 '지금 거신 전화는'서 부부로 캐스팅" [Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin cast as a couple in MBC drama 'The Number You Have Dialed'] (in Korean). Yonhap News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved September 5, 2024 – via Naver.
  12. ^ Park, Ro-sa (March 13, 2024). "유연석·채수빈 부부 될까 "'지금 거신 전화는' 검토 중" [공식]" [Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin to become a couple? "'The Number You Have Dialed' is under review" [Official]] (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on September 24, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  13. ^ Park, Soo-in (June 27, 2024). "장규리 '지금 거신 전화는'서 유연석 채수빈 만날까 "긍정검토중"[공식입장]" [Jang Gyu-ri to meet Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin in 'The Number You Have Dialed': "Positively Reviewing" [Official Position]] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  14. ^ Choi, Hee-jae (October 22, 2024). "'지금 거신 전화는' 유연석·채수빈, 쇼윈도 부부...티저 포스터 공개" ['The Phone Call You're On' Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin, Show Window Couple... Teaser Poster Released] (in Korean). EDaily. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 22, 2024 – via Naver.
  15. ^ Bernardo, Jaehwa (October 2, 2024). "Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin's 'When the Phone Rings' coming to Netflix in November". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on November 10, 2024. Retrieved October 2, 2024.
  16. ^ "World Digital Song Sales: Week of January 4, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  17. ^ "World Digital Song Sales: Week of January 18, 2025". Billboard. Retrieved January 15, 2025.
  18. ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
  19. ^ "Top 10 Non-English Most Watched TV-Shows (November 18 - November 24, 2024)". Netflix. November 27, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  20. ^ "Top 10 Non-English Most Watched TV-Shows (November 25 - December 01, 2024)". Netflix. December 5, 2024. Archived from the original on December 7, 2024. Retrieved December 5, 2024.
  21. ^ "Top 10 Non-English Most Watched TV-Shows (December 30 - January 05, 2025)". Netflix. January 7, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2025.
  22. ^ "유연석 "'지금 거신 전화는', 예능 파트너 유재석 반응은..." [인터뷰M]". iMBC. January 6, 2025. Retrieved January 7, 2025.
  23. ^ ★수상내역 | 2024 MBC 연기대상 [★Awards | 2024 MBC Drama Awards]. Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 9, 2025. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  24. ^ Kim Hye-young (December 27, 2024). "'MBC 연기대상' 한석규→유연석 총출동! 영예의 대상 주인공은?" ['MBC Drama Awards' Han Seok-kyu → Yoo Yeon-seok all out! Who will be the winner of the honorable grand prize?]. MBC Entertainment (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 14, 2025.
  25. ^ "매출 15배 뛴 원작 웹소설 드라마 '지금 거신 전화는' 이유는". Nate. December 12, 2024. Archived from the original on December 14, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  26. ^ "지금 거신 전화는' 원작 작가 "유연석·채수빈, 싱크로율 200%" 극찬". iMBC. December 11, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  27. ^ Choudhary, Sagarika (January 5, 2025). "When The Phone Rings Faces Backlash Over Controversial Israel-Palestine War Reference, Angry Netizens Call For Boycott". Free Press Journal.
  28. ^ Srivastava, Aditi (January 5, 2025). "When the Phone Rings finale faces boycott calls for controversial 'war-torn' country portrayal". The Hindustan Times.
  29. ^ Shahirah, Sharifah (January 6, 2025). "Outrage erupts over 'When the Phone Rings' Israel-Palestine reference, boycott ensues". Sinar Daily.
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