Han Ji Min returns to the small screen in another romantic comedy, The Practical Guide to Love, after the overwhelming success of Love Scout last year. She plays a career woman who jumps into the world of blind dates and finds herself torn between two very different men.
The drama also stars Squid Game fame Park Sung Hoon and Lee Ki Taek from My Happy Ending. Premiering this month, the drama is based on the Naver webtoon Efficient Dating for Singles by Tari and presents a modern, relatable take on dating in your 30s.
Here’s everything to know about The Practical Guide to Love, including its release schedule and plot, cast, and production team.
The Practical Guide to Love Release Date
The Practical Guide to Love, starring Han Ji Min, Park Sung Hoon, and Lee Ki Taek, will premiere on February 28 on JTBC. The romantic comedy will premiere every Saturday and Sunday at 10:40 PM KST in the network’s weekend slot.
As per reports, the network deliberately left a month-long hiatus after the conclusion of “Surely Tomorrow” (starring Park Seo Joon and Won Ji An). It was to avoid frequent cancellations or schedule changes due to broadcasts of the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics.
International viewers will be able to stream the rom-com through Viki and TVING. Distribution is handled by CJ ENM, which is also preparing Spanish-dubbed releases for Latin America. The 12-episode series will conclude on April 5, 2026.
Plot Overview
The Practical Guide to Love follows Lee Eui Young, a confident hotel manager who is great at her job but not so lucky in love. She decides to approach dating with the same planning and focus she uses at work. After a string of blind date duds, she meets two potential keepers.
Lee Eui Young (Han Ji Min) has her life figured out—at least professionally. As a purchasing team manager at The Hills Hotel, she is competent, respected by colleagues, and considered a role model by her juniors.
At the age of 30-something, her love life remains a blank space on an otherwise impressive résumé. Pressure from her mother regarding marriage and misunderstandings from coworkers begin to make her feel restless. Through these arranged meetings, she meets two men who represent very different approaches to life and love.
Song Tae Seop (Park Sung Hoon) is gentle, calm, and sincere, whereas Shin Ji Soo (Lee Ki Taek) is playful, refreshingly honest, and free-spirited.
Cast and Characters
Main Cast
Han Ji Min as Eui Young
Acclaimed actress Han Ji Min leads the cast as the drama’s protagonist. Eui Young, a high achiever, is often described as a “career woman.” She is highly accomplished at work but a “complete novice” when it comes to dating.
Han Ji Min needs little introduction to K-drama fans. After a minor role in “Jewel in the Palace,” she broke out in “Resurrection” opposite Uhm Tae Woong before starring in a string of successful projects, including “Familiar Wife,” “The Light in Your Eyes,” “Miss Baek,” and “Our Blues.”
Last year, she received love for her performances in “Love Scout” (peak ratings of 12.0%) and JTBC’s “Heavenly Ever After” (peak ratings of 8.3%).
Park Sung Hoon as Song Tae Seop
Park Sung Hoon plays Eui Young’s first blind date partner, Song Tae Seop. Song, a wood studio owner, is calm, gentle, and sincere. He spent his 20s building his career and is now searching for love in his 30s. Park Sung Hoon received global fame for his roles in “The Glory,” “Queen of Tears,” and the latter two seasons of “Squid Game” (as a transgender character).
Lee Ki Taek as Shin Ji Soo
Lee Ki Taek takes on the role of Shin Ji Soo, Eui-young’s other blind date partner. Ji Soo steps in for his friend on a blind date with Eui Young. A former idol trainee turned actor, Ji Soo now works as an actor and jumps between various jobs.
Lee Ki Taek, while relatively younger in his career, has been building his filmography with roles in “Bon Appetit” and “My Happy Ending.”
Supporting Cast
- Jung Hye Sung as a fellow purchasing team employee
- Kim So Hye as the youngest team member
- Lee Mi Do as the team head Jung Na Ri
- Shin Jae Ha and Moon Jeong Hee in supporting roles
The Practical Guide to Love Trailer
JTBC’s promotional rollout began with a calendar-style poster presenting Eui Young’s dating schedule. The teaser shows the routine life of commuting between home and office to a new, emotionally charged chapter. Fans also get to see her awkward and vulnerable reactions to male suitors.
Production Team
The drama is directed by Lee Jae-hoon, known for character-driven series such as Run On, Good Manager, and Divorce Attorney Shin. The screenplay is written by Lee Yi Jin, adapting the original webtoon for television.
Casting discussions began in early 2025, with the official script reading held on May 14, 2025. Filming commenced in the first half of 2025 and concluded on November 13, 2025. It was reported that Han Ji Min gifted sneakers worth approximately 30 million won to 120 staff members as a wrap gift following production.
The February 28, 2026 premiere date was officially confirmed on December 19, 2025.
The Practical Guide to Love premieres February 28 on JTBC and streams internationally on Viki and TVING.
