Between Steps arrived on Monday, October 5, 2026, and the 12-episode romance drama has already found its footing on ENA and Disney+. Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun lead a story set inside a university robotics lab, playing two young people who rebuild their lives after unexpected setbacks. The series is also the final work from director Ahn Pan-seok, who died in August 2026, and that fact alone gives the show a weight that goes beyond its slow-burn love story.
The show airs every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 KST on ENA in South Korea. International viewers can watch on Disney+ and Hulu in selected regions, with Genie TV carrying the series in Korea. Below is the full episode schedule, the complete cast breakdown, streaming details by region, and what the lead actors have said about bringing these characters to life.
Every Episode Date for Between Steps
The 12-episode season runs for six weeks, with two episodes arriving each week. The finale is set for Tuesday, November 10, 2026. The schedule below follows the confirmed Monday-Tuesday pattern from ENA and Disney+ .
- Episode 1: Monday, October 5, 2026
- Episode 2: Tuesday, October 6, 2026
- Episode 3: Monday, October 12, 2026
- Episode 4: Tuesday, October 13, 2026
- Episode 5: Monday, October 19, 2026
- Episode 6: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
- Episode 7: Monday, October 26, 2026
- Episode 8: Tuesday, October 27, 2026
- Episode 9: Monday, November 2, 2026
- Episode 10: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
- Episode 11: Monday, November 9, 2026
- Episode 12 (Finale): Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Each episode runs about 60 minutes. The Korean title of the series is 연애박사, which translates to Love Doctor, though the show later settled on Between Steps for international audiences.
Full Cast List and Who Plays Who
The main cast carries the emotional weight of the series, while the supporting players fill out the lab, the family home, and the university setting.
- Choo Young-woo as Park Min-jae: A doctoral student in robotics at Seohan University. He was a competitive swimmer in high school until osteosarcoma cost him his left leg. He now works as a lab manager and assistant in Professor Ahn Jae-hong’s research lab.
- Kim So-hyun as Lim Yu-jin: A master’s student in robotics. She originally studied Clothing and Textiles but switched paths after an incident derailed her plans for graduate school. She joins the same lab as Min-jae.
- Park Hyuk-kwon as Im Yong-seok: Yu-jin’s kind and hardworking father who runs Jeil Car Center.
- Seo Jeong-yeon as Seo Mi-young: Yu-jin’s diligent mother who handles the accounting at the family auto shop.
- Kim Min-seok as Im Yu-seong: Yu-jin’s older brother, a mechanic at the family shop who bickers with his sister but cares deeply for her.
- Lee Chang-hoon as Professor Ahn Jae-hong: The professor who leads the robotics research lab.
- Ryu Kyung-in as Professor Kang Mi-ran: A professor who initially mentors Yu-jin in the fashion department.
- Park Ha-rang as Jung Su-bin: Yu-jin’s friend who is harassed by a senior, an incident that changes Yu-jin’s academic path.
- Lee Sang-jin as Kim Young-soo: The senior whose actions set the story’s central conflict in motion.
Shim Hye-jin also appears in the cast, along with Kim Min-seok in the role of Yu-jin’s brother.
Where to Watch Between Steps Around the World
Streaming rights are split by region, and viewers in some countries have clearer options than others.
- South Korea: ENA broadcasts new episodes every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 KST. Genie TV streams the series for Korean subscribers.
- United States: Hulu carries the series, with new episodes arriving alongside the Korean broadcast. Disney+ also lists the show for U.S. viewers through the Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max bundle options.
- Canada: Disney+ carries the series for Canadian subscribers.
- United Kingdom: Disney+ lists the show for UK viewers, though release timing may vary by region.
- Australia: Disney+ carries the series for Australian subscribers.
- India: JioHotstar lists Between Steps among its October 2026 K-drama releases. Streaming availability was confirmed by multiple Indian entertainment outlets, though early reports noted some uncertainty before the platform listing appeared.
- Southeast Asia: Disney+ carries the series in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore, with new episodes arriving on the same Monday-Tuesday schedule.
- Japan: Disney+ Japan lists the series for Japanese subscribers.
Disney+ remains the main international home for the series, with Hulu serving as the primary U.S. streaming option. Viewers in regions without confirmed Disney+ access should check local platform listings, as availability can change during a show’s run.
What the Lead Actors Said About the Story
Choo Young-woo described Park Min-jae as a character with a strong exterior and a lot of hidden fear. He explained why he took the role.
“With the involvement of Director Ahn Pan-seok and actress Kim So-hyun, there was no reason for me to refuse the role, and I felt I would be able to learn a lot,” Choo said in an interview with RRI.
He also spoke about what makes Min-jae complex.
“Min-jae is a strong person, but he also has many worries and fears,” Choo said.
Kim So-hyun said the director’s approach pushed her to rethink her own habits as an actor.
“Director Ahn meticulously calculated how the drama should appear while emphasizing freedom and authenticity. I used to have fixed ideas like, ‘This level of acting should be enough,’ but he noticed that. Seeing my approach, he said, ‘Why not try it differently?’” Kim told Chosun.
She also shared what she hopes viewers take from the show.
“I sincerely hope it can offer viewers a little comfort as they watch it,” Kim said in an interview with Soompi.
Choo Young-woo gave viewers a way into the story’s emotional arc.
“I think you will be able to become more immersed in the drama if you follow the romance that blossoms when two young people, who are inexperienced when it comes to love, meet, as well as the process of how the two characters change through their relationship,” he told Soompi.
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What to Expect From the Story
Between Steps is not a fast-moving romance. The show is built on small, everyday moments inside a robotics lab, and its emotional pull comes from watching two guarded people slowly let each other in.
Park Min-jae lost his leg to illness after a promising swimming career. He has built a quiet, controlled life as a doctoral student, but he still carries bitterness about the future that was taken from him. He is careful with his feelings and tends to overthink, which makes his growing connection with Yu-jin feel risky for him.
Lim Yu-jin was on a fashion track before an incident with a senior upended her plans. She defends a friend from harassment, refuses to apologize to the senior, and ends up expelled from her department. That setback pushes her toward robotics, where she starts over as a master’s student with no clear map for what comes next.
The two meet on a subway train before they ever share a lab. Their first encounter is quiet and accidental, with the pair falling asleep on each other’s shoulders. Things become more complicated when Min-jae comes to Yu-jin’s aid after a late-night altercation, and their lives keep crossing from there.
The show’s writer, Min Hyo-jung, described its appeal as a romance grounded in realistic, everyday stories.
“It is a romance centered on extremely realistic everyday stories, but that is precisely why viewers will be able to empathize more deeply with the characters’ situations and emotions and laugh and cry along with them,” Min said in an interview with Soompi.
The series also carries the legacy of Ahn Pan-seok, who directed Something in the Rain, One Spring Night, and The Midnight Romance in Hagwon. Between Steps is his final project, and its focus on intimate, character-driven storytelling follows the style he was known for.
Ratings and Early Reception
The premiere episode recorded a nationwide rating of 1.8 percent on October 5, 2026. Episode 2 rose to 2.4 percent, a jump of about 133 percent from the first episode. Episode 3 settled at 2.1 percent. The show also climbed to the top spot on Naver’s real-time search rankings after Episode 2 aired, according to Thanh Nien.
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Stay with VvipTimes for episode breakdowns, cast interviews, and streaming updates as Between Steps continues its six-week run.
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