The new Korean romantic comedy Nice to Not Meet You has launched with its first two episodes, setting up a hilarious battle between a typecast actor and a disgraced journalist. The series, starring Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon, premiered on November 3, 2025, on tvN and is available globally on Prime Video.
The story introduces Lim Hyun-joon, a man whose life took two dramatic turns. First, his acting career was destroyed years ago by a scandal with his ex-girlfriend, actress Kwon Se-na, who shifted all blame onto him. Now, he works at a print shop. His fortunes change when a persistent graduate student, Park Byung-ki, begs him to star in his independent film, “Good Detective Kang Pil-gu.” The film becomes a massive hit, and Hyun-joon is rocketed back to stardom. However, seven years later, he is trapped by his own success, tired of playing the same detective role season after season.
At the same time, we meet Wi Jeong-sin, an award-winning political reporter dedicated to uncovering corruption. Her investigation into a suspicious death and a corrupt assemblyman leads to her being forcibly transferred to the entertainment department, a beat she deeply resents. Her path keeps colliding with Hyun-joon’s in a series of public disasters.
From Humble Beginnings to Superstar Problems
Long before he was a household name, Lim Hyun-joon was delivering scripts for his printing business. In a moment of cruel irony, one delivery was to his ex-girlfriend, Kwon Se-na, who coldly reminded him of his fallen status after she ruined his career. This humble existence was flipped upside down by director Park Byung-ki, who saw a star in the former actor. Hyun-joon’s journey back to the top was not easy; the indie film shoot was grueling, but the result was a cultural phenomenon that made “Good Detective Kang Pil-gu” a national hero and Hyun-joon a top star.
The present-day Hyun-joon, however, is creatively suffocated. He desperately wants to break free from his detective image and take on new challenges, like a melodrama. His attempts to discuss this with his team are met with resistance, as they believe he is too old to reinvent himself and should stick with the profitable franchise that made him famous. His frustration is growing, making him eager for any change.
A Journalist’s Fall from Grace
Wi Jeong-sin is the opposite of an entertainment reporter. She built her career on serious political journalism, and her demotion feels like a punishment. Her transfer to the entertainment desk at Sports Eunseong is a direct result of her digging too deep into a corruption case involving an assemblyman’s aide who died under mysterious circumstances. Her new boss, Yoon Hwa-young, makes it clear that Jeong-sin will have to prove herself all over again in this new, frivolous-seeming world.
Jeong-sin’s first assignments in her new role are a disaster. She is tasked with covering a K-pop idol’s airport arrival and gets completely overwhelmed by the crowd of fans. During this chaos, she spots Hyun-joon and pleads with him for help, but he is whisked away by his manager, leaving her stranded. This moment solidifies her view of him as arrogant and unhelpful, adding a personal grievance to her professional dissatisfaction.
A Series of Unfortunate Meetings
The relationship between Hyun-joon and Jeong-sin is built on a foundation of cringe-worthy misunderstandings. Their first encounter occurred years ago when a drunk Jeong-sin, dejected after a failed investigation, passed out in the back of Hyun-joon’s truck. When she woke up, she mistakenly accused him of kidnapping her. While they parted ways at a police station, neither seems to remember this initial chaotic meeting.
Their recent encounters have been even more disastrous. In one incident, Jeong-sin, while undercover at a hostess bar, had to escape through a men’s bathroom window, literally climbing over a shocked Hyun-joon who was using the toilet. The most damaging meeting, however, happened on a red carpet. Jeong-sin was trying to approach a company chairman with a USB drive containing evidence for her political case. Hyun-joon, his “detective instincts” kicking in, mistook her for an attacker and rushed to stop her. In the ensuing struggle, he tumbled down the stairs, ripping his pants and exposing his bright red underwear to a sea of cameras. The embarrassing photos instantly went viral, turning him into a national meme and fueling his growing resentment.
The Feud Officially Begins
Believing Hyun-joon was the reason for her public humiliation and transfer, Jeong-sin declares war. When assigned to interview the actor, she sees it as a chance for revenge. The interview is a catastrophe. Hyun-joon quickly realizes she has never watched his famous show and humiliates her by exposing her lack of preparation. In retaliation, Jeong-sin uses her new platform to launch a smear campaign against him, publishing negative articles and digging up an old, minor dating rumor.
These articles start to have a real impact on Hyun-joon’s career. Just as he is seeking more diverse roles, directors are influenced by the negative press and offer him only minor parts, like thugs or villains, instead of the leading man roles he desires. A mediated meeting between the two parties fails spectacularly, as neither Hyun-joon nor Jeong-sin is willing to back down or apologize. Their professional rivalry is in full swing, with both their careers on the line.
A Surprising Change of Heart
The dynamic takes an unexpected turn when Jeong-sin’s boss challenges her to properly research Hyun-joon if she is so determined to take him down. Reluctantly, she starts watching “Good Detective Kang Pil-gu.” What begins as a professional duty quickly turns into an obsession. She binge-watches the entire series overnight, completely captivated by the charisma and conviction Hyun-joon brings to his character.
Her perception of him shifts entirely. The man she saw as arrogant and petty is now also the compelling hero she watched on screen all night. The second episode ends with this newfound fascination front and center. Hyun-joon shows up at her workplace, and as he approaches her to talk, Jeong-sin is left completely starstruck and speechless, her previous anger replaced by a dazed admiration.
One viewer on social media commented, “First EP of #NiceToNotMeetYou was very funny. I’m here for KDrama screwball meta-comedy romance with a side of murder mystery.”
The series also introduces other key characters, including former baseball star Lee Jae-hyung, who is revealed to be the new CEO of Sports Eunseong, and the younger brothers of both leads, who have become friends at school, creating another link between the two feuding characters.
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