When the Phone Rings

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.

• Yoo Yeon-seok as Paik Sa-eon

: A former war correspondent and announcer, Baek is from a politically connected family. He is the youngest presidential spokesperson.

• Chae Soo-bin as Hong Hee-joo / Na Hee-joo

: A sign language interpreter, who lost her voice due to a traffic accident from childhood. She is Sa-eon's wife.

• Heo Nam-jun as Ji Sang-woo

: A psychiatrist who is also active as a YouTuber at the same time, which is mostly related to unsolved cases.

• Jang Gyu-ri as Na Yu-ri

: A broadcasting station announcer and Sa-eon's junior. She is a cheerful person.

• Jung Dong-hwan as Baek Jang-ho{{cite web|script-title=ko:등장인물|trans-title=Characters|url=https://program.imbc.com/Cast/WhenThePhoneRings|website=iMBC|language=ko|access-date=December 9, 2024|archive-date=November 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241112162834/https://program.imbc.com/Cast/WhenThePhoneRings|url-status=live}}

: Sa-eon's late grandfather and politician.

• {{ill|Yoo Sung-joo|ko|유성주}} as Baek Ui-yong

: Sa-eon's father and candidate of an upcoming presidential election.

• Chu Sang-mi as Shim Kyu-jin

: Sa-eon's mother.

• {{ill|Choi Kwang-il|ko|최광일}} as Hong Il-kyung{{Cite web|script-title=ko:배우 최광일, '지금 거신 전화는' 출연···유연석X채수빈 호흡|trans-title=Actor Choi Kwang-il, 'The Phone Call You're Answering' Appearance···Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin Breathing|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/144/0000992482|via=Naver|publisher=Sports Kyunghyang|language=ko|last=Son|first=Bong-seok|date=October 7, 2024|access-date=October 29, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110104425/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/144/0000992482|url-status=live}}

: The chairman of Cheongwoon Ilbo. Hee-joo's stepfather.

• Oh Hyun-kyung as Kim Yeon-hui

: A former club singer. Hee-joo's mother. Il-kyung's second wife.

• {{ill|Han Jae-yi|ko|한재이}} as Hong In-ah

: Il-kyung's eldest daughter.

• Park Won-sang as Na Jin-cheol

: Hee-joo's biological father. A former club host. He is hospitalized in a nursing home after being diagnosed with dementia.

• {{ill|Im Chul-soo|en|Im Chul-soo}} as Kang Young-woo

: A Spokesperson's Office Manager.

• {{ill|Choi Woo-jin (actor)|lt=Choi Woo-jin|ko|최우진 (배우)}} as Park Do-jae{{Cite web|script-title=ko:최우진, 유연석 보필한다 '지금 거신 전화는' 으로 지상파 드라마 데뷔|trans-title=Choi Woo-jin and Yoo Yeon-seok to Debut in Terrestrial Drama 'The Phone Call You're Answering'|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000914463|via=Naver|publisher=Newsen|language=ko|last=Park|first=Soo-in|date=October 29, 2024|access-date=November 11, 2024|archive-date=November 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111015427/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000914463|url-status=live}}

: A special administrative officer who most closely assists Sa-eon.

• Park Sun-young as Kim Soo-young

: A Spokesperson's Office Administrative Officer.

• Song Jin-hee as Ahn Jin-hee

: A Spokesperson's Office Administrative Officer.

• Jung Ji-hwan as Jeong Won-bin{{Cite web|script-title=ko:정지환 '지금 거신 전화는' 캐스팅... 유연석과 호흡|trans-title=Jung Ji-hwan casts 'The phone you're calling right now'···Breathing with Yoo Yeon-seok|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/144/0000999615|via=Naver|publisher=Sports Kyunghyang|language=ko|last=Ahn|first=Byeong-gil|date=November 8, 2024|access-date=November 11, 2024|archive-date=November 11, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241111015446/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/144/0000999615|url-status=live}}

: A rookie sign language interpreter.

• {{ill|Ko Sang-ho|ko|고상호}} as Jang Hyuk-jin{{Cite web|script-title=ko:고상호 '지금 거신 전화는' 합류, 유연석 유일한 친구 된다[공식]|trans-title=Ko Sang-ho joins 'The Phone Call You're On' and becomes Yoo Yeon-seok's only friend [Official]|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000909383|via=Naver|publisher=Newsen|language=ko|last=Park|first=A-reum|date=October 15, 2024|access-date=October 29, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110104650/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000909383|url-status=live}}

: A reporter and Sa-eon's close friend.

• {{ill|Kim Jun-bae|ko|김준배(1969)}} as Jung Sang-hoon

: A fisherman who adopted Sa-eon as his son before Sa-eon became the Baek family's grandson.

• {{ill|Hong Seo-jun|ko|홍서준}} as Min Do-ki

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

• {{ill|Yang Jo-ah|ko|양조아}} as Han Jin-yi

: A director of the Sign Language Interpretation Center.

• Park Jae-yoon as Kidnapper

: He was the real Baek Sa-eon and the real grandson of the Baek family, who sought revenge against Sa-eon for becoming the grandson in his place.

{{Episode table |background=#2D432F |overall= |title= |airdate= |country=South Korea |viewers = 6 |episodes=

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 1

| Title = Episode 1

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|11|22}}

| Viewers = 0.852

| ShortSummary = 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.

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 2

| Title = Episode 2

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|11|23}}

| Viewers = 0.855

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 3

| Title = Episode 3

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|11|29}}

| Viewers = 0.942

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 4

| Title = Episode 4

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|11|30}}

| Viewers = 1.020

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 5

| Title = Episode 5

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|13}}

| Viewers = 1.054

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 6

| Title = Episode 6

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|14}}

| Viewers = 1.343

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 7

| Title = Episode 7

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|20}}

| Viewers = 1.048

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 8

| Title = Episode 8

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|21}}

| Viewers = 1.248

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 9

| Title = Episode 9

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|27}}

| Viewers = 1.130

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 10

| Title = Episode 10

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2024|12|28}}

| Viewers = 1.380

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 11

| Title = Episode 11

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|1|3}}

| Viewers = 1.469

| ShortSummary =

}}

{{Episode list

| EpisodeNumber = 12

| Title = Episode 12

| OriginalAirDate = {{Start date|2025|1|4}}

| Viewers = 1.652

| ShortSummary =

}}

}}

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. 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.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:유연석X채수빈 MBC '지금 거신 전화는' 주연 호흡 확정[공식]|trans-title=Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin Confirmed to Lead Role in MBC's 'The Number You Have Dialed' [Official]|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003233873|via=Naver|publisher=Star News|language=ko|last=Yoon|first=Sang-geun|date=May 5, 2024|access-date=September 5, 2024|archive-date=July 12, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712213549/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/108/0003233873|url-status=live}}

On May 8, 2024, MBC announced that they had finalized the casting for the series and were starting the production.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:유연석·채수빈, MBC드라마 '지금 거신 전화는'서 부부로 캐스팅|trans-title=Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin cast as a couple in MBC drama 'The Number You Have Dialed'|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/001/0014674671|via=Naver|publisher=Yonhap News Agency|language=ko|last=Oh|first=Myeong-eon|date=August 2, 2024|access-date=September 5, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110105704/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/001/0014674671|url-status=live}}

On March 13, 2024, Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin are under review considering appearing in the series.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:유연석·채수빈 부부 될까 "'지금 거신 전화는' 검토 중" [공식]|trans-title=Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin to become a couple? "'The Number You Have Dialed' is under review" [Official]|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/009/0005271779|via=Naver|publisher=Maeil Business Newspaper|language=ko|last=Park|first=Ro-sa|date=March 13, 2024|access-date=August 26, 2024|archive-date=September 24, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240924191328/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/009/0005271779|url-status=live}} On June 27, it was reported that Jang Gyu-ri received an offer for the series and is positively reviewing it.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:장규리 '지금 거신 전화는'서 유연석 채수빈 만날까 "긍정검토중"[공식입장]|trans-title=Jang Gyu-ri to meet Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin in 'The Number You Have Dialed': "Positively Reviewing" [Official Position]|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000869345|via=Naver|publisher=Newsen|language=ko|last=Park|first=Soo-in|date=June 27, 2024|access-date=August 26, 2024|archive-date=June 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627112600/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/609/0000869345|url-status=live}} On May 8, Yoo and Chae had been confirmed to appear in the series.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:유연석·채수빈, 부부된다...'지금 거신 전화는' 출연 확정[공식]|trans-title=Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin become a couple... Confirmed to appear on 'The Number You Have Dialed' [Official]|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/477/0000488909|via=Naver|publisher=SPOTV News|language=ko|last=Jeong|first=Hye-won|date=June 27, 2024|access-date=August 26, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110110730/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/477/0000488909|url-status=live}} On September 24, Yoo, Chae, Heo Nam-jun, and Jang had confirmed their appearances as the main characters in the series.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:'지금 거신 전화는', 유연석X채수빈X허남준X장규리 출연 확정 [공식]|trans-title='The Number You Have Dialed', Yoo Yeon-seok X Chae Soo-bin X Heo Nam-joon X Jang Gyu-ri Confirmed to Appear [Official]|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/382/0001152497|via=Naver|publisher=Sports Donga|language=ko|last=Choi|first=Yu-na|date=September 24, 2024|access-date=September 24, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110110621/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/382/0001152497|url-status=live}}

When the Phone Rings premiered on MBC TV on November 22, 2024, and aired every Friday and Saturday at 21:50 (KST).{{Cite web|script-title=ko:'지금 거신 전화는' 유연석·채수빈, 쇼윈도 부부...티저 포스터 공개|trans-title='The Phone Call You're On' Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin, Show Window Couple... Teaser Poster Released|url=https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/018/0005864883|via=Naver|publisher=Edaily|language=ko|last=Choi|first=Hee-jae|date=October 22, 2024|access-date=October 22, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110111234/https://m.entertain.naver.com/article/018/0005864883|url-status=live}} Netflix announced that the series would be available for streaming exclusively on its platform.{{Cite web|title=Yoo Yeon-seok, Chae Soo-bin's 'When the Phone Rings' coming to Netflix in November|url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/10/2/yoo-yeon-seok-chae-soo-bin-s-when-the-phone-rings-coming-to-netflix-825|website=ABS-CBN News|last=Bernardo|first=Jaehwa|date=October 2, 2024|access-date=October 2, 2024|archive-date=November 10, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110111313/https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/10/2/yoo-yeon-seok-chae-soo-bin-s-when-the-phone-rings-coming-to-netflix-825|url-status=live}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Released on November 30, 2024

| extra_column = Artist

| title_width = 30%

| lyrics_width = 25%

| music_width = 25%

| extra_width = 20%

| title1 = See The Light

| lyrics1 = Kinsha

| music1 = {{hlist|AllThou|Suhyun Kim}}

| extra1 = Im Hyun-sik

| length1 = 3:02

| title2 = See The Light

| note2 = {{Abbr|Inst.|Instrumental}}

| music2 = {{hlist|AllThou|Suhyun Kim}}

| length2 = 3:02

| total_length = 6:04

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Released on December 7, 2024

| extra_column = Artist

| title_width = 30%

| lyrics_width = 25%

| music_width = 25%

| extra_width = 20%

| title1 = Numb

| lyrics1 = {{hlist|Red Anne (BadX)|Nam Hee-yoon (Anne Story)}}

| music1 = {{hlist|Maxx Song (BadX)|Sam Carter (MonoTree)|Jisan Park (BadX)|True Choi (BadX)|Ton Kim}}

| extra1 = Lim Yeon

| length1 = 3:17

| title2 = Numb

| note2 = {{Abbr|Inst.|Instrumental}}

| music2 = {{hlist|Maxx Song (BadX)|Sam Carter (MonoTree)|Jisan Park (BadX)|True Choi (BadX)|Ton Kim}}

| length2 = 3:17

| total_length = 6:34

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Released on December 14, 2024

| extra_column = Artist

| title_width = 30%

| lyrics_width = 25%

| music_width = 25%

| extra_width = 20%

| title1 = Hear Me Out

| lyrics1 = {{hlist|Kim A-Hyun}}

| music1 = {{hlist|Kim Lee-Hyeon|Noh Hyeong-Woo}}

| extra1 = Suran

| length1 = 3:43

| title2 = Hear Me Out

| note2 = {{Abbr|Inst.|Instrumental}}

| music2 = {{hlist|Kim Lee-Hyeon|Noh Hyeong-Woo}}

| length2 = 3:43

| total_length = 7:26

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Released on December 21, 2024

| extra_column = Artist

| title_width = 30%

| lyrics_width = 25%

| music_width = 25%

| extra_width = 20%

| title1 = May l Love You?

| lyrics1 = {{hlist|Dinnercoat}}

| music1 = {{hlist|Kim Dinnercoat|Yoo Junghyun}}

| extra1 = Jae Yeon

| length1 = 3:53

| title2 = May l Love You?

| note2 = {{Abbr|Inst.|Instrumental}}

| music2 = {{hlist|Kim Dinnercoat|Yoo Junghyun}}

| length2 = 3:53

| total_length = 7:44

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Released on December 28, 2024

| extra_column = Artist

| title_width = 30%

| lyrics_width = 25%

| music_width = 25%

| extra_width = 20%

| title1 = I Feel It Now

| lyrics1 = {{hlist|sla|Im Se-Jun|Klozer}}

| music1 = {{hlist|Klozer|Im Se-Jun|sla|Sondia}}

| extra1 = Whee In

| length1 = 3:54

| title2 = I Feel It Now

| note2 = {{Abbr|Inst.|Instrumental}}

| music2 = {{hlist|Klozer|Im Se-Jun|sla|Sondia}}

| length2 = 3:54

| total_length = 7:45

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = Released on January 4, 2025

| extra_column = Artist

| title_width = 30%

| lyrics_width = 25%

| music_width = 25%

| extra_width = 20%

| title1 = Say My Name

| lyrics1 = Chae Si-hyeon

| music1 = {{hlist|Alysa|William Seldahl}}

| extra1 = Yoo Yeon-seok

| length1 = 3:30

| title2 = Say My Name

| note2 = {{Abbr|Inst.|Instrumental}}

| music2 = {{hlist|Alysa|William Seldahl}}

| length2 = 3:30

| total_length = 7:00

}}

{{Television ratings graph

| title = When the Phone Rings

| refs = Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.

| average = y

| width = 400

| height = 250

| country = South Korea

|-

| 0.852

| 0.855

| 0.942

| 1.020

| 1.054

| 1.343

| 1.048

| 1.248

| 1.130

| 1.380

| 1.469

| 1.652

| 1.166

}}

When The Phone Rings debuted on Netflix with 3.3 million views,{{Cite web|title=Top 10 Non-English Most Watched TV-Shows (November 18 - November 24, 2024)|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv-non-english?week=2024-11-24|website=Netflix|date=November 27, 2024|access-date=January 8, 2025}} peaked at 6.6 million views,{{Cite web|title=Top 10 Non-English Most Watched TV-Shows (November 25 - December 01, 2024)|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv-non-english?week=2024-12-01|website=Netflix|date=December 5, 2024|access-date=December 5, 2024|archive-date=December 7, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241207012302/https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv-non-english%3fweek%3d2024-12-01|url-status=live}} and ended its run with 4.6 million views during its final week.{{Cite web|title=Top 10 Non-English Most Watched TV-Shows (December 30 - January 05, 2025)|url=https://www.netflix.com/tudum/top10/tv-non-english?week=2025-01-05|website=Netflix|date=January 7, 2025|access-date=January 8, 2025}} In the series finale, it achieved second place in the TV-OTT drama category for buzzworthiness, as reported by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:유연석 "'지금 거신 전화는', 예능 파트너 유재석 반응은..." [인터뷰M]|url=https://enews.imbc.com/News/RetrieveNewsInfo/443091|website=iMBC|date=January 6, 2025|access-date=January 7, 2025}}

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.{{Cite web|script-title=ko:매출 15배 뛴 원작 웹소설 드라마 '지금 거신 전화는' 이유는|url=https://m.news.nate.com/view/20241212n06369|website=Nate|date=December 12, 2024|access-date=December 12, 2024|archive-date=December 14, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241214010354/https://m.news.nate.com/view/20241212n06369|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|script-title=ko:지금 거신 전화는' 원작 작가 "유연석·채수빈, 싱크로율 200%" 극찬|url=https://imnews.imbc.com/news/2024/enter/article/6665933_36473.html|website=iMBC|date=December 11, 2024|access-date=December 12, 2024}}

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 Palestine and Israel, respectively. This led to netizens boycotting the show,{{cite web|url=https://www.freepressjournal.in/entertainment/when-the-phone-rings-faces-backlash-over-controversial-israel-palestine-war-reference-angry-netizens-call-for-boycott|title=When The Phone Rings Faces Backlash Over Controversial Israel-Palestine War Reference, Angry Netizens Call For Boycott|last=Choudhary|first=Sagarika|website=Free Press Journal|date=5 January 2025}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/web-series/when-the-phone-rings-finale-faces-boycott-calls-for-controversial-war-torn-country-portrayal-101736045579818-amp.html|title=When the Phone Rings finale faces boycott calls for controversial 'war-torn' country portrayal|last=Srivastava|first=Aditi|date=5 January 2025|website=The Hindustan Times}} The creators have yet to clarify on the controversy.{{cite web|last=Shahirah|first=Sharifah|date=6 January 2025|url=https://www.sinardaily.my/ampArticle/224489|title=Outrage erupts over 'When the Phone Rings' Israel-Palestine reference, boycott ensues|website=Sinar Daily}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Official website}} {{In lang|ko}}
• {{IMDb title}}
• {{HanCinema drama}}

{{MBC TV (South Korean TV channel) current original programming}}

Category:2024 South Korean television series debuts

Category:2025 South Korean television series endings

Category:Fiction about arranged marriage

Category:Korean-language Netflix exclusive international distribution programming

Category:Korean-language television shows

Category:MBC TV television dramas

Category:Sign language television shows

Category:South Korean melodrama television series

Category:South Korean mystery television series

Category:South Korean romance television series

Category:South Korean thriller television series

Category:Television series by Bon Factory Worldwide

Category:Works about sham marriage