Seo In-guk's 'See You at Work Tomorrow!' Tops Mon-Tue Drama Ratings in Premiere

tvN's new office romance See You at Work Tomorrow! pulled in the highest ratings among Monday-Tuesday dramas with its premiere. The first episode aired on the 22nd and averaged 4.8% in nationwide households, peaking at 5.9%, according to ratings figures.

In the Seoul metropolitan area, the episode averaged 4.8% and peaked at 6.0%. Its main competitor in the same time slot, Doctor on the Edge," averaged 4.0% nationally.

The drama centers on Kang Si-woo, a strict by-the-book manager played by Seo In-guk, and Cha Ji-yoon, a seven-year office worker stuck in a daily rut, played by Park Ji-hyun. The first episode traced their initial encounter and laid out the rhythms of life as a Korean salaryperson.

The episode opened with Cha Ji-yoon's narration: "Even if you get ghosted, you still go to work. Sick body, family death, a difficult customer, you still go to work." She is shown commuting through a sudden breakup on the day she planned to propose, and through run-ins with rude clients. The quiet moments land too, like ending a day with a single can of beer and fried chicken after clocking out on time. Together, the scenes paint a sharp picture of the modern Korean office worker.

Into her world walks Kang Si-woo, known around the office as the "3NO Man." He does not smile, keeps people at a distance and does not apologize easily. The two meet for the first time during a production shutdown at a factory in Gwangju, and they clash immediately over how to fix it. "A backup plan is the last card you pull only after you've done your best," he tells her, a line that sums up his rigid approach.

A subtle pull starts to form between them anyway. Kang Si-woo returns an idea notebook Cha Ji-yoon dropped, boards her bus and tells her, "If it were me, I'd say well done. I'd have given you 10 stamps." It is a small moment that softens his cold first impression.

The relationship takes an unexpected turn when Cha Ji-yoon repeatedly asks Kang Si-woo whether he plans to attend the wedding of Choi Su-jin, a design team lead she had long admired, played by Park Ye Young. She then learns that Kang Si-woo is Choi Su-jin's ex-husband. She sends him an apology text, and he replies, "If you're sorry, just buy me a drink." That sets up a private weekend meeting between the two.

The drinks scene signals a shift. Cha Ji-yoon, still carrying feelings and old wounds for her first love Jo Ga-eul, played by Choi Kyung-hoon, opens up. "Dating and going to work are the same thing," she says. Kang Si-woo listens without interrupting, showing a side of himself that never surfaces at the office. Her honesty and his quieter manner start to bend the dynamic between them.

When Cha Ji-yoon sways from the alcohol, Kang Si-woo catches her without making a thing of it. "Be careful. At our age, a fall breaks bones," he says, gruff but warm. Her narration follows: "Could even this hellish commute hold something like hope?" He then asks, "What are you doing tomorrow? If you're free, let's meet again." She answers with a question of her own: "Want to come back to my place for another drink?"