First Man (TV series)

First Man
Promotional poster
Hangul
첫 번째 남자
RRCheot beonjjae namja
MRCh'ŏt pŏntchae namja
Genre
Written by
  • Seo Hyun-joo
  • Ahn Jin-young
Directed byKang Tae-heum
Starring
Music byChoi In-hee[2]
Ending theme"Dear My Sun"
by Son Tae-jin
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes8
Production
Producers
  • Lee Hyeong-seon
  • Kim Dong-gu
Production companies
Original release
NetworkMBC TV
ReleaseDecember 15, 2025 (2025-12-15) –
present

First Man (Korean: 첫 번째 남자) is an ongoing South Korean television series written by Seo Hyun-joo and Ahn Jin-young, directed by Kang Tae-heum, and starring Hahm Eun-jung, Oh Hyun-kyung, Yoon Sun-woo, Park Geon-il, and Kim Min-seol. The series follows the intertwined lives of two women driven by deadly desires, one seeking vengeance, and the other fueled by selfish ambition. It premiered on MBC TV on December 15, 2025, and airs every Monday to Friday at 19:05 (KST).

Synopsis

In 1995, twin sisters Oh Jang-mi and Ma Seo-rin were born. One of them was forcibly taken by Chae Hwa-young from their birth mother, Jeong Suk-hee. The child was later brought into Chairman Ma's house, where Hwa-young claimed her as her own child with Dong-seok. Ultimately, she joined the Chairman Ma's family and fulfilled her desire to enter the Dream Group. As the twins grow up, they lead vastly different lives: one is the spirited and righteous, and the other is a spoiled heiress. As the two brothers Kang Baek-ho and Kang Jun-ho get entangled with the twins, romance, rivalry, and secrets slowly unfold.

Cast and characters

Main

  1. Oh Jang-mi: The older of the twins who is a warm-hearted and principled young woman with a culinary dream, working hard to open her own restaurant. She inherited her mother's culinary skills. As she uncovers the truth and secrets about what happened to her mother before, she's determined to take revenge.
  2. Ma Seo-rin: The younger of the twins, who grew up as the spoiled and troublesome granddaughter of Chairman Ma, is a reckless woman who fears nothing in life and has everything she wants. She was separated from her birth mother and twin at birth and raised by Hwa-young as her daughter, unaware of the hidden truth.
A former top star who hides her tough ambition and strong will behind a beautiful smile. She's the daughter-in-law of Chairman Ma and Seo-rin's mother, who's ruining another woman's life to achieve her ambition of taking over the Dream Group.
An attorney at Law Firm Leeho. With his height, looks, and warm personality, he's got a lot of girls into him — but he's always kept them at arm's length, until he meets Jang-mi, the one who gets him to open his heart. His strong sense of justice compels him to help those in need.
Baek-ho's older brother, a former Michelin three-star chef, is a cold-hearted person, but Jang-mi's presence makes him feel things he's never felt before. He is head chef at the Dream Hotel restaurant.
  • Kim Min-seol as Jin Hong-ju[1]
The assistant manager of the Dream Hotel. She's a ruthless and ambitious woman with deep feelings for Baek-ho.

Supporting

Jang-mi's family

  • Jung So-young as Jeong Suk-hee[4]
Jang-mi and Seo-rin's biological mother. She was once a bright and intelligent woman, but Hwa-young ruined her life. She suffered a tragic accident that left her with the mental capacity of a five-year-old.
Jang-mi's adoptive father.
  • Lee Ki-chang as Oh Tae-pyeong[6]
Jang-mi's adoptive older brother and the son of Bok-gil. He loves singing and chases his dreams, but repeatedly gets scammed and loses hope.
  • Jeon A-reum as Oh Tae-sook[5]
Bok-gil's daughter, who is Tae-pyeong's older sister, and Jang-mi's adoptive sister.
  • Kim Ra-hee as Yeon Bo-ra[5]
Tae-sook's daughter.

Chairman Ma's family

The chairman of the Dream Group.
  • Kim Young-pil as Ma Dong-seok[5]
Jang-mi and Seo-rin's biological father, and Sook-hee's lover, who is the heir of the Dream Group, has gone missing for many years.
Hwa-young's trusted secretary.
  • Ahn Joo-in as Yang Geom-sun[5]
Chairman Ma's housekeeper.

Baek-ho's family

Baek-ho and Jun-ho's father.
  • Choi Ji-yeon as Han Young-ja[5]
Baek-ho and Jun-ho's mother. She is Nam-bong's wife.

Hong-ju's family

  • Kim Seon-hye as Yeom San-wol[5]
Hong-ju's mother and Chairman Ma's second wife.

Production

Development

Director Kang Tae-heum, who previously helmed Desperate Mrs. Seonju (2024–2025), is directing the daily drama, and Seo Hyun-joo of The Second Husband (2021–2022), and Ahn Ji-young co-wrote the screenplay. The series is planned by Jang Jae-hoon and co-produced by MBC C&I and DK Entertainment.[3][1]

Director Kang stated that the series revolves around a woman driven by desire, who devastates another woman's life to attain her goal, while the other woman seeks revenge by choosing a new path. He also said that the title First Man could also be called First Love. He aimed to convey that love can help overcome any obstacle or hardship through this series.[7][8]

Casting

In October 2025, Hahm Eun-jung, Oh Hyun-kyung, Yoon Sun-woo, Park Geon-il, and Kim Min-seol were officially confirmed to star.[3][1] Additionally, Hahm previously led the KBS2 daily drama Queen's House (2025), and Kim Min-seol, a participant from Single's Inferno season 4, made her leading role debut in the series.[9] The next month, it was announced that Lee Hyo-jung, Jung So-young, Jung Chan, and Lee Jae-hwang had joined the cast.[4]

At the series' production conference that was held by MBC on December 10, 2025, Hahm shared her experience playing twin sisters Jang-mi and Seo-rin. She stated she felt pressured taking on dual roles for the first time, but credited the director and writer for helping her adjust.[10]

Release

First Man was set to premiere on MBC TV in the second half of 2025 and air in an MBC Monday–Friday timeslot.[11] The series was originally scheduled to premiere on December 1, 2025, but was postponed. In November 2025, a script reading was revealed, and it was officially confirmed to premiere on December 15.[12][4]

Viewership

First Man : South Korea viewers per episode (thousands)
EpisodesEpisode number
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
1–25879806866911916967980TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
26–50TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
51–75TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
76–100TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
101–120TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD–
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[13]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
Nielsen Korea[13]
Nationwide Seoul
1 December 15, 2025 4.9% (8th) 4.6% (7th)
2 December 16, 2025 4.5% (8th) 4.3% (7th)
3 December 17, 2025 5.1% (9th) 5.1% (8th)
4 December 18, 2025 5.3% (8th) 5.2% (8th)
5 December 19, 2025 5.2% (10th) 5.4% (7th)
6 December 22, 2025 5.2% (9th) 5.2% (6th)
7 December 23, 2025 5.5% (8th) 5.1% (7th)
8 December 24, 2025
9 December 25, 2025
10 December 26, 2025
Average — —
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Ahn, Byeong-gil (October 22, 2025). 새 일일극 '첫 번째 남자' 함은정-윤선우-박건일-김민설 뜬다 [Hahm Eun-jung, Yoon Sun-woo, Park Geon-il, and Kim Min-seol are set to star in the new daily drama "First Man"] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Retrieved November 4, 2025 – via Naver.
  2. ^ MBCdrama (December 15, 2025). [첫 번째 남자 2회 예고] ＂걸리는 거 아냐?＂ [[First Man Episode 2 Preview] "Aren't You Getting Caught?", MBC 251216 Broadcast] (in Korean). MBC Drama. Retrieved December 15, 2025 – via YouTube.
  3. ^ a b c Kim, Kyung-yoon (October 15, 2025). [방송소식] 함은정·오현경, MBC 일일드라마 '첫 번째 남자'서 호흡 [[Broadcast News] Ham Eun-jung and Oh Hyun-kyung to Star in MBC's Daily Drama "First Man"]. Yonhap News (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  4. ^ a b c d e Yoo, Jeong-min (November 19, 2025). MBC '첫 번째 남자' 함은정·오현경→윤선우, 대본리딩 현장 [MBC's 'First Man' stars Hahm Eun-jung and Oh Hyun-kyung, along with Yoon Sun-woo, at a script reading]. iMBC (in Korean). Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h 첫 번째 남자 - 등장인물소개 MBC [First Man (Character Introduction)]. MBC (in Korean). Retrieved December 9, 2025.
  6. ^ Yoo, Jeong-min (October 23, 2025). 이기창, MBC '첫 번째 남자' 캐스팅...의리+팔랑귀 매력 선보인다 [Lee Ki-chang cast in MBC's "First Man"... Showcasing his loyalty and charm] (in Korean). iMBC. Retrieved November 4, 2025 – via Naver.
  7. ^ Kim, Soo-ah (December 10, 2025). '♥결혼' 함은정x윤선우, '첫 번째 남자'로 나란히…"자신 있다" 시청률 10% 겹경사 터질까 [종합]. Xports News (in Korean). Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  8. ^ Choi, Soo-bin (December 10, 2025). "1인 2역으로 차별화"…'첫 번째 남자', 함은정의 연기 변신(종합). The Fact (in Korean). Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  9. ^ Yeon, Hwi-seon (December 10, 2025). 김민설 "'솔로지옥4'처럼 최선 다한 '첫 번째 남자', 첫 주연 너무 떨려" [Oh!쎈 현장] [Kim Min-seol: "I did my best as the 'First Man', just like in 'Single's Inferno 4'. I'm so nervous about my first leading role"]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  10. ^ Kim, Myeong-mi (December 10, 2025). 함은정 “1인 2역 굉장히 부담, 비주얼 변화 가장 큰 중점 뒀다”(첫 번째 남자) [Ham Eun-jung: "Playing two roles felt incredibly burdensome. I focused on visual transformation the most" (First Man)]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved December 12, 2025.
  11. ^ Jang, A-reum (October 16, 2025). '김병우 감독과 결혼' 함은정, '열일' 이어간다...'첫번째 남자' 주연 [Hahm Eun-jung, who married director Kim Byung-woo, continues her hard work... Starring in "First Man"]. News 1 (in Korean). Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  12. ^ Ahn, Tae-hyun (October 16, 2025). 티아라 함은정, 11월의 신부된다…'9세 연상' 김병우 감독과 결혼 [T-ara's Ham Eun-jung will be a bride in November, marrying director Kim Byung-woo, who is nine years her senior]. News 1 (in Korean). Retrieved November 19, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
    • "Ep. 1". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 15, 2025. Retrieved December 16, 2025.
    • "Ep. 2". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 16, 2025. Retrieved December 17, 2025.
    • "Ep. 3". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 17, 2025. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
    • "Ep. 4". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 18, 2025. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
    • "Ep. 5". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 19, 2025. Retrieved December 20, 2025.
    • "Ep. 6". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 22, 2025. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
    • "Ep. 7". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). December 23, 2025. Retrieved December 24, 2025.
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