Business Proposal (Korean: 사내맞선) is a South Korean romantic comedy series based on the popular web novel by HaeHwa. It stars Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-kyu, and Seol In-ah, and is directed by Park Seon-ho with scripts by Han Seol-hee and Hong Bo-hee.
The story follows Shin Ha-ri, an office worker who goes on a blind date for her friend, only to find out that her date is actually her boss. The series is full of laughs, romance, and office drama.
It aired on SBS TV for 12 episodes from February 28 to April 5, 2022, every Monday and Tuesday at 10:00 PM (KST). You can also watch it on Netflix in some regions.
K-Drama Profile
- Drama Title (English): Business Proposal
- Drama Title (Korean): 사내맞선
- Revised Romanization: Sanae Matseon
- Production: Kakao Entertainment, Kross Pictures
- Creator: StudioS
- Based On: The Office Blind Date by HaeHwa
- Genre: Romantic comedy
- Writer: Han Seol-hee, Hong Bo-hee
- Starring: Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, Kim Min-kyu, Seol In-ah
- Date: February 28 ~ April 5, 2022
- Country: South Korea
- Language: Korean
- Episodes: 12
Plot Synopsis
Business Proposal is a romantic comedy about Shin Ha-ri (Kim Se-jeong), an office worker who goes on a blind date pretending to be her friend, Jin Young-seo (Seol In-ah). The plan is for Ha-ri to get rejected, but things go wrong when her date turns out to be Kang Tae-moo (Ahn Hyo-seop), the CEO of her company.
To avoid more blind dates, Tae-moo decides to marry his date, not knowing Ha-ri is pretending or that she works for him. When Ha-ri’s secret is revealed, she takes on a fake identity and agrees to “fake date” Tae-moo for money to help her struggling parents. Over time, their awkward relationship grows into real love. Eventually, Tae-moo learns the truth but still loves Ha-ri, and they become a couple.
Meanwhile, Jin Young-seo moves out of her father’s house and discovers that her new neighbor is Cha Sung-hoon (Kim Min-kyu), Tae-moo’s secretary, whom she likes. After some funny and romantic moments, Young-seo and Sung-hoon also get together.
Full of laughs, romance, and office drama, Business Proposal is a fun K-drama about love, secrets, and unexpected connections.
Main Casts
Ahn Hyo-seop (as Kang Tae-moo)
- Birth Name (English): Ahn Hyo-seop
- Birth Name (Korean): 안효섭
- Revised Romanization: An Hyoseop
- Birthdate: April 17, 1995
- Age: 30
- Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
- Nationality: Canadian
- Agency: The Present Company
- Occupations: Actor, singer
- Debut: 2015
- Height: 188 cm
- Weight: 70 kg
- Blood Type: AB
- MBTI: INTP
- Social Media: Instagram
- Website: Official website
Ahn Hyo-seop is a Canadian-born actor and singer based in South Korea. He started his career in 2015 as a singer with the group One O One, releasing their debut single Love You. He later gained fame as an actor in popular K-dramas like Dr. Romantic (Seasons 2 and 3), Lovers of the Red Sky (2021), and Business Proposal (2022). In addition, he lent his voice to the character Jinu in the animated musical film KPop Demon Hunters (2025). Known for his talent in both acting and music, Ahn Hyo-seop has become one of the rising stars of Korean entertainment.
Kim Se-jeong (as Shin Ha-ri)
- Birth Name (English): Kim Se-jeong
- Birth Name (Korean): 김세정
- Revised Romanization: Gim Sejeong
- Birthdate: August 28, 1996
- Age: 29
- Birthplace: Gimje, South Korea
- Nationality: South Korean
- Agency: Jellyfish Entertainment
- Occupations: Actress, singer, songwriter
- Debut: 2016
- Height: 164 cm
- Weight: 47 kg
- Blood Type: AB
- Social Media: Instagram
- Website: Official website
Kim Se-jeong is a South Korean singer and actress known for her talent and charm. She first rose to fame by finishing second on Mnet’s Produce 101, which led her to join the project girl group I.O.I. She later became a member of Jellyfish Entertainment’s Gugudan and is now active as a solo artist. As an actress, Kim Se-jeong has starred in popular K-dramas such as School 2017 (2017), The Uncanny Counter (2020~2023), Business Proposal (2022), and Brewing Love (2024), earning praise for her engaging performances.
Kim Min-kyu (as Cha Sung-hoon)
- Birth Name (English): Kim Min-kyu
- Birth Name (Korean): 김민규
- Revised Romanization: Gim Mingyu
- Birthdate: December 25, 1994
- Age: 30
- Birthplace: South Korea
- Nationality: South Korean
- Agency: Companion Company
- Occupation: Actor
- Debut: 2013
- Height: 183 cm
- Weight: 65 kg
- Blood Type: A
- MBTI: ENFP, INFP
- Social Media: Instagram
Kim Min-kyu, also spelled Kim Min-gue, is a South Korean actor known for his talent and screen presence. He first gained attention on the variety show Crime Scene Season 3 and became widely recognized for his roles in popular K-dramas like Queen: Love and War (2019~2020), Backstreet Rookie (2020), Snowdrop (2021~2022), Business Proposal (2022), and The Heavenly Idol (2023). With his engaging performances, Kim Min-kyu has established himself as a rising star in Korean entertainment.
Seol In-ah (Jin Young-seo)
- Stage Name (English): Seol In-ah
- Stage Name (Korean): 설인아
- Revised Romanization: Seol Ina
- Birth Name (English): Bang Ye-rin
- Birth Name (Korean): 방예린
- Revised Romanization: Bang Yerin
- Birthdate: January 3, 1996
- Age: 29
- Birthplace: Suwon, South Korea
- Nationality: South Korean
- Agency: Goldmedalist
- Occupation: Actress
- Debut: 2015
- Height: 167 cm
- Weight: 54 kg
- Blood Type: A
- MBTI: INFJ
- Social Media: Instagram
- Website: Official website
Bang Ye-rin, better known as Seol In-ah (설인아), is a South Korean actress known for her talent and charm. She has starred in popular K-dramas including Sunny Again Tomorrow (2018), Beautiful Love, Wonderful Life (2019), Business Proposal (2022), and Twinkling Watermelon (2023), and gained recognition for supporting roles in Strong Girl Bong-soon (2017), School 2017 (2017), and Mr. Queen (2020~2021). With her engaging performances, Seol In-ah has become a well-loved figure in the Korean entertainment industry.
Drama OSTs
Love, Maybe
- Song Title (English): Love, Maybe
- Song Title (Korean): 사랑인가 봐
- Artist Name (English): Melomance
- Artist Name (Korean): 멜로망스
- Genres: Pop, OST
- Release Date: February 18, 2022
Sweet
- Song Title (English): Sweet
- Song Title (Korean): 스윗해
- Artist Name (English): Lee Mu-jin
- Artist Name (Korean): 이무진
- Release Date: February 28, 2022
You Are Mine
- Song Title (English): You Are Mine
- Artist Name (English): VICTON
- Artist Name (Korean): 빅톤
- Release Date: March 6, 2022
Sun Shower
- Song Title (English): Sun Shower
- Song Title (Korean): 여우비
- Artist Name (English): MOVNING
- Artist Name (Korean): 모브닝
- Release Date: March 8, 2022
Melting
- Song Title (English): Melting
- Artist Name (English): BAMBAM
- Artist Name (Korean): 뱀뱀
- Release Date: March 9, 2022
Love, Maybe
- Song Title (English): Love, Maybe
- Song Title (Korean): 사랑인가 봐
- Artist Name (English): SECRET NUMBER
- Artist Name (Korean): 시크릿넘버
- Release Date: March 14, 2022
Fall in love
- Song Title (English): Fall in love
- Song Title (Korean): 사랑이 내 안에 들어와
- Artist Name (English): Han Ji-hyo (Weeekly), Park So-eun (Weeekly)
- Artist Name (Korean): 한지효 (위클리), 박소 (위클리)
- Release Date: March 20, 2022
Closer
- Song Title (English): Closer
- Artist Name (English): Song Ha-yea
- Artist Name (Korean): 송하예
- Release Date: March 22, 2022
Whatever You Want
- Song Title (English): Whatever You Want
- Artist Name (English): Han Seung-yun
- Artist Name (Korean): 한승윤
- Release Date: March 28, 2022
Spring Breeze
- Song Title (English): Spring Breeze
- Song Title (Korean): 봄바람처럼 날 찾아와
- Artist Name (English): New (The Boyz)
- Artist Name (Korean): 뉴 (더보이즈)
- Release Date: March 29, 2022
It’s Up To You
- Song Title (English): It’s Up To You
- Artist Name (English): Moon Su-jin
- Artist Name (Korean): 문수진
- Release Date: April 3, 2022
Love, Maybe (Acoustic Ver.)
- Song Title (English): Love, Maybe (Acoustic Ver.)
- Song Title (Korean): 사랑인가 봐 (Acoustic Ver.)
- Artist Name (English): Kim Se-jeong
- Artist Name (Korean): 김세정
- Release Date: April 5, 2022
Ratings
Business Proposal received great reviews from both viewers and critics around the world. It has a rating of 8.2 out of 10 on IMDb and 7.9 out of 10 on Douban. In Korea, it scored 3.5 out of 5 on WatchaPedia and earned a 92.31% rating on KinoLights.
Fans praised the drama for its fun story, strong chemistry between the main leads, and feel-good humor. It was also chosen by Forbes as one of the Best Korean Dramas of 2022, proving its worldwide popularity on Netflix and beyond.
Awards
Business Proposal received major recognition at several Korean award shows in 2022 for its great performances, chemistry, and soundtrack.
At the SBS Drama Awards, the series took home multiple top prizes. Ahn Hyo-seop and Kim Se-jeong both won Top Excellence Awards, while Kim Min-kyu earned the Excellence Award. The two couples, Ahn Hyo-seop & Kim Se-jeong and Kim Min-kyu & Seol In-ah, won Best Couple Awards for their charming on-screen chemistry.
The show’s hit soundtrack “Love, Maybe” by MeloMance won Best OST at the MAMA Awards, and Bae Woo-hee won Best New Actress at the Korea Drama Awards.
It was also nominated for several APAN Star Awards, including Best Couple, Best OST, and acting categories for Ahn Hyo-seop, Kim Se-jeong, and Seol In-ah, proving its lasting popularity across both drama and music.
Netflix Viewership
Business Proposal was not a Netflix original series but a simultaneous broadcast drama that aired on SBS TV in South Korea while streaming exclusively on Netflix internationally. Despite the lack of global marketing, the show achieved massive worldwide success purely through word of mouth, a rare feat for a non-Netflix original K-drama.
Netflix Performance Highlights
- Total Global Watch Time: 279.1 million hours
- Top Rankings:
- Entered the Netflix Global Top 10 for 10 consecutive weeks
- Reached #2 worldwide in April 2022
- Ranked #1 in 23 countries, including Korea, Japan, and India
- Peaked at #6 in the U.S., #3 in Canada, and #4 in Australia, an unprecedented record for a non-Netflix Korean drama
- Achieved 409 points, the highest ever for a simultaneously broadcast K-drama at the time
Global Reach & Records
- By March 2022, it topped charts in multiple countries: 19 countries on March 16, 20 countries on March 17, and reached World Ranking #4 on March 23.
- Broke the previous record set by Vincenzo with 301 points.
- After expanding to Europe and South America in April, it climbed to World Ranking #2, just behind Bridgerton.
- Ranked #23 globally for total viewing hours among all Netflix TV shows, and #4 among Korean dramas, following Squid Game, All of Us Are Dead, and Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha.
- In Netflix’s 2022 annual rankings, it placed #5 overall worldwide and became the #1 non-Netflix Korean drama of the year.
Additional Achievements
- On May 21, 2022, due to high international demand, Business Proposal received English, Spanish, and Portuguese dubbing, an exceptional move for a non-Netflix original.
- Its enduring popularity across Asia, the Americas, and Europe solidified its position as one of the most successful Korean romantic comedies on Netflix.
Summary
Business Proposal became a global K-drama sensation on Netflix, achieving record-breaking viewership and international rankings despite not being a Netflix original. With over 279 million hours watched, top spots in more than 20 countries, and recognition as one of Forbes’ Best Korean Dramas of 2022, it proved the power of word-of-mouth and quality storytelling in reaching worldwide audiences.
Watch Business Proposal on Netflix
