# The Potato Lab

The Potato Lab (Korean: 감자연구소) is an ongoing South Korean television series written by Kim Ho-soo, directed by Kang Il-soo, and starring Lee Sun-bin and Kang Tae-oh. The series is about Mi-kyung, who is obsessed with potatoes and is swept away by the principled Baek-ho like a tornado potato. It premiered on tvN on March 1, 2025, and airs every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST). It is also available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.

## Synopsis

Set in a mountain valley at a potato research center, the series is about a woman named Kim Mi-kyung, a potato-crazy researcher who is starting a fresh life again, and So Baek-ho, who energizes her fighting spirit.

## Cast
### Main

* Lee Sun-bin as Kim Mi-kyung
    A potato-crazy researcher.
* Kang Tae-oh as So Baek-ho
    Wonhan Retail's organizational innovation director, who possesses poise.

### Supporting

* Lee Hak-joo as Park Ki-se
    Mi-kyung's ex-boyfriend. He serves as the executive director of Wonhan Retail's strategic planning division.
* Kim Ga-eun as Lee Ong-ju
    Mi-kyung's best friend. She is a web novel writer.
* Shin Hyun-seung as Kim Hwan-gyeong
    Mi-kyung's younger brother.
* Yoo Seung-mok
* Kwak Ja-hyung as Go Jeong-hae
    The self-proclaimed hipster manager.
* Woo Jung-won as Joo Seung-hee
    A deputy manager. She has made the biggest contribution to the Potato Research Institute's teamwork.
* Kim Ji-ah as Jang Seul-gi
* Yoon Jeong-seop as Lee Chung-hyun
* Nam Hyun-woo as Kwon Hee-dong
    The enthusiastic new hire at the Potato Research Institute.

## Production
### Development

The Potato Lab is a romantic comedy series directed by Kang Il-soo and written by Kim Ho-soo. It was planned by CJENM Studios and produced by Chorokbaem Media.

### Casting

On March 18, 2024, it was reported that Kang Tae-oh, who was about to be discharged from his military service, was considering to star in the series. The next day, media reported that Lee Sun-bin would play the female lead, and that Kang had confirmed his appearance. On May 14, tvN officially confirmed the two actors' casting.

## Release

The Potato Lab premiered on tvN on March 1, 2025, and aired every Saturday and Sunday at 21:20 (KST). It was also made available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions.

## Viewership

| Season | Season | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Episode number | Average |
| Season | Season | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Average |
| | 1 | 473 | 414 | 369 | 506 | 280 | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD | TBD |
Average TV viewership ratings :
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) | Average audience share (Nielsen Korea) |
| Ep. | Original broadcast date | Nationwide | Seoul |
| 1 | March 1, 2025 | 1.705% (5th) | 1.744% (3rd) |
| 2 | March 2, 2025 | 1.811% (3rd) | 1.906% (2nd) |
| 3 | March 8, 2025 | 1.4% (13th) | 1.551% (6th) |
| 4 | March 9, 2025 | 2.003% (3rd) | 1.883% (2nd) |
| 5 | March 15, 2025 | 1.1% (16th) | 1.133% (5th) |
| 6 | March 16, 2025 | | |
| 7 | March 22, 2025 | | |
| 8 | March 23, 2025 | | |
| 9 | March 29, 2025 | | |
| 10 | March 30, 2025 | | |
| 11 | April 5, 2025 | | |
| 12 | April 6, 2025 | | |
| Average | Average | — | — |
| In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. This drama airs on a cable channel/pay TV which normally has a relatively smaller audience compared to free-to-air TV/public broadcasters (KBS, SBS, MBC, and EBS). ||||