The Dream Life Of Mr. Kim Ending & Plot Summary & Cast

K drama The Dream Life of Mr. Kim. The main character, Department Head Kim Nak-su, is played by Ryu Seung-ryong, an actor who truly represents the Korean film industry. Known for captivating audiences with a variety of roles, his acting this time will portray a Korean middle-class family man and a 25-year veteran office worker with depth and wit. The nation’s first love, Myung Se-bin, appears as Park Ha-jin, a wife who has steadfastly supported her husband from behind but now faces a turning point in life, engaging in a lively interplay with Ryu Seung-ryong.

The drama is based on the novel of the same name by writer Song Hee-gu and explores the meaning of “living well” in a capitalist society. Outwardly, Department Head Kim Nak-su lives a life everyone envies — a stable executive position in a large company, owning his apartment in Seoul, and a seemingly harmonious family. However, his daily life is a battlefield plagued by constant comparison and maintaining face. His pride is shaken by a colleague’s new bag, a junior’s casual remark, or a news headline about housing prices, and after hitting rock bottom due to retirement, he struggles again to prove his worth in a moving story.

The Dream Life of Mr. Kim ending & plot summary & cast

The Dream Life of Mr. Kim cast

Kim Nak-soo (played by Ryu Seung-ryong): The department head of Sales Team 1 at major corporation ACT, marking his 25th year. He is a quintessential father and breadwinner in our society, living each day like a battle to protect his status as a “major company manager” and “Seoul homeowner.”

Park Ha-jin (played by Myung Se-bin): Nak-soo’s wife. She has faithfully supported her husband and family all her life but is a wise woman challenging herself to rediscover her own life amidst the shaking realities.

Kim Soo-gyeom (played by Cha Kang-yoon): Nak-soo and Ha-jin’s son. A university student and the Chief Design Officer (CDO) of the startup “Jealousy is My Power,” representing the younger generation with different values from their parents.

Baek Jeong-tae (played by Yoo Seung-mok): Executive Director of ACT’s Sales Headquarters. A veteran with 27 years at the company, he is a senior whom Nak-soo trusts, but he makes cold decisions when faced with corporate logic.

Do Jin-woo (played by Lee Shin-ki): Department head of ACT Sales Team 2. A competent junior with 19 years at the company, he competes with Nak-soo and delivers significant blows to his pride.

Kim Chang-su (played by Go Chang-seok): Nak-soo’s older brother who runs a car service center. Having chosen a different path from his younger brother, he becomes a sole pillar Nak-soo leans on during his moments of despair.

The Dream Life of Mr. Kim plot summary

he protagonist, Department Head Kim, has been working at a major corporation for 25 years. He owns a home in Seoul and earns an annual salary of about 100 million won, with a monthly take-home pay of around 6 million won. On the surface, his life resembles a typical middle-class ideal.

He had small personal rules. Whenever he returned from an overseas business trip, he would pick up a symbolic item from the duty-free shop to mark his progress. Items like a Montblanc bag, a Tag Heuer watch, and a silk necktie were not just possessions; they felt like proof that he had made it this far. There was a principle that “a department head at a major corporation should wear something like this,” which was sometimes just another name for pride.

One day, he noticed a bag carried by Manager Choi from the neighboring team. Upon checking the brand, he found it was from a line more expensive than his own. At that moment, Kim felt as if pricked by a tiny needle. His pride demanded that he own something more expensive than Manager Choi, so he immediately went to the department store and paid for a 3 million won bag in a lump sum.

However, his heart was not at ease. The next morning, he saw the news that housing prices had risen by 300 million won and let out a small laugh, but that laugh contained a misunderstanding. The house had been purchased years ago by his wife’s decision, and at that time, Kim had said the price would soon plummet.

At work, he was criticized in performance evaluations for lacking “empathy and collaboration,” and ultimately, he was encouraged to take voluntary retirement. He was assigned to a local factory and later experienced the pain of losing a deposit in a commercial property scam.

But amid these trials, he gradually gained enlightenment. He began working at his elder brother’s car wash and realized that “what defines me is my attitude, not my title.” The water flow created a glossy shine, and his heart also slowly gained a shine.

The Dream Life of Mr. Kim ending spoiler

As time passed, Kim still sprayed water at the car wash, but his wrists became strong, and his back flexible. He learned how to read the expressions of customers and saw moments when small kindnesses became greatly appreciated.

The story of Department Head Kim, who owns a house in Seoul and works at a major corporation, is not just about a fall but about comparison and anxiety, choice and responsibility, pride and attitude. Everyone at some point sees Manager Choi’s bag, receives a sales card, and hears the words of an executive. The choices made at those moments shape the next chapter of life.

Kim paused and turned back. So this story is not one of failure but of reflection, and reflection always points toward a continuing path. The story of these very ordinary people is something many will find relatable. The story of Department Head Kim, who could be anywhere even now, is available to watch in a drama.

Kdrama The Dream Life of Mr. Kim

Korean: 서울 자가에 대기업 다니는 김부장 이야기
Japanese: ソウルの家から大企業に通うキム部長の物語
Chinese: 金部長的夢想人生
Genre: Office, Slice of Life, Human Drama, Social Critique, Black Comedy
Episodes: 12
Release Dates: October 25, 2025 – November 30, 2025 (Scheduled)
Airing Times: Saturdays at 10:40 PM, Sundays at 10:30 PM (KST)
Director: Cho Hyun-tak
Screenwriters: Kim Hong-gi, Yoon Hye-sung
Cast: Ryu Seung-ryong, Myung Se-bin, Cha Kang-yoon, Yoo Seung-mok, Lee Seo-hwan, and others
Filming Period: From March 2025 onward
Production Companies: SLL, Drama House Studio, Baro Entertainment
Rating: Suitable for viewers aged 15 and above
OTT Platforms: Network – JTBC / Streaming – TVING, Netflix