A gangster, a dreamer, and a bittersweet first love, The Nice Guy brings together Lee Dong-wook and Lee Sung-kyoung in a brooding noir romance about love lost and rediscovered. It revisits the nostalgic mood of the ’80s and ’90s with classic themes of gangsters and first love. The drama follows Park Seok-cheol, a man with a violent past and a poet’s soul who is forced to confront the woman he never stopped loving. Opposite him is Kang Mi-young, an aspiring singer who clings to her dream despite life’s hardships.
With the emotional weight of a heart-wrenching first love, the intensity of noir action and the warmth of heartfelt family dynamics, The Nice Guy is one of July’s most anticipated K-dramas. JTBC’s newest series delivers a raw, romantic journey that tugs at the heart while packing high-stakes thrills. If you’ve ever wished your favorite tough guy trope came with real emotional stakes and tender longing, this is the drama you’ve been waiting for.
What Is The Nice Guy About?
The Nice Guy introduces Park Seok-cheol (Lee Dong-wook), the reluctant heir to a third-generation gangster family. Despite growing up surrounded by crime, he once dreamed of becoming a writer like Hemingway. Life, however, had other plans.
As the organization’s top ace, Seok-cheol’s world is cold and violent until he decides he’s had enough. Just as he decides to turn his life around, fate brings back Kang Mi-young (Lee Sung-kyoung), his first love. She’s still chasing her dream of becoming a singer, even as life continues to knock her down. Their reunion reignites buried feelings, unresolved regrets and the possibility of a future that once seemed impossible.
Director Song Hae-sung likens the series to Pyongyang naengmyeon—clean, classic, and a story that lingers long after it ends. He sees The Nice Guy as a drama where viewers will find themselves rooting for every character. Lee Dong-wook notes that the story revolves around imperfect people and struggling families just trying to get by, a reality that many will relate to. Lee Sung-kyoung shares this sentiment, emphasizing that whether you’re a gangster or a dreamer, pain is universal. She hopes viewers see parts of themselves reflected in these characters. With heart-pounding action, a deeply emotional love story and a powerful message about love, healing, family, friendship and self-growth, this noir-melodrama offers a rich and relatable viewing experience.
Lee Dong-wook as Park Seok-cheol
A man who once dreamed of becoming a writer like Ernest Hemingway, a lonely and empty Park Seok-cheol now lives as a feared gangster with bloodied hands but has a surprisingly tender heart. Bruised and battered physically and emotionally, he holds onto his longing for a better life. His unexpected reunion with his first love Kang Mi-young puts him on a dangerous but hopeful path to redemption in finding new life and refinding love.
After years of fantasy-heavy roles and wire-flying stunts, Lee Dong-wook was drawn to the gritty realism of The Nice Guy. Wanting to return to romance and explore a more grounded, emotional character, he cut his hair short for the first time in years to embody the hardened yet deeply human Seok-cheol. The script’s raw, realistic tone stood out to him, marking a shift from the non-romance and fantasy genres he’s played in recent years.
Lee Sung-kyoung as Kang Mi-young
Lee Sung-kyoung steps into new territory as the resilient Kang Mi-young, an aspiring singer wrestling with self-doubt and lingering emotions for her first love. She is also a singer-songwriter who battles crippling stage fright, part-time jobs, and an ailing mother, but never gives up on her dreams. Mi-young is strong yet soft, radiant yet real. Her reconnection with Seok-cheol helps her grow and rekindles emotions she thought had long ago. Lee Sung-kyoung acted with the hope that viewers would root for her character.
To prepare for the role, she learned and practiced piano intensively and recorded songs to authentically portray Mi-young’s growth. She even wrote and performed an original piano piece herself, and gained weight for a role for the first time. “I was nervous,” she admitted, “but I gave it my all.”
Park Hoon as Kang Tae-hoon
A former ally of Seok-cheol, Kang Tae-hoon now leads a rival group, Samjun Construction. After falling for Mi-young at first sight, he finds himself locked in a tense and dangerous love triangle with Seok-cheol. Charismatic and ambitious, Tae-hoon’s path will cross violently with Seok-cheol’s once more.
Park Hoon, who had worked with Lee Dong-wook on a previous project, describes his character as a mix of good and bad. “I may look shady,” he joked, “but my character is all about loyalty and raw emotion. Noir, but with heart.” Kang Tae-hoon is a friend and also a rival to Park Seok-cheol. Though they walk the same path, they are very different from each other. “I think the relationship between Park Seok-cheol and Kang Tae-hoon is one of the main aspects to watch in the series. Please stay tuned to see what events bring them to a crossroads and how they end up facing each other again,” said Park Hoon.
Oh Na-ra as Park Seok-kyung
One of the drama’s standout elements is the complicated, dysfunctional family dynamic surrounding Park Seok-cheol. From everyday sibling clashes to the heavy emotional baggage shared between father and son, the raw and relatable chemistry within his family promises to be a key highlight of The Nice Guy.
Oh Na-ra takes on the role of Seok-cheol’s impulsive older sister, Park Seok-kyung, the troublemaker with hidden tenderness. Having failed in marriage, business, and even gambling, she’s a mess, drowning in debt, but you can’t help but love her. Oh Na-ra brings chaos and heart to a family full of scars.
Ryu Hye-young as Park Seok-hee
The youngest sibling and family pride, Park Seok-hee, is a nurse with a sharp mind and determined spirit. But even she faces hard choices that could pull her away from the life she’s worked so hard to build, facing moments where she must choose between her dreams and reality. Ryu Hye-young comments on how the show embraces its rustic lived-in vibe, making it honest. She will be portraying Seok-hee’s complex inner struggles with nuance and strength that won’t be overshadowed by her family members.
Chun Ho-jin as Park Sil-gon
A once-notorious gangster who now gardens in solitude, Park Sil-gon is filled with regrets for the underworld life he passed on to his son, Seok-cheol. Tensions and conflicts are expected to deepen between father and son. Chun Ho-jin delivers a touching portrayal of a father bound by love, pain and the hope of redemption.
Why You Should Be Excited About The Nice Guy
1. A Romance Worth Rooting For
The main focus of this story is the bittersweet romance and tender yet turbulent chemistry that begins with the reunion of Park Seok-cheol and Kang Mi-young. Park Seok-cheol and Kang Mi-young are not just first loves; they are each other’s comfort, salvation and reason to live. Their reunion brings hope and pain in equal measure. As Director Song put it, they fill each other’s empty spaces. Seok-cheol regains his innocence through Mi-young, while Mi-young finds the courage to face the world through him. Their love story promises to be clumsy, pure and heartbreakingly human.
2. A Trusted Production Team
With Song Hae-sung (Failan, Maundy Thursday) and Park Hong-soo (Lost) directing, and scripts by Kim Woon-kyung (Yoona’s Street) and Kim Hyo-seok (Yadang: The Snitch), the drama boasts serious storytelling power. This is Hive Media Corp’s first television drama and with a filmography that includes Inside Men, 12.12: The Day, Yadang: The Snitch, Deliver Us from Evil and The Man Standing Next.
3. Complex Characters with Real Stakes
Each character has their own unique dreams and stories, and even though the realities they face may be overwhelming and painful, they continue to move forward in search of better selves. Please look forward to the emotional synergy of the actors, which will add depth and relatability to their journeys. From estranged siblings to buried secrets and gang rivalries, The Nice Guy doesn’t shy away from tough questions. Who do we become when we’re broken? Can we still dream? The drama explores themes of identity, family and redemption with honesty and heart.
A Love Triangle, A Gang War, A Family Torn
Director Song Hae-sung approaches The Nice Guy as a story rooted in self-discovery and resilience, centered on a man who finds love while enduring and overcoming life’s harshest trials. Park Seok-cheol is a gangster with a poet’s soul. His contradictory nature is torn between a rough underworld and an inner innocence he refuses to lose, forming the core of the series. Director Song also highlights how the drama stands out by combining the tension of noir, the emotional depth of melodrama, and the comforting familiarity of family storytelling. Rather than focusing on idealized characters, The Nice Guy follows flawed and wounded individuals taking life one step at a time.
Writer Kim Hyo-seok crafted the narrative with a strong message of empathy in mind. Each character is on a personal journey to become a better version of themselves, mirroring the struggles of everyday people who remain faithful to their lives while daring to dream of change. Through this, the story aims to resonate with authenticity while offering something fresh and distinct.
When and Where to Watch
The Nice Guy premiered on Friday, July 18 at 8:50 p.m. KST on JTBC and Disney+, with two episodes that kicked off its 14-episode run. The series will continue to air two back-to-back episodes every Friday as part of JTBC’s new Friday drama lineup. Buckle up for a weekly double dose of emotional rollercoaster and whiplash!
Will Seok-cheol and Mi-young’s scarred hearts finally find peace or shatter again? That near-kiss in the teaser poster already has fans spiraling. Share your reactions to The Nice Guy‘s smoldering reunion and soft heartbreak moments on Instagram and X/Twitter!
Featured Image Credit: JTBC
