Netflix’s new K-drama When the Phone Rings promises to take viewers on a thrilling, beautiful and devastating ride. Know all about the plot, cast, episodes and the release schedule of the K-drama When the Phone Rings here.

Another gem from the screenwriter of Melancholia, When the Phone Rings is a thriller K-drama that focuses on the unhappy marriage of presidential spokesman Baek Sa-eon and his mute wife, sign language interpreter Hong Hee-joo. While the couple works hard to maintain the facade, a sudden call from a kidnapper rocks the foundation of their marriage of convenience.

A Park Sang-woo directorial, the show is based on the Korean web novel The Number You Have Dialed by Geon Eomul-nyeo.

Who are the cast members of When the Phone Rings?

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Popular K-drama actors Yoo Yeon-seok and Chae Soo-bin play the roles of protagonists Baek Sa-eon and Hong Hee-joo, respectively. Yoo, who debuted in the Korean movie Oldboy, has previously starred in the popular Netflix K-dramas Narco-Saints (2022), Hospital Playlist (2020) and Mr. Sunshine (2018). Meanwhile, Chae is known for her roles in The Fabulous (2022) and A Piece of Your Mind (2020).

Other notable cast members and the characters they play:

• Heo Nam-jun as Ji Jung-u
• Jang Gyu-ri as Na Yu-ri
• Han Jae-yi as Hong In-a
• Yoo Sung-joo as Baek Eui-yong
• Chu Sang-mi as Sim Gyu-jin
• Choi Kwang-il as Hong Il-kyung
• Oh Hyun-kyung as Kim Yeon-hui
• Im Chul-soo as Kang Young-u

Spoilers ahead!

What has happened in the K-drama When the Phone Rings so far?

Previously in the Netflix K-drama, Hee-joo attends her step-father’s party for his news channel’s 70th anniversary and later calls Sa-eon pretending to be the kidnapper. Now that In-a is back to take her position as his wife, Hee-joo asks him to divorce her. The episode ends with Sa-eon locating Hee-joo with the kidnapper’s phone.

In episode 5, Sa-eon is unable to discover that Hee-joo was using the kidnapper’s phone to blackmail him as Caller 406. The latter somehow hides her phone and leaves the terrace. Later, Hee-joo passes the interview and celebrates the good news with her team. Hee-joo then thanks Sa-eon for not doing any internal favours for her to pass the interview and offers to buy him a meal. Sa-eon, on the other hand, invites Hee-joo to meet with him at a boutique and buys her a suit as a gift for her new job.

Elsewhere, Do-jae calls Sa-eon and informs him that Caller 406 is a woman. Following this, Sa-eon suspects Hee-joo. He then requests Do-jae to match the caller’s voice with another audio file that he would send the former soon. Meanwhile, Hee-joo gets a call from the kidnapper who threatens her, as she had saved Sa-eon from a car accident the previous day. Towards the end of the episode, Sa-eon gets drunk at a team dinner. At home, Hee-joo, who tries to help Sa-eon to bed, accidentally kisses him when they tumble over.

In episode 6, Sa-Eon gets a complete analysis of the calls and realises that 406 and the kidnapper are connected and that Caller 406 is Hee-joo. So, when Hee-joo calls him pretending to be the kidnapper, Sa-eon offers to give Hee-joo a real marriage, and in return, 406 has to stop calling him. Hee-joo gets emotional and cuts the call saying it all depends on Sa-eon’s actions.

Elsewhere, Sa-eon arranges an office retreat with his team and the newly hired sign language interpreters. On the trip, both Hee-joo and Sa-eon enjoy each other’s company. Later, some people spot Sa-eon on the top of a hill with his team and start to crowd him for a picture. Amid the chaos, Hee-Joo gets separated from the team and ends up close to the edge. Soon, it is revealed that Hee-joo fell off the cliff but it wasn’t an accident. A man with a black jacket pushed her intentionally.

Towards the end of the episode, Hee-joo wakes up in a deep pit. Her phone is dead. Left with no choice, she uses the kidnapper’s phone to call Sa-eon. The latter then tells Caller 406 that he should tell Hee-joo that there’s a medical kit and a flare in the bag and she should use both. She explains to her how the flare can help him locate her. Sa-eon also goes on to admit that he is extremely worried and scared that he might lose Hee-joo. The episode ends with an injured Hee-joo finally managing to use the flare. Sa-eon spots it and runs to find her.

When are episodes 7 and 8 of When the Phone Rings out on Netflix?

Episodes 7 and 8 will air on Netflix on 20 and 21 December, respectively.

How many episodes are there in the K-drama When the Phone Rings?

The thriller romance K-drama has a total of 12 episodes.

What is the duration of each episode?

Each episode of the Korean drama has a runtime of approximately 1 hr. 8 min.

When the Phone Rings K-drama episode release schedule

So far Netflix is releasing two episodes every Friday and Saturday. Below is the complete release schedule of the new episodes of the K-drama When the Phone Rings:

• Episode 1 – Friday, 22 November (Out now)
• Episode 2 – Saturday, 23 November (Out now)
• Episode 3 – Friday, 29 November (Out now)
• Episode 4 – Saturday, 30 November (Out now)
• Episode 5 – Friday, 13 December (Out now)
• Episode 6 – Saturday, 14 December (Out now)
• Episode 7 – Friday, 20 December
• Episode 8 – Saturday, 21 December
• Episode 9 – TBA
• Episode 10 – TBA
• Episode 11 – TBA
• Episode 12 – TBA

Is there a trailer for When the Phone Rings?

Yes, watch the official trailer below:

(Hero and featured image credit: Netflix)