Pearl in Red

Pearl in Red
Promotional poster
Hangul
붉은 진주
Hanja
붉은 珍珠
Lit.Red Pearl
RRBulgeun jinju
MRPulgŭn chinju
Genre
Written byKim Seo-jung
Directed byKim Sung-geun
Starring
Ending theme"Breaking Crown"
by An Siu
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes17
Production
Production companies
Original release
NetworkKBS2
ReleaseFebruary 23, 2026 (2026-02-23) –
present

Pearl in Red (Korean: 붉은 진주) is an ongoing South Korean television series written by Kim Seo-jung, directed by Kim Sung-geun, and starring Park Jin-hee, Nam Sang-ji, Kim Kyung-bo, Kang Da-bin, Choi Jae-sung, Kim Hee-jung, and Cheon Hee-joo. The series follows the intertwined fates of two women who return under false identities to uncover the truth and sins hidden in the Adele family, in a web of secrets and retribution. It premiered on KBS2 on February 23, 2026, and airs every Monday to Friday at 19:50 (KST).

Synopsis

Two women driven by tragic losses are targeting Adele Group. It begins with Kim Dan-hee assuming her deceased twin sister's identity, Kim Myeong-hee, and bringing her nephew into the Adele family as her son, aiming to gain control of the Adele Group and seeking revenge on the person who murdered and betrayed her twin sister. Baek Jin-ju, betrayed by a jealous friend and witnessing her father die in a horrible accident, grows into a person seeking punishment against those responsible for her father's death, under the name Chloe Lee. Both women are under disguise, seeking retribution and to uncover the group's dark secrets.

Cast and characters

Main

  1. Kim Myeong-hee: The older of the twins, who works as a nurse and dreams of having an ordinary family, tragically dies. Left orphaned at a young age, she dedicated her life to protecting her twin sister, Dan-hee. To raise money for Dan-hee's surgery, she gets entangled with Tae-ho, but ultimately finds herself exploited and betrayed while pregnant with his child.
  2. Kim Dan-hee: The younger of the twins, who sacrificed her life and lives under her deceased sister's name, plots meticulous revenge to take over the Adele Group after learning the truth behind her sister's death. She raised her deceased sister's son, Park Min-jun, as her own child in the Adele family and is determined to protect him from any danger plotted by Jung-ran. To crush Jung-ran's dreams of power, she strategically positioned her nephew Min-jun as Adele's successor. She herself climbed the corporate ladder, initially working as a jewelry appraiser before ultimately becoming the group's president.
After being betrayed by a friend and losing her father in a horrible car crash and explosion, she reinvents herself as a top brand consultant and infiltrates the Adele Group to get revenge. Her life takes a complicated turn as she becomes embroiled with her former lover Min-jun and his half-brother Hyun-jun.
  • Kim Kyung-bo as Park Min-jun[2]
Dan-hee's nephew, who is the first director of Adele Group. The shadow of his mother's status as a mistress haunted his childhood. As a grown man, he faced relentless succession struggles and suffered the crushing loss of his first love, Jin-ju. His life is turned upside down by Chloe, a Jin-ju lookalike. As he uncovers her true identity and the Adele family's dark secrets, he transforms into a man determined to protect his love at any cost.
Min-jun's half-brother and Jung-ran's son who is the second division head of the Adele Group. Despite his bold and cunning nature, he shows little interest in vying for the succession. Only after losing Jin-ju did he realize she was his first love. Chloe's appearance sparks a growing obsession, clouding his judgment and driving him to make destructive choices.
The chairman of the Adele Group. Coming from a poor background, he married into a prominent jewelry family and manipulated his father-in-law's will to divert his wife's family's wealth to himself. He expanded the family business from a jeweler into a large corporation, with the sole goal of making Adele the world's top company. Ruthless and unscrupulous, he uses everyone, including his own family, as pawns to achieve his ambitions. A ruthless master manipulator, he doesn't hesitate to put Dan-hee and Jin-ju in harm's way to protect his own power and luxurious facade.
Tae-ho's wife who is the director of the Adele Gallery. She rises from a floor-cleaning maid to head of a large corporation. Driven by ambition, she orchestrates the poisoning of the landlady and forges her master's will to secure her position.
  • Cheon Hee-joo as Choi Yu-na[2]
The head of the Adele Group's new business TF team. She has a complex relationship with Jin-ju, fueled by long-standing feelings of inadequacy. Believing Jin-ju stole her dreams of becoming a jewelry designer and her first love, Min-jun, she ultimately betrays her, claiming Jin-ju's success and life for herself.

Supporting

People around Dan-hee

Dan-hee's close friend and secretary.
  • Geum Ho-suk as Jung Woo-jin[3]
Yoon-jung's younger brother.
A renowned hanbok designer and owner of Ihwachae, who secretly supports Dan-hee.

People around Jin-ju

  • Jung Ui-gap as James Lee[3]
Chloe's father and Jin-ju's godfather, he assumes the role of godfather to Jin-ju and uses his deceased daughter's name as a means to seek vengeance on her behalf.
  • Nam Seong-jin as Baek Jun-ki[4]
The CEO of Temi Bio, who is Jin-ju's father.

Yu-na's family

  • Cha Kwang-soo as Choi Sam-sik[3]
Yu-na's father.
  • Kyoung-suk as Hong Young-sil[3]
Yu-na's mother.

Others

  • Lee Myung-ho as Song Geun-tae[3]
Jung-ran's chauffeur.
  • Kim Bo-mi as Ok Hye-kyung (Butler Ok)[4]
Tae-ho's housekeeper.
  • Ban Sang-yoon as Kang Myeong-seok (Manager Kang)[4]
Tae-ho's secretary.

Production

Development

Pearl in Red is directed by Kim Sung-geun, who helmed My Merry Marriage (2024–2025) and Unpredictable Family (2023–2024), and the screenplay is written by Kim Seo-jung, while DK E&M and Monster Union jointly managed the production.[1]

Director Kim described the series as focusing on character relationships and solidarity, following a healing journey where two women, previously masked by revenge, find self-discovery and learn to embrace their true selves. It conveys themes of self-forgiveness and love. Writer Kim S.J. added that the story explores the irony of finding truth through lies, aiming to challenge the notion that lies are inherently evil and truth is good. Instead, the work questions how human choices determine morality, conveying a profound message on the nature of truth and deception.[5]

Casting

In November 2025, Park Jin-hee was cast as the lead, and the script reading was already in preparation.[6]

Nam Sang-ji and Park J.H. were officially confirmed to lead the series on January 5, 2026. Both play characters who are involved in intense revenge under false identities after losing something precious.[1] Two days later, Choi Jae-sung, Kim Hee-jung, Kim Kyung-bo, Kang Da-bin, and Cheon Hee-joo were confirmed their casting. It also reveals that Nam Sang-ji's character's real name is Baek Jin-ju.[2] Lee Myung-ho, Kim Bo-mi, Cha Kwang-soo, Kyoung Suk, Jung Ui-gap, Ha Jae-sook, and Geum Ho-suk were revealed to have joined the cast by January 14, 2026.[7]

Release

On December 31, 2025, KBS officially unveiled Pearl in Red as part of its 2026 drama lineup.[8] By January 2026, the series was confirmed to premiere on KBS2 on February 23, 2026, airing every Monday to Friday at 19:50 (KST).[9]

Viewership

Pearl in Red : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)
EpisodesEpisode number
12345678910111213141516171819202122232425
1–251.5941.6261.5281.6481.7081.6981.6881.5551.4521.4141.3551.2261.5051.3691.4931.363TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
26–50TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
51–75TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
76–100TBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBDTBD
Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.[10]
Average TV viewership ratings
Ep. Original broadcast date Average audience share
Nielsen Korea[10]
Nationwide Seoul
1 February 23, 2026 8.7% (2nd) 7.2% (4th)
2 February 24, 2026 8.8% (2nd) 7.2% (2nd)
3 February 25, 2026 8.5% (2nd) 6.9% (3rd)
4 February 26, 2026 8.9% (2nd) 7.8% (3rd)
5 February 27, 2026 9.1% (2nd) 7.4% (3rd)
6 March 2, 2026 9.2% (3rd) 7.9% (4th)
7 March 3, 2026 9.4% (2nd) 7.5% (4th)
8 March 4, 2026 9.0% (2nd) 7.4% (4th)
9 March 10, 2026 7.9% (4th) 6.2% (4th)
10 March 11, 2026 7.7% (4th) 6.4% (4th)
11 March 12, 2026 7.4% (3rd) 6.0% (3rd)
12 March 13, 2026 6.7% (5th) 5.2% (7th)
13 March 16, 2026 8.0% (3rd) 6.4% (4th)
14 March 17, 2026 7.2% (3rd) 5.5% (5th)
15 March 18, 2026 8.2% (2nd) 6.3% (3rd)
16 March 19, 2026 7.4% (3rd) 5.7% (5th)
17 March 20, 2026
Average — —
  • In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.

References

  1. ^ a b c d Jang, Woo-young (January 5, 2026). 박진희, 죽은 쌍둥이 언니 이름으로 새 출발...남상지와 '붉은 진주' 캐스팅 [공식] [Official: Park Jin-hee will make a new start in the name of her dead twin sister, co-starring with Nam Sang-ji in Pearl in Red]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Jo, Soo-hyun (January 7, 2026). 최재성-김희정-김경보-강다빈-천희주 출연 확정 '붉은 진주' 언제부터 시작? [Choi Jae-sung, Kim Hee-jung, Kim Kyung-bo, Kang Da-bin, and Cheon Hee-joo confirmed to star in Pearl in Red. When will it start?]. Star Daily News (in Korean). Retrieved January 7, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Jo, Soo-hyun (February 6, 2026). 이명호-차광수-경숙-정의갑-하재숙-금호석, 각양각색 매력 폭발..이야기의 풍미를 더할 6인 라인업 스틸 공개 '붉은 진주' [Lee Myung-ho, Cha Kwang-soo, Kyung-sook, Jeong Eui-gap, Ha Jae-sook, and Geum Ho-seok, each with a unique charm, reveal a six-person lineup that will add flavor to the story. Pearl in Red has released stills]. Star Daily News (in Korean). Retrieved February 6, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d 붉은 진주 (등장인물) [Pearl in Red (Characters)] (in Korean). Korean Broadcasting System. Retrieved February 12, 2026.
  5. ^ Kang, Ji-ho (February 13, 2026). 쌍둥이 '1인 2역'→치밀 복수극... 강렬한 고자극 서사 예고한 韓 드라마 [Twins Play Dual Roles in an Intricate Revenge Drama... Korean Drama Predicts Intense, High-Stimulus Narrative]. TV Report (in Korean). Retrieved February 14, 2026.
  6. ^ Kang, Hyo-jin (November 7, 2025). [단독] 박진희, KBS 새 일일드라마 '붉은 진주' 주연 [Exclusive: Park Jin-hee to star in KBS' new daily drama Pearl in Red]. SPOTV News (in Korean). Retrieved January 5, 2026.
  7. ^ Jang, Woo-young (January 14, 2026). 박진희·남상지, 거짓 신분으로 살아온 두 여자…치밀한 복수 연대기 ('붉은 진주') [Park Jin-hee and Nam Sang-ji, Two Women Living Under False Identities... A Meticulous Chronicle of Revenge in Pearl in Red]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved January 14, 2026.
  8. ^ Kim, Yang-soo (December 31, 2025). 남궁민, 7년만 KBS 컴백... 새해 선보일 '결혼의 완성' [Namgoong Min returns to KBS after seven years... The Husband to premiere in the new year]. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Retrieved January 11, 2026.
  9. ^ Kim, Seo-jeong (January 20, 2026). 박진희표 처절한 복수극 시작된다... 언니 인생 대신('붉은 진주') [Pearl in Red: Park Jin-hee's brutal revenge drama begins in her sister's life]. Osen (in Korean). Retrieved January 20, 2026.
  10. ^ a b Nielsen Korea ratings:
    • "Ep. 1". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 23, 2026. Archived from the original on February 23, 2026. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
    • "Ep. 2". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 24, 2026. Archived from the original on February 24, 2026. Retrieved February 25, 2026.
    • "Ep. 3". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 25, 2026. Retrieved February 26, 2026.
    • "Ep. 4". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 26, 2026. Retrieved February 27, 2026.
    • "Ep. 5". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). February 27, 2026. Retrieved February 28, 2026.
    • "Ep. 6". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 2, 2026. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
    • "Ep. 7". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 3, 2026. Retrieved March 4, 2026.
    • "Ep. 8". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 4, 2026. Retrieved March 5, 2026.
    • "Ep. 9". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
    • "Ep. 10". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 11, 2026. Retrieved March 12, 2026.
    • "Ep. 11". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 12, 2026. Retrieved March 13, 2026.
    • "Ep. 12". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 13, 2026. Retrieved March 14, 2026.
    • "Ep. 13". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 16, 2026. Retrieved March 17, 2026.
    • "Ep. 14". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 17, 2026. Retrieved March 18, 2026.
    • "Ep. 15". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 18, 2026. Retrieved March 19, 2026.
    • "Ep. 16". Nielsen Korea (in Korean). March 19, 2026. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
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