Lovely Runner

Lovely Runner (Korean: 선재 업고 튀어) is a 2024 South Korean television series starring Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon. It is based on a web novel titled Tomorrow's Best, which was also serialized as a webtoon by illustrator Doong Doong. It aired on tvN from April 8 to May 28, 2024, every Monday and Tuesday at 20:50 (KST). It is also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, U-Next in Japan, Vidio in Indonesia, and Viki and Viu in selected regions.

Lovely Runner
Promotional poster
Hangul	선재 업고 튀어
Literal meaning	Runaway with Sun-jae on Piggyback
Revised Romanization	Seonjae eopgo twi-eo
McCune–Reischauer	Sŏnjae ŏpko t'wiŏ
Genre	Time slip[1] Romantic comedy[1] Fantasy[2]
Based on	Tomorrow's Best by Kim Bbang
Developed by	CJ ENM Studios (planning)[1]
Written by	Lee Si-eun
Directed by	Yoon Jong-ho Kim Tae-yeop
Starring	Byeon Woo-seok Kim Hye-yoon
Music by	Kim Jung-ha[3] Choi In-young[3]
Opening theme	"You & I" (Inst.) by Eclipse
Ending theme	Various themes[a]
Country of origin	South Korea
Original language	Korean
No. of episodes	16
Production
Executive producers	Kim Ho-joon CP[3] Kim Rak-hyun[3] Lee Joon-yong[3]
Producers	Moon Suk-hwan[3] Oh Gwang-hee[3] Park Soon-tae[3] Park Yoon-ah[3]
Cinematography	Yoon Dae-young[3] Jeon Hyun-suk[3] Shin Gi-chang[3] Park Min-hyun[3]
Editor	Kim Ok-sun[3]
Running time	70 minutes[4]
Production company	Bon Factory[1]
Original release
Network	tvN
Release	April 8 (2024-04-08) – May 28, 2024 (2024-05-28)

Synopsis

In the world of stardom, Ryu Sun-jae shines as a top-tier celebrity whose life, despite its public facade, is marred by exhaustion. Im Sol, an ardent admirer of Sun-jae, finds solace in his music after a childhood accident derailed her dreams.

When news breaks of Sun-jae's tragic death, Sol is devastated. However, fate intervenes, transporting her fifteen years into the past to 2008, when she and Sun-jae are 19-year-old high school students. Seeing this as a chance from heaven, Sol vows to change the course of destiny for the both of them while grappling with the challenges of changing the past.

Cast and characters

Main

• Byeon Woo-seok as Ryu Sun-jae^[5]

A top star who has everything, from good looks to talent and charm. He is a former swimmer turned singer and actor, but his life as a celebrity doesn't go well, especially as he battles depression, ultimately leading up to his unfortunate death.

• Kim Hye-yoon as Im Sol^[6]

A cute and lovable young woman who gives up her dream of becoming a film director in 2009 when she injures her legs and becomes paralyzed.

• Song Geon-hee as Kim Tae-seong^[7]

An ulzzang with a flamboyant look. He was the bassist of the band Eclipse in high school, and is a police officer in the present time.

• Lee Seung-hyub as Baek In-hyuk^[8]

A friendly guy who is easy to get along with. He is Sun-jae's best friend, as well as the leader and guitarist of the famous band Eclipse.

Supporting

People around Sol

• Jung Young-ju [ko] as Park Bok-soon^[9]

Sol's resilient single mother. She manages a struggling DVD store while raising her two children and caring for her elderly mother.

• Seong Byeong-suk [ko] as Jung Mal-ja^[10]

Sol's warm-hearted and wise grandmother.

• Song Ji-ho as Im Geum^[11]

Sol's older brother. He is an aspiring actor full of passion for acting, but he repeatedly faces rejection in auditions.

• Seo Hye-won as Lee Hyun-joo^[12]

Sol's best friend. She is bold, sharp, and stubborn.

People around Sun-jae

• Kim Won-hae as Ryu Geun-deok^[10]

Sun-jae's father and the owner of the Galbit House.

• Ahn Sang-woo as Representative Kim^[10]

CEO of Sun-jae's agency JNT.

• Lee Il-jun as Park Dong-suk^[13]

Sun-jae's manager.

People around Tae-seong

• Park Yoon-hee as Detective Kim^[14]

Tae-sung's father who is a veteran detective with 20 years of experience.

• Kim Hwi-gyu as Cha Yi-seul^[14]

Tae-sung's friend who has a weathered appearance that belies his pretty name.

JNT people

• Moon Yong-suk as Hyun-soo^[10]

The drummer of the band Eclipse.

• Yang Hyuk as Jay^[15]

A bassist and the youngest member of the band Eclipse.

Jagam High School students

• Lee Chul-woo as Kim Hyung-gu

A member of the Jagam High School swimming club, and Sun-jae's self-proclaimed rival.

• Kim Hyun-kyu as Choi Hyun-gu

Sun-jae's friend from Jagam High School swimming team.

• Jung Kang-hee as Coach Ahn

The coach of the Jagam High School swimming team.

• Oh Se-young as Choi Ga-hyun^[16]

Tae-seong's ex-girlfriend.

Others

• Heo Hyeong-Gyu as Kim Young-Soo

A taxi driver with a grudge against Sol and Sun-jae.

• Ko Tae-jin [ko] as Choi Jeong-hoon^[17]

An employee of the cinema where Im Sol applies for an interview.

Special appearances

• Park Tae-hwan as himself^[18]

A swimmer who plans to showcase his swimming skills alongside Sun-jae.

• Kwon Yu-ri as herself^[19]

A member of the girl group Girls' Generation.

• Han Seung-yeon as Radio DJ^[20]
• Lee Soo-ji [ko] as Heavenly Granny
• Kim Min-gi as Park Do-jun

Production

Development

The series was originally published as a web novel on KakaoPage between July and September 2020, written by Kim Bbang. It was later adapted into a webtoon by illustrator Doong Doong, which became available in September 2021.^[21]

It is directed by Yoon Jong-ho, who co-directed other popular works such as Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016–2017), My Holo Love (2020), and Flower of Evil (2020). It is also written by Lee Si-eun, who is best known for her work True Beauty (2020–2021).^[2]

It was previously titled Time Walking on Memory (기억을 걷는 시간; Gieog-eul geonneun sigan).^[22]

Writer Lee Si-eun stated that the character Im Sol was specifically created with actress Kim Hye-yoon in mind.^[23] It was also revealed that the series took three years to produce and was offered to several other actors before the role ultimately went to Byeon Woo-seok.^[24]

Casting

On March 28, 2023, reports surfaced stating that Kim Hye-yoon and Byeon Woo-seok were in discussions and actively considering taking the lead roles.^[25] Their appearance was subsequently confirmed on July 19 by the production team of tvN.^[1] On July 27, Song Geon-hee was also confirmed to co-star alongside Kim and Byeon.^[7] On the same day, there were reports highlighting that Lee Seung-hyub was in discussions to appear in the drama, and his agency confirmed his participation on July 31.^[26][27] In the following days, it was reported that Yang Hyuk would be also joining the cast.^[15]

Filming

Filming began in the second half of 2023.^[28]

Original soundtrack

Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by Various artists
Released	May 28, 2024
Genre	Soundtrack
Length	201:33
Language	Korean English
Label	Stone Music

Album

The drama's soundtrack is compiled in a three-part album released by label Stone Music Entertainment on May 28, 2024. CD 1 contains Eclipse's song, CD 2 contains the drama's theme songs, and CD 3 contains the drama's musical score.

CD 1

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Sudden Shower" (소나기)	Han Sung-ho	Han Sung-ho Park Soo-suk	Eclipse	3:53
2.	"Run Run"	Jeong Jin-wook	Yipro	Eclipse	3:34
3.	"You & I"	Kim Min Taylor	Kim Taylor	Eclipse	2:49
4.	"No Fate" (만날테니까)	San Yoon	Vendurs	Eclipse	2:47
5.	"I'll Be There"	G. Gorilla	G. Gorilla	Eclipse	3:52
Total length:					16:55

CD 2

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Star"	Jeong Koo-hyun Aseul	Jeong	N.Flying	3:38
2.	"Like a Dream" (꿈결같아서)	Jeong Koo-hyun Aseul	Jeong	Minnie ((G)I-dle)	4:09
3.	"May I Love You?" (이 마음을 전해도 될까)	Park Woo-sang (Logos) Song Yoo-jin	Park Si-woo Song	Umji (Viviz)	3:18
4.	"Super Ultra Man" (슈퍼울트라맨)	Deundeun Man	Deundeun Man	Deundeun Man	3:18
5.	"A Day"	Han Jae-hwan Park Jeong-jun	Han	Jongho (Ateez)	3:52
6.	"I Think I Did" (그랬나봐)	You Hee-yeol	You	Yoo Hwe-seung (N.Flying)	4:20
7.	"Monologue" (독백)	Baek Seung-jae Jason Moon Sean Kimm	Baek Moon	Jae Yeon	3:11
8.	"Spring Snow" (봄눈)	Choi In-young	Choi	10cm	3:21
9.	"Gift" (선물)	Choi In-young	Yoon Young-jun	Ha Sung-woon	4:49
10.	"Please Don't Leave Anywhere" (떠나지마)	Doko	Doko Sa Seung-ho	Doko	3:21
Total length:					16:28

CD 3

No.	Title	Artist	Length
1.	"My Only One Star"	Kim Tae-young	2:13
2.	"Lonely Planet"	muii	3:30
3.	"Swing of Hips"	Moon Jung-woon	1:15
4.	"Plain Mat"	Dennis Chang	0:55
5.	"Heavy Thoughts"	Kim Yoo-hyun	2:30
6.	"Warmth"	Mond	1:25
7.	"Our Dream"	Han Jae-wan	1:33
8.	"Holland"	muii	1:54
9.	"Me, Myself"	Dennis Chang	1:34
10.	"Let's Fight"	Moon Jung-wook	1:04
11.	"Long Day"	Kim Yeo-yeon	2:23
12.	"Clockwise"	Mond	1:04
13.	"Black Tail"	muii	1:28
14.	"Small Candy"	Han Jae-wan	0:45
15.	"Ark"	Dennis Chang	1:32
16.	"Time Machine"	Kim Tae-young	2:37
17.	"The News"	Moon Jung-wook	1:36
18.	"Breeze"	Kim Yoo-hyeo	1:48
19.	"Walking Cat"	Mond	0:57
20.	"Youth"	muii	1:05
21.	"My Cat"	Han Jae-wan	1:03
22.	"Art Tech"	Dennis Chang	1:51
23.	"Dream Loop"	Moon Jung-wook	1:26
24.	"Sweet Time"	Kim Yeo-yeon	2:13
25.	"Harmony"	Kim Tae-young	1:11
26.	"Fresh Day"	Moon Jung-wook	0:50
27.	"Jump"	Kim Yeo-yeon	1:40
28.	"Sol Life"	muii	2:01
29.	"Not Over You"	Dennis Chang	1:36
30.	"Holly Molly"	Moon Jung-wook	1:34
31.	"Last Loop"	Kim Yeo-yeon	2:23
32.	"Zany Clown"	Mond	0:38
33.	"Pulse"	Moon Jung-wook	1:43
34.	"Underwater"	muii	2:17
35.	"The More I Do"	Dennis Chang	0:52
36.	"Secretly, Stealthily, Quietly"	Moon Jung-wook	1:43
37.	"It's Alright"	Kim Yuh-yun	1:26
38.	"Looming Shadow"	Moon Jung-wook	1:13
Total length:			59:38

Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack

Singles

The following is the track list of singles from Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack.

Released on April 8, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Sudden Shower" (소나기)	Han Sung-ho	Han Sung-ho Park Soo-suk	Eclipse[b]	3:53
2.	"Run Run"	Jeong Jin-wook	Yipro	Eclipse[b]	3:34
3.	"You & I"	Kim Min Taylor	Kim Min Taylor	Eclipse[b]	2:49
4.	"No Fate" (만날테니까)	San Yoon	Vendurs	Eclipse[b]	2:47
5.	"Sudden Shower" (소나기;Inst.)		Han Sung-ho Park Soo-suk		3:53
6.	"Run Run" (Inst.)		Yipro		3:34
7.	"You & I" (Inst.)		Kim Min Taylor		2:49
8.	"No Fate" (만날테니까; Inst.)		Vendurs		2:47
Total length:					26:10

Released on April 9, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Star"	Jeong Koo-hyun Aseul	Jeong Koo-hyun	N.Flying	3:38
2.	"Star" (Inst.)		Jeong Koo-hyun		3:38
Total length:					7:16

Released on April 16, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Like a Dream" (꿈결같아서)	Jeong Koo-hyun Aseul	Jeong Koo-hyun	Minnie ((G)I-dle)	4:09
2.	"Like a Dream" (꿈결같아서; Inst.)		Jeong Koo-hyun		4:09
Total length:					8:18

Released on April 23, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	{{{extra_column}}}	Length
1.	"May I Love You?" (이 마음을 전해도 될까)	Park Woo-sang (LOGOS) Song Yoo-jin	Park Woo-sang (LOGOS) SIU Song Yoo-jin	Umji (Viviz)	3:18
2.	"Super Ultra Man" (슈퍼울트라맨)	Deundeun Man	Deundeun Man	Deundeun Man	3:18
3.	"I'll Be There"	G.Gorilla	G.Gorilla	Eclipse[b]	3:52
4.	"May I Love You?" (이 마음을 전해도 될까; Inst.)		Park Woo-sang (LOGOS) SIU Song Yoo-jin		3:18
5.	"Super Ultra Man" (슈퍼울트라맨; Inst.)		Deundeun Man		3:17
6.	"I'll Be There" (Inst.)		G.Gorilla		3:52
Total length:					20:55

Released on April 30, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"A Day"	Han Jae-hwan Park Jeong-jun	Han Jae-hwan	Jongho (Ateez)	3:52
2.	"A Day" (Inst.)		Han Jae-hwan		3:52
Total length:					7:45

Released on May 6, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"I Think I Did" (그랬나봐)	You Hee-yeol	You Hee-yeol	Yoo Hwe-seung (N.Flying)[c]	4:20
2.	"I Think I Did" (그랬나봐; Inst.)		You Hee-yeol		4:20
Total length:					8:41

Released on May 7, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Monologue" (독백)	Baek Seung-jae Jason Moon Sean Kimm	Baek Seung-jae Jason Moon	Jae Yeon	3:11
2.	"Monologue" (독백; Inst.)		Baek Seung-jae Jason Moon		3:10
Total length:					6:22

Released on May 14, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Spring Snow" (봄눈)	Choi In-young	Choi In-young	10cm	3:21
2.	"Spring Snow" (봄눈; Inst.)		Choi In-young		3:21
Total length:					6:43

Released on May 21, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Gift" (선물)	Choi In-young	Yoon Young-jun	Ha Sung-woon	4:49
2.	"Gift" (선물; Inst.)		Yoon Young-jun		4:49
Total length:					9:39

Released on May 27, 2024

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Artist	Length
1.	"Please Don't Leave Anywhere" (떠나지마)	Doko	Doko Sa Seung-ho	Doko	3:21
2.	"Please Don't Leave Anywhere" (떠나지마; Inst.)		Doko Sa Seung-ho		3:21
Total length:					6:43

Singles from Lovely Runner (Parts 1–10)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

Part 9

Part 10

Chart performance

Album Chart performance for Lovely Runner OST Chart (2024) Peak position South Korean Albums (Circle)[29] 6

Singles List of singles, showing year released, with selected chart positions and notes Title Year Peak chart positions Notes KOR [30] KOR Songs [31] WW [32] "Sudden Shower" (Eclipse[b]) 2024 4 8 167 Part 1 "Run Run" (Eclipse[b]) 38 — — "You & I" (Eclipse[b]) 99 — — "No Fate" (Eclipse[b]) 115 — — "Star" (N.Flying) 85 — — Part 2 "Like a Dream" (Minnie) 65 — — Part 3 "May I Love You?" (Umji) —[A] — — Part 4 "Super Ultra Man" (Deundeun Man) —[B] — — "I'll Be There" (Eclipse[b]) 111 — — "A Day" (Jongho) 133 — — Part 5 "I Think I Did" (Yoo Hwe-seung) 35 — — Part 6 "Monologue" (Jae Yeon) —[C] — — Part 7 "Spring Snow" (10cm) 31 — — Part 8 "Gift" (Ha Sung-woon) 135 — — Part 9 "Please Don't Leave Anywhere" (Doko) —[D] — — Part 10 "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that region.

Release

The series was originally scheduled to be broadcast in the second half of 2023, but was moved to the first half of 2024 due to the changes in tvN's Monday and Tuesday lineup.^[2]

During the CJ ENM Meet & Grow conference on January 18, 2024, tvN officially confirmed that Lovely Runner was scheduled for April 2024.^[36] The series premiered on April 8, 2024.^[37] It was also available for streaming on TVING in South Korea, U-Next in Japan, Vidio in Indonesia, and Viki and Viu in selected regions.^[38] On July 15, 2024, it was announced that the series would also be available for streaming on Netflix in selected regions, starting from August 1, 2024.^[39]

Reception

Critical response

Despite its modest viewership ratings, Lovely Runner garnered positive reviews from audiences, contributing significantly to Byeon Woo-seok's rise to stardom and solidifying Kim Hye-yoon's reputation in the industry.^[40] Film critic Jung Duk-hyun, one of the prominent judges at the prestigious Baeksang Arts Awards, praised Kim for her exceptional acting prowess in her role as Im Sol.^{[41][better source needed]}

Singapore's national newspaper The Straits Times gave the series four out of five stars, stating that the love story between the characters portrayed by Byeon and Kim was captivating and the "multi-layered" plot got richer and richer with each episode.^[42] Time Magazine praised the drama as one of the best K-dramas released in 2024, commending the series for its use of "familiar genres to craft a thrillingly unexpected, continuously moving story experience".^[43]

Viewership

Season		Episode number																Average
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16
	1	0.737	0.704	0.892	0.859	0.947	0.871	1.090	1.124	1.384	1.275	1.322	1.189	1.315	1.289	1.431	1.661	1.131

Lovely Runner : South Korea viewers per episode (millions)

Source: Audience measurement performed nationwide by Nielsen Korea.^[44]

Average TV viewership ratings

Ep.	Original broadcast date	Average audience share (Nielsen Korea)[44]
		Nationwide	Seoul
1	April 8, 2024	3.073% (2nd)	3.176% (2nd)
2	April 9, 2024	2.710% (3rd)	2.918% (3rd)
3	April 15, 2024	3.444% (1st)	3.678% (1st)
4	April 16, 2024	3.378% (1st)	4.069% (1st)
5	April 22, 2024	3.435% (2nd)	3.834% (2nd)
6	April 23, 2024	3.377% (1st)	3.946% (1st)
7	April 29, 2024	4.459% (1st)	5.259% (1st)
8	April 30, 2024	4.095% (1st)	4.656% (1st)
9	May 6, 2024	4.759% (1st)	5.638% (1st)
10	May 7, 2024	4.752% (1st)	5.973% (1st)
11	May 13, 2024	4.735% (1st)	5.670% (1st)
12	May 14, 2024	4.260% (1st)	5.002% (1st)
13	May 20, 2024	4.568% (1st)	5.214% (1st)
14	May 21, 2024	4.827% (1st)	5.349% (1st)
15	May 27, 2024	5.297% (1st)	6.197% (1st)
16	May 28, 2024	5.762% (1st)	7.208% (1st)
Average		4.183%	4.862%
In the table above, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings. This drama aired 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).

Accolades

Awards and nominations

Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and the result of the nomination

Award ceremony	Year	Category	Nominee / Work	Result	Ref.
APAN Star Awards	2024	Best Couple	Byeon Woo-seok and Kim Hye-yoon	Won	[45][46][47]
		Best OST	Eclipse – "Sudden Shower"	Won
			N.Flying – "Star"	Nominated
		Best New Actor	Lee Seung-hyub	Nominated
		Best Director	Yoon Jong-ho	Nominated
		Best Writer	Lee Si-eun	Nominated
		Excellence Actress in a Serial Drama	Jung Young-ju	Won
		Global Star	Byeon Woo-seok	Won
		Popularity Award, Actor		Won
		Popularity Award, Actress	Kim Hye-yoon	Won
		Top Excellence Actor in a Miniseries	Byeon Woo-seok	Nominated
		Top Excellence Actress in a Miniseries	Kim Hye-yoon	Nominated
Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards	2024	Best Lead Actress	Kim Hye-yoon	Nominated	[48][49]
		Best Newcomer Actor	Byeon Woo-seok	Nominated
		Best Original Song	Eclipse – Sudden Shower	Nominated
		People's Choice Award	Kim Hye-yoon	Won	[50]
			Byeon Woo-seok	Won
Asian Academy Creative Awards	2024	Best Cinematography (Grand Final)	Yoon Dae-young	Nominated	[51][52]
		Best Cinematography (Korea)		Won
Asian Television Awards	2024	Best Theme Song (Grand Final)	Byeon Woo-seok	Nominated	[53][54]
		Best Theme Song (Korea)		Won
Baeksang Arts Awards	2025	Best Drama	Lovely Runner	Pending	[55]
		Best Actor – Television	Byeon Woo-seok	Pending
		Best Actress – Television	Kim Hye-yoon	Pending
		Best New Actor – Television	Song Geon-hee	Pending
		Best Screenplay – Television	Lee Si-eun	Pending
Brand of the Year Awards	2024	Actor – Hot Trend	Byeon Woo-seok	Won	[56]
		Actress – Hot Trend	Kim Hye-yoon	Won
		Actor – Rising Star	Song Geon-hee	Won
		Actor – Idol	Lee Seung-hyub	Won
		Actress – Scene Stealer	Jung Young-ju	Won
KAA Awards - Korea Advertisers Association	2024	Program of the Year	Lovely Runner	Won	[57]
Korea Grand Music Awards	2024	Best OST	Yoo Hwe-seung (N.Flying) – I Think I Did	Won	[58]
MAMA Awards	2024	Favorite Global Trending Music	Byeon Woo-seok	Won	[59]
		Best OST	Eclipse – Sudden Shower	Nominated	[60]
Melon Music Awards	2024	Best OST	Eclipse – Sudden Shower	Won	[61]
			10cm – Spring Snow	Nominated	[62]
Seoul International Drama Awards	2024	Outstanding Asian Star: Korea Popularity Award (Male)	Byeon Woo-seok	Won	[63]
		Outstanding Asian Star: Korea Popularity Award (Female)	Kim Hye-yoon	Won	[64]

Honors

Name of country or organization, year given, name of honor/award, and nominee of the award

Country or organization	Year	Honor/Award	Nominee	Ref.
Newsis K-Expo Cultural Awards[d]	2024	National Assembly Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee Award	Kim Hye-yoon	[65]
Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards	2024	Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Commendation	Yoon Jong-ho	[66]

Listicles

Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement

Publisher	Year	Listicle	Placement	Ref.
Cine21	2024	Top 10 Series of 2024	10th place[e]	[67]
NME		The 10 best K-dramas of 2024 – so far	Included	[68]
		The 10 best Korean dramas of 2024	2nd place	[69]
South China Morning Post		The 15 best K-dramas of 2024	9th place	[70]
Teen Vogue		13 Best K-Dramas of 2024	Included	[71]
Time		The 10 Best K-Dramas of 2024	1st place	[72]

Notes

1. "May I Love You?" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but it peaked at number 80 on the Circle Download Chart.^[33]
2. "Super Ultra Man" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but it peaked at number 128 on the Circle Download Chart.^[33]
3. "Monologue" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but it peaked at number 58 on the Circle Download Chart.^[34]
4. "Please Don't Leave Anywhere" did not enter the Circle Digital Chart, but it peaked at number 52 on the Circle Download Chart.^[35]

1. The end themes used vary per episode but are all singles from Lovely Runner: Original Soundtrack.
2. The song is performed by Byeon Woo-seok as vocalist, Lee Seung-hyub as guitarist, Yang Hyuk as bassist, and Moon Yong-suk as drummer.
3. Original song by Kim Hyung-joong, released in 2003.
4. Established in 2019 and co-sponsored by Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Korea Creative Content Agency, Seoul Metropolitan Council and the Seoul Tourism Organization, it awards cultural icons, businesses, and individuals who have contributed greatly to Hallyu, the Korean wave.
5. Tied with The Atypical Family.