Dear Hongrang (season 1)

Dear Hongrang is a 2025 South Korean mystery romance period drama set during the Joseon era, premiering globally on Netflix on May 16, 2025. The series is based on the novel Tangeum: Swallowing Gold by Jang Da-hye and is written by Kim Jin-ah and directed by Kim Hong-sun. The story centers on Hong-rang, the young heir of a powerful merchant family, who mysteriously vanishes at the age of eight. His devoted half-sister, Jae-yi, never gives up hope and spends twelve years searching for him. Suddenly, a young man appears, claiming to be Hong-rang, but he has lost all memories of his childhood. While Jae-yi desperately wants to believe in his return, she is plagued by doubts and suspicions about his true identity. As Jae-yi investigates the mystery behind Hong-rang's disappearance and the secrets the returning man harbors, she is drawn into a web of family intrigue, power struggles, and forbidden longing. The series explores themes of identity, memory, and the psychological consequences of abandonment, set against a richly atmospheric historical backdrop.