# Dear. M (디어엠)
**Dear. M** (디어엠) is a South Korean campus romance television series about the search for the anonymous author of a confession post that turns the fictional Seoyeon University upside down. Written by Lee Seul (이슬) and directed by Park Jin Woo and Seo Joo Wan, and produced by MonsterUnion and Playlist, it is a spin-off of the web series *[Love Playlist](https://www.edgepedia.org/love-playlist)*.[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine) Completed in 2021, the 12-episode drama became known as much for its four-year broadcast limbo as for its content: it was postponed indefinitely before its planned February 2021 premiere and only aired domestically in 2025.[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Original title | 디어엠 (Dear. M)[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine) |
| Genre | Youth romance with a mystery premise; also listed as romantic comedy, melodrama, and human drama[3](https://host.cine21.com/db/tv/info/?tv_id=21667) |
| Episodes | 12[4](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M) |
| Writer / directors | Lee Seul; Park Jin Woo and Seo Joo Wan[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine) |
| Lead cast | Park Hye Soo (Ma Joo Ah), NCT's Jaehyun (Cha Min Ho), Roh Jeong Eui (Seo Ji Min), Bae Hyeon Seong (Park Ha Neul)[4](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M) |
| Scheduled premiere | February 2021 on KBS2, indefinitely postponed[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m) |
| International release | U-NEXT and Viki, June 29 to July 6, 2022[4](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M) |
| Domestic broadcast | KBS Joy, April 14 to May 20, 2025, Mondays and Tuesdays at 9:50 p.m. KST[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m) • [5](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01) |
## Spoilers
### Premise
The story begins when an anonymous post signed only as "M" appears on the online community of Seoyeon University (서연대학교), a fictional campus, and spreads across the school.[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine) Four students, Ma Joo Ah (Park Hye Soo), Cha Min Ho (Jaehyun), Seo Ji Min (Roh Jeong Eui), and Park Ha Neul (Bae Hyeon Seong), take up the search for the author's identity, and the pursuit intertwines with changing friendships and budding romances.[4](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M)
The central relationship is a long friendship under strain. Ma Joo Ah and Cha Min Ho have been friends for twelve years, and the drama builds its romance around the feelings each hesitates to admit.[5](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01) KBS described the show at announcement as a "no-filter youth romance drama" that unravels a pink-hued mystery while searching for "M", the protagonist behind the love letter that turned Seoyeon University upside down.[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine)
**Supporting cast.** The ensemble includes Lee Jin Hyuk as Gil Mok Jin, Woo Da Vi as Hwang Bo Young, Lee Jung Shik as Moon Joon, Hwang Bo Reum Byeol as Choi Ro Sa, Kwon Eun Bin of CLC as Min Yang Hee, and Jo Joon Young as Ban Yi Dam.[3](https://host.cine21.com/db/tv/info/?tv_id=21667) • [6](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/dear-m)
## Production and connection to Love Playlist
Dear. M was announced as a KBS 2TV drama expanding the universe of *Love Playlist*, the web drama series that ran on Naver TV from 2017 to 2019.[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine) • [4](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M) The production brought back fan-favorite characters from the web series, including the "Magnet Couple", which generated anticipation before release.[5](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01) KBS cast a lineup of rising actors at the time of announcement, pairing the singer Jaehyun of NCT in his drama role with the actress Park Hye Soo as the leads.[1](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine)
## Postponement and delayed release
The drama was originally set to premiere in February 2021 on KBS2. In late February 2021, KBS announced it was postponing the first broadcast, then scheduled for Friday, February 26, to review issues raised about one of the cast members and to improve the drama's completion; reports of the delay appeared on February 27, 2021.[7](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/52960/dear-m) The issue was school bullying allegations against lead actress Park Hye Soo, and the broadcast was postponed indefinitely.[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m)
For roughly four years the drama remained unaired domestically while KBS periodically revisited the possibility of release; in January 2024 the network responded cautiously to rescheduling reports, saying it was "under discussion as one of several options".[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m) In the meantime, the series was released internationally: after repeated renegotiations, it premiered on Japan's U-NEXT and the global platform Viki from June 29 to July 6, 2022.[4](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M) • [8](https://v.daum.net/v/f2aKei2X0G)
The domestic broadcast finally began in 2025. In March 2025, SPOTV News reported that KBS planned to air Dear. M on its cable channel KBS Joy every Monday and Tuesday at 9:50 p.m. KST starting April 14; KBS Joy said the broadcast was still under review at that point.[2](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m) The run went ahead, airing its 12 episodes from April 14 to May 20, 2025, and it was followed by a KBS2 terrestrial (free over-the-air TV broadcasting, unlike cable channels) slot in July 2025.[5](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01) • [8](https://v.daum.net/v/f2aKei2X0G) KBS WORLD, the broadcaster's international channel, scheduled its premiere for August 25, 2025.[9](https://kbsworld.kbs.co.kr/program/view.php?pg_seq=2433)
## Reception
The belated domestic airing drew little audience. The series concluded on May 20, 2025 with a final viewership rating of 0.1%, a result attributed in press coverage to the four-year delay, the limited reach of a cable channel slot rather than a main channel, and lingering public controversy around the lead actress.[5](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01) Coverage also noted praise the drama received for its portrayal of realistic concerns and emotional struggles of a generation exposed to social media, and singled out Kwon Eun Bin's performance as Min Yang Hee, the "Engineering Department goddess", whose unrequited love storyline drew a sensitive portrayal.[5](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01)
Among international viewers the series fared better. It holds a 7.1/10 rating on IMDb based on around 750 user ratings.[10](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13760386/ratings/) It remains available for streaming with English subtitles on Rakuten Viki.[6](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/dear-m)
## References
1. [KBS 2TV 새 드라마 <디어 엠(Dear. M)> 청춘 라인업 완성, 디지털 KBS](https://mylovekbs.kbs.co.kr/index.html?contents_id=70000000393751&sname=mylovekbs&source=mylovekbs&stype=magazine)
2. [KBS Briefly Comments On Potential Broadcast Of "Dear.M", Soompi (March 10, 2025)](https://www.soompi.com/article/1728961wpp/kbs-briefly-comments-on-potential-broadcast-of-dear-m)
3. [디어엠 (Dear.M), 씨네21 TV DB](https://host.cine21.com/db/tv/info/?tv_id=21667)
4. [Dear. M, DramaWiki](https://wiki.d-addicts.com/Dear._M)
5. ['Dear.M' concludes its belated terrestrial broadcasting with poor ratings at 0.1%, allkpop (May 22, 2025)](https://www.allkpop.com/article/2025/05/dearm-concludes-its-belated-terrestrial-broadcasting-with-poor-ratings-at-01)
6. [Dear. M streaming and ratings, JustWatch](https://www.justwatch.com/us/tv-show/dear-m)
7. [Dear M, TVmaze (news: premiere delayed following allegations against Park Hye Soo, February 27, 2021)](https://www.tvmaze.com/shows/52960/dear-m)
8. [드라마 '디어엠' 총정리, 인사픽뷰 (Daum)](https://v.daum.net/v/f2aKei2X0G)
9. [Dear.M program page, KBS WORLD](https://kbsworld.kbs.co.kr/program/view.php?pg_seq=2433)
10. [Dear. M (TV Series 2022) – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13760386/ratings/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Romance and melodrama series › Romance melodrama miniseries › Romantic comedy series › Youth and campus romance series*
*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license