A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025

Dive Into the Cut-throat World of HeadHunting in 'Love Scout'

An In-Depth Review of the Korean Drama 'Love Scout'

Explore the intricacies of ‘Love Scout,’ a captivating Korean drama about work place romance and the healing power of love. From its soothing storyline to its charming characters, discover why this drama is a must-watch.

Spoiler Alert

Important Notice

Please be advised that this review contains significant spoilers about the plot and characters of ‘Love Scout.’ If you have not yet watched the drama, we recommend viewing it first to avoid any spoilers.

Series Details

General Information

     Air Date:  January 3 – February 14, 2025

Episodes: 12

Where to Watch: Viki

Genre: Romantic Drama

Starring: Han Ji Min and Lee Jun Hyuk

Plot Overview

Love Scout: Finding Love and Healing

A driven CEO of a headhunting agency has guided her small company to success. But her workaholic personality has a price.  She is chaotically disorganized, suffers chronic insomnia, and is often difficult to get along with on a personal level.  Which is why every secretary she has ever hired has quit.  But when her office manager and only real friend hires an efficient, well-tempered single dad as her newest secretary, everyone hopes for the best.  And although the CEO bristles in the beginning, he is determined to win her over with his thoughtful skills of office and personal management.

Meeting the stars: Han Jim In

Lead Female Character: Han Ji Min as Kang Ji Yun

Kang Ji Yun was raised by a single dad until her father died, leaving her alone in the world.  Now she runs her own successful headhunting agency called Peoplz and funnels all of her energy into her job.  But her lack of attention to anything outside of her job duties make her chaotic and disorganized.

So when her office manager hires a new secretary, Yoo Eun Ho, she thinks she is doing Ji Yun a favor.  But Ji Yun has already had a run in with this particular secretary and he didn’t make a great first impression.  Unfortunately for her, Eun Ho doesn’t seem interested in going anywhere. And the longer he is around, the more she recognizes the quiet way he supports and cares for her.  And slowly she feels her heart begin to thaw.

Kang Ji Yun has been hurt not just by the loss of her father, but also by the death of her first work mentor.  These tragedies plague her sleep, leaving her with insomnia and nightmares.  But when she meets Eun Ho, she finds someone who is willing to listen to her past traumas and help her find ways to heal.  Han Ji Min has been at this a long time and her years of experience are obvious. She does play this rather stiff, unapproachable character well and I liked her for this role.

 

A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025
A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025
A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025

Meeting the stars: Lee Jun Hyuk

Lead Male Character: Lee Jun Hyuk as Yoo Eun Ho

Yoo Eun Ho is a single dad who is forced to quit his demanding job at in an HR department to spend more time with his daughter. But as the bills start appearing, he realizes he needs to find a way to support them. So when his best friend’s wife offers him a job as a secretary to the CEO of Peoplz, he decides to take it.  But after accepting, he finds out that Ji Yun’s demanding attitude and difficult personality have caused all former secretaries to quit. 

But as a father, Eun Ho has a few tricks up his sleeve when it comes to fussy tempers.  And slowly he sets out to prove his worth.  He is shocked when his feelings for his new boss start to feel romantic, and terrified when she confesses her own feelings.  Now he will have to decide if he can balance a job and a daughter with a new romance. 

Yoo Eun Ho was not always the perfect dad.  But after his wife walks out on he and their newborn daughter, he pulls himself together and embraces the job.  And that nurturing nature makes him a great secretary and an ideal team member.  No wonder Ji Yun finds him difficult to resist.  Lee Jun Hyuk has a gentle screen presence that makes him perfect for this kind of character.  I loved him in this role.  Don’t we all need a little Eun Ho in our lives?

 

A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025
A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025
A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025

Supporting characters

Kim Do Hoon as Woo Jeong Hun

Woo Jeong Hun is the Chief Technology Officer of Peoplz.  His father helped Ji Yun get the business started.  He is carefree and entitled, but he carries his own emotional scars.  He has always had a crush on Ji Yun, but she sees him more as a younger brother than a love interest.

A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025

Kim Yoon Hye as Jung Su Hyeon

Jung Su Hyeon is a single mom who lives in the same building as Eun Ho.  The pair have become parent partners, helping out whenever the other needs something.  She works from home as a struggling author of books for children.  She has always hoped she and Eun Ho would start dating, but Eun Ho has never been interested in her romantically.

A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025

Gi So Yoo as Yoo Byeol

Yoo Byeol is Eun Ho’s daughter.  She is sweet and well-behaved, although she was often lonely when her dad was working full-time.  Now when her dad is at work, she divides her time between playing with her best friend, Su Hyeon’s son, Seo Joon and hanging out at the book shop owned by Kang Seok.

A Comprehensive Look at Love Scout 2025

Highlights of 'Love Scout'

Three Things I Loved

1. Eun Ho and Byeol:

I loved the way this drama portrayed the relationship between Eun Ho and his daughter.  Rather than having him turn into a super-dad who never does anything wrong, we see him struggle, at first to learn how to care for a newborn on his own, and later as he deals with the guilt of leaving his daughter to feel lonely and alone.  But Eun Ho never buries himself in denial or self-pity.  Instead he recommits himself to doing the best he can.  

2. Ji Yun’s Healing:

I liked that they made sure to give Ji Yun some closure before the end of this drama.  Her years of anger make a certain kind of sense to a young girl who feels betrayed and abandoned by the father who promised to never leave her.  But I am glad that through Eun Ho, she was able to see things from an adult perspective and find some healing and forgiveness in her heart.

3. Mi Ae:

Mi Ae was a fun character.  First, you have to respect her as the only person who was willing to approach the prickly Ji Yun and offer her friendship.  I loved their interactions.  But I also loved her relationship with her husband, Kang Seok.  They didn’t have a lot of screen time together, but the few scenes they did have reflected a mature, honest relationship and the open communication about having a baby was well handled. 

Critiques of 'Love Scout'

Areas for Improvement

1. Villain Story:

Neither Hye Jin or Chairman Woo were very interesting characters in my opinion.  Their backstories were patchy and not very relatable.  The whole company take-over felt more like an afterthought than a major plot.  I was glad Hye Jin got arrested in the end, but I just wasn’t invested enough to feel any real satisfaction.  Likewise, it was nice that Chairman Woo got some redemption for Jeong Hun’s sake, but that’s about it. 

2. Su Hyeon’s Mom:

I really disliked Su Hyeon’s mom, Jeong Sun.  It was impossible for me to sympathize with someone who resented her own grandson for somehow running her daughter’s life.  Especially when Su Hyeon obviously loved being Seo Joon’s mother.  

3. Sister-in Law:

I don’t really understand why we had Jeong Hun’s sister-in-law at all.  She had the potential to be an interesting character with her own story.  But instead she just seemed like a prop to bring Jeong Hun and Su Hyeon together and then show up to save the day by talking some sense into the chairman at the very end.  

The Conclusion of 'Love Scout'

Drama Ending Explained

‘Love Scout’ ends our rivalry story and leaves our couples on the road to happiness.  First Hye Jin, with the help of Chairman Woo, takes Peoplz away from Ji Yun.  But her joy is short lived, when first she shows up to a complete deck of resignation letters from all Ji Yun’s employees.  And then the police show up to arrest her for investment fraud.  And with the bad news out of the way, we see Ji Yun taking some much needed R&R, to sleep in and go on lots of dates with Eun Ho and Byeol.

And when she is ready, Ji Yun starts a new chapter by opening a new business, working out of her apartment.  And she has a whole crew of unemployed workers knocking on her door!  She rehires everyone except Eun Ho, who becomes her first client, as she sends him off to a job more fitting of his skills and experience.  And they aren’t the only ones dating,  Jeong Hun and Su Hyeon finally make their relationship official as well.  And Jeong Hun is able to finally join his father’s company on his own terms as they take baby steps toward some kind of reconciliation.

One year later, we see Ji Yun’s new company has moved into an office with an open design that has her side by side with her employees.  Byeol is a happy elementary school student and although Ji Yun and Eun are still not married, Ji Yun has become an integral part of both Eun Ho and Byeol’s life. Official or not, they have become a family.  

‘Love Scout’ is a slow-burn office romance drama.  Ths drama does a nice job of flipping the gender stereotypes by showing the struggle between work and raising a child from the side of a single father, while the woman is the workaholic CEO.  The mature romance steers away from unnecessary relationship drama and shallow miscommunication to give us a realistic love story with just enough real life bumps to keep the plot going.  The drama has a warm, comforting quality that feels like a pleasant cup of tea.

Let me repeat, this is a slow-burn.  The pacing feels inconsistent, with some definite drag in parts.  The plot is a bit predictable and the villains are one-dimensional and not well developed.  For an office romance, the business scenes feel strangely watered down and irrelevant.  These things may frustrate certain audiences, but I really did enjoy this drama and it’s efforts to teach work/life balance and healing.  I give ‘Love Scout’ an 8 out of 10.

🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜🍜

Want More Reviews?

Did you enjoy this review of ‘Love Scout’? Dive deeper into the world of Korean dramas by exploring more of our content. Click below to return to the homepage and discover a treasure trove of reviews, ratings, and entertainment news.

Still thinking about this drama and want to know what others think? Check out what others are saying about 'Love Scout' on MyDramaList.

Recent Full Reviews with Spoilers

Stay updated with our latest reviews and dive into the captivating world of Korean dramas. Our recent full reviews section helps you explore in-depth analyses of your favorite series. From heartwarming romances to spine-chilling thrillers, we’ve got you covered.

A Comprehensive Look at Melo Movie 2025

A Comprehensive Look at Melo Movie 2025

Explore every aspect of...

A Comprehensive Look at Iron Family 2024

Explore every aspect of...
A Comprehensive Look at The Trauma Code 2025

A Comprehensive Look at The Trauma Code 2025

Explore every aspect of 'The...

See How Other Drama Stack Up

If this review has made you curious about where your other favorites stand, here is break down of the other reviews by rating.  Links to both spoiler-free and full reviews are available on each page. Feel free to explore all the wonderful dramas I have watched.