Apartment (아파트) is a 2026 JTBC caper comedy about a former gangster who runs for president of his apartment complex's resident council chasing a hidden slush fund, only to stumble into exposing a much larger corruption scheme along the way. Airing since July 11, 2026, the 12-episode series topped its own timeslot in non-terrestrial ratings from its very first broadcast and climbed to the top of Netflix Korea's series chart within its opening week, turning an unglamorous premise — apartment management fees — into one of the summer's most talked-about dramas.
Plot
The story follows Park Hae-gang, a former boss of the Oasis gang who's backed into a corner by a crackdown on illegal gambling operations and mounting threats against him. Needing capital to protect someone he considers a father figure, he sets his sights on the "sinking fund" — the long-term repair reserve quietly accumulated from residents' monthly management fees in a massive, 9,800-household apartment complex — and decides the fastest way to get his hands on it is to win the resident council presidency. What starts as a scheme quickly turns into an unlikely position as the complex's accidental hero, as his campaign runs him headfirst into an entrenched corruption network operating within the building's management. The series leans into caper-comedy mechanics: Hae-gang can't simply threaten or intimidate his way to votes the way he could in his old life, so the constraints of an election become the engine for much of the show's comedy.
Cast and Production
Ji Sung stars as Park Hae-gang, marking his first-ever JTBC drama role. He's joined by Ha Yoon-kyung as an aspiring lawyer working part-time at a law firm, Moon So-ri in her first JTBC drama role in eight years since Life, and Park Byung-eun rounding out the four leads. The series loosely adapts the novel Sammun-dong Bonjour Apartment by author Osuh, though the adaptation changes nearly everything but the central premise: the novel's aging, small-city apartment complex in Miryang becomes a brand-new mega-complex in Incheon's Songdo district, and its original protagonist — an ordinary, unfairly fired office worker — is reworked entirely into Ji Sung's former-gangster character. The screenplay is written by Kim Yoon-young and directed by Jo Yong-won. It airs Saturdays and Sundays at 10:40 PM KST on JTBC, with same-day streaming available live on Tving and exclusive on-demand streaming through Netflix.
Reception
Apartment posted JTBC's highest weekend-drama debut rating since Good Boy and reached the top of Netflix's South Korea Top 10 series chart shortly after premiering. Ratings climbed as high as roughly 6% through its early episodes before dipping to a low of 4.1% at one point, settling into a pattern of Saturday episodes in the 4% range and Sunday episodes closer to 5%. Much of the coverage around the show has credited its cast chemistry — particularly Ji Sung's balancing of his character's gangster background with quick-witted improvising — alongside the relatable, low-stakes-yet-universal hook of apartment management fee disputes, a subject nearly every Korean apartment-dwelling viewer has some personal familiarity with.
Apartment at a Glance
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Network | JTBC (Saturdays & Sundays, 10:40 PM KST) |
| Episodes | 12 |
| Genre | Caper comedy, crime |
| Premiere | July 11, 2026 |
| Lead Cast | Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Moon So-ri, Park Byung-eun |
| Streaming | Live simulcast on Tving; exclusive on-demand on Netflix |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Apartment about?
It follows a former gangster who runs for his apartment complex's resident council president to access a hidden reserve fund, and ends up exposing a corruption scheme in the process.
Who stars in Apartment?
The main cast includes Ji Sung, Ha Yoon-kyung, Moon So-ri, and Park Byung-eun.
Is Apartment based on a webtoon or novel?
Yes, it loosely adapts the novel Sammun-dong Bonjour Apartment by author Osuh, though the drama changes the setting, tone, and protagonist substantially from the source material.
Where can I watch Apartment?
It airs live on JTBC and Tving, with exclusive on-demand streaming available through Netflix.
How many episodes does Apartment have?
It's a 12-episode series, airing two episodes per week on Saturday and Sunday nights.
Broadcast schedules and streaming availability can change — check official JTBC or Netflix listings for the most current information.