Netflix’s Spooky in Love brings Park Eun-bin and Yang Se-jong together for a supernatural romantic comedy about ghosts, love, family secrets and a prosecutor who is terrified of the very spirits his new partner can see. But can this remake of Spellbound turn its promising premise into a genuinely entertaining K-drama?
Park Eun-bin has already proved that she can carry almost any kind of Korean drama, from the warmth of Extraordinary Attorney Woo to the musical coming-of-age story Castaway Diva. Now she is taking on something considerably more supernatural with Netflix’s Spooky in Love.
The 2026 K-drama pairs Eun-bin with Yang Se-jong in a horror rom-com built around an unusual relationship: one character can see ghosts, while the other would rather stay as far away from them as possible.
The series is adapted from the 2011 Korean romantic horror film Spellbound, which starred Son Ye-jin and Lee Min-ki. This time, Park Eun-bin steps into the role of Cheon Yeo-ri, a wealthy hotel executive whose ability to communicate with spirits has made ordinary relationships almost impossible.
Yang Se-jong plays prosecutor Ma Kang-wook, a determined lawman with strong ideals but one very inconvenient weakness — he is frightened of ghosts.
That contrast gives Spooky in Love its central comic hook. Unfortunately, the early episodes suggest that the drama still has some work to do before the supernatural mystery and romance fully come together.
What Is Spooky in Love About?
Spooky in Love follows Cheon Yeo-ri, a corporate heiress and hotel executive whose life is complicated by a supernatural ability she never asked for.
Yeo-ri can see ghosts.
That would already make everyday life difficult, but her ability comes with another unusual condition. Physical contact with her can allow another person to experience the same supernatural sensitivity, effectively exposing them to the world of spirits.
Instead of becoming a quirky superpower, Yeo-ri’s ability has gradually turned into a barrier between her and everyone around her. Her past relationships have been damaged by the strange consequences of getting too close to her.
Ma Kang-wook enters her life from the opposite direction.
He is a prosecutor who believes strongly in justice and spends his time pursuing cases, but supernatural encounters are not exactly part of his comfort zone. His fear of ghosts becomes particularly inconvenient when his path repeatedly crosses with Yeo-ri.
Their first major encounter happens while Kang-wook is investigating a missing-person case in a forest. Yeo-ri is already there after discovering a dead body, creating the kind of chaotic misunderstanding that could only happen in a Korean supernatural rom-com.
What initially looks like a strange collision between two strangers eventually develops into a partnership involving ghostly mysteries, investigations and an increasingly complicated personal connection.
Who Plays Cheon Yeo-ri in Spooky in Love?
Park Eun-bin plays Cheon Yeo-ri, the wealthy hotel executive at the centre of Spooky in Love.
Yeo-ri is not the typical cheerful K-drama heroine. Years of dealing with ghosts and the consequences of her supernatural ability have made her guarded and emotionally distant.
Her personal history explains much of that attitude.
Six years before the main story, Yeo-ri’s fiancé touched her and unknowingly became exposed to her supernatural condition. The experience ultimately terrified him so badly that he abandoned her on their wedding day.
That event becomes one of the defining emotional wounds of the character. Rather than continuing to search for a normal romantic relationship, Yeo-ri gradually accepts the idea that meaningful connections may simply not be possible for her.
By the time the present-day story begins, she has become a much colder and more controlled woman.
That gives Park Eun-bin a different kind of role from the more openly warm characters that helped make her internationally popular. The source notes that the actress brings considerable intensity to Yeo-ri, although the performance deliberately leans toward the harder-edged side of her recent roles.
Who Plays Ma Kang-wook in Spooky in Love?
Yang Se-jong plays Ma Kang-wook, a prosecutor whose professional determination makes him an ideal partner for Yeo-ri’s supernatural investigations — even if his fear of ghosts makes the arrangement considerably more complicated.
Kang-wook is essentially a justice-driven character. He wants to do the right thing, follows his principles and refuses to give up easily when a case appears unresolved.
The problem is that his investigations increasingly lead him into situations involving spirits.
That creates the show’s central comic contrast. Yeo-ri is accustomed to ghosts because she has spent years living alongside them, while Kang-wook would prefer never to encounter one.
Their relationship therefore develops through a mixture of investigation, irritation, reluctant teamwork and romance rather than the usual instant attraction found in many K-drama romances.
Why Can Cheon Yeo-ri See Ghosts?
Yeo-ri’s ability to see spirits is one of the defining supernatural elements of Spooky in Love.
She is able to communicate with recently deceased spirits and help them move on. The ability also connects directly to the drama’s mystery plots because the ghosts can become important sources of information.
This means the supernatural element isn’t simply being used as decoration.
Ghosts are connected to the cases Yeo-ri encounters, giving the drama an opportunity to combine K-drama romance, supernatural mystery and investigation.
However, the early episodes apparently rely more heavily on the concept than on consistently strong execution. The source review argues that the supernatural side of the drama initially struggles to distinguish itself from other lightly supernatural Korean dramas.
How Spooky in Love Connects to Spellbound
One of the biggest reasons Spooky in Love attracted attention before release is its connection to Spellbound, the 2011 Korean horror rom-com starring Son Ye-jin.
The original film became notable for mixing romance and horror rather than treating the two genres as completely separate. Son Ye-jin’s performance also allowed her to move away from the straightforward romantic roles associated with some of her earlier career.
That makes Park Eun-bin’s casting particularly interesting.
The two actresses are not playing identical versions of the character, but both productions use a female protagonist whose supernatural circumstances interfere with ordinary romantic relationships.
The challenge for the new drama is therefore obvious: it has to offer enough of its own personality rather than simply recreating what made the original film memorable.
The source review suggests that this is where Spooky in Love has yet to completely succeed, particularly when it comes to the show’s horror-comedy balance.
Is Spooky in Love Actually Scary?
Not exactly — at least based on the early episodes discussed in the source review.
Spooky in Love is primarily a horror romantic comedy, rather than a straight Korean horror drama.
The ghosts provide mystery and occasional tension, but the story is also built around misunderstandings, romance and the unlikely partnership between Yeo-ri and Kang-wook.
That makes it quite different from darker Korean supernatural dramas where horror is the main attraction.
If you’re looking for genuinely frightening Korean storytelling, Fandomora’s guide to 10 Best Korean Horror Dramas is a better place to start.
Spooky in Love, by comparison, is more interested in asking what happens when someone who sees ghosts falls for someone who is terrified of them.
The Romance Between Yeo-ri and Kang-wook
The romantic relationship is deliberately built around incompatibility.
Yeo-ri has spent years avoiding emotional attachment because she believes her supernatural ability makes normal relationships impossible.
Kang-wook, meanwhile, is a determined prosecutor who has no interest in becoming involved with ghosts.
Their connection becomes more meaningful when their professional lives begin overlapping.
Rather than simply falling for one another because the script says they should, the two characters have to learn how to work together.
Their investigations become the bridge between the supernatural and romantic sides of the story.
That structure could eventually become one of the drama’s strongest elements if the ghost mysteries become more compelling as the series progresses.
The Third Angle: Kang Min-hwan
No K-drama romantic comedy would feel complete without another romantic possibility, and Spooky in Love eventually introduces one.
Ong Seong-wu plays Kang Min-hwan, another hotel executive and someone from Yeo-ri’s high-society circle who begins competing for her attention.
His presence creates a more conventional romantic triangle around a story that is otherwise built on supernatural complications.
The character also adds another layer to Yeo-ri’s emotional journey. She has spent much of her life believing that genuine relationships are impossible, yet suddenly finds herself caught between different forms of romantic attention.
Whether the love triangle becomes a meaningful part of the story will depend on how the remaining episodes balance it with the ghost investigations.
Is Spooky in Love Worth Watching on Netflix?
If you enjoy supernatural K-dramas with romance and comedy, Spooky in Love has an appealing premise and a strong lead actress in Park Eun-bin.
The cast is probably the easiest reason to give the drama a chance.
Park Eun-bin brings intensity and experience to a character who has become emotionally hardened, while Yang Se-jong’s prosecutor provides the more straightforward moral centre of the story.
The bigger question is execution.
The early episodes have been criticised for not making enough of their supernatural concept, and Kang-wook’s character has also been described as somewhat conventional. The source review notes that Yang Se-jong’s comic timing does not always match the demands of the material.
Still, the series has a 12-episode run, leaving plenty of room for its ghost mysteries, romance and character relationships to develop.
For viewers who prefer a broader introduction to Korean television, Fandomora’s K-Drama Beginner Guide also explains how different Korean drama genres can move between romance, comedy, thriller, fantasy and supernatural storytelling.
Spooky in Love vs Other Supernatural K-Dramas
The easiest way to understand Spooky in Love is to think of it as a middle ground.
It isn’t trying to be pure horror.
It isn’t a conventional romantic comedy either.
Instead, the series uses ghosts as the mechanism that keeps bringing its leads together.
That puts it closer to the supernatural-romance side of K-drama rather than the darker end of Korean horror.
For viewers who enjoy emotionally driven supernatural stories, that distinction matters. Korean horror frequently uses ghosts, curses and spirits to explore grief, injustice and unresolved trauma rather than relying purely on jump scares.
Spooky in Love appears to be taking a lighter route, using those supernatural ideas to create awkward situations, mystery cases and romantic complications.
Spooky in Love Review: Final Verdict
Spooky in Love has one of those premises that sounds almost impossible not to enjoy on paper.
A woman who can see ghosts.
A prosecutor who is terrified of them.
A mysterious dead body.
A supernatural ability that ruins romantic relationships.
And eventually, a romance between two people who seem completely wrong for each other.
Park Eun-bin is a natural fit for the role of Yeo-ri, particularly because the character allows her to explore another emotionally restrained and intense side of her acting. Yang Se-jong provides the ideal contrast as the serious prosecutor who keeps finding himself dragged into a world he would rather avoid.
But the drama’s strongest selling point is also its biggest challenge.
The ghosts, romance and comedy all need to work together.
So far, the balance isn’t completely there.
The opening episodes have established the characters and the central supernatural premise, but the series still needs stronger mysteries and sharper humour to separate itself from the growing number of supernatural K-dramas.
The good news is that Spooky in Love has time.
With 12 episodes planned, Yeo-ri and Kang-wook’s ghost-hunting partnership could still develop into the show’s real strength.
Fandomora Verdict: 7/10 — A promising Park Eun-bin-led supernatural rom-com with an unusual premise, strong chemistry potential and plenty of room to improve as its ghost mysteries unfold.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Spooky in Love a Korean drama?
Yes. Spooky in Love is a Korean supernatural romantic comedy starring Park Eun-bin, Yang Se-jong and Ong Seong-wu.
2. What is Spooky in Love about?
The drama follows Cheon Yeo-ri, a wealthy hotel executive who can see ghosts, and Ma Kang-wook, a prosecutor who is terrified of supernatural beings. Their paths cross during an investigation and eventually lead them into a partnership involving ghostly cases and romance.
3. Is Spooky in Love based on a movie?
Yes. The K-drama is adapted from the 2011 Korean supernatural romantic comedy Spellbound, which starred Son Ye-jin.
4. Who plays the female lead in Spooky in Love?
Park Eun-bin plays Cheon Yeo-ri, the female protagonist who can communicate with ghosts.
5. Who is the male lead in Spooky in Love?
Yang Se-jong plays Ma Kang-wook, a prosecutor who becomes involved with Yeo-ri despite being frightened of ghosts.
6. How many episodes does Spooky in Love have?
The series is planned as a 12-episode K-drama.
7. Is Spooky in Love a horror drama or a romance?
It combines both. The series is best described as a supernatural horror rom-com, using ghosts and mystery alongside romance and comedy.
8. Where can you watch Spooky in Love?
The source identifies Spooky in Love as a Netflix K-drama and states that it is streaming on Netflix.
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