“The First Man” is a 2025 Korean drama, 120 episodes, categorized as Revenge, Romance, Crime, and Daily Drama or Soap Opera, and streaming on KOCOWA+.
- Memorable Quote: “How will you pay for your sins?”
SUMMARY: An ambitious and driven young man’s pursuit of being “first” slowly collides with unresolved trauma, moral compromise, and unexpected human connection.
♦ My Mother Did Not Deserve This
“The First Man” is another soap-opera-type Korean daily drama that delves deep into themes of identity, betrayal, revenge, ambition, and love through the interwoven lives of its characters. Set in South Korea, the story begins with the tragic separation of twin sisters, Oh Jang-Mi and Ma Seo-Rin, at birth.
- One twin, Oh Jang-Mi, grows up in a modest, hardworking family with hopes of opening her own restaurant.
- The other, Ma Seo-Rin, is raised in luxury as the spoiled granddaughter of the powerful Dream Group conglomerate.
MEET the Evil Stepmom
Chae Hwa-Young, a glamorous yet ruthless woman, is the architect behind the twins’ separation. Just call “evil stepmom” and get her the T-shirt. Having longed for influence and position, she manipulates events to place Ma Seo-Rin into Chairman Ma’s family, ensuring her own access to wealth, power, and prestige. But beneath her elegant exterior lies a woman driven by ambition, willing to crush anyone who stands in her way.
- Chae Hwa-Young is the type of person that makes you go … Hhhmmm??? You have to wonder. All the effort she put into getting her hands on someone else’s money. Couldn’t she have worked just as hard and made her own money?
MEET the Brothers
Oh Jang-Mi’s life, in contrast, is shaped by sincerity and perseverance. She carries the legacy of her mother’s culinary passion and dreams of forging her own destiny based on integrity and hard work. Her warm personality attracts those around her, especially Kang Baek-Ho, a principled lawyer with a strong sense of justice. Kang Baek-Ho is kind-hearted and gentle, someone many admire but few know personally. One day, he meets Oh Jang-Mi. Their relationship blossoms slowly, grounded not in wealth or status but in mutual respect and understanding.
It’s understandable. Who wouldn’t love Oh Jang-Mi? She’s a beauty – inside and out, and affects people without even trying. People like Kang Baek-Ho’s older brother, Kang Joon-Ho. He is a Michelin-level chef, brilliant in his craft but emotionally closed off. His life takes an unexpected turn when he crosses paths with Oh Jang-Mi, forcing him to confront emotions he has long suppressed.
MEET the Evil Twin. (Or is She?)
By contrast, Ma Seo-Rin, thanks (or no thanks) to the evil stepmom, grows up with all the privileges one could want but lacks the emotional grounding and moral compass that Oh Jang-Mi has. Her life of excess creates a vulnerability masked by arrogance. The path of the twins ultimately converge, and when they meet … nature versus nurture plays out. Can two people of identical beginnings end up on vastly different moral trajectories.
Uuhh … it happens. They don’t have to be twins and they don’t even have to be separated. They could grow up in the same family. EX: Cain and Abel.
The Crux of the Matter
Yes, there’s romance, but the focus is on revenge and moral consequence. Oh Jang-Mi’s quest for justice toward Chae Hwa-Young, who stole her sister and disrupted her family, transforms her. She becomes more than a victim; she becomes a strategist, learning to navigate a world where every choice carries risks and weight. In other words, the evil stepmom will pay for her sins!
Main Characters:
- Oh Jang-Mi / Ma Seo-Rin (played by Ham Eun-Jung, “Queen’s House“, “Su-Ji and U-Ri”, “Insu, The Queen Mother”)
- Chae Hwa-Young (played by Oh Hyun-Kyung, “When The Phone Rings”, “Beautiful Gong Shim”, “You Are My Spring”)
- Kang Baek-Ho (played by Yoon Sun-Woo, “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo”)
- Kang Joon-Ho (played by Keon Il, “Possessed”)
- Jin Hong-Joo (played by Kim Min-Seol, “Cafe Minamdang”)
Viewership and Rating:
- IMDb: (no rating) out of 10 stars
- My Drama List: (no rating) out of 10 stars
My personal rating is 7.5 out of 10 stars.
[NOTE: DO NOT CONFUSE WITH THE 2018 American movie “First Man” (about Neil Armstrong).]
“The First Man” (aka “First Man”) is proof that South Koreans love their daily dramas or soap operas as much as the American audience. This Korean drama takes over the time slot previously occupied by “The Woman Who Swallowed the Sun“.
If You Enjoy Korean Soap Operas:
- Cinderella Game
- The Brave Yong Soo-jung
- The Elegant Empire
- Game of Witches
- Man in a Veil
- Snow White’s Revenge
- Su Ji and U Ri
- The Two Sisters
- Unpredictable Family
LINKS OF INTEREST:
Oh Hyun Kyung Transforms Into A Cunning And Ruthlessly Ambitious Woman In New Drama ‘First Man.’ | Soompi
Ham Eun-Jung, Yoon Seon-Woo Aim for 10% Ratings with Daily Drama The First Man. | CHOSUNBIZ
3 Reasons To Look Forward To Upcoming Romance Drama ‘First Man.’ | Soompi
Synopsis of the Korean Drama FIRST MAN, Premiering December 15, 2025. | En.KapanLagi.com
TRAILER/TEASER:
Fancy Drama. “First Man Official Teaser : Update.” YouTube, 30 Nov. 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6evSrB7LyCs.
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