In-ha and Ha-myeong become reporters for different reasons: one aspires to follow in her mother's footsteps and the other seeks to do honest news.
Seasons
1 listed
Status
Ended
Seasons
1 season
Episodes
20 episodes
First aired
Nov 12, 2014
Last aired
Jan 15, 2015
Episode length
65m
Network
SBS
Latest episode:S1 E20 Peter Pan (Jan 15, 2015)
Season 1
20 episodes Nov 12, 2014
The idealistic Choe In-ha has her work cut out for her when she becomes a broadcast reporter, especially when she suffers from a condition known as “Pinocchio syndrome", which makes her break out into hiccups whenever she tells a lie. Her rookie colleagues include Gi Ha-myeong, whose shabby appearance masks his true eloquence and sharp memory; Seo Beom-jo, a wealthy heir who has had everything handed to him in life; and Yun Yu-rae, whose fangirl knowledge comes in handy in covering the news. The 20-something newbie reporters pursue justice as they try to discover themselves in the process.
A drama about reporters can easily turn into a sermon in sensible shoes. Pinocchio mostly avoids that trap by making journalism feel less like a profession than a condition — a way of living inside contradiction. People here lie for work, lie to survive, lie because they’re scared, and sometimes tell the truth for reasons that are almost embarrassing in their simplicity. latestnetflix.com's read is that i kept thinking, watching it, that the series understands something obvious and painful: the news isn’t just reported by human beings, it’s made by them.
Their hunger, vanity, guilt, family history. All of it gets folded into the broadcast.
Jo Soo-won directs with a kind of soft insistence. This isn’t a flashy series, and thank goodness for that. His style is built on clean framing, brisk scene turns, and an aversion to making every emotional moment announce itself with a siren.
That restraint matters because the show’s central idea could’ve curdled fast. A condition that makes the protagonists hiccup when they lie sounds, on paper, like a gimmick. But the director treats it less as a comic hook than as a pressure system: every conversation becomes a test, every half-truth has a physical cost.
I wouldn’t call the show subtle exactly — it likes its moral distinctions plain enough to read from across the room — but it’s alert to the small ways the body betrays what the mouth is trying to manage.
What the series gets right, more often than not, is the atmosphere of a media workplace that is both theatrical and banal. The editing keeps the pace snappy, but the scenes inside studios and newsrooms are lit with that chilly, fluorescent professionalism that makes everyone look a little overexposed, a little tired. That’s not a compliment or an insult.
It’s the point. Pinocchio is interested in the gap between the clean surfaces of broadcast journalism and the mess beneath them. The show’s title becomes less a fairy-tale reference than a little piece of moral machinery: if your body punishes you for lying, what does that do to a career built on selective truth?
The conversation around the series, as I found it, has always been tied to that premise — but also to its place in the wave of mid-2010s Korean television romances that smuggled social critique into glossy melodrama. It’s not a remake, not an adaptation in the strict sense, but it borrows the emotional architecture of a procedural and bends it toward a romance about inherited damage.
Buzz & Rumors
Public reports
"Pinocchio" (2014): The K-Drama That Broke Records and Reunited a Dream Team
The 2014 South Korean series Pinocchio didn’t just ride the K-drama wave—it helped redefine it. Starring Park Shin-hye and Lee Jong-suk, the show blended romance, journalism ethics, and a dash of fairy-tale whimsy, all while smashing records in international sales. Behind the scenes, it was a reunion of creative forces who had already proven their chemistry in another hit, I Can Hear Your Voice (2013). latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what made Pinocchio a standout—and the gossip that kept fans buzzing.
A Reunion of Hitmakers
Director Jo Soo-won and screenwriter Park Hye-ryun weren’t just collaborators; they were a proven formula. After the success of I Can Hear Your Voice, which also starred Lee Jong-suk, the duo reunited for Pinocchio, bringing along actor Yoon Sang-hyun for good measure . The decision to work together again wasn’t just a safe bet—it was a strategic one. I Can Hear Your Voice had been a ratings darling, and Pinocchio doubled down on its winning elements: sharp dialogue, emotional depth, and a mix of courtroom drama and personal stakes.
Lee Jong-suk’s role as Cha Gwan-woo, a young man with a traumatic past, was a direct callback to his character in I Can Hear Your Voice—though the two shows exist in separate universes . The meta nod wasn’t lost on fans, who loved seeing the actor reprise a similar dynamic with a fresh twist.
Park Shin-hye’s Career Gamble
YTYouTube·Actress Park Shin Hye Confirms Casting in New Dr…
Park Shin-hye was already a rising star when she took on the role of Choi In-ha, a rookie reporter with a condition that causes her to hiccup whenever she lies (the titular "Pinocchio syndrome"). But the role was a gamble. In-ha’s quirky, almost naive personality was a departure from the more polished characters Park had played in hits like The Heirs (2013). Yet, the risk paid off. Her chemistry with Lee Jong-suk became the heart of the series, and her portrayal of a journalist navigating ethics and personal demons resonated with audiences .
YTYouTube·Showbiz Korea Ep920C1 PARK SHIN HYE TO STAR IN D…
Behind the scenes, Park’s casting was confirmed in a 2014 YouTube clip, where she teased her excitement for the project . The drama’s success further cemented her status as one of Korea’s most bankable actresses, paving the way for future leading roles.
The Record-Breaking Chinese Deal
Pinocchio didn’t just win over local audiences—it became the most expensive Korean drama ever sold to China at the time. The online broadcasting rights were snapped up for a staggering $280,000 per episode, a record that underscored the growing global appetite for K-dramas . The show’s blend of romance, suspense, and social commentary made it a hit across borders, proving that Korean storytelling had mass appeal beyond domestic markets.
The financial success wasn’t just a win for the production team; it signaled a shift in how K-dramas were monetized internationally. Pinocchio’s deal set a new benchmark, and its popularity in China helped fuel the Hallyu wave that would later explode with shows like Crash Landing on You and Squid Game.
The Cast’s Off-Screen Chemistry
While the on-screen romance between Park Shin-hye and Lee Jong-suk drove the plot, off-screen, the cast’s camaraderie was just as electric. Lee Jong-suk and Yoon Kyun-sang (who played Ki Jae-myung) were known to share a close friendship, often posting playful behind-the-scenes photos on social media. Meanwhile, veteran actor Byun Hee-bong, who played Choi Gong-pil, brought a fatherly energy to the set, mentoring younger cast members .
The show’s 20-episode run (airing from November 2014 to January 2015) was tightly scheduled, with episodes airing twice a week on SBS . Despite the grueling production pace, the cast’s chemistry kept morale high, and their interactions became a favorite topic among fans.
Critical Reception and Legacy
Pinocchio earned a solid 7.4/10 rating on SensCritique, with viewers praising its emotional depth and strong performances . While it didn’t break domestic ratings records, its international success and critical acclaim ensured its place in K-drama history. The show’s exploration of media ethics—particularly the pressures faced by journalists—gave it a timeless relevance, and its fairy-tale twist on truth and lies added a unique flavor.
Today, Pinocchio is remembered as a turning point for its cast and crew. Jo Soo-won and Park Hye-ryun continued their collaboration on The Time We Were Not in Love (2015), while Lee Jong-suk and Park Shin-hye became one of K-drama’s most iconic on-screen pairs. For fans, the show remains a nostalgic favorite—a blend of romance, drama, and just the right amount of hiccups.
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