There’s a delicious pinch of angst in KBS2’s “Last Summer” this week: new stills spotlight Lee Jae Wook’s Baek Do-ha pouting on the sidelines while sparks fly between Choi Sung Eun’s Song Ha-gyeong and Kim Gun Woo’s Seo Soo-hyuk. The show’s latest promo frames a classic small-town reunion turned love triangle—and Do-ha’s pride is taking the first hit.
Setting the stage: a first love thawing out
At its core, Last Summer is a reunion romance about childhood friends who unearth the long-buried truth of their first love. That nostalgia-tinged premise gives the drama its slow burn, with Do-ha (Lee Jae Wook)—a talented architect—and Ha-gyeong (Choi Sung Eun)—a civil servant craving an exit from her hometown—circling an old promise they never quite kept.
The spark that stings
Recent teasers and write-ups make the triangle unmistakable: as Seo Soo-hyuk (Kim Gun Woo) grows closer to Ha-gyeong, Do-ha’s façade cracks. In one highlight, he simmers with visible jealousy—an emotional register Lee Jae Wook plays with restrained comedy and ache—while Soo-hyuk and Ha-gyeong share an almost-kiss moment that resets everyone’s expectations. One gag even shows Do-ha furiously sawing with an electric saw, a visual punchline for bruised ego.
Why the jealousy hits harder here
Lee Jae Wook is pulling double duty in this series, portraying identical twins with contrasting temperaments. That duality—publicly composed, privately stormy—raises the emotional stakes of every glance. It also lets the drama play with perspective: we’re not just watching a guy get jealous; we’re asking which brother learned what about love, and when. Stills and previews have emphasized the twins’ distinct personalities and how that difference shapes Ha-gyeong’s memories.
Airing details and where to watch
Last Summer premiered November 1, 2025, airing Saturdays and Sundays at 21:20 KST on KBS2. Internationally, it’s streaming on Viki (region availability varies), with platform pages summarizing the show’s blend of romance, comedy, and coming-of-age regret. Some regions also list it on Netflix. Check your locale for access.
The craft: tone, texture, and timing
With its warm palette and small-town summer textures, Last Summer leans on quiet micro-beats—sideways looks, swallowed words, half-finished confessions. The triangle works because none of the three feels like a plot device: Soo-hyuk isn’t just an obstacle; he’s a convincingly present choice, and Ha-gyeong’s agency anchors every scene. The jealousy, then, isn’t melodramatic garnish—it’s the cost of time lost and truth deferred. Recent promos underline this with narration about “our 12th summer” and “our 19th summer,” threading memory through present tense longing.
What to watch next
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Escalation without villainy: Expect Do-ha’s jealousy to morph into action, not tantrum—a confession, a reveal, or a sacrifice.
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Twin logic: Watch for scenes that contrast the brothers’ responses to the same emotional trigger; the show has signaled it will mine that symmetry.
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Soo-hyuk’s sincerity test: The near-kiss suggests genuine chemistry; look for how the drama gives him independent narrative weight (work, family, ethics) beyond the triangle.
Bottom line
“Last Summer” isn’t reinventing the love-triangle wheel—but it is fine-tuning it with wistful timelines, a dual-role performance that adds interior friction, and a heroine whose choices drive the tempo. If the new stills are any indication, jealousy is about to make this summer a lot hotter—and a lot messier.
