Dear Hongrang Netflix is ready to stir up hearts and doubts. As the May 16 premiere approaches, the platform has unveiled haunting new stills and plot details, revealing the tangled emotions and dangerous secrets at the heart of this Joseon-era thriller.

Lee Jae Wook stars as Hong Rang, the long-lost heir of the dynasty’s most powerful merchant guild, who returns after 12 years with no memory of who he was. His homecoming is met with celebration, but only his half-sister Jae Yi (Jo Bo Ah) seems to question the truth behind his identity. Despite years of searching for her brother, Jae Yi’s instincts tell her something isn’t right—and the closer they grow, the more conflicted she becomes.

In newly released images, Hong Rang appears dazed as his mother Min Yeon Ui (Uhm Ji Won) caresses his face with motherly warmth. But behind her soft expression lies political calculation. Meanwhile, Jae Yi watches every move with suspicion, even as a tender bond begins to form between them. A lingering touch, a silent glance—every moment crackles with unspoken tension.

The stakes rise as more characters are pulled into the spiral. Mu Jin (Jung Ga Ram) grows increasingly threatened by Hong Rang’s return. Min Yeon Ui and Shim Yeol Guk (Park Byung Eun) subtly clash over power and legacy, while Grand Prince Han Pyeong (Kim Jae Wook) obsesses over his art, quietly circling the family’s dark truths.

With a web of secrets, shifting loyalties, and forbidden emotions, Dear Hongrang promises a slow-burn spectacle of psychological suspense and romance. The series drops globally on Netflix this May 16.