Official channel: Disney Plus Korea 디즈니 플러스 코리아 · YouTube
What it is
Between Steps (Korean title Yeonae Baksa, roughly 'a PhD in love') is an ENA Monday–Tuesday drama that premiered on October 5, 2026. Park Min-jae (Choo Young-woo) was a high-school swimmer until he lost a leg to illness, and found a new dream in robotics as a PhD student. Im Yoo-jin (Kim So-hyun), about to graduate in clothing and textiles, changes paths, becomes a master's student and discovers robotics through him.
It's the last new drama by the late director Ahn Pan-seok (Something in the Rain, Graduation), written by Min Hyo-jung.
Why it's trending
People are talking about it far more than its ratings suggest. It was No. 2 in FUNdex's TV-OTT drama buzz ranking for October 5–11, with Choo Young-woo No. 2 and Kim So-hyun No. 4 among the most-discussed actors. On TV (Nielsen Korea) it started at 1.9% and has stayed in the 2% range, with 2.25% for episode 4.
Where to watch
In Korea it airs on ENA every Monday and Tuesday at 10 p.m. KST and also streams on KT Genie TV and Disney+. We couldn't confirm which countries outside Korea can stream it, so check Disney+ in your region.
Good to know: much of the story happens inside a university research lab, so grad-school life, from lab-mates to office gossip, plays out around the romance.