A Business Proposal

Spoiler level: Opening premise only. This guide introduces the original novel, webtoon, television adaptation, Korean title, and official editions without revealing later relationship developments or the ending.

Going on a blind date for a friend already sounds like a questionable plan.

Finding out that the man across the table is the CEO of your own company? That makes things considerably worse.

That’s the opening situation of A Business Proposal (사내 맞선), a Korean office romantic comedy that began as a web novel by Haehwa (해화).

The story later became a full-color webtoon and a live-action K-drama starring Kim Se-jeong and Ahn Hyo-seop.

The premise is delightfully inconvenient: Shin Ha-ri agrees to attend a marriage-oriented blind date in place of her friend, intending to make a terrible impression. Instead, she meets Kang Tae-moo, the company’s new CEO, who has an unexpected marriage proposal of his own.

It’s the kind of fictional misunderstanding that would be a workplace disaster in real life—and the foundation of an elaborate romantic comedy here.

This guide explains where the story came from, what makes its Korean setting relevant, and how to choose between the original novel, webtoon, and drama.

On this page

A Business Proposal at a Glance

Detail	Information
Korean title	사내 맞선
Original medium	Korean web novel
Original author	Haehwa (해화)
Webtoon adaptation	Story credits include Perilla and Guava Farm; artwork by NARAK
Official English novel	Tapas listing; access limits below
Official English webtoon	Tapas listing; access limits below
English collected comic	IZE Press / Yen Press, in paperback and digital volumes
Television adaptation	SBS romantic comedy, also available through Netflix
Drama leads	Kim Se-jeong and Ahn Hyo-seop
Drama release	2022
Drama length	12 episodes

One important distinction: A Business Proposal did not originate as a television screenplay or as a webtoon.

Haehwa’s prose novel came first.

The webtoon adapted that novel into an illustrated serial, and the television drama brought the property into live action.

Those are three different creative formats, even though they share the central premise.

What Is A Business Proposal About?

Shin Ha-ri is an ordinary employee with financial worries and a social life that isn’t going exactly as planned.

When her wealthy friend Jin Young-seo asks her to attend a blind date in her place, Ha-ri agrees.

The idea is to behave so outrageously that the prospective marriage partner will lose interest immediately.

Unfortunately, the man she meets is Kang Tae-moo, the CEO of the company where she works.

He is also dealing with family pressure to marry.

Instead of rejecting his unusual date, he sees an opportunity to solve his own problem.

That creates the central romantic-comedy conflict.

Ha-ri has a professional identity she wants to protect, a false identity she has difficulty maintaining, and a powerful boss who doesn’t understand the situation as she does.

The story plays with the distance between what characters intend and what their actions actually produce.

The novel, webtoon, and television drama develop that premise using different storytelling tools.

What Does the Korean Title 사내 맞선 Mean?

The original Korean title offers more context than a direct English translation can capture.

사내 (sanae) means “within a company” in this context.

맞선 (matseon) refers to a meeting arranged with marriage as a serious possibility.

Together, 사내 맞선 brings those two ideas into one expression: a marriage-oriented meeting unexpectedly entangled with the workplace.

The official English title, A Business Proposal, shifts the emphasis toward the corporate setting and the proposal.

Both titles make sense, but they draw attention to slightly different parts of the joke.

맞선 Is Not Quite the Same as an Ordinary Blind Date

In Korean, 맞선 often carries a more marriage-oriented intention than a casual first meeting.

Another familiar expression, 소개팅 (sogaeting), usually refers to a date or introduction arranged through someone else, often a friend.

The two concepts can overlap in everyday conversation, but they don’t always carry the same expectations.

The distinction matters in this story.

Ha-ri expects to ruin a meeting she isn’t supposed to attend. Tae-moo is under pressure to consider marriage seriously.

They arrive with completely different goals.

The comedy begins when those expectations collide.

This is a fictional use of Korean dating and marriage conventions. It should not be understood as evidence that all Korean relationships begin with arranged meetings or that every Korean family pressures its children to marry.

For more background on 맞선, the Academy of Korean Studies provides a historical explanation of marriage-oriented introductions.

The Korean Office Romance Setting

Another important part of the premise is the relationship between Ha-ri’s ordinary employee status and Tae-moo’s position as CEO.

The story uses a familiar romantic-fiction contrast: an employee with relatively little institutional power becomes involved with someone at the top of the company.

In a real workplace, that situation could create serious questions about professional boundaries and unequal power.

In a romantic comedy, those difficulties become part of the fictional tension.

Ha-ri’s concern about being recognized is therefore more than an ordinary case of romantic embarrassment.

Her work and livelihood could be affected.

The story exaggerates its circumstances for entertainment, but it gives the misunderstanding a specific setting.

That combination of office hierarchy, family expectations, and hidden identity makes the premise different from a romance in which two strangers have no professional connection.

The drama’s performances and the webtoon’s artwork can make these situations funny in different ways.

From Web Novel to Webtoon to K-Drama

The Original Korean Web Novel

Haehwa created the original story as serialized prose fiction.

The Korean novel is listed on KakaoPage. Tapas also lists a licensed English prose edition, with the access limits explained in the reading section below.

The novel tells its story through written narration and dialogue rather than illustrations or performances.

If you want the original storytelling form, the novel is the place to look. Choosing an English reading route now needs a little more care.

The Webtoon Adaptation

The novel was adapted into a vertically scrolling comic, with NARAK credited for the artwork and Perilla and Guava Farm among the story credits on Tapas.

The webtoon uses drawn expressions, panel timing, and colorful romantic-comedy imagery to communicate the characters’ reactions.

Tapas marks its English comic listing as completed, although that does not mean every episode is freely accessible.

IZE Press also publishes the illustrated adaptation in English paperback and digital volumes.

For my thoughts on the expressive artwork, Ha-ri and Tae-moo’s chemistry, and the slower stretches, read my A Business Proposal webtoon review.

The Television Drama

SBS released the live-action adaptation in 2022.

Kim Se-jeong plays Shin Ha-ri, while Ahn Hyo-seop plays Kang Tae-moo.

The 12-episode drama is also listed on Netflix.

Acting, editing, music, and visual comedy give the screen version a different rhythm from the prose novel and vertical comic.

The three adaptations are related, but readers should not expect the story to be organized into identical chapters, episodes, or scenes.

Where Should You Start?

A reading note from Min — checked October 25, 2026: Before choosing Tapas, read its closure notice and FAQ. Service ends on March 31, 2027; new Ink acquisition stopped on October 1, 2026. Previously unlocked content also becomes inaccessible after closure. The Tapas listings below identify licensed editions, rather than a straightforward new starting point.

Choose the Novel for the Original Prose Story

If you read Korean, Haehwa’s original novel on KakaoPage is the edition to check.

For English prose, Tapas still lists A Business Proposal (Novel) as completed. Whether you can read particular chapters depends on the platform’s access rules and your account; a visible listing is not a promise of full access.

I couldn’t verify a replacement licensed English prose edition through the official sources checked for this update. If the novel is the version you want, keep that limitation in mind before choosing where to start.

Wondering whether the story itself will suit you? My web novel review covers the humor, familiar romance, and what kept me reading.

Choose the Webtoon for an Illustrated Romantic Comedy

For a new English-language start, I’d look at the IZE Press comic edition through Yen Press. The publisher lists paperback and digital volumes. These are the illustrated adaptation, not Haehwa’s prose novel; check your preferred retailer’s regional availability.

The Tapas comic listing remains useful for identifying the English webtoon and its creators, with the same service limits noted above. Collected volumes organize the comic differently from a vertical-scroll episode list.

Choose the Drama for a Shorter Screen Experience

If you prefer live-action romantic comedies, the Netflix listing for Business Proposal is a practical starting point.

Streaming availability, subtitles, and subscription requirements depend on your region.

Want to Compare All Three?

Read A Business Proposal Novel vs. Webtoon vs. K-Drama: Where to Start for a closer look at how the formats differ and which one may suit your preferences.

Start Here: More A Business Proposal Guides

Choosing your next Korean drama? Compare Business Proposal with Marry My Husband by their opening setups, mood, and episode counts, without ending spoilers.

Novel vs. Webtoon vs. K-Drama

A spoiler-light guide to the three storytelling formats, their official English editions, their different strengths, and the best way to begin.

Compare the three versions of A Business Proposal.

Official Sources and Further Reading

• Tapas — Service Closure Notice — end-of-service date and Ink acquisition changes.
• Tapas — End of Service FAQ — remaining Ink, episode access, and access after closure.
• IZE Press / Yen Press — A Business Proposal, Volume 1 — English comic in paperback and digital formats.
• Tapas — A Business Proposal (Original Novel) — licensed English prose edition and original author credit.
• Tapas — A Business Proposal (Webtoon) — licensed English comic, adaptation credits, and completion status.
• KakaoPage — 사내 맞선 (Web Novel) — original Korean novel listing.
• KakaoPage — 사내 맞선 (Webtoon) — Korean comic edition.
• SBS — 사내맞선 — official television drama.
• Netflix — Business Proposal — official international streaming listing.
• Kakao Entertainment — A Business Proposal Print Edition Announcement — development from novel to webtoon and television adaptation.
• Academy of Korean Studies — 선 — historical context of marriage-oriented introductions.