IU, Byeon Woo-seok's 'The King' Hits 7.8% Premiere

MBC's new drama 'The Grand Princess of the 21st Century,' starring singer and actress IU and Byun Woo-seok, has made a smooth debut with a nationwide viewership rating of 7.8%. The metropolitan area rating recorded 8.2%. The highest viewership rating was achieved during a scene where Sung Hee-joo, played by IU, requests an audience again with Prince Ian after her initial request was rejected, reaching a peak of 9.3% per minute in the metropolitan area.

The drama is set in a constitutional monarchy in the Republic of Korea in the 21st century. It tells the romance between Sung Hee-joo (IU), a chaebol heiress who has everything but is of commoner status, and Prince Ian (Byun Woo-seok), the king's son who is a sad man unable to possess anything. The first episode depicted the process of Sung Hee-joo, who dreams of rising in social status, proposing to Prince Ian. Sung Hee-joo is a character with outstanding abilities but faces the limitations of being a commoner and born out of wedlock, while Prince Ian lives a stifled life as the second son of the royal family.

While searching for a marriage partner on behalf of her father, Sung Hee-joo encounters Prince Ian at the King's birthday banquet. She plans to elevate her social status by marrying him and requests an audience. When Prince Ian rejects her, Sung Hee-joo's competitive spirit is ignited, and she uses the fact that Prince Ian once called her 'junior' as an excuse to request an audience again. Ultimately, Prince Ian agrees to meet Sung Hee-joo, stating that it's difficult to refuse a request for help from a junior at the royal academy. Sung Hee-joo immediately presents him with a marriage proposal, saying, "Marry me."

The first episode of 'The Grand Princess of the 21st Century' recorded a viewership rating of 7.8% nationwide, ranking first among all Friday programs. This is 3.4 percentage points higher than the highest viewership rating of its predecessor, 'Your Radiant Season' (4.4%), and marks the third-highest premiere viewership rating for an MBC Friday-Saturday drama in history. Furthermore, it demonstrated strong interest by ranking first on Good Data Corporation's TV-OTT drama buzzworthiness chart before its broadcast and also achieved a sell-out of its advertising slots.

The drama captivated viewers with its mise-en-scène and visual elements that blend tradition and modernity. IU received praise for her delicate portrayal of Sung Hee-joo's complex inner turmoil, facing the inherent deficiency of being 'born out of wedlock' despite her wealth and abilities. Sung Hee-joo's proactive stance, confidently proposing to Prince Ian without shrinking back in the face of prejudice and discrimination, added philosophical persuasiveness to the character.