Shin Hye Sun, Gong Myung's 'Brave Citizen' Tops Korean Box Office

The tvN weekend drama 'Secret Audit' is continuing its box office success with hot popularity both domestically and internationally. It ranked first weekly in major regions such as the Americas, Europe, Oceania, and the Middle East on the global OTT Rakuten Viki, and secured second place in India. It also entered the top 5 overall drama rankings on Japan's U-NEXT and ranked third in Mongolia. In Russia, it received a high rating of 8.4 out of 10.

Domestic viewership ratings are also encouraging. The fourth episode, aired on the 3rd, recorded a peak viewership rating of 9.5%, ranking first in its time slot among cable and general programming channels. Furthermore, it ranked third in the TV drama topicality index for the fourth week of April announced by Good Data Corporation's FUNdex, continuing its successful run for two consecutive weeks.

'Secret Audit' is an office romance that humorously depicts the relationship reversal between the 'stubborn' charismatic audit director, Joo In-ah (Shin Hye-sun), and the ace auditor, Noh Ki-joon (Gong Myung), who was demoted to the team in charge of moral offenses overnight. The drama is receiving praise for its unique subject matter of internal 'moral offense audits,' diverse character portrayals, witty dialogue by writer Yeo Eun-ho, stylish direction by director Lee Soo-hyun, the 'hate-love' chemistry between Shin Hye-sun and Gong Myung, and the synergy between Kim Jae-wook and Hong Hwa-yeon.

In particular, the struggles of Audit Team 3, the lowest-ranking team within the Haemu Group's audit department, which investigates all sorts of gossip, added laughter and empathy through the flawless performances of actors Oh Dae-hwan, Jang In-seop, Park Joo-hee, Lee Kwang-hee, and Shim Soo-bin. The active participation of special guest stars like Lee Jung-eun and Park Ha-sun also heightened the drama's immersion.

Shin Hye-sun is showcasing a new side of herself, different from her previous roles, and is serving as a strong pillar of support for the success of 'Secret Audit.' She plays the charismatic audit director Joo In-ah, exuding a cool and overwhelming charm that shifts from being an annoying superior to a captivating presence, earning her praise from viewers. In contrast to the heavy atmosphere of her previous works, Shin Hye-sun is approaching this project with a light heart, delivering a natural performance as if she were born for the role.