21st Century's Most Powerful Woman: Hits 11.1% Rating

MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'The King's Affection in the 21st Century' is continuing its upward trend, recording a personal best viewership rating of 11.1%. This is a 2.1 percentage point increase from the 9.0% rating for the third episode aired on the 17th. The drama, which began with a 7.8% rating on its premiere on the 10th, has consistently maintained high viewership ratings with 9.5% for the second episode and 9.0% for the third. Attention is now focused on the future development of 'The King's Affection in the 21st Century' as it breaks the 10% barrier.

The fourth episode, aired the previous day, depicted a scene where Lee An, the Grand Prince, rescues Sung Hee-ju (played by IU) who was in danger due to brake failure in her car. The episode also showed Dowager Queen Yoon-rang (played by Gong Seung-yeon), who is wary of and threatens Sung Hee-ju and Lee An, along with the powerful Yoon Sung-won (played by Jo Jae-yoon) from the maternal relatives' faction. A preview at the end of the broadcast showed Sung Hee-ju worrying about Lee An, Lee An suggesting they postpone the wedding, and Min Jung-woo (played by Noh Sang-hyun) proposing marriage to Sung Hee-ju, sparking viewers' curiosity.

'The King's Affection in the 21st Century' is a 12-episode drama set in a constitutional monarchy in 21st century South Korea. It depicts a romance that breaks down social barriers, following the destinies of a woman who has everything but is a commoner and a prince who is sad because he can have nothing. It is available for streaming on Wavve and Disney+.

The fourth episode, aired on the 18th, recorded viewership ratings of 11.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 11.1% nationwide, setting a new personal best record. Notably, the 2054 viewership rating, a key indicator reflecting changes in media consumption environments, reached 5.3%, ranking first among all programs on Saturday. The highest minute-by-minute viewership rating soared to 13.8%, showing an unstoppable upward trend.

In the broadcast that day, Sung Hee-ju and Lee An continued their act as a couple to avoid paparazzi attention, and a crisis meeting was held in the royal palace when photos of their kiss were released. Lee An declared he would acknowledge their relationship, citing the possibility of marriage, and Prime Minister Min Jung-woo also supported this, making the two officially recognized royal couple. However, Dowager Queen Yoon-rang and the maternal relatives' faction sought ways to separate them, creating an atmosphere of unease.