IU Dominates, Shin Hye Sun Rises in Weekend Drama Race

The competitive landscape of weekend dramas is expected to shift. tvN's Saturday-Sunday drama 'Secret Audit', starring Shin Hye-sun, has joined the competition by recording high viewership ratings since its premiere, and ratings battles are anticipated to become even more intense.

Currently, the number one weekend drama in viewership ratings is MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Prince Consort of the 21st Century'. This drama, which garnered significant attention even before its broadcast due to the appearances of IU and Byun Woo-seok, started with 7.8% in its first episode and surpassed 10% within four episodes. In its recent sixth episode, it renewed its highest viewership rating at 11.2%, firmly holding its top position.

'Prince Consort of the 21st Century' is set in a constitutional monarchy South Korea in the 21st century and depicts the romance between a chaebol heiress who has everything but is frustrated by her commoner status and a prince son who has nothing and is therefore sad. IU plays Sung Hee-joo, the second daughter of Castle Group, and Byun Woo-seok plays Prince Ian. The drama's opulent visuals set against the backdrop of royalty and chaebol families, along with the romantic scenes between the two actors, are key points to watch. With richer viewing experiences expected in the remaining episodes, an increase in viewership ratings is anticipated.

The new variable in the drama lineup is tvN's Saturday-Sunday drama 'Secret Audit'. This drama, which premiered on the 25th, has shown unexpected strength by significantly increasing its viewership ratings from 4.4% in its first episode to 6.3% in its second. 'Secret Audit' tells the romance between the charismatic audit director Ju In-ah (Shin Hye-sun), who harbors a secret, and the ace auditor Noh Gijoon (Gong Myung), who was demoted to handle workplace misconduct. The differentiated subject matter of 'auditing workplace affairs' and the comedic performances of Shin Hye-sun and Gong Myung are elements that pique viewer interest. As its Saturday broadcast time overlaps with 'Prince Consort of the 21st Century', how 'Secret Audit' will affect the viewership ratings of 'Prince Consort of the 21st Century' will be the biggest point to watch this week.

SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Law Firm Shin', starring Yoo Yeon-seok, will conclude this week with its 15th and 16th episodes. While this drama achieved a peak viewership rating of 10%, it left a sense of disappointment as its ratings dropped to single digits after the broadcast of 'Prince Consort of the 21st Century'. However, it is expected to end on a high note by consistently maintaining ratings in the 6% range from episodes 9 to 13.