While dramas with a focus on romance and comedy used to dominate the broadcasting schedules, there has been a shift towards genre-specific dramas emphasizing professional expertise, legal themes and office settings. However, recently, JTBC’s drama “King the Land” has reignited the popularity of romantic comedy.
Starring actors Lee Jun Ho and Im Yoona, “King the Land” tells the story of luxury hotel conglomerate The King Group’s heir Goo Won (Lee Jun Ho), who was thrown into an inheritance war, and Cheon Sa Rang (Im Yoona), a hotelier who always has a smile on her face till she meets Goo Won. The drama received high expectations from the casting announcement and quickly gained popularity, achieving a peak viewership rating of 12% (nationwide) in just six episodes. It also became the number one non-English Netflix show worldwide.
The appeal of “King the Land” lies not only in its familiar taste and clichés but also in the depiction of characters facing emotional labor in society. Characters like Oh Pyung Hwa, who is pressured to diet despite her already slim figure, and Kang Da Eul, the sales queen of a duty-free store and a superwoman to her family, contribute to the relatability of the drama. The chemistry between the characters as well as their well-developed backgrounds captured viewers’ attention.
Although “King the Land” focuses on the romance between Goo Won and Cheon Sa Rang, the drama also invests in developing the stories of supporting characters, further enhancing its popularity.
“King the Land” achieved the top spot in the global Netflix Top 10 TV ranking (non-English) and secured the number one position in seven countries, including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam. The drama also ranked first in Brazil, Honduras, Venezuela and second in countries like India, Peru, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Paraguay, the Dominican Republic.
In episode 8, Goo Won and Cheon Sa Rang confirmed each other’s feelings by sharing a romantic kiss, which led to the drama’s highest viewership rating of 13.4% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 12.3% nationwide (based on Nielsen Korea’s paid households).
Source: Naver
