'Queen of Tears' sets new record with highest Saturday viewership
Popular ongoing K-drama Queen of Tears has achieved a new milestone by setting its highest Saturday viewership record just before the series finale on Sunday (April 28). Despite experiencing a slight dip from the previous Sunday's ratings, episode 15 of this romantic comedy—starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won—maintained its top position over the weekend. According to Nielsen Korea, the show posted an unprecedented high for its Saturday episodes with an average nationwide rating of 21.056%.
Why does this story matter?
QoT revolves around the married couple Baek Hyun-woo (Soo-hyun) and Hong Hae-in (Ji-won), as they confront challenges in their relationship before rediscovering their love. Since its debut in March, the series has maintained its position as one of the top-performing shows across all time slots, bolstering its consistent success in weekly ratings. QoT comprises 16 episodes available for streaming on Netflix, with the eagerly awaited finale scheduled to air on Sunday.
'QoT' will get two special episodes? Here's what we know
The captivating show is written by Park Ji-eun, known for penning Crash Landing On You (2019). Viewers eagerly anticipate the resolution of Baek and Hong's tumultuous journey in the final two episodes. However, to abate any potential disappointment, tvN announced two special episodes to air on May 4 and 5. South Korean publication Star News reported that these specials were designed "to soothe the disappointment," fueling speculation about the show's ending.
Meanwhile, 'Missing Crown Prince' achieves highest viewership to date
Meanwhile, QoT's competition Missing Crown Prince—featuring EXO Suho—also set a new record with its Saturday episode. The MBN series achieved a nationwide (South Korean) rating of 2.792% for its fifth episode, marking its highest viewership to date. Meanwhile, MBC's vintage crime comedy Chief Detective 1958—which airs during the same Friday-Saturday slot—saw a decrease in viewership for its fourth episode broadcast on Saturday. The episode recorded a rating of 7.1%, falling from its peak Friday ratings of 10.8%.
Take a look at ratings of other weekend dramas
Other weekend dramas also revealed their ratings. SBS TV's The Escape of the Seven: Resurrection reported a nationwide average of 2.1% for its tenth episode on Sunday (local time). JTBC's Hide, another weekend drama nearing its conclusion, scored an average nationwide rating of 4.431%. Lastly, KBS2's Beauty and Mr Romantic maintained steady viewership with its eleventh episode airing on Saturday, achieving a nationwide average rating of 14.1%.
