SBS, which dominated tvN and Friday and Saturday dramas that swept the world...2024 Light and Shadow of K-drama

Dec 29, 2024

Jang Na-ra, Byun Woo-seok, Kim Tae-ri, Kim Soo-hyun. Photo =Sports Chosun DB

2024 is just around the corner. This year, Korean dramas have had a rollercoaster year. There were many works that were firmly established in the global market with ratings and buzz in both hands, and there were many works that disappeared without showing any presence. While various genres such as romance, mystery, fantasy, and courtroom were loved, terrestrial broadcasters, cables, and general programming competed fiercely to capture viewers' hearts with their own weapons.

SBS and MBC are the first broadcasters that caught the attention of viewers. The two broadcasters made a clear point through Friday-Saturday dramas instead of weekday programming.

First, SBS made a winning move with diversity in genres and solid stories. The masterpiece 'Good Partner' is a legal drama about realistic divorce cases, and it has drawn attention with a highest viewership of 17.7%, and works that combine action and comedy such as 'Connection' (14.2%) and 'Fiery 2' (12.8%) have also been steadily loved.

MBC recovered its name value in the first half of the year, recording the highest ratings of 18.4% for terrestrial dramas with `Flowers Blooming at Night.' Since then, the mystery 'Traitor' has been loved by enthusiasts for its original direction and story, and the currently airing 'The Phone You Called Now' also continues to rise in viewership, demonstrating its presence until the end of the year.

Photo=Sports Chosun DB

tvN has played an unrivaled role in the global market this year as well. 'Queen of Tears' was greatly loved not only at home but also abroad, with a record 24.8 percent rating. In addition to being listed on Netflix's Top 10 in 68 countries, including the U.S., Canada, and Japan, it also ranked No. 1 in 25 countries, raising the status of K-dramas.

Photo=Sports Chosun DB

There were also works that left a small but intense presence. 'Bounce With Sunjae' recorded a rather low 5.9% rating, but it attracted worldwide attention as it ranked No. 1 in '2024's Best K-Drama by Time magazine. In the second half of the year, 'Jungnyeoni', which is based on women's gukgeuk, ended with a 16.5% viewership.

KBS still had a hard time, barely maintaining face only in weekend dramas. Although "Beauty and the Pure Man" (21.4%) and "The Iron Family" (16.8%) did well, most of the daytime dramas remained in single-digit ratings. Despite the lack of new attempts, KBS maintained its reputation as a public broadcaster by steadily introducing experimental contents through a one-act play 'Drama Special 2024'.

Photo=Sports Chosun DB

On the other hand, the general programming channel showed new possibilities with various attempts and interesting materials. JTBC has been constantly attracting attention since the beginning of the year with 'Doctor Slump' and 'Quiet Sales', and its follow-up 'Occ wife' continues to increase in viewership.

TV Chosun and MBN are also works that combine mystery and historical drama, and have produced small but fruitful results. Channel A is also on the rise, receiving favorable reviews from the first week of airing.

As such, domestic dramas have achieved meaningful results in various fields such as ratings, buzz, and global success. However, it also left the task of dispersing the audience and intensifying competition.

In 2025, starting with tvN's 「Ask the Stars」, Song Joong-ki's return work to JTBC 'My Youth' and Kim Hye-ja's 'Beautiful' will be poured out.

With this year's challenges and achievements as a stepping stone, attention is being paid to whether domestic dramas will capture the hearts of domestic and foreign viewers and continue their status in the global content market.

mj.cho@sportschosun.com