Park Hyung Sik’s ‘Hwarang’ Ends At Top Of TV Popularity Chart; Beats ‘Rebel,’ Ji Sung’s ‘Defendant’
The KBS historical series that featured several talented South Korean celebrities and Kpop idols such as ZE:A's Park Hyung Sik recently ended its 20-episode run with an impressive achievement. "Hwarang" nabbed the first spot on a weekly TV popularity chart, beating "Rebel: A Thief Who Stole the People" and Ji Sung's highly-rated legal drama "Defendant."
"Hwarang" may have capped off its two-month broadcast with lack-luster TV ratings, but the KBS drama topped the Content Power Index during its finale week. Having scored 252.9 points, Park Hyung Sik's historical series landed at the top spot of the said TV popularity list for the week of Feb. 20 until Feb. 26, according to CJ E&M and Nielsen Korea, as cited by Yonhap News.
During the KBS series' broadcast run, "Hwarang" has had to face tough competition from other dramas such as Gong Yoo's fantasy series "Goblin" including Lee Min Ho's "Legend of the Blue Sea." After the said two series aired its final episodes, Park Hyung Sik's drama quickly rose to the top of the said TV popularity index.
Apart from the ZE:A singer, Go Ara and Park Seo Joon also starred in the KBS series. Other "Hwarang" cast members included Kpop idols such as Shinee's Min Ho and BTS band member V, as well as Do Ji Han, Sung Dong Il and more.
Meanwhile, the MBC historical series "Rebel: A Thief Who Stole the People" nabbed the second spot on the Content Power Index with 239.4 points. Ji Sung's legal suspense series "Defendant" came in at third place, followed by "Good Manager" with 237.5 points and 230.6 points, respectively.
In other news, Park Hyung Sik's new JTBC series "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" is fast becoming one of the highly-rated cable channel drama's in South Korea. The series' latest episode reached nationwide viewership shares of 8.3 percent, according to Nielsen Korea, as cited by Soompi, which is its highest TV rating since it premiered in late February.
"Hwarang" aired its final episode on Feb. 21 on KBS. New episodes of the romantic comedy "Strong Woman Do Bong Soon" are released every Friday and Saturday on JTBC.
