Seoul: When the Phone Rings is headed into the second half of its run on a high. Starring Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin, the melodrama wrapped up its mid-season journey on Saturday, December 14, with an average nationwide rating of 6.9%. According to Nielsen Korea’s survey of episodic ratings, Episode 6 of the series currently occupying MBC’s Friday-Saturday 9:50 pm KST timeslot set its personal highest record yet. Paving the way for the second-half commencement of its 12-episode run, the fast-paced K-drama checking off several cult favourite tropes stood tall to multiple challenges over the past few weeks.
Overcoming the broadcast slump due to several delays attributed to President Yoon Suk Yeol’s abrupt martial law declaration and a sign language controversy, the series is soaring to new heights every week. Thanks to Netflix’s international streaming rights, the romance thriller’s steadily rising success is not merely limited to the national map.
As per the December 14 update of FlixPatrol’s daily Top 10 Streaming in the World roster, the MBC drama ranked fourth globally in Netflix’s TV Show category, further demonstrating a revival of the melodrama genre.
On the other hand, Love Your Enemy, starring Ju Ji Hoon and Jung Yu Mi, has taken over the Saturday-Sunday tvN slot. Following a similar 12-episode saga, the romantic comedy kicked off its run’s second half with a nationwide score of 5.13%. This marks its highest rating for a Saturday opening as Sunday scores tend to rise higher.
