[Dec 30] “My Happy Ending” Debuts, “Welcome To Samdalri” Starts 2nd Half With Record-High Ratings

Sam-dal shared her first kiss with Yong-phil after 8 years.

The second half of JTBC’s “Welcome to Samdalri” has begun!

The romance drama reached its best ratings ever for a Saturday episode on December 30, when it usually had lower ratings than on Sundays. Nielsen Korea reported that “Welcome to Samdalri” increased to an average nationwide rating of 8.1% for its most recent episode.

tvN’s “Maestra: Strings of Truth” also started the second half of its run last night, achieving an average nationwide rating of 5.3% for its 7th episode. This drama is about a conductor who faces various challenges and mysteries while leading an orchestra.  Here, Cha Se-eum, a talented and ambitious conductor, gets falsely accused of drug use and murder. Kim Bong-ju is a member of the orchestra who plots against Se-eum and Yoo Jung-jae. He dies mysteriously and leaves Se-eum in a crisis.

At the same time, TV Chosun’s new drama “My Happy Ending” had a strong premiere, getting an average nationwide rating of 2.6% for its 1st episode. It's a human psychological thriller that depicts the shocking and twisted fate of a woman who falls into chaos after discovering the secrets of her loved ones. The protagonist Seo Jae-won (played by Jang Na-ra) is stalked, attacked, and betrayed by her husband, friend, colleague, and stepfather (her husband's real father?), who all have hidden agendas and double faces.

The director Jo Soo-won has created a suspenseful and immersive story with a sensational visual style and a fast-paced narrative that kept the viewers on the edge of their seats. We also should compliment the actors for their solid acting skills and their drastic transformations, especially Jang Na-ra, who portrayed the complex emotions of Seo Jae-won with a realistic and expressive performance.

KBS 2TV’s “Korea-Khitan War,” which was broadcast in the same time slot as both “My Happy Ending” and “Maestra: Strings of Truth,” increased to an average nationwide rating of 9.4% for the night.

Lastly, KBS 2TV’s “Live Your Own Life” continued to be the most popular program of any kind on Saturday, rising to an average nationwide rating of 17.6% even though it competed with more than one year-end award show.

(Sources: nielsenkorea.co.kr, naver.com, naver.com (1), naver.com (2))