tvN is a cable channel of Korea and its dramas are popular in and out of Korea. The channel has quite a lot of hit dramas on its record. The channel keeps on having high ratings with interesting plots and Hallyu actors in its cast.

Here is a list of the tvN dramas with the highest ratings up until now (all years) (updated article).

 

1. "Queen of Tears" - 24.8%

The awaited K-Drama "Queen of Tears" (2024) with top Hallyu stars Kim SooHyun and Kim JiWon started with 5.9% and reached impressive ratings of 24.8% with its final episode.  Viewers were hooked and the drama went viral for its story and amazing acting.

 

2. "Crash Landing On You" - 21.7%

The drama "Crash Landing On You" (2019-2020) with Hyun Bin and Son YeJin makes tvN history by breaking the record of its highest ratings. With the final episode of the drama, the drama ratings reached 21.7%. The love story of the North Korean soldier and South Korean chaebol hooked the country.

 

3. "Goblin" - 20.5%

The drama "Goblin" also titled "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God" aired in 2016-2017 starring Gong Yoo, Kim GoEun, Lee DongWook and more. In and out of Korea, the drama was extremely popular. There was definitely a "Goblin craze". The final episode of the drama reached its highest personal ratings at 20.5%. "Goblin" held the record of tvN best ratings until "Crash Landing on You" broke it.

 

4. "Reply 1988" - 18.8%

The "Replies" series were popular and "Reply 1988" (2015-2016) was the most popular. The last episode reached 18.8%. Girl's Day's HyeRi, Park BoGum, Go KyungPyo, Ryu JunYeol and Lee DongHwi acted in the drama.

 

5. "Mr. Sunshine" - 18.1%

The historical drama "Mr. Sunshine" (2018) with Lee ByungHun and Kim TaeRi had a huge budget and it received a lot of love in and outside of Korea. The drama scored 18.1% of ratings on its last episode.

 

6. "Mr. Queen" - 17.4%

The comedy historical drama "Mr. Queen" (2020-2021) starring Shin HyeSun and Kim JungHyun was also popular. The drama started at 8.0% and kept on increasing its ratings up to 17.4% for the final episode.

 

7. "Crash Course In Romance" - 17%

The romance drama "Crash Course in Romance" (2023) starred Jeon DoYeon and Jung KyungHo. The drama started with 4.0% but gained a lot of popularity week after week with its love story, elite education, and scandals. The drama reached 17% with its last episode.

 

8. "Under The Queen's Umbrella" - 16.852%

The historical drama "Under The Queen's Umbrella" (2022) starred Kim HyeSoo, Kim HaeSook, Choi WonYoung, Moon SangMin, SF9's Chani, Yoo SeonHo, Kim MinGi, and more. It was a hit drama. Starting at 7.6%, the drama kept on gaining viewers and reached 16.852% with its last episode. The story of the queen, her sons, and all the political schemes passionated.

9. "Vincenzo" - 14.6%

The black comedy drama "Vincenzo" (2021) starring Song JoongKi, Jeon YeoBeen, 2PM's Ok TaecYeon, Kim YeoJin, and Kwak DongYeon was popular. The drama was also available on Netflix at the same time. The drama started at 7.7% and ended at 14.6%. Viewers have been stunned by the amazing acting and the catchy storyline of a mafia consigliere getting rid of the bad guys.

 

10. "Our Blues" - 14.6%

The life drama "Our Blues" (2022) starring Lee ByungHun, Shin MinA, Han JiMin, Kim WooBin, Cha SeoungWon, and Lee JungEun gathered a lot of interest with its touching story and its talented cast. The drama started at 7.3% and ended at 14.6%.

 

11. "100 Days My Prince" - 14.4%

The comedy historical drama "100 Days My Prince" (2018) starring EXO’s D.O. and Nam JiHyun was also one of the most popular dramas of tvN. The last episode of the drama reached 14.4%.

 

12. "Hospital Playlist" - 14.1%

The drama "Hospital Playlist" (2020) with Jo JungSuk, Yoo YeonSeok, Jung KyungHo, and Kim DaeMyung was popular. The drama kept increasing in ratings and reached 14.1% with its last episode. The story of these close friends working at the hospital had interested many.

 

13. "Signal" - 12.5%

The drama "Signal" (2016) with Lee JeHoon, Kim HyeSoo, and Choi JinWoong was also a hit. The drama reached 12.5% of ratings with its last episode. This drama is often mentioned as one of the best K-Dramas in the international K-Drama community.

 

14. “Hotel del Luna"- 12%

IU and Yeo JinGoo addicted viewers to the ghosty fantasy drama “Hotel del Luna”. The drama was so popular that many are hoping for a second season. The drama reached 12.0% on its last episode.

 

15. "Marry My Husband" - 12.0%

The 2024 drama "Marry My Husband" based on a web novel and webtoon was a hit. With Park MinYoung, Na InWoo, Lee YiKyung, Song HaYoon, and Highlight's Lee GiKwang, the revenge drama caught attention from the start with 5.2%. It continuously grabbed viewers' attention until reaching 12.0% with its last episode.

 

Did you know that there is a word in Korean to describe men who are so good-looking that they're compared to flowers? This Korean word is "kkotminam".

'Kkotminam' (꽃미남) literally translates to "flower-like handsome man". It is a combination of 꽃 (kkot), meaning flower, and 미남 (minam), meaning handsome man. It is definitely a compliment and praise of a man's beauty.

Some popular Korean actors who are called 'kkotminam' include Lee JoonGi (the OG), Park BoGum, Song Kang, Ji ChangWook, Lee MinHo, and Song JoongKi, among others. Some idols who are called 'kkotminam' include ASTRO's Cha EunWoo, Ong SeongWu, NCT's HaeChan, TREASURE's JunKyu, RIIZE's WonBin, and ZEROBASEONE's Zhang Hao, among others.

You can use 'kkotminam' in a sentence (informally) as follows:

그 아이돌은 꽃미남이야

Geu aidol-eun kkotminam-iya

That idol is a kkotminam!

Who do you think is a kkotminam idol or actor? Tell us on X!

Stay tuned to Your Korea Tutor - Kpopmap to learn Korean in fun ways!

The 60th Baeksang Arts Awards, known as one of the most prestigious award shows in the Korean entertainment industry, has announced this year's nominations and netizens are not too happy.

The Baeksang Arts Awards are highly anticipated every year, as they recognize excellence in Korean film, television, and theatre. Not just artists but fans also look forward to this night, hoping for acknowledgment for their favorite works and actors. While it is not possible for everyone's favorite artist to receive a nod or take home an award, this year, the nominations have been causing quite the controversy all over the world.

Korean netizens and global fans are unanimously discontent with the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards nominations, especially in the TV category. So, this article and analysis focus exclusively on the controversy surrounding the TV nominations.

 

60th Baeksang Arts Awards Nominations - Sentiment Analysis

We pulled and analyzed posts from all over the internet, such as on X, Instagram, and NATE PANN, to understand this controversy and highlight fans' opinions, concerns, and protestations. What we noticed was that fans from all over the world, regardless of whether they are Korean or international, shared similar opinions on the nominations this time, particularly in regards to actors who were snubbed.

Before we get into our findings, let's take a brief look at the nominations that are causing the most contention with the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards. 

Categories under "TV" that are taking the most heat are "Best Actor" and "Best Actress".

In the "Best Actor (TV)" category, the nominations are Kim SooHyun for "Queen Of Tears", NamKoong Min for "My Dearest", Ryu SeungRyong for "Moving", Yoo YeonSeok for "A Bloody Lucky Day", and Yim SiWan for "Boyhood".

In the "Best Actress (TV)" category, we have Ra MiRan for "The Good Bad Mother", Ahn EunJin for "My Dearest", Uhm JungHwa for "Doctor Cha", Lee HaNee for "Knight Flower", and Lim JiYeon for "Lies Hidden In My Garden".

Rather than directly expressing disapproval of the nominated actors, fans are more upset with the actors and actresses who deserved nominations but were not named. You can check out our sentiment analysis chart below for more clarity.

As depicted in the chart, an overwhelming majority of netizens, constituting 78.7%, voiced dissatisfaction with the nominations. Conversely, only a marginal 5.8% displayed enthusiasm, while 15.5% remained neutral, neither impressed nor disappointed.

 

Criticism Of Selection Criteria

Netizens who showed a negative response raised questions about and criticism of the selection process, including doubts on whether the process was fair after all. The criteria used for nominations were brought into discussion alongside factors like viewership ratings and OTT ranking.

For those who might not know, the Baeksang Arts Awards nominees were chosen from K-Dramas that aired between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024. A K-Drama will have to have aired at least one-third of its episodes by March 31 to qualify for a nomination. That is why the ongoing K-Drama "Queen Of Tears" was considered for the 60th Baeksang Arts Awards.

However, many fans were not too fond of the fact that a K-Drama that hasn't even finished airing was chosen for a category, whereas actors from several popular and beloved K-Dramas were not.

As many netizens disagreed with the standards of the Baeksang Arts Awards by which nominees are decided, they renounced the credibility of the same.

 

Actors Who Deserved Nominations, According To Global Fans

Six names stood out among the numerous posts we analyzed - Kim JiWon, Kim TaeRi, Ji ChangWook, Lee DongWook, Park BoYoung, and Shin HaeSun.

Among them, Kim JiWon is the actress fans are advocating for the most, even more so because Kim SooHyun has been nominated for the "Best Actor" category, but Kim JiWon did not get a "Best Actress" nomination. Fans are quite upset and disconcerted about the reasoning behind such a decision when Kim JiWon, who is playing the title role of one of the most successful K-Dramas right now, has not been nominated.

Comparisons between the ratings of "Queen Of Tears" versus those of "Lies Hidden In My Garden", intended to highlight Kim JiWon's snub, were also drawn, although the argument was quickly shut down when other comments emphasized that the Baeksang Arts Awards does not present awards based on ratings as last year, Kim JiWon's own drama "My Liberation Notes" was nominated for "Best Drama" despite its considerably lower ratings. Both Son SukKu and Kim JiWon were also nominated for "Best Actor" and "Best Actress" respectively.

Another upsetting snub this year, according to fans, was that of Kim TaeRi, who delivered a spellbinding performance in "Revenant". Netizens are mentioning that if Kim TaeRi had been nominated, she would undoubtedly have taken the award home. However, it's a pity that her performance was overlooked.

Similarly, Park BoYoung was brought up in discussion, with many pointing out that Park BoYoung has consistently been snubbed by the Baeksang Arts Awards despite her excellent performances, such as in "Daily Dose Of Sunshine".

Shin HaeSun was also mentioned by several fans, who asserted that the actress' performance in "Welcome To Samdal-ri" was deserving of a nomination.

In response, some netizens who are neutral about the nominees mentioned that while it is true that there are other deserving candidates, the actresses who have been nominated are also incredible, and none of them can be replaced.

In the "Best Actor" category, netizens expressed the most frustration over Ji ChangWook and Lee DongWook being snubbed. Ji ChangWook, who impressed with his brilliant acting skills and range in the Disney+ K-Drama "The Worst Of Evil" and Lee DongWook, who made viewers fall in love with him all over again in "A Shop For Killers", also on Disney+, definitely deserved nominations, according to netizens. International netizens were most vocal about this exclusion.

Once again, there were opinions that these actors were outstanding in their respective roles but the current nominees simply cannot be replaced.

What do you think about the Baeksang Arts Awards nominations this year? Tell us on X!

The 60th Baeksang Arts Awards will be held on May 7, 2024 (Tue) at 5:00 PM KST in COEX Hall D, Seoul.