Throughout the world of K-Dramas, various broadcasting stations bring numerous series to the home of fans all across the globe. One of these stations is the illustrious MBC. MBC is one of the most popular broadcasting channels, with its K-Dramas consistently placing in the best ratings list. The channel continues to deliver high-quality productions appealing to fans in South Korea and abroad. As such, MBC drama ratings rise to the very top, with many reaching record highs.

Here are the top MBC Dramas with the highest ratings since 2020!

 

1. "Knight Flower" - 18.4%

Starring Lee Hanee and Lee JongWon, the historical drama "Knight Flower" starred high in ratings and quickly reached high ratings. The drama gained even more popularity in its last weeks and reached the ratings of 18.4% with its final episode. In 2024, the drama broke the previous records held by "The Red Sleeve". The drama is available on Viki, Kocowa, Apple TV, and Prime Video.

 

2. "The Red Sleeve" - 17.4%

Among historical K-Dramas, "The Red Sleeve" was phenomenally made, filled with moments of romance and yearning that cannot be easily forgotten. Due to its massive success, it gained 17.4% ratings, making it the highest rated series among MBC K-Dramas from 2020 to 2023. Luckily for fans new and old, the K-Drama is available to watch on Rakuten Viki.

 

3. "Big Mouth" - 13.7%

"Big Mouth" made big waves during its initial run. The chemistry between Lee JongSuk and Girls' Generation's YoonA was magnificent, and combined with a compelling storyline, it became an immediate hit, reaching 13.7% ratings. The drama can be watched via streaming site Hulu.

 

4. "My Dearest (part 1 & 2)" - 12.9%

Starring NamKoong Min and Ahn EunJin, "My Dearest" gained massive success and tugged on the heartstrings of all its viewers with a total of 21 episodes. Reaching its highest rating of 12.9% with the final episodes, it puts the series as one of the most watched of MBC. "My Dearest" is currently available on Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.

 

5. "Wonderful World" - 11.4%

"Wonderful World" (2024) is a revenge and thriller drama starring Kim NamJoo and ASTRO's Cha EunWoo. The drama went viral on social media and the mysterious story caught attention. The drama peaked at 11.4% with its 9th, 11th, and 13th episodes. It started at 5.3%.

 

6. "Chief Detective 1958" - 10.8%

The retro crime drama "Chief Detective 1958" starring Lee JeHoon, Lee DongHwi, Choi WooSung, Yoon HyunSoo, and Seo EunSoo started with 10.1% and reached 10.8% with its 3rd episode. The drama started after "Wonderful World" and garnered a lot of attention to be able to start with such high ratings.

 

7. "The Veil" - 9.8%

Also starring NamKoong Min, "The Veil" kept audiences at the edge of their seats with its various twists and turns. Its captivating suspense allowed the drama to reach its highest ratings of 9.8%, landing it at number four among MBC dramas. "The Veil" is available to watch via Rakuten Viki or Kocowa.

 

8. "The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" - 9.6%

"The Story of Park's Marriage Contract" based on webtoon gained a lot of popularity. Bae InHyuk and Lee SeYoung's chemistry was amazing and the story was full of mystery so the drama gained a lot of viewers. The drama started at 5.6% and reached the highest rating of 9.6%.

 

9. "Tracer" - 9.0%

This MBC drama depicted the hard working performance of the National Tax Service. Featuring a cast with Yim SiWan, Go AhSung, Son HyunJoo, and much more, "Tracer" reached its highest rating at 9.0%, earning it the fifth spot among MBC dramas so far. "Tracer" is available on Rakuten Viki, Kocowa, and Wavve.

 

10. "The Golden Spoon" - 7.8%

"The Golden Spoon" is a webtoon-based drama that followed poor, yet studious Lee SeungCheon (BTOB's SungJae) and chaebol son Hwang TaeYong (Lee JongWon) as they switched lives during adolescence and adulthood. The drama explored the stark differences between the extremely rich and those living in poverty. While there were moments of crushing heartache, there were scenes of uplifting hope that lit up all the dark spaces in your heart. "The Golden Spoon" earned its highest ratings at 7.8% and is available on Disney+ and Hulu.

 

11. "Tomorrow" - 7.6%

While this webtoon-based drama had various moments of uplifting comedy, it also did an excellent job at exploring hard-hitting topics. This involved aspects of mental health, life after death and those left behind, as well as the will to live on. At its highest peak, "Tomorrow" earned 7.6% in ratings. This MBC K-Drama is available on streaming platform, Netflix.

 

12. "Doctor Lawyer" - 7.2%

Starring the iconic actor, So JiSub, "Doctor Lawyer" is a fusion of medical and law, providing the best of both worlds. As Han YiHan (So JiSub) searched for the truth, viewers could not help but remain by his side. With the help of its loyal viewers, the MBC drama reached its highest ratings of 7.2%, placing it at eighth on this list. "Doctor Lawyer" is currently available on Disney+ and Hulu.

 

13. "Kkondae Intern" - 7.1%

Adapted from the winning script from MBC's 2018 drama writing contest, "Kkondae Intern" follows the reversal of roles between Ka YeolChan (Park HaeJin) and Lee ManSik (Kim EungSoo). The office comedy provided viewers a reason to smile and laugh, week after week, and reached its highest ratings of 7.1%. "Kkondae Intern" is available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.

 

14. "Dinner Mate" - 6.1%

A story of strangers to lovers, Kim HaeKyung (Song SeungHeon) and Woo DoHee (Seo JiHye) unexpectedly meet on Jeju Island. Bonding over their respective heartaches and love of food, they remain in contact and gradually fall for one another. "Dinner Mate" earned its highest ratings at 6.1% and is available to watch via streaming sites iQIYI and Prime Video.

 

15. "Find Me In Your Memory" - 5.4%

"Find Me In Your Memory" is a moving story between Lee JungHoon (Kim DongWook) and Yeo HaJin (Mun KaYoung). While the drama had its fair share of romance, it also offered moments of healing that aided broken souls everywhere. The drama earned its highest ratings at 5.4%, landing at eleventh among MBC K-Dramas. It is available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.

 

16. "The Forbidden Marriage" - 4.9%

"The Forbidden Marriage" certainly had it all: a budding romance, a swoon-worthy second lead, a love triangle that broke your heart, and so much more. Audiences certainly agreed, sticking with the drama for every new episode, helping it reach its peak at 4.9% ratings. "The Forbidden Marriage" is available to watch on Prime Video, Rakuten Viki, and Kocowa.

 

17. "Kokdu: Season Of Deity" - 4.8%

"Kokdu: Season Of Deity" was filled with quirky characters, electrifying chemistry, and a romance that withstood the test of time. Switching between historical and modern, "Kokdu: Season Of Deity" had fans constantly coming back for more, earning 4.8% ratings. The MBC drama is made available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Wavve.

 

18. "When I Was Most Beautiful" - 4.7%

"When I Was Most Beautiful" is a heartbreaking love story featuring Oh YeJi (Im SooHyang) who is caught between brothers Seo Hwan (Ji Soo) and Seo Jin (Ha SeokJin). As they navigated feelings of love and jealousy, audiences remained glued to their seats, watching the story unfold. With the help of its dedicated viewers, the series earned 4.7% ratings, placing it at number fourteen among MBC K-Dramas. "When I Was Most Beautiful" is available to watch via Rakuten Viki and Kocowa.

 

19. "From Now On, Showtime!" - 4.6% & "The Game: Towards Zero" - 4.6%

Comedic with a touch of mystery, "From Now On, Showtime!" was able to captivate viewers with its lighthearted storyline and incredible lineup of actors. On the other hand, there was the more serious, thriller series "The Game: Towards Zero" which kept viewers shrouded in suspense. While two different genres, these series earned its highest ranking at 4.6%, tying at number fifteen among MBC K-Dramas.

Which of these MBC dramas is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!

 

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 2024 Overseas Hallyu Survey results are out, and it is no surprise that once again, for the 11th year in a row, Lee MinHo has been picked as the most favored Hallyu star in the world! Find out more.

In case you didn't know, the Overseas Hallyu Survey is conducted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to determine the consumption and impact of Hallyu worldwide. The sample size of the survey is 25,000 people from 26 countries familiar with K-Content.

According to the report published by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee MinHo was picked as the top Hallyu star by 6.4% of respondents. He also ranked 1st in all 5 regions that were surveyed, that is, Asia/Pacific, the Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Lee MinHo's popularity was recorded to be the highest in the Middle East, followed by Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Americas, and Europe.

Of course it is an incredible feat to maintain the top spot for 11 consecutive years but why exactly is the Lee MinHo craze so strong? Let's get into it!

 

Lee MinHo's Legacy

Before Hallyu ever became a mainstream cultural phenomenon, there was "Boys Over Flowers", paving the way. A large majority of international K-Drama fans started their Hallyu journey with "Boys Over Flowers", and it continues to be one of the very first K-Dramas the recent generations of fans watch or go back to for their daily dose of Lee MinHo.

As a result, over the last 5 years, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" has spiked at least once almost every single year, mostly corresponding to one of Lee MinHo's works that were either airing at the time or were talked about in the news.

For instance, when "The King: Eternal Monarch" was airing in 2020 (April 17 – June 12), searches for "Boys Over Flowers" skyrocketed around May 17 to 23. Older fans could have been rewatching the classic and new fans may have seeked it out because they just couldn't get enough of Lee MinHo.

Similarly, around the time when Lee MinHo's appearance in "Pachinko" was all the buzz, alongside the Thai remake of "Boys Over Flowers" called "F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers", the K-Drama "Boys Over Flowers" started trending on Google searches once more (December 26, 2021 - Jan 1, 2022).

Unsurprisingly, as news about "Ask The Stars" started to spread, with speculations about the airing date, and so on, global interest in "Boys Over Flowers" spiked yet again (April 16 - 22, 2023)!

In other words, whenever Lee MinHo is in the spotlight, "Boys Over Flowers" draws attention, too, proving its timeless status and Lee MinHo's enduring impact. It is nothing but a fallacy to deny or undermine the influence of "Boys Over Flowers" on Hallyu, which continues to prove itself even today.

Now, the "Hallyu Star" category in the Overseas Hallyu Survey was created in 2014, when Lee MinHo had already started making a place for himself in global fans' hearts. However, this time, his popularity received new impetus from the international success of the K-Drama "The Heirs"—another blockbuster hit with record-breaking highs at the time of its release. As Hallyu had already crash-landed on the world, "The Heirs" was the perfect launching pad for Lee MinHo to shoot to global fame on a larger scale than ever before.

By topping up the success of "Boys Over Flowers" with K-Dramas like "Personal Taste", "City Hunter", "Faith" and "The Heirs", Lee MinHo showed the world that he wasn't a one-hit-wonder. He was destined to be a world star and he was only getting started. This consistency also translated to a stronger fan base and higher global interest in this new superstar from Korea.

Exactly one year after the conclusion of "The Heirs", in December 2014, Lee MinHo reached the highest peak in his career at the time. It was also in 2014 that the "Hallyu Star" category was established, and once he grabbed the top spot, there was no looking back. According to Google Trends, in the last 7 days, global interest in Lee MinHo reached a similar peak as back in 2014. This happened on April 13 (it has reached the same peak many times in previous years, too). So, the numbers suggest that Lee MinHo is currently at his peak once again. It is no surprise, therefore, that Lee MinHo is ruling the top spot in the Overseas Hallyu Survey's "Hallyu Star" category.

Notably, between 2014 to 2024, Lee MinHo has released 2 K-Dramas ("The Legend of the Blue Sea", "The King: Eternal Monarch"), 2 films ("Gangnam Blues", "Bounty Hunters"), 1 documentary ("DMZ, The Wild"), two promotional web series ("Summer Love" & "7 First Kisses"), and the Hollywood series "Pachinko".

As is obvious, Lee MinHo chose quality over quantity, and clearly, the actor has an eye for impactful projects. He outdid himself with each work, and Lee MinHo's success kept scaling unbelievable heights. According to an interview with "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore", Lee MinHo constantly attempts to bring out the "true identity" of his character in his works, which not only comes through to the audience as impressive but also amplifies the immersion of his works, creating a "fad" every time Lee MinHo is on screen. He embodies his characters with such charm and conviction that it is impossible not to fall in love!

Moreover, the actor's versatility is beyond comparison, and he never allows himself to be put in a box. Just when you think you've understood and can predict Lee MinHo's spectrum, he throws us a curveball we'd least expect. For a lot of fans, "Pachinko" was this curveball that started a new chapter in Lee MinHo's career.

 

Lee MinHo In His 30s

Lee MinHo entered his 30s as the King of the world. Everyone knew him and loved him, even worshipped him as their role model, an inspiration. However, Lee MinHo took his 30s as a time to experiment, expand and evolve.

Much like his title of "the King", Lee MinHo's first K-Drama in his 30s was "The King: Eternal Monarch", where he played Emperor Lee Gon. Truly, a royal role for a royal man. With this K-Drama, Lee MinHo reunited with "The Heirs" scriptwriter, the esteemed Kim EunSook, hoping to replicate their previous collaborative success, and needless to say, the result spoke for itself. "The King: Eternal Monarch" was one of the most popular TV shows on Netflix at the time of its airing and topped the chart in several countries around the world.

If we consider the current K-Drama landscape, in the past 90 days, "The King: Eternal Monarch" has surpassed "The Heirs" in global interest, meaning that more people are searching for "The King: Eternal Monarch" now than "The Heirs". "The King: Eternal Monarch" exceeded "The Heirs" and introduced a whole new generation of fans to this heartthrob, but little did they know that the star had a lot more up his sleeve.

For the first time in 10 years, Lee MinHo auditioned for a role, and that role was none other than Koh HanSu in "Pachinko". Debatably, Lee MinHo as Koh HanSu in "Pachinko" is the best performance of his acting career so far and one of the best from contemporary Korean actors right now, which says all that you need to know about his outstanding talent.

Notably, something had shifted in Lee MinHo when he entered his mid-30s. The actor felt a natural inclination to portray the "real" and with "Pachinko", he proved that he was just as much an actor for the real as he was for the fairytale.

Once I hit my mid-thirties, it feels like I'm now striving for what's 'real'. Otherwise, I can't agree, and that's why things are getting tougher. Whether it's the criteria for choosing scripts, the resulting videos, or even what I'm doing within them. If it's not genuine now, it's difficult. So, amidst a lot of contemplation, I was offered an audition for "Pachinko", and when I read the script, I felt certain. If it's this project, I can genuinely give it a try. I want to try it once.
Lee MinHo to "Esquire Korea"

The same actor who brought us the most heart-fluttering Prince Charming characters could also give us a heart-wrenchingly realistic, nuanced, and tragic anti-hero failed by history and burdened by survival and that is why he is the people's most beloved Korean actor of the decade.

I dig deeper into Koh HanSu and particularly, Lee MinHo's portrayal of the character in my "Character Sketch" article that you can read here.

 

What's Next?

I want to leave as many roles as I can in my 30s. My goal for this year is to work as much as I can.
Lee MinHo to "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore"

It's no surprise that the actor is booked and busy! With a new outlook on acting and a more mature perspective on the art he wants to create on-screen, Lee MinHo is gearing up for a grand 2024 with three upcoming works.

Firstly, we have "Ask The Stars", also known as "When The Stars Gossip", a space rom-com about the love story of space tourist Gong Ryong (Lee MinHo) and astronaut Eve Kim (Kong HyoJin), set in a space station. Then, we're getting the highly anticipated live-action adaptation film of the immensely popular web novel/webtoon "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint", where Lee MinHo will be playing Yoo JungHyuk, one of the main protagonists of the story.

Both projects are reportedly unprecedented in scale and are definitely two of the most highly talked about upcoming Korean productions right now, with continually rising interest from global fans. As a matter of fact, searches for "Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint" in relation to Lee MinHo have gone up a whopping 350%! Talk about impact!

That's not all! Lee MinHo will be returning as Koh HanSu for "Pachinko - Season 2", much to the joy of fans worldwide.

We cannot wait to see what the world's favorite Hallyu star, Lee MinHo, has in store for us next!

 

A Fandom As Noble As The Artist

Finally, we come to one of the most crucial elements that contributed to Lee MinHo's overwhelming popularity across a decade - his relationship with his fans, MINOZ. It is not just the actor's talent, gorgeous visuals, towering physique, and impeccable style that has garnered him millions of fans from around the world. It is the person that he is, the human behind the artist, his kindness, humility, passion, resilience, and sincerity that have made us fall in love. However, what makes the Lee MinHo X MINOZ dynamic so special is how Lee MinHo draws inspiration and strength from his fans too. He loves them with all his heart and truly so. He cares for them and their stories as he shares his own, and they grow together. The man even made a whole singing career just for his fans!

Even now, whenever I make eye contact with my fans, I get good energy from them, am moved by them, and get a lump in my throat. Whenever I meet my fans for the first time, I hear the reasons why they became my fans, and listening to their stories is always amazing. For example, a fan from Japan told me how she became despondent after losing her husband. But she was comforted by watching my dramas and regained the will to live. So stories like these encourage me to become a better actor.
Lee MinHo to "Harper's BAZAAR Singapore"

To this day, the relationship between Lee MinHo and MINOZ has to be one of the most admirable artist-fan equations we've ever seen. This is a fandom that celebrates their actor's milestones by contributing to charity and donating to meaningful causes, echoing the values upheld by Lee MinHo himself.

Over the years, Lee MinHo has remained unshakably loyal to his commitment to philanthropy. From founding the award-winning donation platform "PROMIZ" in 2014 to give back to children, animals, and the environment, to executing numerous campaigns under the same, such as the "PROMIZ Gift Set Project", "Milk Mustache Project", "Safe Umbrella Project" and so on, Lee MinHo's dedication to creating a better tomorrow for all is unwavering.

In addition to contributing to PROMIZ and its various campaigns, there have been innumerable donation campaigns run independently by MINOZ worldwide, be that in honor of Lee MinHo's birthday, a new project, debut anniversaries, and so on and so forth.

Of course, the fandom showers the actor with their gifts and praises, too, but most importantly, they work together to make this world a better place for everyone to live in and love Lee MinHo. If that's not the most noble of intentions, we don't know what is!

As the fandom continues to grow, we hope more and more people will open up their hearts to heal and protect the world, bringing joy through sharing, much like their favorite star does.

Now, if we're talking numbers, we analyzed posts from across the internet and found that the hashtag for Lee MinHo's fandom - #MINOZ recorded a high of 3M in reach on March 21, 2024, which is a great measure of the buzz surrounding Lee MinHo's comeback.

Interestingly, when we conducted a sentiment analysis of the posts, the results returned a 100% positive sentiment, meaning netizens worldwide have nothing but a positive reaction to #MINOZ.

Now, that's what a wholesome fandom looks like!

Similarly, Lee MinHo's Instagram follower count keeps increasing, and the actor has gained 77,730 new followers in the last 30 days alone! With 35.1M followers on his Instagram (@actorleeminho) at the time of writing, Lee MinHo is the 2nd most followed Korean actor on Instagram. We're expecting this number to skyrocket again when the actor makes his much-awaited comeback.

Are you excited for Lee MinHo's comeback? Tell us on X!