Actor Jung Ryeo Won has been stealing the spotlight, maintaining her position as the most talked-about performer for three consecutive weeks with the drama “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon.”

On the 25th, the Good Data Corporation—a specialized organization analyzing K-content competitiveness—released its TV-OTT actor popularity rankings for the third week of June.

Jung Ryeo Won not only secured the top spot in the drama category but also emerged as the overall favorite among actors across both drama and non-drama genres.

In tvN’s weekend drama “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” (directed by Ahn Pan-seok, written by Park Kyung-hwa, produced by Studio Dragon and JS Pictures), Jung Ryeo Won portrays the charismatic star lecturer Seo Hye-jin.

Her realistic acting, fashionable appeal, and endearing charm have consistently won over viewers. Jung Ryeo Won flawlessly embodies the character’s gentle yet resilient competitive spirit, captivating both Lee Jun-ho (played by Lee Jun Ho) and the audience.

In episodes 13 and 14 of “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon,” which aired last weekend, Jung Ryeo Won’s character faced a crisis as her relationship with Lee Jun Ho hit a breaking point, causing turmoil within the educational community. Sensing that their relationship could become public knowledge among parents and students, Jung Ryeo Won tearfully confessed her love to Lee Jun Ho. In this emotional scene, she once again proved why she’s an icon of first love, with her poignant expression, deep gaze, and sincere delivery of lines.

Despite facing malicious rumors and hurtful comments from colleagues and parents within the drama, Jung Ryeo Won continued to shine during last week’s broadcast. As a result, “The Midnight Romance in Hagwon” episode 14 achieved its highest ratings on Nielsen Korea’s paid platforms.

The drama recorded an average viewership of 6.3% in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a peak of 7.1%. Nationally, it averaged 5.2% with a peak of 5.8%, securing the top spot among cable and general programming channels during the same time slot.

Source [1]

The hit drama Weak Hero 2 is taking over both streaming charts and fans’ hearts—and now it’s bringing massive attention back to the original Naver webtoon Weak Hero.

According to Netflix's Tudum Top 10 update on April 30, Weak Hero 2 pulled in a huge 6.1 million views (based on total watch time divided by full runtime) just three days after its release. It grabbed the #1 spot on the Global TOP 10 Non-English TV Series chart.

That’s not all—right after it dropped, the drama soared to the top of Korea’s TOP 10 Series and even made the TOP 10 charts in 63 countries, including Brazil, France, Mexico, Belgium, Morocco, Greece, Indonesia, and more.

This follows the success of Weak Hero 1, which previously ranked #8 and stayed on the global chart for five weeks straight.

With all eyes on the new season, fans are now rushing to read the original webtoon, leading to a massive jump in popularity.

The webtoon, which first started in May 2018 and wrapped up in November 2023, is famous for its intense storytelling and emotional depth.

It tells the story of Yeon Si Eun, a quiet and seemingly weak student who turns into a top fighter at a violent school—giving fans a unique and gripping coming-of-age story.

After Weak Hero Class 2 aired, many viewers started reading or re-reading the webtoon from beginning to end. As a result, sales of the webtoon have shot up more than 20 times compared to its average monthly sales after completion.

The series has also been turned into printed books, a mobile game, and even emojis, and has been exported to 9 countries, including North America.

When the first season of the drama premiered on Wavve in 2022, it held 45% of the platform’s total viewing share, proving its wide appeal.

Fans are now hoping for a new sequel season of the webtoon, and the franchise is being praised as a perfect example of how a strong original story can keep growing through great adaptations.

Source: [1]