Actress Cha Joo Young recently reacted to being compared to Song Hye Kyo, and her humble response is gaining attention.

On the March 16 episode of TV Chosun’s Heo Young Man's Food Travel, Cha Joo Young joined the show as a guest and traveled to Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do.

During the broadcast, Heo Young Man admitted, “I didn’t expect to meet someone from the only drama I’ve ever watched.”

He revealed that he had binge-watched the hit Netflix series The Glory, where Cha Joo Young played a chilling villain.

When asked if her life had changed since the drama, she shared, “Thanks to 'The Glory', my next projects have been a little different, and I now have a wider range of roles to choose from.”

Later, the two visited a restaurant famous for its ganjjajang (stir-fried black bean noodles) with a 41-year history.

While enjoying the meal, Heo Young Man suddenly said, “You must have acted alongside Song Hye Kyo a lot because you look so much like her.” He couldn’t hide his admiration for Cha Joo Young’s beauty.

Feeling flustered, she quickly denied the comparison, saying, “I have no idea how to reply to that. Hye Kyo unnie is so beautiful.”

Her humble and honest reaction is now making waves, with fans loving how down-to-earth she is despite the compliment!

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SBS's new fantasy historical drama The Haunted Palace is already making waves both in South Korea and around the world.

Starring Yook Sung Jae and Bona, the show exploded in popularity during its very first week — topping Netflix charts in multiple countries and hitting double-digit TV ratings straight out of the gate.

On Korean television, The Haunted Palace shocked viewers with a strong start. Episode 1 pulled in a peak nationwide rating of 10.7%, instantly breaking the double-digit barrier.

The Seoul area rating and the national average were both 9.2%, making it the highest-rated premiere of any SBS drama in 2025 so far.

It also beat out other SBS dramas like Love Scout and Buried Hearts, and even took the #1 spot among all mini-series aired that week, showing that this drama isn’t just trending — it’s leading the pack. (According to Nielsen Korea)

And the success didn’t stop on TV.

As soon as The Haunted Palace dropped on Netflix, it jumped straight to #1 on “Today’s Top 10 TV Shows in South Korea”, proving its massive popularity on streaming platforms.

Globally, it also ranked #1 in the TV series category in Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand, showing that international fans are just as hooked.
(According to FlixPatrol, April 21)

The drama is also doing incredibly well on South Korea’s own streaming trend charts. On KinoLights — a platform that tracks trends across all streaming services — The Haunted Palace ranked #1 overall, beating both films and dramas. (As of April 19)

Fans are loving the unique story, which mixes fantasy, comedy, and creepy mystery. The drama follows Yeori, a shaman who denies her fate, and Kang Cheol I, a mythical Imoogi spirit trapped inside her first love’s body. Together, they face off against a terrifying ghost called Palcheok Gui — who has a dark grudge against the royal family.

Episode 2 added even more excitement, with Kang Cheol I hilariously struggling to live like a normal human after 1,000 years.

At the same time, Yeori starts hearing the voice of Yoon Gap’s spirit and tries to save him. By the end of the episode, it’s revealed that Prince Wonja (played by Park Jae Joon) is going mad due to Palcheok Gui — and that the ghost has already consumed Yoon Gap’s soul. The showdown between Kang Cheol I, Yeori, and the evil spirit is just getting started.

With high ratings and top OTT rankings, The Haunted Palace is quickly becoming one of the biggest drama hits of the year.

Episode 3 of The Haunted Palace airs on Friday, April 25 at 9:50 PM KST on SBS.

Source: [1]