Im Siwan and Seol In Ah's new tvN drama Love in Disguise has made a promising start, recording nationwide ratings of 5.6% with its first episode.
According to Nielsen Korea, the romantic mystery drama premiered on October 19 and achieved an average nationwide rating of 5.6% among paid television households.
The result is particularly notable because it surpassed the opening ratings of the drama that previously occupied the same broadcast slot.
Its predecessor, Even Lottery Winners Go to Work, debuted with a nationwide rating of 3.9% and ended its run with 6.2%.
This means Love in Disguise opened 1.7 percentage points higher than its predecessor's premiere, putting the new series within 0.6 percentage points of the previous drama's final episode rating.
The solid opening has drawn attention to whether the new series can build on its early performance in the coming weeks.
Love in Disguise stars Im Siwan as Yoon Lee Joon, a young businessman preparing to become the next leader of Taegang Group, and Seol In Ah as Kang Jae Hee, a determined detective who becomes involved in an investigation connected to him.
The drama brings together a murder mystery and an undercover investigation, with Seol In Ah's character disguising herself as a man to work as Im Siwan's personal assistant.
In the premiere episode, Yoon Lee Joon finds himself facing a serious accusation after an unexpected incident disrupts his career.
Meanwhile, Kang Jae Hee takes on an undercover assignment that requires her to get close to him while searching for the truth.
Her decision to pose as a male personal assistant introduces an unusual situation between the two characters, setting the stage for their developing relationship and the mystery surrounding the case.
The first episode quickly established the drama's central conflict while introducing the characters and their circumstances.
Rather than revealing major details about the investigation, the premiere focused on building tension around Lee Joon's situation and Jae Hee's efforts to uncover what happened.
The combination of mystery, undercover investigation, and interactions between the lead characters forms the foundation of the new series.
For Seol In Ah, the drama offers a different type of role as she portrays a detective who must maintain a false identity while carrying out her assignment.
Im Siwan, meanwhile, takes on the role of a wealthy corporate successor whose life becomes complicated by a criminal investigation.
With its 5.6% nationwide premiere rating, Love in Disguise has already recorded a stronger opening than its predecessor and established a positive starting point for its television run.
The second episode is scheduled to air on October 20 at 8:50 PM KST on tvN, with attention now turning to whether the drama can maintain or improve its ratings.
