KBS's highly anticipated historical drama Sword & Silence, also known as Sword & Silence, has officially premiered, recording nationwide viewership ratings of 4.7% despite its massive production budget of approximately 30 billion won.
According to Nielsen Korea on November 15, the first episode of Sword & Silence, which aired on November 14, achieved an average nationwide rating of 4.7%. The broadcast also reached a peak rating of 6.4% during a scene involving Kim Chun Chu, played by Kim Kang Woo, seeking military support to protect his country.
The opening result has attracted attention because Sword & Silence is one of KBS's most expensive historical productions, with a reported budget of around 30 billion won across its planned 28 episodes.
The drama also marks KBS's return to large-scale historical storytelling following The Goryeo-Khitan War, which premiered in 2023.
However, Sword & Silence started below its predecessor's opening rating of 5.5%, falling short by 0.8 percentage points.
Despite the lower debut, the new series performed better than the previous drama in its programming slot, Not Another Romance, which ended with a nationwide rating of 2.4%.
The first episode introduced the political struggles and military conflicts involving the ancient Korean kingdoms of Silla and Goguryeo.
Lee Hyun Wook plays Kim Beop Min, who later becomes King Sword & Silence, while Kim Kang Woo portrays his father, Kim Chun Chu. Meanwhile, Jang Hyuk takes on the role of Yeon Gaesomun, a powerful Goguryeo military leader involved in a growing political conflict.
The premiere focused on the challenges facing both kingdoms, including internal power struggles and disagreements over how to respond to outside threats. Its opening episode established the characters and conflicts that will shape the historical drama.
Also starring Park Sung Woong, Cho Sung Ha, and Lee Ji Hoon, Sword & Silence tells the story of the political decisions and battles surrounding the unification of Korea's Three Kingdoms during the seventh century.
With its 30 billion won production budget and a 4.7% premiere rating, attention now turns to whether the historical series can attract a larger audience in the coming weeks.
Sword & Silence airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 p.m. KST on KBS 2TV.
KBS's highly anticipated historical drama Sword & Silence, also known as Sword & Silence, has officially premiered, recording nationwide viewership ratings of 4.7% despite its massive production budget of approximately 30 billion won.
According to Nielsen Korea on November 15, the first episode of Sword & Silence, which aired on November 14, achieved an average nationwide rating of 4.7%. The broadcast also reached a peak rating of 6.4% during a scene involving Kim Chun Chu, played by Kim Kang Woo, seeking military support to protect his country.
The opening result has attracted attention because Sword & Silence is one of KBS's most expensive historical productions, with a reported budget of around 30 billion won across its planned 28 episodes.
The drama also marks KBS's return to large-scale historical storytelling following The Goryeo-Khitan War, which premiered in 2023.
However, Sword & Silence started below its predecessor's opening rating of 5.5%, falling short by 0.8 percentage points.
Despite the lower debut, the new series performed better than the previous drama in its programming slot, Not Another Romance, which ended with a nationwide rating of 2.4%.
The first episode introduced the political struggles and military conflicts involving the ancient Korean kingdoms of Silla and Goguryeo.
Lee Hyun Wook plays Kim Beop Min, who later becomes King Sword & Silence, while Kim Kang Woo portrays his father, Kim Chun Chu. Meanwhile, Jang Hyuk takes on the role of Yeon Gaesomun, a powerful Goguryeo military leader involved in a growing political conflict.
The premiere focused on the challenges facing both kingdoms, including internal power struggles and disagreements over how to respond to outside threats. Its opening episode established the characters and conflicts that will shape the historical drama.
Also starring Park Sung Woong, Cho Sung Ha, and Lee Ji Hoon, Sword & Silence tells the story of the political decisions and battles surrounding the unification of Korea's Three Kingdoms during the seventh century.
With its 30 billion won production budget and a 4.7% premiere rating, attention now turns to whether the historical series can attract a larger audience in the coming weeks.
Sword & Silence airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 p.m. KST on KBS 2TV.
