As year-end tallies roll in from major networks and ratings agencies, tvN’s Queen of Tears has emerged as the undisputed champion of Korean television in 2024.
According to Good Data Corporation’s content engagement analysis tracking TV and OTT platforms from January 1st to December 8th, Queen of Tears topped this year’s buzz rankings. The metric combines data from news coverage, blog posts, YouTube engagement, and other social media interactions.
Starring Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won, Queen of Tears flipped the typical “Cinderella” romance trope by following the story of Hong Hae In, the queen of department stores, and her small-town husband weathering a marital crisis.
The series made Nielsen Korea history as tvN’s highest-rated drama ever, with its finale hitting 24.85% viewership, surpassing the previous record of 21.68% held by Crash Landing on You in 2020. This marks the highest rating across all Korean networks—terrestrial, cable, and general programming channels—for 2024.
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The drama’s most viral moment came during its finale when Kim Soo Hyun takes a bullet while saving Kim Ji Won, a scene that dominated social media conversations.
International recognition followed, with British pop culture magazine NME crowning it 2024’s best K-drama. “The reach of Queen of Tears was so far and wide that even stars like A$AP Rocky and Rihanna were spotted enjoying the show,” NME noted, highlighting its broad global appeal. On Netflix, the series achieved record-breaking numbers for a K-drama in 2024, accumulating 29.2 million views and 682.6 million viewing hours.
Following Queen of Tears in the rankings were Lovely Runner and Jeongnyeon: The Star is Born, with Love Next Door placing fourth. While Lovely Runner averaged modest 4% ratings, it catapulted Byeon Woo Seok to A-list status, with the breakout star quickly becoming advertisers’ new favorite.
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