Kim Dong-jun, Choi Soo-jong, and Park Eun-bin won.

‘Goryeo Khitan War’ is bringing laughter to KBS. Controversy over lead actor Kim Dong-jun's acting ability is on the rise, taking second place in the Friday-Saturday-Saturday drama competition. An authentic historical drama that has been around for a long time worked.

The ‘Khitan War of Goryeo’ gained momentum in the early stages. According to Nielsen Korea on the 26th, the viewership rating for episode 5 of 'Goryeo Khitan War', which aired the previous day, recorded 7.5%, recording its highest viewership rating for two consecutive weeks. Hyeonjong (played by Kim Dong-jun), who was unable to prevent the war with the Khitan, gave the Buwol to Gang Jo (played by Lee Won-jong) and began preparations for war in earnest. In particular, it continues to rise even though the running time is 50 minutes. Typically, the running time of a drama is 60 to 80 minutes.

After MBC's 'Lovers', which was a strong Friday, Saturday and Saturday drama, ended, competition became even fiercer. 1st place is JTBC's weekend drama 'Strong Woman Gangnam-soon', which recorded 9% nationwide. However, ‘Strong Woman Gangnam Soon’ also ends on the 26th. What followed was the ‘Khitan War of Goryeo’. We achieved a meaningful result of second place.

This is a welcome news for KBS, which has suffered from a series of crushing defeats in dramas this year. Although Jang Dong-yoon's 'Oasis', starring Jang Dong-yoon, recorded 9.7% and ranked first among Monday-Tuesday dramas in its time slot, its popularity was minimal. Weekend dramas that were responsible for the viewership jackpot also fell into sluggish viewership ratings. 'Hyoshim's Life, Our Lives', which is currently airing, is unable to break away from the 10% viewership rating. The previous work, ‘The Real Thing Has Appeared!’ also failed to exceed 25%, and the lead actor’s acting skills were even on the chopping block.

Accordingly, KBS' concerns about who to give the 'Daesang' at the upcoming Drama Awards deepened. The last card was the new epic drama 'Goryeo Khitan War', which premiered on the 11th. A special project for the public broadcaster's 50th anniversary, 'A sure win in historical dramas', was highly anticipated as it was actor Choi Soo-jong's first attempt at a historical drama in 10 years. The production team also expressed confidence, saying, "We created a 'large outdoor chroma set' on the drama set and filmed the entire 30-minute running time on the set. We can be proud that this is the first in the history of Korean dramas."

In the end, 'Goryeo Khitan War' succeeded in captivating viewers. The solid acting skills of veteran actors and the tight story added to the sense of immersion. At the beginning of the play, he was caught up in an unexpected controversy. Some viewers were betting on the acting skills of the main character, Kim Dong-jun. 'Goryeo Khitan War' is the story of Emperor Hyeonjong of Goryeo, who united Goryeo with tolerant leadership and led the war against the Khitans to victory, and Kang Gam-chan (Choi Soo-jong), his political mentor and commander-in-chief of the Goryeo army. Kim Dong-jun's role is Hyeonjong, who leads the play. It is an important role that can increase or decrease immersion in the play.

After episodes 1 and 2 were broadcast, there was a heated debate about Kim Dong-jun's acting skills. There were mixed reviews, with some saying that his acting skills were still lacking to play the main character, and others saying that he was okay as he was a growing character. Should I be glad that the controversy arose very early in the play? Kim Dong-jun gradually showed stable acting and drew favorable reviews.

It is too early to feel confident that we have the upper hand. The viewership rating of tvN's 'Uninhabited Island Diva' starring Park Eun-bin, which aired on the 25th, was 7.3%, a gap of only 0.2% with 'Goryeo Khitan War'. This is a difference in which the rankings can change at any time. It remains to be seen whether the success of 'Goryeo Khitan War' rebounding with 5.5% viewership in the first episode will continue.

Ten Asia Reporter Kim Seo-yoon seogugu@tenasia.co.kr