SBS Dominates K-Drama Scene with Triple Hits in 2025

SBS's Friday-Saturday dramas are capturing both ratings and buzz, leading a successful era in the K-drama industry.

With hits like 'My Perfect Secretary,' 'Treasure Island,' and 'Return to the Palace,' SBS is sweeping the first quarter of 2025, setting a new standard in K-dramas. Continuous investment and planning have allowed SBS to dominate both viewership and public interest, proving the success of its Friday-Saturday drama lineup.

The first Friday-Saturday drama of 2025, 'My Perfect Secretary,' is a romance between Ji-yoon, a CEO of a headhunting company who excels at work, and Eun-ho, a secretary who is perfect at his job. Starring Han Ji-min and Lee Jun-hyuk, the drama has been praised as a perfect romance bible with a healing message for adults. It surpassed double-digit ratings by its third episode, achieving a peak rating of 11.3% and a momentary high of 14% in its final episode. It also topped the 2049 target demographic ratings at 4.4% and ranked first in drama brand reputation for January and February 2025, marking a successful start for SBS's Friday-Saturday dramas.

'Treasure Island' follows Seo Dong-joo, who hacks into a 2 trillion won political slush fund and fights against the ultimate evil that killed him, risking everything in a life-betting revenge saga. The drama, featuring Park Hyung-sik's successful acting transformation and Heo Joon-ho's impeccable villain role, was praised for its intense plot and action scenes. It concluded with a peak rating of 15.7%, making it the highest-rated miniseries of the year and solidifying its position as an unbeatable Friday-Saturday drama.

Adding to the success, 'Return to the Palace' has become the third consecutive hit following 'My Perfect Secretary' and 'Treasure Island.' The drama is a fantasy rom-com about Yeori, a shaman who rejects her fate, and Kang Cheol, a dragon spirit trapped in the body of Yeori's first love, Yoon Gap. It features an intriguing palace mystery and spine-chilling K-fantasy episodes, captivating audiences worldwide. It has maintained the top spot in its time slot for three consecutive weeks and is on the verge of breaking into double-digit ratings.

SBS's global influence is expanding through format sales and global OTT services. 'My Perfect Secretary' ranked first in viewership in 123 countries, including the U.S., Brazil, the U.K., France, the UAE, and India, by its second week of airing. 'Return to the Palace' achieved the top spot in the Asian genre on Japan's OTT platform Lemino and ranked first in the overall drama category on Taiwan's Hami Video, showcasing the global power of SBS's Friday-Saturday dramas.

SBS's Friday-Saturday dramas are solidifying their position as a 'drama kingdom' with high ratings and buzz. The upcoming lineup includes the traditional emotional melodrama 'Our Movie' starring Namgoong Min and Jeon Yeo-bin, Korea's first rugby-themed sports drama 'Try' starring Yoon Kye-sang, the crime thriller 'Mantis' with Go Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon, 'Wooju Marry Me' starring Choi Woo-shik and Jung So-min, and 'Kiss for No Reason!' featuring Jang Ki-yong and Ahn Eun-jin, as well as the return of 'Taxi Driver' Season 3 after two years, all expected to continue the trend of high ratings and buzz.

By Tae Yuna, Ten Asia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr