'Seocho-dong' Drama Soars in Popularity: A Global Hit on OTT Platforms

The drama 'Seocho-dong', featuring Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang Yoo-seok, Ryu Hye-young, and Lim Sung-jae, is on a rising trajectory.

tvN's weekend drama 'Seocho-dong' (written by Lee Seung-hyun, directed by Park Seung-woo, planned by CJ ENM Studios, produced by Chorokbaem Media) has shown a significant increase in popularity across various international OTT platforms, buzz metrics, and viewership ratings just one week after its release.

'Seocho-dong' captivates audiences with the delightful chemistry of its cast, including the universally loved actor Lee Jong-suk (as Ahn Joo-hyung), Moon Ga-young (as Kang Hee-ji), Kang Yoo-seok (as Jo Chang-won), Ryu Hye-young (as Bae Moon-jung), and Lim Sung-jae (as Ha Sang-gi). The drama's realistic cases, inspired by the experiences of writer Lee Seung-hyun, a practicing lawyer, and the vibrant direction by Park Seung-woo, breathe life into the everyday happenings of Seocho-dong's legal district.

Previously, tvN faced a slump with 'Ask the Stars', which ended with a 2.6% rating despite a 50 billion won production budget, followed by 'Potato Research Institute' and 'Divorce Insurance', both struggling with ratings in the 1% range.

However, the network bounced back with hits like 'Someday Wise Resident Life' and 'Unknown Seoul', and now 'Seocho-dong' has surpassed a 5% rating by its second episode, marking a third consecutive success. 'Seocho-dong' is showing a faster rise in ratings compared to its predecessors, raising expectations.

Thanks to its success, 'Seocho-dong' has entered the TOP 5 in viewership across 144 countries on the global OTT platform Rakuten Viki, including the US, Brazil, France, UAE, and India. It ranked first in the weekly rankings in the Middle East and India, and second in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania. On Japan's largest platform, U-NEXT, it ranked second in drama and sixth overall, marking the highest debut ranking for a 2025 release. In Taiwan, it achieved high performance on major OTT platforms, ranking first in Korean dramas and seventh overall on iQIYI.

On tvN Asia, the largest K-drama service channel in Southeast Asia, 'Seocho-dong' ranked first in its time slot in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines, achieving the highest performance among tvN dramas aired in 2025. It also ranked third in drama and fifth overall on Friday Video, and first in South Korea on Disney+.

According to Good Data Corporation's FUNdex, 'Seocho-dong' secured a top position in the TV drama buzz rankings for the second week of July 2025, with cast members Lee Jong-suk and Moon Ga-young also ranking in the buzzworthy actors list. The drama started with the highest first broadcast rating among tvN weekend dramas in 2025, and its fourth episode reached a peak rating of 6.8% in the Seoul metropolitan area, ranking first in its time slot across cable and general programming channels (based on Nielsen Korea's paid platform data, including cable, IPTV, and satellite).

tvN's weekend drama 'Seocho-dong' will air on the 19th at 9:20 PM. It is also available to global audiences under the title 'Law and the City' on various OTT platforms.

Reported by Kim Se-ah, TenAsia haesmik@tenasia.co.kr