Ha Jung-woo's Drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea' Struggles with Low Ratings
The drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea,' starring actor Ha Jung-woo, is facing disappointing ratings. Criticisms of lacking persuasiveness and coherence have led to a lukewarm response from viewers. This is particularly disheartening as it marks Ha Jung-woo's return to television after 19 years.
Ha Jung-woo's Drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea' Struggles with Low Ratings
tvN's weekend drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea' (hereafter 'Building Owner') is a suspense story about a struggling building owner who gets involved in a fake kidnapping to protect his family and property. Ha Jung-woo plays the role of Ki Soo-jong, a building owner who has taken out loans to the limit to purchase his property.
As of the 2nd, the top-rated weekend drama is KBS2's 'Prescription for Love,' with ratings between 12-15%. SBS's 'God and Law Office' follows with around 10%, and JTBC's 'Efficient Meetings of Singles' is at 4%.
Ha Jung-woo's Drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea' Struggles with Low Ratings
In contrast, 'Building Owner,' which has aired up to its 6th episode, remains at a 2-3% rating, showing no signs of improvement. The 5th episode, aired on the 28th of last month, recorded a series-low of 2.6%, with a slight increase to 3.5% in the 6th episode. The disappointment is compounded by the fact that this is Ha Jung-woo's first TV drama since the 2007 MBC drama 'Hit.' Despite high expectations, the drama has not met them.
Ha Jung-woo's Drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea' Struggles with Low Ratings
The lack of persuasiveness and coherence is cited as a reason for the poor performance. In the drama, Ki Soo-jong stages a fake kidnapping of his best friend's wife, Jeon Yi-kyung (played by Jung Soo-jung), to protect his building, extorting 3 billion won and immediately repaying his debts. He continues to commit crimes, including assault and confinement, to cover up the initial crime. Viewers have criticized the plot as unrealistic and difficult to engage with.
Additionally, the storyline includes Ki Soo-jong's wife, Kim Sun (played by Lim Soo-jung), having an affair with his best friend, Min Hwal-seong (played by Kim Jun-han). While the plot moves quickly, it is criticized for being overly sensational, leading to a lack of clear narrative direction. The accumulation of sensational events is said to detract from viewer engagement, creating fatigue rather than tension.
Ha Jung-woo's Drama 'How to Become a Building Owner in Korea' Struggles with Low Ratings
Despite strong performances from well-known actresses like Lim Soo-jung, Jung Soo-jung, and Shim Eun-kyung, the drama's ratings remain low. Lim Soo-jung returned to TV after five years with this project, and Shim Eun-kyung took on her first villain role, receiving praise for her performance. However, these efforts have not translated into higher ratings for 'Building Owner.'
With a total of 12 episodes, 'Building Owner' has aired six so far. There is still potential for the drama to improve its coherence and quality in the remaining episodes. Whether 'Building Owner' can achieve a turnaround remains to be seen.
