It has been almost a year and a half since K-drama fans have seen Park Shin Hye, one of the most-popular Korean actresses in the industry today, act in a K-drama series. The last time Shin Hye graced Korea’s “small screen” was in mid-November of 2014 to mid-January of 2015 in the series Pinocchio. It was a hit at the time, attaining double-digit viewership ratings for both the Seoul National Capital Area and the nation. The series also created one of the most-popular Korean celebrity couples among fans, Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk . Needless to say, many businesses took advantage of the fandom pairing. Millet for example had Park Shin Hye and Lee Jong Suk pose together in their winter fashions .
Now, devoted fans of Park Shin Hye are happy as their favorite Korean actress has made her return to K-dramas with Doctors . Apparently, they really wanted to see Shin Hye, as the K-drama recorded 30 percent in viewership ratings. With that in mind, will Park Shin Hye keep her promise of singing and dancing “Cheer Up” by Twice, which she said she’ll do if Doctors earns over 15 percent viewership?
Doctors (also known as Doctor Crush) is a medical K-drama starring Kim Rae Won and Park Shin Hye. According to the synopsis of the plot, Shin Hye plays Yoo Hye Jung, a tough bully with a prickly personality at her school. She has many scars from her childhood and keeps her heart shut away from other people as a means to self-preserve. Her heart begins to change after meeting her mentor, Hong Ji Hong, played by Rae Won, a man who plays a key role in transforming her life from a helpless gangster to a compassionate doctor.
Apparently, the synopsis, along with the fact Kim Rae Won and Park Shin Hye were playing the leads, favored Doctors, as it aired its debut episode on Monday, June 20, with excellent ratings. According to the latest ratings by both TNS Media Korea and AGB Nielsen Korea , Doctors earned double-digit ratings for both the Seoul National Capital Area and the nation. TNmS Ratings were 11.4 percent for the nation and 15.1 percent for Seoul for the first episode and 12.4 percent for the nation and 16.9 percent for the second episode. AGB Nielsen are not that far off from TNmS Ratings, but their viewership ratings for Seoul for the first episode were uncanny, as they recorded 30 percent.
The fact Doctorssurpassed 15 percent in viewership puts Park Shin Hye in a unique spot. According to Soompi, Shin Hye promised her fans that she would practice to sing and dance “ Cheer Up” by Twice if the aforementioned condition was met.
” [ Doctors ] surpasses 15 percent in viewer ratings, I will practice and perform a very short bit of ‘Sha! Sha! Sha!’ [referring to ‘Cheer Up’ by Twice] and perform it for you all on V app. I will also sing a little.”
It should be noted that Park Shin Hye did not say if the 15 percent viewership rating was for Seoul or the nation. If it were for Seoul, fans are in the clear, because both TNmS Ratings and AGB Nielsen have surpassed 15 percent. If it is the nation, we are short as the highest rating earned was 14.2 percent through AGB Nielsen for the second episode. Nevertheless, if the trend continues, the nation will surpass 15 percent very soon.
Doctors airs on the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS), the same television production company responsible for last year’s phenomenal medical drama Yong Pal , on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 p.m. KST. For those who do not have access to SBS, the K-drama can be viewed online for free with ads, pending region, at both DramaFever and Viki .
[Image via Seoul Broadcasting System Promotions for Doctors ]