‘Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim’ Finale: K-Drama Surpasses ‘Doctors’ In Viewership, SBS And Park Shin Hye Reward Cast And Crew
After 21 episodes, the medical K-drama Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim finally concluded this week on Monday. Among all other K-dramas airing on Korean public television, it was king as it dominated in viewership even surpassing the overly hyped and promoted The Legend of the Blue Sea starring Jun Ji Hyun and Lee Min Ho. As a matter of fact, Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim was so popular, it was somewhat of a “death sentence” for any other K-drama to air alongside it. Case in point: Hwarang which failed to garner any real attention except for the one day Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim did not air because of the 2016 SBS Gayo Daejun.
In the end, Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim concluded as expected with the highest viewership among all Korean public television K-dramas. However, it even defeated its medical K-drama predecessor Doctors starring Kim Rae Won and Park Shin Hye. As a result of their accomplishment, both Shin Hye and SBS rewarded the cast and crew of Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim.
Korean viewership company TNmS Media Korea recorded 24.7 percent for the nation and 28.4 percent for the Seoul National Capital Area while AGB Nielsen Korea recorded 27.6 percent for the nation and 29.0 percent for the Seoul National Capital Area. On average for the entire series, TNmS ratings were 18.4 percent for the nation and 22.0 percent for Seoul National Capital Area and for AGB Nielsen, 20.4 percent for the nation and 21.9 percent for the Seoul National Capital Area. Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim was about 2.0 percent higher than Doctors.
K-drama fans of Doctors should not be upset that Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim beat it simply because its success further proves that the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS) knows how to produce a medical K-drama better than anyone else. Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim is the fourth SBS medical K-drama to dominate on their television station since 2013 when they started with Doctor Stranger starring Lee Jong Suk. It was followed up by Yong Pal starring Joo Won and Kim Tae Hee which was then followed up by Doctors. Each medical K-drama was better in terms of viewership than the last.
For Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim, it was evident it would more than likely surpass Doctors when it reached 24 percent in viewership. Park Shin Hye showed her love and support for her fellow “SBS doctor actors” by providing the cast and crew a celebratory snack truck. Yoo Yeon Seok who plays Kang Dong Joo thanked Shin Hye via Instagram.
Park Shin Hye also sent the snack truck not just to congratulate Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim in its success, but also to support her fellow co-stars from previous works. She worked alongside Yoo Yeon Seok and Han Suk Kyu (Teacher Kim) in the K-movie The Royal Tailor. She also worked alongside Jin Kyung (Nurse Oh Myeong Shim) in Pinocchio.
And if love and support from Park Shin Hye wasn’t enough, SBS themselves rewarded the cast and crew of Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim with a vacation, as reported by Soompi. SBS provided a statement on the upcoming vacation in which only two actors, Han Suk Kyu and Seo Hyun Jin, would not be able to go.
“Starting from January 20 to 24, [the cast and crew] will be leaving for a vacation to Cébu, Philippines as a reward. Han Suk Kyu and Seo Hyun Jin will unfortunately not be attending the vacation due to their personal schedules, but the other actors will be going on vacation.”
Congratulations to the cast and crew of Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim. Now that the medical K-drama has concluded, let’s hope that the next SBS K-drama taking its place, Defendant starring Ji Sung, Um Ki Joon, and Yuri of Girls’ Generation, can lead on. For those who were not able to watch Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim while it aired, the entire series is available to view on OnDemandKorea, on DramaFever as Doctor Romantic, and on Viki as Romantic Doctor Kim.
[Featured Image by the Seoul Broadcasting System (SBS)]
