‘Queen of Tears’ finale bests ‘CLOY’ for ratings in Korea network tvN history

(From left) Kim Ji-won and Kim Soo-hyun. Image: X/@CJnDrama

The success of “Queen of Tears” starring Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won is undeniable as its last episode overtook the finale of “Crash Landing on You,” making it the highest-rated episode on the Korean network tvN.

The finale of “Queen of Tears” garnered 24.850%, surpassing the previous record of 21.683% set by the last episode of “Crash Landing on You” in February 2020. Both series aired on tvN, the biggest cable network in  Korea, and an international streaming platform.

“Queen of Tears” is about a chaebol heiress (Kim Ji-won as Hong Hae-in) who married a farmer’s son (Kim Soo-hyun as Baek Hyun-woo). They were about to divorce after three years of marriage when they found out that Hae-in was terminally ill, and they give their love a second chance.

On the other hand, “Crash Landing on You” tells the story of a fashion entrepreneur (Son Ye-jin) who lands in North Korea after a paragliding accident. She soon meets a soldier (Hyun Bin) in hiding until they fall in love.

Ratings were based on the April 28 findings of market research firm Nielsen Korea, which were shared with Korean media outlets including Maeil Business Newspaper.

tvN also took to its official X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, April 29, to celebrate the milestone while sharing behind-the-scenes photos of the cast.

“‘Queen of Tears’ did it! Congratulations,” it wrote in Korean.

경🎉<눈물의 여왕>이 이걸 해냄🎉축

시청률 20%를 넘어! tvN 역대 시청률 1위 달성🔥🔥
(전국 유료플랫폼 기준 24.850% / 수도권 유료플랫폼 기준 28.4% 달성!)

행복한 눈여즈의 인증샷 한 번 더 도착했습니다💌#눈물의여왕 #QueenofTears#tvN #tvN에서봐 #스트리밍은TVING pic.twitter.com/YauWlZjJTp

— tvN drama (@CJnDrama) April 29, 2024

“Queen of Tears” is also the top TV show in the Philippines, according to the local branch of the streaming platform.

Broadcast last April 28, the final episode revolves around Hyun-woo and Hong Hae-in patching up their marriage for good.

Strong partnership

Weeks before the show’s finale, Ji-won took note of how Soo-hyun was a “great partner all around” in an exclusive roundtable, saying his professionalism and kindness helped her get through the yearlong filming.

“Kim Soo-hyun was just a great partner all around. He has this really bubbly energy about him which really helps working with him when I’m a little bit nervous or tense,” she said.

(From left) Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won during the press conference for their new K-drama “Queen of Tears.”

Despite her excitement, the actress admitted that since she had been a fan of Soo-hyun’s work, she was initially nervous about starring as his onscreen wife.

“In the beginning, I was rather nervous so we became closer slowly. We took our time but as our relationship developed, the chemistry organically came out which became smooth sailing,” she said.

Also in the roundtable, Soo-hyun said that he, too, was nervous around Ji-won’s presence since she always had the stance of someone who’s focused on her work. They eventually became close behind the scenes which reflected on their chemistry’s “organic growth.”

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