Queen Of Tears Is The Most Watched K-Drama Of 2024 So Far; Trumps Crash Landing On You's Record Ratings

Even if you aren’t an fan of K-dramas, we’re sure you’ve heard of the recent hype surrounding tvN’s latest romantic comedy, Queen of Tears. 

The 16-episode show is written by Park Ji Eun, the same person behind hit dramas including My Love from the Star (2013), The Legend of the Blue Sea (2016), and Crash Landing On You (2019).

Queen of Tears stars Korean a-listers Kim Soo Hyun and Kim Ji Won, and is available for viewing on Netflix.

Soo Hyun plays lawyer Baek Hyun Woo, who is married to Ji Won’s character, Hong Hae In. The latter is the CEO of a department store, and a third-generation heir to her family’s wealth. Hae In is sadly diagnosed with brain cancer, and the couple work through issues in their marriage as well as outsmart nefarious forces trying to usurp her family's wealth. 

Following the broadcast of the Queen of Tears’ 12th episode on April 14, tvN announced that the drama reached a record high of 23.072 per cent in viewership ratings in Seoul. It surpassed Crash Landing On You’s record of 22.677 per cent, as well as Goblin’s 21.575 per cent. 

The drama saw a rating of 5.9 per cent during its premiere, but quickly gained popularity and hit 13 per cent in ratings after the release of its fourth episode.

With just four episodes left to air, a still said to be from an upcoming ep has gone viral online. It depicts what looks like a gravestone marked with Hae In’s name, as well as her birthdate and the date she suffered a miscarriage. 

Fans of the drama were left worried about the fate of Hae In, with some suspecting it might mean the show would end on a sad note. 

Many took to social media to beg the show’s producers to give the on-screen couple a happy ending. 

“I can’t accept a bad ending!” lamented one netizen, while another wrote: “You can’t tear them apart. Baek Hyun Woo is going to drink until he passes out every day!”

However, a handful found comfort in the fact that shows penned by Park Ji Eun have always ended on a sweet note, and have since comforted themselves with the possibility that Queen of Tears would not be an exception. 

Guess we can only wait and see what’s in store for this well-loved screen couple.