"The Wang Family" Leads During Its First Weekend

The new KBS drama, "The Wang Family," had a very successful first weekend, reaching ratings as high as 24.6 percent by its second night.

The 50-episode drama broke through 20 percent in the ratings within the first two episodes, taking the lead away over the competing dramas "Gold Appear!" and "Wonderful Mama."

Also known as "King's Family," "The Wang Family" replaced the successful weekend drama "You're The Best Lee Soon Shin."

In "The Wang Family," Wang Soo Bak, played by Oh Hyun Kyung, marries into a wealthy family but it does not go as well as expected. Instead of improving the family's status, things take a turn for the worst. After her husband Go Min Joong, played by Jo Sung Ha, goes bankrupt, the couple is forced to move back into her family's home.

But that's not the end of the family's trouble. Their second daughter, Ho Bak, played by Lee Tae Ran, is also having money problems. Her husband Heo De Dal, played by Oh Man Suk is unemployed.

To make matters worse, the third daughter, Gwang Bak, played by Lee Yoon Ji, has decided to give up her teaching job and realize her dream of becoming a writer. Not the best financial decision.

At an age when the parents assumed their children would be financially independent, they are suddenly called on to help. This naturally puts a lot of pressure on the parents, played by Jang Young and Kim Hae Sook.

The drama will explore the challenges the parents face and the decisions that their children make given their precarious financial situations. These decisions will cause a variety of problems that strain family ties.

The drama also stars Han Joo Wan, Na Moon Hee, Choi Dae Chul and Mun Ka Young.

Although "The Wang Family" did take the lead in the weekend drama ratings, they were followed closely by the MBC weekend drama  "Gold Appear." A comedy about middle class pretensions, "Gold Appear" rated 22.7 percent and had a slight increase in ratings from Saturday to Sunday. The drama stars Han Ji Hye, Yun Jung Hoon, and Lee Tae Sung.

The SBS drama "Wonderful Mama," about a smart successful businesswoman who develops Alzheimer's disease and must help her children become more mature in a hurry, was up slightly from the previous week, rating 7.4 percent. The drama stars Bae Jong Ok, Jung Yu Mi and Jung Gyu Woon.