"Secrets" Rules But "The Heirs" Rises

"Secrets," the melodrama about loss and betrayal, continues to rule viewer ratings with an almost four percent lead over the star-studded high school drama "The Heirs."

In this drama, Hwang Jung Eum plays a woman who goes to prison to save the career of her prosecutor boyfriend, only to have him abandon her. She is accused of a hit and run accident that killed the girlfriend of a disagreeable young chaebol played by Ji Sung. The distraught chaebol decides to dedicate his life to making hers miserable. Poor Hwang Jung Eum is easily one of kdrama's most abused and misused heroines, who through no fault of her own, except perhaps being too trusting, is dealt one bad turn after the other. Her trials and tribulations have kept this drama on top of the ratings for weeks. This week, the drama, which also stars Bae Soo Bin as the disloyal prosecutor and Lee Da Hee as Ji Sung's intended wife, earned this 15.3 percent

Meanwhile, back in Korea, "The Heirs' is heating up various love plots and setting up its chief love triangle between Kim Tan, played by Lee Min Ho, Choi Young Do, played by Kim Woo Bin, and Cha Eun Sang, played by Park Shin Hye. All three attend the elite Jejuk School where a very defined pecking order has been established.

Deciding between Kim Tan and Choi Young Do will be difficult for Cha Eun Sang. Kim Tan is a sweet but confused guy who, because of his background, lacks the courage to act on his convictions. Choi Young Do is a bully, who is secretly lonely and only rarely lets his emotions show. And the two male protagonists have some history to resolve.

This week, "The Heirs" rated 11.4 percent in the Nielsen Korea ratings.

In last place was "Medical Top Team," the drama about love and politics at a top hospital. This drama stars Kwon Sang Woo, Jung Ryeo Won, Ju Ji Hoon and Oh Yeon Seo. Because both competing dramas rose in the ratings, that drama dropped down to 5.5 percent.

Why has "Medical Top Team" not resonated with viewers? It's facing some serious competition. And it also follows on the heels of another successful doctor drama, "Good Doctor," which offered something different than the usual medical drama.

When it came to variety shows this week, MBC's "Radio Star" achieved 7.6 percent in the ratings, while the SBS show "Couples" achieved 6.3 percent.