“The Red Sleeve” enhanced national prestige.

According to Star News on January 6th, MBC’s drama “The Red Sleeve” (written by Jung Hae Ri, directed by Jung Ji In, Song Yeon Hwa) has already recovered more than 50% of the 16-billion-won production cost for 17 episodes through pre-sale in 20 foreign countries alone. Overseas, it also beat SBS’ “Now, We Are Breaking Up” starring Song Hye Kyo to top the viewing rankings on multiple channels and OTT platforms with favorable reviews.

Even before its domestic broadcast in November last year, “The Red Sleeve” has been successfully sold to 20 countries, including Japan, Taiwan, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania and India.

“The Red Sleeve” aired almost simultaneously through major platforms and channels in each region, not only large Hallyu markets such as Japan, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, the Americas but also new markets such as Europe, the Middle East, India, Oceania. It received favorable reviews from historical drama fans around the world.

In particular, “The Red Sleeve” has great significance as it is a successful work both in Korea and abroad among dramas in which more than 50% of the production cost was recovered through overseas sales. In Korea, the finale of “The Red Sleeve” recorded a nationwide rating of 17.4% (based on Nielsen Korea) and a maximum rating of 19.4%. This is also the first MBC drama that surpassed 15% in 6 years.

The popularity of “The Red Sleeve” was particularly noticeable in Japan, Taiwan and Southeast Asia. “The Red Sleeve” ranked first in Taiwan’s OTT platform friDay viewing rankings, and took first place in Southeast Asian channels by reversing “Now, We Are Breaking Up” ratings. “The Red Sleeve” is being praised by foreign fans for leaving a lingering feeling of faint love, and global interest in the leading actors Lee Jun-ho and Lee Se-young has also risen significantly.

Its performance in Korean OTT wavve is also overwhelmingly No.1. “The Red Sleeve” topped the wavve weekly rankings for 6 weeks until the last week of December. The highest number of simultaneous users per minute was 325,000, surpassing SBS’ “Penthouse 2”. 

Regarding the success of “The Red Sleeve”, an official from MBC’s Global Business Department told Star News, “Despite the large number of historical drama productions among Korean dramas in 2021, only one or two films are considered to have achieved clear results. In particular, ‘The Red Sleeve’ is evaluated as another work that continues the genealogy of MBC’s luxury historical dramas with PD’s trendy directing and actors’ solid acting skills. Thanks to this, foreign investors’ interest in MBC’s historical dramas is expected to increase in 2022.”

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Hyun Bin is finally addressing the long-standing "ddongcha" (poop car) theory surrounding his character from My Name is Kim Sam-soon—and he's not holding back!

In an interview on the 19th with Star News, the beloved actor confessed, "I was wrong," responding to the reevaluation of his iconic role as Hyun Jin-heon from the 2005 hit drama. The "ddongcha" theory has been a subject of online debate for years, with many viewers critiquing Hyun Jin-heon’s character as overly arrogant and entitled.

Hyun Bin, who first rose to fame in My Name is Kim Sam-soon, took the time to reflect on the character that made him a household name. He shared, “I was just following the script; there were no personal opinions added to the character of Hyun Jin-heon. At that time, I knew Hyun Jin-heon was portrayed as a ‘bad boy,’ and the way it was expressed was different from today’s standards.”

With My Name is Kim Sam-soon now being re-released as part of Wavve's "New Classic" project, fans are revisiting the 2005 drama, and the character of Hyun Jin-heon is under fresh scrutiny. Director Kim Yun-cheol even admitted that the "prince on a white horse" and "bad boy" tropes that once worked in 2005 don’t quite match today's sensibilities, leading to edits in the 2024 version.

Hyun Bin humbly acknowledged his gratitude for his successful career and hit works, saying, "It’s wonderful and I am grateful to have so many hit works. I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing writers, directors, and actors. Thanks to them, I’ve received a lot of attention and love." He also shared a sense of humility, noting, “But I never know when that luck will come again."

Despite the dramatic shift in perspective on his character, Hyun Bin’s charm and dedication remain strong. Fans are eager to see him in his upcoming film Harbin (directed by Woo Min-ho), set to be released on the 24th.

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