“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.”

Source[1]

Jo Jung Suk is officially back—and fans of Hospital Playlist couldn’t be more excited.

In the preview for episode 10 of Resident Playbook, aired by tvN on May 10, Jo Jung Suk’s character Lee Ik Jun is shown walking through a dimly lit hospital, saying, “It’s been so long since I came here.”

The short scene sparked immediate buzz online, especially when he’s seen holding hands with a woman—whose face is hidden. Many viewers are now asking: Is it Chae Song Hwa?

Although her identity isn’t revealed, fans are hopeful that the woman is Jeon Mi Do, who played Chae Song Hwa in Hospital Playlist.

Earlier announcements confirmed that both Jo Jung Suk and Jeon Mi Do would make appearances in Resident Playbook, fueling speculation that the beloved duo is finally reuniting on screen.

The teaser quickly became a hot topic, helping the drama maintain its upward momentum. Resident Playbook—a spin-off of the hit series Hospital Playlist—has been gaining strong viewership, with its latest episode setting new personal ratings records.

The show has consistently ranked No. 1 in its time slot across all channels, showing that fans are deeply invested in the lives and growth of the young doctors at the center of the story.

As the series continues to mix heartwarming guest appearances with its own emotional stories, viewers are now eagerly waiting for episode 10, airing May 11 at 9:20 PM KST, to see what’s next.

Will the “99s” finally reunite? Tune in to find out!

Source: [1]