The ratings for tvN's ambitious space-themed drama When the Stars Gossip have hit an all-time low, leaving netizens and industry insiders stunned.

According to Nielsen Korea, the drama's fifth episode, aired on January 18, recorded a nationwide average viewership of just 1.8%, the lowest since its premiere. The Seoul metropolitan area fared only slightly better, with a rating of 1.9%.

This marks a steep decline for the show, which debuted with a respectable 3.3% rating. By its third episode, the drama had already dropped to the 2% range, and now it has dipped even further into the 1% range—a significant blow for a project of this scale.

With an incredible production budget of around 50 billion KRW (~$38 million USD) and five years of preparation, the series was expected to be a game-changer as the first Korean drama set on a space station.

However, despite featuring major stars like Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin, the show has struggled to maintain viewers' attention.

In comparison, other dramas airing on the same day saw much stronger ratings. KBS2's Darimi Family soared with a 17.4% viewership rating, followed by SBS's My Perfect Secretary at 11.4%, JTBC's The Tale of Lady Ok with 8.4%, MBC's Motel California at 3.6%, and Channel A's Check-in Han Yang at 2.5%.

The dramatic ratings drop for When the Stars Gossip raises questions about its future and whether the series can recover from this low point.

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Super Junior’s Shindong has opened up about his breakup after three and a half years of dating.

On the April 1 episode of SBS’s Dolsing Fourmen, Super Junior members Shindong and Eunhyuk brought their signature humor while discussing everything from weight loss struggles to dating and even retirement jokes.

During the episode, Tak Jae Hoon jokingly pointed out Shindong’s fluctuating weight, making him laugh. “People always ask me, ‘Are you in the process of gaining or losing weight?’” he said.

Eunhyuk was also asked if he was dieting for Super Junior’s upcoming 20th-anniversary activities. “Even the members don’t know,” he replied. Meanwhile, Shindong shared something unexpected, saying, “This is the first time I’m saying this—I actually quit drinking a week ago. I just started, so I’m not at the stage to talk about it yet.”

Eunhyuk then addressed a past comment where he jokingly promised to retire if his first solo album won first place. “I didn’t expect to win, especially since IVE was my competition,” he admitted. But to his surprise, he did win, leading fellow member Donghae to even hold up a “Retire” sign at the celebration, making everyone laugh.

Shindong also pointed out an interesting fact about Eunhyuk’s win. “Nowadays, idols release digital albums, so their album sales score is zero. But Eunhyuk had high physical album sales, and that one factor pushed him to first place.” Hearing this, Tak Jae Hoon teased, “No excuses—just retire,” to which Eunhyuk laughed, “It was fun while it lasted.”

Later, while joking about idol visuals, Shindong playfully said, “Honestly, Eunhyuk is the ugliest idol I’ve ever seen,” making everyone burst into laughter. Eunhyuk also shared how he was once called anchovy for his slim figure but later earned the nickname muscle anchovy after working out.

The conversation then shifted to Super Junior’s wealthiest member, with Eunhyuk confirming that it’s none other than Choi Siwon. Comedian Kim Jun Ho added, “I once asked Leeteuk for Siwon’s number, and Leeteuk said, ‘Wait, I need to ask him first.’” Shindong explained that Super Junior members are now extra cautious because of past incidents where a fan impersonated someone and leaked their phone numbers.

When it came to dating, Shindong was asked if he had ever revealed or been caught dating. “I got caught every time. I’m just not good at hiding it,” he admitted, making everyone laugh. Eunhyuk agreed, “Yeah, he doesn’t really try to hide it.” Shindong clarified, “I don’t purposely expose it, but I somehow always get caught.”

Then, Shindong unexpectedly dropped some personal news. “Speaking of updates, I actually broke up with my girlfriend last April. Since I didn’t announce it, people kept leaving comments asking if I got divorced.”

Lee Sang Min was surprised, saying, “But last time you were on Dolsing Fourmen, you said you had a girlfriend.” Shindong confirmed, “Yeah, we broke up. We dated for about three and a half years. It was tough, but we decided to support each other’s paths. It was a good breakup.”

Meanwhile, Eunhyuk surprised everyone by revealing that he shares his phone password with his girlfriend, shocking the other cast members.

With Super Junior’s 20th anniversary coming up, fans are excited to see what’s next for the legendary group.

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