'Agent Jo' and 'Queen of Tears' Lose Out! The #1 Korean Drama to Surpass 20% Viewership: Catches Husband's Affair and Immediately Strikes Back—The Ultimate Revenge Thriller

With the rise of streaming platforms and changing viewer habits, it has become increasingly difficult for Korean dramas to achieve over 20% viewership on television. Yet, in recent years, several titles have broken through with powerful storytelling and star power. From the romantic hit 'Crash Landing on You,' starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, to 'Queen of Tears,' which sparked a nationwide craze with Kim Soo-hyun and Kim Ji-won, revenge thrillers like 'Taxi Driver 2' and medical dramas like 'Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 2' have also surpassed the 20% mark. Song Joong-ki's 'The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate' reached 26.9% through its reincarnation revenge and chaebol power struggle. The highest-rated Korean drama in recent years, 'The World of the Married,' starring Kim Hee-ae and Park Hae-joon, claimed the top spot with 28.4%, turning marital betrayal, infidelity, and revenge into a suffocating battle of wits. Which other dramas made it onto the list of 20%+ viewership hits? Below is the complete TOP 9 ranking with plot highlights.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #9: Hyun Bin & Son Ye-jin, 'Crash Landing on You' / Viewership: 21.7%

'Crash Landing on You' follows Yoon Se-ri, a South Korean chaebol heiress, who accidentally lands in North Korea during a paragliding trip and is discovered by North Korean officer Ri Jeong-hyeok. To help her return safely to the South, Jeong-hyeok hides her in his home, and as they evade detection and cross the border, they gradually fall in love, despite their conflicting identities and political realities.

Audiences praised the chemistry between Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin, noting their visual and emotional compatibility. Despite the story's fairy-tale-like romance, viewers found it deeply engaging. The depiction of rural North Korean life and interpersonal relationships in the first half was considered more compelling than the later conspiracy arcs. Many became addicted to the couple's evolving relationship, cementing the drama as a defining romantic K-drama of recent years.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #8: Lee Je-hoon & Kim Eui-sung, 'Taxi Driver 2' / Viewership: 21.8%

'Taxi Driver 2' continues the story of the underground organization 'Rainbow Transportation,' led by Kim Do-gi and Chairman Jang, who take on cases from victims failed by the justice system. Using a taxi company as a front, they infiltrate criminal groups, gather evidence, and deliver their own form of justice. The second season expands from overseas human trafficking to uncover a vast network of hidden power.

The return of the main cast, familiar soundtrack, team dynamics, and vigilante justice formula reignited the excitement fans felt during Season 1. Drawing from real-world issues like cross-border scams, cults, child abuse, medical corruption, and nightclub crimes, the drama balances entertainment with social commentary on victims' lack of recourse. Lee Je-hoon transformed seamlessly between serious, comedic, and fierce personas across missions, becoming the season's most talked-about highlight. While some criticized the exaggerated plots and near-invincible protagonists, the pacing remained strong.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #7: So Ji-sub & Choi Moo-sung, 'Agent Jo: Back in Action' / Viewership: 23.1%

'Agent Jo: Back in Action' centers on Director Kim, a seemingly ordinary bank employee and devoted father. In reality, he is a legendary former agent codenamed '66' who once completed dangerous missions. When his daughter suddenly goes missing, he is forced to end his quiet life and reactivate his long-dormant combat skills and intelligence network to rescue her, facing off against criminal organizations and former enemies.

So Ji-sub masterfully portrays the transformation from a restrained single father to a formidable agent, making the character's duality the drama's standout feature. Audiences widely praised his action sequences and mature charisma, crediting him with carrying the midlife hero genre. The plot revolves around rescuing his daughter, while incorporating themes like school bullying, chaebol influence, and past vendettas in the spy world. Two supporting older characters help lighten the heavy tone. Some viewers felt the early pacing was slow and later character decisions lacked logic, but the strong fight scenes, suspense, and comedic rhythm kept engagement high.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #6: Han Suk-kyu & Ahn Hyo-seop, 'Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 2' / Viewership: 24.5%

'Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 2' is set in Doldam Hospital, a remote clinic, where the genius surgeon known as 'Teacher Kim' mentors two young doctors: Seo Woo-jin, burdened by family pressure, and Cha Eun-jae, struggling with surgery-related trauma. Under Kim's strict yet honest guidance, they confront their personal wounds and rediscover the values of being a doctor.

Han Suk-kyu's Teacher Kim remains the most impactful character in Season 2, combining exceptional surgical skill with unwavering idealism, guiding the younger doctors to reevaluate their professional responsibilities. Viewers praised the medical accuracy and realism of the surgery scenes, noting that the ensemble cast at Doldam Hospital continued the热血 spirit of Season 1. Ahn Hyo-seop and Lee Se-young's on-screen chemistry drew attention, as their flawed, prickly characters gradually grew into capable physicians. Some criticized the female lead's early characterization and the hospital's power struggles, but Teacher Kim's magnetic presence anchored the series.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #5: Kim Soo-hyun & Kim Ji-won, 'Queen of Tears' / Viewership: 24.9%

'Queen of Tears' follows Baek Hyun-woo, a country-born lawyer, and Hong Hae-in, the chaebol heiress of the Queen Group, whose marriage deteriorates after three years. Just as Hyun-woo prepares to file for divorce, Hae-in is diagnosed with a terminal illness, drawing them back together. Amid escalating family power struggles, the couple must face illness, betrayal, and corporate conspiracies.

Kim Ji-won's icy demeanor perfectly matched the chaebol heiress archetype, making Hae-in's strength, vulnerability, and emotional reserve highly convincing. Kim Soo-hyun delivered powerful performances through extensive crying scenes and nuanced expressions, portraying Hyun-woo's exhaustion,委屈, and lingering love. Their emotional chemistry was the most praised aspect. Viewer opinions on the script were divided—many found tropes like terminal illness, amnesia, car accidents, and chaebol takeovers too clichéd, with forced plot twists in the latter half. However, the leads' acting, visual quality, and subtle details of the couple's rekindled love kept many viewers engaged until the finale.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #4: Lee Ji-ah & Kim So-yeon, 'Penthouse: The War of the Roses 2' / Viewership: 26.0%

'Penthouse 2' picks up from the death and revenge threads of Season 1. Cheon Seo-jin and Joo Dan-tae prepare to marry, appearing as a powerful elite couple, yet filled with mutual scheming. Oh Yoon-hee returns to Hera Palace, teaming up with Ha Yoon-cheol to take down those who harmed her. The truth behind Shim Su-ryeon's death gradually surfaces, reigniting uncontrollable waves of love, hate, and revenge.

Season 2 maintains the over-the-top style of the first, with constant betrayals, revenge, and reversals—each episode packed with new twists. Many viewers acknowledged the unrealistic plots but were drawn in by the fast pace and chaotic character dynamics, even treating it as a dark comedy. Kim So-yeon's portrayal of Cheon Seo-jin remained the focal point, with her rapid shifts between arrogance, breakdown, and madness delivering intense dramatic tension. Compared to Season 1, the revenge payoffs were more frequent, offering greater viewer satisfaction, though repeated character deaths, resurrections, and shifting allegiances raised questions about plot consistency.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #3: Lee Ji-ah & Kim So-yeon, 'Penthouse: The War of the Roses 1' / Viewership: 26.2%

'Penthouse 1' centers on the luxury high-rise 'Hera Palace,' symbolizing wealth and status. It follows Shim Su-ryeon, a poised resident; Cheon Seo-jin, an ambitious soprano; and Oh Yoon-hee, a mother desperate to push her daughter into high society. When a teenage girl dies after falling from the building during a party, residents conspire to cover it up, triggering a cascade of educational competition, marital infidelity, and class warfare.

The first season packed in chaebol drama, academic pressure, affairs, murder, and revenge, with complex relationships sustained by rapid editing and continuous suspense. Viewers called it 'over-the-top' but were hooked by its unpredictability. Kim So-yeon delivered a powerhouse performance as Cheon Seo-jin, embodying vanity, ambition, and madness with explosive energy. Lee Ji-ah's calm, elegant portrayal of Shim Su-ryeon stood out as a stabilizing force among the chaos. Though criticized for exaggeration, the drama offered sharp satire on class, educational inequality, and the hypocrisy of the elite.

Korean Drama with Over 20% Viewership – #2: Song Joong-ki & Lee Sung-min, 'The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate' / Viewership: 26.9%

'The Youngest Son of a Conglomerate' follows Yoon Hyun-woo, a loyal secretary to the Sunyang Group, who solves various problems for the chaebol family only to be framed and murdered. Upon waking, he finds himself reborn years earlier as Jin Do-joon, the beloved youngest grandson of Sunyang Group Chairman Jin Yang-cheol. Armed with knowledge of future economic developments and family secrets, he begins investing and vying for inheritance, plotting to seize the chaebol empire that destroyed him.