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tvN’s mystery thriller Jirisan is now a close second to Hospital Playlist, raking in the second-highest premiere viewership rating in the network’s history. The show, starring Jun Ji Hyun and Ju Ji Hoon premiered on October 23 and has only released two episodes.
The drama even broke the record for the highest weekend drama, garnering 9.1% viewership ratings nationwide, as recorded by Nielsen Korea.
'Jirisan' becomes tvN’s highest-rated debut weekend drama with second-highest premiere drama ratings in history
The mystery-horror thriller Jirisan is going well beyond those expectations, at least going by the first two episodes released. It has raked in an impressive number of viewerships in South Korea, becoming tvN’s second-highest rated premiere in history.
Jirisan took over Mr. Sunshine’s rank, dropping it down to third place. With 9.1% premiere ratings, Jirisan is second only to the blissful medical-friendship drama Hospital Playlist. While in the capital city Seoul, the premiere opened to 9.7% viewership ratings.
Meanwhile, the second episode also received sky-high viewership ratings as it raked in 10.63% nationwide and 12.22% viewership in Seoul.
Jirisan has some of the biggest names in the Korean entertainment industry on its roster. It created buzz from the moment it was announced. The show is written by Kim Eun Hee, the critically-acclaimed writer of Netflix’s zombie-thriller Kingdom: Ashin of the North and Signal. It is directed by Lee Eung Bok, the director behind some classic K-dramas such as Goblin, Mr. Sunshine, Sweet Home, Descendants of the Sun, and more.
Not to forget the incredibly talented cast of Jun Ji Hyun, currently South Korea’s highest-paid celebrity, and Ju Ji Hoon, a Blue Dragon award-winning actor known for his roles in Kingdom and Hyena.
Even the show’s main OST theme is sung by none other than the world-famous K-pop group BTS’ member, Jin. Other artists include SNSD's Taeyeon, NELL, Gaho, Paul Kim, Jukjae, and more.
With the greatest names in the Korean entertainment industry, the much-anticipated drama fell short of critical appreciation. The CGI used in the show made viewers call it incredibly fake, degrading the experience of the show.
Set in the backdrop of South Korea’s second tallest mountain, Mount Jiri, Jirisan tells the story of the mysterious, mountainous regions and the lives of rangers at the park.
Jirisan airs on tvN every Saturday and Sunday at 9 PM KST. It is also available for streaming on iQIYI.
