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When The Stars Gossip, starring Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin, faced low ratings in the second week of its airing, garnering attention from fans online. On January 10 & 11, episodes 3-4 of When The Stars Gossip were unveiled on tvN and Netflix. The space romance show was one of the most anticipated dramas of 2025 as it marked Lee Min-ho’s return to television.
Fans also looked forward to the new onscreen pair of the renowned actors Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin. However, the show has witnessed a drop in viewership ratings in South Korea.
According to Nielsen Korea, When The Stars Gossip episode 3 marked 2.2 percent nationwide viewership ratings, which is lower than the ratings of episode 2, which were 3.3 percent. The episode 4 witnessed a slight increase, which was 2.8 percent, yet lower than the first week's ratings.
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As the news made it online, fans expressed their thoughts regarding the ratings of When The Star Gossips. While some found the plot and storyline of the show disinteresting, and some did not see any chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin. Furthermore, the sci-fi romance genre in space could not attract them.
“It's boring unfortunately.”- a fan said
“I agree with everyone who said that sci-fi genre is not just everyone cup of tea and it would be better for film or limited series, but also that messy love line plot and the micro cheating between the main lead.”- another fan said
“The plot is weird. I mean, actors can't do something about viewership if the story has no general viewers appeal. I actually waited for this drama to air and can't finish the 1st episode. I do like the concept but i think the writer can't pull it off.”- a user commented
Netizens drew a comparison between the ongoing office romance drama Love Scout starring Han Ji-min and Lee Jun-hyuk with Lee Min-ho's When The Stars Gossip.
“Concept is boring. I love mature romance and this is not pulling me. Love scout is holding my interest for now.”- a netizen said
“I'd rather watch love scout than this drama. So yes, the rating is real.”- another netizen wrote
“I actually thought ppl will get hyped up about a #LeeMinHo drama. What's happening??? My guess is #lovescout overshadowed it.”- a fan said
On the other hand, fans who are enjoying When The Stars Gossip mentioned the reasons why they find it interesting.
"Nah. Those are SK numbers. Nobody expects that nation to accept a multilingual, diverse nationalities, series. WTSG was made for intl viewers. And rn it's on.”- a fan wrote
“I'm loving it! Its deserves much more because has quality but it's different and people underestimate the different.”- another fan added
“I think people just didn't expect the messy complicated plot and mixed genres. but personally i like it, i find it absurdly funny! least interesting for me would be the sperm egg thriller-esque bit, they should have leaned more on romcom or slice of life (in space lol).”- a user stated
More about Lee Min-ho and Gong Hyo-jin's characters in When The Stars Gossip
When The Stars Gossip is a science fiction drama blended with romance comedy starring Lee Min-ho, Gong Hyo-jin, Oh Jung-se, Han Ji-eun, Lee El, Kim Joo-hun, and more. It follows the story of Gong Ryong, played by Lee Min-ho, an OB-GYN doctor and the potential son-in-law of a chaebol family who owns the MZ business group.
Gong Ryong visits space as a tourist with a secret mission that cannot be revealed to anyone. He meets Eve Kim, played by Gong Hyo-jin, the commander of the space station known to be a perfectionist. Notably, this is Eve Kim’s first mission as a commander, who does not entertain any mistakes at the station.
The series promises to explore their blooming romance in a dangerous environment where they have to complete their respective missions as well. When The Stars Gossip airs every Saturday and Sunday on tvN at 9:20 pm KST and later on Netflix.
