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SBS has announced a change in the broadcast schedule for the popular Friday-Saturday drama Love Scout, starring Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk, as reported by Osen on January 30. Episode 9 of Love Scout has been postponed from January 31 to February 1 at 9:50 PM due to a special Lunar New Year broadcast strategy.
Viewers can look forward to Episode 9 of Love Scout on Saturday, February 1, at 9:50 PM, following the special broadcast on Friday, January 31, at 10 PM. Episode 10 will be released following the schedule, i.e. on February 7.
The Love Scout team hopes viewers enjoy the Lunar New Year and praises Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk's chemistry, which has boosted ratings and buzz.
Why did SBS postpone the Love Scout episode 9?
The viewership ratings have soared from 5.2% in the first episode to 11.4% in the sixth episode and maintained double-digit figures at 10.9% in the eighth episode. Additionally, Lee Joon-hyuk has topped the TV-OTT drama buzz survey for two consecutive weeks in January.
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The decision to postpone episode 9 is part of a strategic move by SBS to mitigate the potential drop in viewership ratings during the holiday period. Historically, drama viewership ratings tend to decline during the Lunar New Year holiday, as people spend more time with their families.
For instance, SBS's Payback experienced a 2.4% drop in viewership ratings during the 2023 holiday. By scheduling a special broadcast on Friday, January 31, at 10 PM, and airing episode 9 the following day, SBS aims to maintain the drama's upward trend in viewership.
The production team has also highlighted the dedication of Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk, who have worked tirelessly to build detailed emotional lines by constantly exchanging opinions.
"Han Ji-min and Lee Joon-hyuk's romantic chemistry has always been the best. Despite being perfect actors, they worked hard to build up more detailed emotional lines by constantly exchanging opinions," the production team said.
With only four episodes remaining, the team expects the characters Ji-yoon and Eun-ho to continue growing in their mature love story.
Love Scout becomes the most buzzworthy drama
SBS's Love Scout has claimed the top spot in this week's most buzzworthy drama and actor rankings. According to Good Data Corporation's latest report, the drama generated the most online attention, based on data collected from news articles, online communities, videos, social media, and blog posts about K-dramas.
Lee Jun-hyuk, who plays Yoo Eun-ho in Love Scout, ranked as the most buzzworthy actor of the week, while Han Ji-min, portraying Kang Ji-yun, secured third place. This marks the second consecutive week the drama and Lee Jun-hyuk have topped the charts.
On January 27, 2025, the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute announced that Lee Jun-hyuk ranked first in actor brand reputation with a score of 10,689,968, highlighting his growing popularity.
The drama continues to air every Friday at 10 PM and Saturday at 9:50 PM on SBS.
