SBS' "The Legend of the Blue Sea" continues to reign over the Wednesday-Thursday drama ratings race. Starring Lee Min Ho and Jun Ji Hyun, the fantasy drama has broken through the 20 percent rating mark with its 17th episode.
The 17th episode of the SBS drama, which aired on Jan. 12, Thursday, recorded nationwide viewership ratings of 20.8 percent, according to ratings research company Nielsen Korea, as cited by Yonhap News Agency. The series' latest rating also posted an increase from the previous episode's 18.9 percent viewership share.
The new KBS 2TV drama "Naked Fireman," starring Lee Joon Hyuk and Jung In Sun, raked in 4.1 percent, while the pre-broadcast episode of MBC's "Missing 9" received 2.7 percent viewership share. The news comes as no surprise to many given "The Legend of the Blue Sea's" growing popularity not just in South Korea, but as well as in the Philippines, Singapore, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Los Angeles and Canada.
The SBS drama, which premiered on Nov. 16, 2016, has maintained a high viewership of 16 to 18 percent, thanks to the lead stars tremendous prominence worldwide. Further, Jun's diverse portrayal of the mermaid has mesmerized viewers, making it impossible to believe that she is already a 35-year-old mother.
As the story continues, Heo Joon Jae (Min Ho) faces the aftermath of the heartbreaking events in episode 17. The latest episode has aroused the curiosity of many as Shim Chung's (Jun) secret is on the verge of being uncovered and Heo Joon Jae's father, Heo Gil Joong (Choi Jung Woo), dies from his second wife's (Hwang Shin Hye) evil schemes.
Meanwhile, Min Ho is holding a special fan meeting event to celebrate his 10th anniversary in the industry. Titled "The Originality of Lee Min Ho," the meet-and-greet event will take place at the Grand Peace Hall, Kyung Hee University on Feb. 18 at 6:00 PM (KST) and on Feb. 19 at 4:00 PM (KST).
"Lee Min Ho's 10 year anniversary marking his debut has passed," MYM Entertainment said in a statement obtained by All Kpop. "Due to conflicting drama filming schedules and such, we were unable to hold the event last year. So we pushed it back to February, once filming has concluded."
Watch the latest episode of SBS' "The Legend of the Blue Sea" here: