Crime thriller ‘Defendant’ surpasses 20 pct TV viewership in capital area

SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Yonhap) — SBS TV’s “Defendant” appears to have clinched its lead in the Monday-Tuesday late night drama race, with more than 20 percent of TV-watching households in and around Seoul tuning into the new series, data showed Wednesday.

The show’s fourth episode that aired Tuesday recorded a 20.8 percent viewership among the Seoul metropolitan area households, while snatching an 18.7 percent score nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.

Its competitors, MBC TV’s “Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People” and KBS 2TV’s “Hwarang”, trailed with 10 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively, nationwide.

This composite photo captured from SBS TV’s “Defendant” shows actor Ji Sung as a former prosecutor framed for the murder of his daughter and wife and now a death row prisoner

In “Defendant,” actor Ji Sung plays Park Jung-woo, a former prosecutor framed for the murder of his daughter and wife and now a death row prisoner.

The 16-episode series, directed by Cho Young-kwang and penned by Choi Soo-jin, made a smashing debut last week, with the first episode garnering a 14.5 percent viewership nationwide.

A follow-up series to the acclaimed medical show “Dr. Romantic,” “Defendant” is drawing viewers with its fast-paced plot as Park tries to prove his innocence in the face of mounting odds. The show also features Um Ki-joon as a psychopath killer and Yuri of idol group Girls’ Generation as Park’s public defender.