‘Dr. Romantic’ tops 20 pct in nationwide viewership

SEOUL, Nov. 30 (Yonhap) — A TV series about a charismatic surgeon and his two eager disciples surpassed 20 percent in viewership after its eighth episode this week, data showed Wednesday.

“Dr. Romantic” was watched by 21.7 percent of viewers nationwide and 23.3 percent of viewers in the capital area on Tuesday, the first time it has topped the meaningful 20-percent mark in both categories, according to data by media ratings company Nielsen Korea.

The SBS series stars veteran actor Han Suk-kyu in the role of a legendary surgeon who moves to a remote rundown hospital with his true identity in disguise. With the help of two younger surgeons played by Yoo Yeon-seok and Seo Hyun-jin, he builds the hospital into a top-class institution despite his rivals’ attempts to pull him down.

The series has drawn viewers with its speedy plot development and strong performances by its cast. In the eighth episode, Han’s character Boo Yong-joo successfully ended a dangerous standoff with a hostage-taker, revealing both his professionalism and deep humanism.

Meanwhile, MBC TV’s “Night Light” and KBS 2TV’s “Sweet Stranger and Me,” both of which air in the same time slot as “Dr. Romantic,” gained nationwide viewer ratings of 6.2 percent and 3.5 percent, respectively.

This compilation of images shows stills from “Dr. Romantic.”