Drama ‘Signal’ sees critical success in China

A promotional poster for the South Korean TV series “Signal”

SEOUL, (Yonhap) — South Korean TV series “Signal” has done just as well in China as it did on its home turf, South Korea’s content agency said Friday.

The time-travel crime series was viewed more than 100 million times cumulatively on the Chinese video website Tencent since April 18, when it was uploaded onto the paid platform, the Beijing office of the Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) said.

The series concluded with a solid 12.5 percent viewership on the South Korean cable channel tvN in March, with anything above 3 percent considered successful for a South Korean cable series.

Unlike “Descendants of the Sun,” with a plot that was significantly altered in the Chinese version, all 16 episodes of “Signal” passed Chinese censorship without changes.

“It’s worth noting that the entire series was approved by the Chinese censors so the episodes available in China are exactly the same as the ones broadcast in South Korea,” KOCCA said.

Although “Descendants of the Sun” had the same premiere date in South Korea and China, “Signal” was brought to China only after concluding its South Korea run, a delay that makes these stats even more impressive, the agency added.

In the show starring actors Lee Je-hoon, Cho Jin-woong and actress Kim Hye-soo, two detectives communicate with another from the past via a walkie-talkie to solve cold cases.