KBS2‘s Entertainment Weekly surveyed Koreans on what they thought the best drama ever made was, and here are the top 4 they chose.
4. Moonlight Drawn by Clouds
Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, also known as Love in the Moonlight, was a hit both in Korea and overseas. The drama cemented Park Bo Gum‘s place as one of Asia’s top celebrities and received praise for all aspects, including production, music, and acting. The drama peaked at 23.3% ratings, excellent numbers for a drama airing on Monday/Tuesday.
3. Winter Sonata
Winter Sonata is credited as one of the founding footsteps in spreading Hallyu throughout Asia. Bae Yong Joon was given the nickname Yon-sama by his hoards of Japanese female fans. The drama had unprecedented success through the continent, bringing billions of dollars worth of tourism and merchandise sales to Korea. While the series only peaked at 28.8% viewer ratings, the amount of publicity it brought about Korea to the rest of Asia is still unmatched today.
2. Autumn in My Heart
Autumn in My Heart, starring Song Hye Kyo, Song Seung Heon, and Won Bin, is considered one of the “representative works” for each of these actors, even though it was filmed almost 20 years ago. Before Winter Sonata blew up, Autumn in My Heart was being considered as the beginning of the Hallyu wave throughout Asia. Tours of the filming locations were introduced so all of the foreign fans who watched the drama could be at the same place their favorite actors filmed at.
1. Descendants from the Sun
Descendants of the Sun was one of the biggest hit dramas ever to come out of Korea. Peaking at an almost unheard of 38.8% viewer ratings, on a weeknight drama, it shot Song Joong Ki and Song Hye Kyo into massive stardom, and created permanent economic growth for Korea. Everything from the drama became hits, from the OST to the filming locations, to the products shown in the drama.
