"Empress Ki" Viewership Rating in Taiwan Reaches Over 5%, Follows the Success of "Dae Jang Geum" in 2004

The historical drama “Empress Ki,” which stars Ha Ji Won, Joo Jin Mo, and Ji Chang Wook, has proven that it has truly captivated the hearts of Taiwanese drama fans as it reached a 5.35% viewership rating in the country.

According to a report by Taiwan’s drama channel ETTV on October 29, “Empress Ki” has ranked as the best foreign program for the year as it reached a 5.35% viewership rating in the country.

This is the second time that a Korean drama has surpassed the 5 percent mark in the ratings, with “Empress Ki” following another hit historical drama, “Dae Jang Geum.” When “Dae Jang Geum” was aired in Taiwan in 2004, the drama garnered a 6.22% viewership rating, the highest rating record for a Korean drama.

Taiwan’s ETTV attributed the secret to the popularity of “Empress Ki” to the enthusiastic and detailed performance of its lead stars Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook as well as the elaborate scenes that showed the heart-wrenching love story of the two.

“While it is a Korean historical drama, Taiwanese viewers found it interesting that the drama was set with a Chinese background in ‘Yuan Dynasty.’ The perfect, high quality translation also contributed to the popularity of its content,” said a department head of a drama channel.

“Empress Ki,” which started airing in Korea in October last year, also enjoyed great popularity in the country during its airing. It garnered over 30% in viewership rating for its final episode which aired in April 2014. It is also the recipient of several awards including “Best Series Drama (Golden Bird Prize)” at the 9th Seoul International Awards.