When the Phone Rings chases global fame on Netflix; Park Bo Young, Lim Ji Yeon's K-dramas on buzzworthy record paths
The OTT space has owned up to its K-drama obsession. Latest hits like When the Phone Rings, The Trunk, Light Shop and more locked major ranks this week.
Thanks to Yoo Yeon Seok and Chae Soo Bin’s one-of-a-kind, intoxicating chemistry, the MBC drama series When the Phone Rings’ global fame has gone off the hook. Since its premiere on the South Korean network and global streaming giant Netflix on November 22, the series has consistently occupied top-ranking positions across TV Top 10 charts. Despite the cyclic delays of a new broadcast in the wake of political tensions in South Korea since President Yoon Suk Yeol briefly declared martial law earlier this month, the K-drama rose to the second rank on Netflix’s Global Top 10 (non-English) Shows chart for the first week of December (2nd to 8th). Garnering 4.3 million views this week, the melodrama series continued its three-week streak on the streamer’s rankings.
When the Phone Rings finds domestic and international TV success
On the other hand, it slipped a few ranks to take fourth place in South Korea’s TV-OTT combined topicality survey for the first week of December, according to Good Data Corporation’s December 10 update. Both leading stars of the show also lost their top-ranking spots as Yoo Yeon Seok came in 7th and Chae Soo Bin in 9th place on the drama performers chart. Nevertheless, they maintained their positions in the weekly Top 10 list.
On the global side, their show did exceptionally well. According to the December 10 daily survey revision on FlixPatrol, a website aggregating content viewing rankings on global OTT platforms, When the Phone Rings claimed the fourth spot on the Top 10 TV Shows on Netflix that day. This list collectively ranked the English and non-English titles, unlike the streamer’s exclusive weekly Top 10 rankings.
The Tale of Lady Ok on the rise
The Lim Ji Yeon-led JTBC historical drama The Tale of Lady Ok set a viewership record by taking the top spot in the TV-OTT topicality ranking after just three episodes. Despite its fairly recent premiere on November 30, the show is already leading the national TV competition, with Lim herself ranking atop the drama performers list and her co-star Choo Young Woo trailing behind at #2.
Like When the Phone Rings, The Tale of Lady Ok has also reached out to global K-drama enthusiasts through Netflix. The streamer’s own Global Top 10 TV (non-English) rankings saw it occupy the 8th spot, amassing 1.6 million views in its debut week on the chart. Meanwhile, it rounded out FlixPatrol’s Top TV Shows (Netflix) on December 10.
Other OTT K-drama success stories
Netflix's original series The Trunk, starring Gong Yoo and Seo Hyun Jin, was the third K-drama spotted on this international ranking chart, as it slid in at #8. Back on the streaming giant’s (non-English) shows’ chart, it extended its two-week Global Top 10 streak at #3.
Squid Game Season 2 has yet to air, with its release date slated for December 26. Nonetheless, the sensational K-drama franchise has already climbed to #3 in the TV-OTT buzzworthy rankings.
Disney+ K-dramas: Light Shop on top
Another significantly unmistakable OTT success story has been found in Disney+’s (or Hulu) Light Shop. The mystery horror series has been penned by the award-winning webtoon artist and screenwriter Kang Full, who was behind the hit superhero series Moving.
Led by an ensemble cast featuring talents like Ju Ji Hoon, Park Bo Young, and Uhm Tae Goo, the December 4 premiere came in at #5 on Good Data Corporation’s TV-OTT buzzworthy rankings. FlixPatrol, on the other hand, granted it a much higher and record-setting position at #2 worldwide in the Disney+ TV show category on December 10.
The same global chart also recognised the global fame of Ji Chang Wook’s Gangnam B-Side and Kim Nam Gil’s The Fiery Priest 2, which were ranked #5 and #6, respectively.
K-dramas ranking on Netflix's Global Top 10 Non-English Shows chart (Dec 2-8)
| K-drama | Rank | Weeks on Global Top 10 | Views |
| When the Phone Rings | 2 | 3 | 4.3 million |
| The Trunk | 3 | 2 | 4.1 million |
| The Tale of Lady Ok | 8 | 1 | 1.6 million |
K-dramas ranked by FlixPatrol across OTT platforms (Dec 10)
| K-drama | OTT platform | Rank |
| When the Phone Rings | Netflix | 4 |
| The Trunk | Netflix | 8 |
| The Tale of Lady Ok | Netflix | 10 |
| Light Shop | Disney+ | 2 |
| Gangnam B-Side | Disney+ | 5 |
| The Fiery Priest | Disney+ | 6 |
| Marry My Husband | Amazon Prime | 10 |
Top 10 Kdramas that generated the most buzz in Week 1 of December
| TV | TV-OTT |
| 1. The Tale of Lady Ok (JTBC) | 1. The Tale of Lady Ok (JTBC) |
| 2. The Fiery Priest 2 (SBS) | 2. The Fiery Priest 2 (SBS) |
| 3. Squid Game Season 2 (Netflix) | 3. When the Phone Rings (MBC) |
| 4. When the Phone Rings (MBC) | 4. Love Your Enemy (tvN) |
| 5. Light Shop (DIsney+) | 5. Parole Examiner Lee (tvN) |
| 6. Love Your Enemy (tvN) | 6. Iron Familly (KBS2) |
| 7. The Trunk (Netflix) | 7. Cinderella Game (KBS2) |
| 8. Parole Examiner Lee (tvN) | 8. Sorry not Sorry (KBS Joy) |
| 9. Family Matters (Coupang Play) | 9. Brewing love (ENA) |
| 10. Iron Familly (KBS2) | 10. Face Me (KBS2) |
Top 10 drama actors who generated the most buzz in Week 1 of December
| Performer | K-drama |
| 1. Lim Ji Yeon | The Tale of Lady Ok |
| 2. Choo Young Woo | The Tale of Lady Ok |
| 3. Ju Ji Hoon | Love Your Enemy |
| 4. Jung Yumi | Love Your Enemy |
| 5. Gong Yoo | The Trunk |
| 6. Seo Hyun Jin | The Trunk |
| 7. Yoo Yeon Seok | When the Phone Rings |
| 8. Kim Nam Gil | The Fiery Priest 2 |
| 9. Chae Soo Bin | When the Phone Rings |
| 10. Go Soo | Parole Examiner Lee |
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