It Ended with 1% in Korea—Then Shocked Everyone by Topping Prime Video Charts Worldwide

While The Divorce Insurance, starring Lee Dong-wook, ended with dismal ratings in Korea, it’s now writing an unexpected success story in the global streaming scene.

The tvN Monday-Tuesday drama wrapped on May 6 with a final domestic viewership of just 1.1%, but on global OTT platforms, it’s telling a completely different story. According to streaming analytics site FlixPatrol, The Divorce Insurance ranked No. 4 worldwide in Amazon Prime TV Shows on May 7—just one day after its finale. It held its spot at No. 4 on May 8 as well, continuing its strong momentum.

The show is dominating in Asia, hitting No. 1 in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. It also charted in the top 10 in countries like Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Egypt, India, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE, reaffirming the power of Korean content overseas.

This sharp contrast between poor domestic reception and global enthusiasm reflects a growing trend in the Korean drama landscape: some shows may tank in local ratings, yet resonate powerfully with international audiences.

Despite an all-star cast—Lee Dong-wook, Lee Kwang-soo, Lee Joo-bin, and Lee Da-hee—and the directorial debut of filmmaker Lee Won-seok (Killing Romance), the drama never found its footing at home. It premiered with a 3.2% rating but dropped to 2.4% by Episode 2 and continued to decline, hitting 0.9% by Episode 11—the first tvN Mon-Tue drama to fall into the 0% range in seven years.

The finale barely closed at 1.1%, marking tvN’s first Monday-Tuesday series in five years to end in the 1% range since A Piece of Your Mind (2020). Critics and viewers attributed the drama’s struggles to a lack of immersion, citing the lead character’s three divorces as a barrier, weak continuity due to episodic storytelling, and underutilized romantic comedy elements.

In contrast, international audiences are embracing the series—especially on Amazon Prime Video, which boasts around 200 million global users and recently saw its first Korean No.1 (Marry My Husband) last year.

Analysts suggest that the differing reactions highlight cultural taste gaps and how viewing habits diverge. While Korean dramas still air twice weekly in fixed time slots, global audiences on OTT platforms binge-watch at their own pace.

The Divorce Insurance centers around a team at an insurance company tasked with developing a unique policy for modern society’s “hottest disaster”—divorce. It blends office drama with romantic comedy and explores how adults navigate the complexities of moving on and living authentically after unexpected separation.

Though it underperformed domestically, the drama’s international traction proves once again that K-content now lives far beyond Korean ratings. The Divorce Insurance will likely be remembered as another milestone in the evolving global success of Korean storytelling.

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