From 3.6% to Netflix No.1: The Underdog K-drama Beating Big-Budget Giants

tvN's new drama ''Our Unwritten Seoul'' may have opened with a modest 3% viewership rating, but it didn’t stay quiet for long. Just three days after its premiere, the show skyrocketed to No.1 on Netflix Korea’s “Top 10 Series” chart.

On May 27, ''Our Unwritten Seoul'', starring Park Bo-young, claimed the top spot—beating out heavy-hitters like SBS's big-budget drama ''The Haunted Palace", Netflix original ''Dear Hongrang'', KBS's ''Tastefully Yours'' with Kang Ha-neul and Go Min-si, and tvN's recently concluded hit ''Heavenly Ever After''.

A Twin-Switch Drama with a Twist

In ''Our Unwritten Seoul'', Park Bo-young takes on the intense challenge of playing twin sisters with opposite lives and personalities. The drama premiered on May 24 with a 3.6% nationwide rating (Nielsen Korea), but episode 2, aired on May 25, soared to a 5.0% average (peaking at 5.8%), and a 5.6% rating in the Seoul metropolitan area (peaking at 6.5%).

The story begins when Yumi-ji, a country girl from Do-son-ri, visits her twin sister Yu-mi-ra in Seoul—only to find her on the verge of suicide. Shocked to learn that her seemingly “successful” sister is suffering from severe workplace bullying, Yumi-ji proposes they swap lives. Mi-ra, exhausted and broken, agrees.

Park Bo-young’s Four-in-One Acting Challenge

Park’s performance is being praised for its stunning nuance. Not only does she portray two different characters, she also plays those characters pretending to be each other—essentially pulling off four personas at once. From speech patterns to body language and emotional subtleties, her transformation has viewers saying, “This isn’t just dual acting—it’s quad acting, and she nails it.”

Yumi-ji, now posing as her sister in Seoul, tries to survive corporate life using a cheat sheet Mi-ra left behind. But she’s soon duped into taking on a major project and gets rejected by a key client, building owner Kim Rosa (played by veteran actress Won Mi-kyung).

Old Flame, New Suspicion

A bigger threat emerges in the form of Yumi-ji’s first love, Lee Ho-soo (played by Jinyoung), who has an uncanny ability to recognize her. Despite her act, he starts calling her “Yumi-ji” repeatedly—and by the end of episode 2, he looks her in the eye and says: “You’re Yumi-ji, aren’t you?” Cue cliffhanger. Meanwhile, in Do-son-ri, Yu-mi-ra, now living as her sister, arouses suspicion among villagers for her unfamiliar behavior. But she gets a part-time gig at Changhwa Farm, working under farmer Han Se-jin (played by Ryu Kyung-soo). Through the experience, she begins to understand the isolation and emotional burden her sister carried for years.

Rather than relying on flashy twists, ''Our Unwritten Seoul'' explores deeper emotional questions, asking “Who am I, really?”

Penned by Lee Kang, known for the intergenerational empathy of ''Youth of May'', the drama marks the writer’s return after four years. Directed by Park Shin-woo (''Our Beloved Summer'', ''Romance Is a Bonus Book''), the show leans into poetic visuals and lyrical atmosphere.

Episode 3 of ‘Our Unwritten Seoul’ airs May 31 at 9:20 PM KST.

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