Why K-drama The World of the Married is getting higher ratings than Itaewon Class
Only six episodes in and The World of the Married has already advanced to the second-highest spot in JTBC’s viewership ratings, following Sky Castle.
To catch you up: The World of the Married is the new weekend series (replacing Itaewon Class and overtaking the series’ record-high ratings, too) that centres on Ji Sun-woo (played by Kim Hee-ae), who appears to have a perfect life. She is a well-respected doctor in a happy marriage with husband, Lee Tae-oh, with whom she has a son – that is, until she finds out he has another woman.
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A couple’s world
While The World of the Married is purely fictional, it tackles different views on divorce as well. For the sake of her son, Sun-woo had second thoughts about getting a divorce. It didn’t help that her friends, as well as Tae-oh’s mother, also tried convincing her to just look the other way.
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Psychological tension
Kim Hee-ae, who plays Ji Sun-woo, is joined by Park Hae-joon as the husband with problematic morals, and Han So-hee, who plays the young and naive other woman. Kim is no stranger to playing wifely roles of women who are caught up in their husband’s extramarital affairs, as two of her other popular dramas, My Husband's Woman in 2007 and Secret Affair in 2014, deal with the same theme. But what makes The World of the Married different?
“I was captivated by the strength of the story, which develops with weight and tension and with a focus on the characters’ psychology,” Soompi reported Kim saying. As Sun-woo transforms from a devoted wife to a schemer behind her husband’s back, Kim delivers a compelling performance that makes us sympathise with her one moment – and fear her the next.
She had tried to forgive her fooling husband at first, but as Tae-oh continued to see the other woman, the betrayal that weighed her down forced her to crack – and there’s no turning back for Sun-woo. How far is she willing to take her revenge?
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Bloody revenge
While based on British series Doctor Foster, the R-rated Korean version does not dwell on the details of the affair itself, but uses the premise of adultery to build on its speedy plotline and power-packed episodes, with one shocking reveal after the next.
In fact, Sun-woo uncovers the sordid details and the extent of her husband’s cheating right in the first episode. There’s no beating around the bush. At a staggering pace of ups and downs, we are led through betrayals, nasty schemes and unravelling the worst of the people that surround her.
The shock of her life gets her in a psychological mess. And despite the depressing narrative that surrounds Sun-woo’s broken family, we just cannot look away. How the turn of events will change her life – for better or worse – are for us to see in the next 10 episodes.
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The new South Korean series stars veteran actors Kim Hee-ae, Park Hae-joon and Han So-hee and has twists to keep the suspense going