Three Korean Weekend Dramas Reach New Ratings Highs

South Korea’s weekend drama lineup grew more competitive this week as three scripted series reached their highest ratings yet, pointing to a broad lift in audience attention across romance, family, and character-driven television.

On July 26, tvN’s Spooky in Love, KBS 2TV’s The Husband, and KBS 2TV’s Love on the Menu all posted personal-best viewership numbers. The gains came on the same night, making the latest ratings round less about one isolated breakout and more about a crowded weekend schedule finding several different pockets of momentum.

Spooky in Love climbed to an average nationwide rating of 5.8 percent for its fourth episode. For a drama still early in its run, that kind of rise is especially meaningful because the first several episodes often determine whether casual viewers will keep sampling the story or move on to competing titles. A fourth-episode high suggests the series is not only holding initial curiosity but converting at least some of it into repeat viewing.

Early Momentum Meets Late-Run Stakes

The strongest number among the three personal records belonged to Love on the Menu, which rose to an average nationwide rating of 13.0 percent with only its second episode. A double-digit start gives the drama a valuable cushion at the beginning of its broadcast life. It also indicates that the show has quickly positioned itself as a major weekend option, helped by the audience habits that can form around accessible, emotionally clear prime-time storytelling.

The Husband also set a new all-time high, reaching an average nationwide rating of 7.3 percent. The timing gives the increase extra weight: the drama is heading into the final two weeks of its run, when unresolved conflicts, character choices, and closing twists often pull wavering viewers back into the broadcast. A late-stage high can signal that the story’s central tensions are landing with enough force to turn the ending stretch into appointment viewing.

The simultaneous rise across these titles shows how different stages of a drama’s life cycle can produce ratings growth for different reasons. A new series can benefit from launch curiosity and fast word of mouth. An early-run series can grow if its premise becomes clearer and its characters start to connect. A drama nearing its finale can gain urgency as viewers return to see whether the emotional promises of the story will pay off.

A Crowded Field Still Leaves Room To Grow

JTBC’s The Apartment Job remained part of the weekend conversation as well, recording an average nationwide rating of 5.2 percent as it completed the first half of its run. While the latest figure was not described as a personal record, its placement alongside three rising competitors underscores the density of the weekend drama market. Viewers are not choosing from one dominant title alone; several shows are competing for attention with distinct tones and viewing hooks.

For broadcasters, the latest ratings offer useful signals about scheduling and audience appetite. KBS 2TV benefited from two different dramas improving on the same night, with Love on the Menu delivering the largest number and The Husband building late-season urgency. tvN, meanwhile, gained evidence that Spooky in Love has room to expand beyond its premiere-week audience as it moves deeper into its story.

Ratings are only one measure of a drama’s impact, especially in an era when streaming availability, social clips, overseas subtitles, and online discussion can extend a show’s reach beyond its live broadcast window. Still, nationwide viewership remains an important indicator of domestic traction. When several dramas rise together, it often reflects a healthy programming environment in which audiences are actively sampling multiple stories rather than ignoring the slot altogether.

The next few weeks will test whether these gains can be sustained. Love on the Menu now faces the challenge of maintaining a strong launch after its second episode. Spooky in Love must prove that its early climb can continue as the plot expands. The Husband has a shorter runway, but its new high gives the final stretch more visibility. Together, their latest numbers make the weekend drama race one of the more active corners of Korean television right now.