‘The East Palace’ Leads Weekly Drama Buzz Rankings as So Ji Sub Tops Actor List

‘The East Palace’ remained the most-discussed Korean drama of the week, extending its run at the top of the latest buzz rankings. The Netflix series held first place for a second consecutive week, while SBS action drama ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ stayed close behind in second.

The weekly figures track public attention around current and upcoming dramas through activity across news coverage, blogs, online communities, video platforms and social media. The results offer a snapshot of which shows are generating conversation beyond traditional viewing metrics.

‘The East Palace’ keeps its momentum

The sustained No. 1 position puts ‘The East Palace’ at the center of the current drama conversation. Its cast also featured prominently in the individual rankings: Nam Joo Hyuk took second place among actors, while Roh Yoon Seo ranked sixth. That combination suggests attention is reaching both the series itself and its leading performers.

The drama’s continued visibility is notable in a crowded period for Korean television, with streaming platforms, cable channels and terrestrial broadcasters all competing for viewer interest. A strong buzz result does not measure audience size alone, but it can reflect how successfully a series is sustaining discussion as episodes unfold.

For a show with a palace-centered title and genre-driven appeal, the ranking signals that its story world and cast have given audiences plenty to follow week after week. The second straight week at No. 1 also provides a clear marker of consistency rather than a one-time surge.

So Ji Sub leads a deep ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ showing

‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ retained second place in the drama ranking, but its strongest result came in the actor list. So Ji Sub rose to No. 1, leading four performers from the action series into the top 10. Yoon Kyung Ho placed fifth, Joo Sang Wook came in eighth and Choi Dae Hoon took ninth.

That concentration across one ensemble gives the SBS drama a distinctive presence in the weekly results. It suggests viewers are not focusing solely on its lead, but are following multiple characters and performances as the story develops. The ranking also underscores the value of a supporting cast in building an ongoing conversation around a serialized action drama.

While ‘The East Palace’ led the overall drama list, ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ showed how an established cast can shape individual attention. The two series now stand as the week’s clearest examples of drama-level and actor-level visibility moving in parallel.

Other dramas hold key places

Disney+ series ‘A Shop for Killers 2’ ranked third among dramas, matching the third-place finish for its star Lee Dong Wook. tvN’s ‘Spooky in Love’ followed in fourth place, with Park Eun Bin and Yang Se Jong placing fourth and seventh, respectively, in the actor ranking.

‘See You at Work Tomorrow!’ maintained fifth place on the drama list, while Seo In Guk rounded out the actor top 10. Elsewhere, ‘Love on the Menu’ entered the drama ranking at No. 10, giving the new KBS2 title an early place in the wider weekly conversation.

The remaining drama top 10 included ‘The Apartment Job,’ ‘Teach You a Lesson,’ ‘The Husband’ and ‘Dream to You.’ Together, the list reflects a broad mix of platforms and formats, from streaming releases to cable and broadcast titles.

A weekly picture of a competitive drama field

Buzz rankings should be read as a measure of conversation, not a final verdict on a drama’s long-term success. Still, they can reveal which titles are cutting through a busy release calendar and which actors are becoming central to that attention.

For now, ‘The East Palace’ has maintained the drama lead, while So Ji Sub and the ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ ensemble have made a powerful impression in the actor standings. With new episodes and new releases continuing to arrive, next week’s list will show whether those trends can hold.