K-Drama’s Shocking ‘Coming Out’ Plot Twist Breaks Viewership Records and Social Boundaries!

JTBC's weekend drama, which continues to climb in viewership, delivered a shocking twist that left audiences stunned. With its intense and unpredictable storyline, the drama broke its own record for highest ratings once again.

According to Nielsen Korea’s report on the 16th, the fourth episode of The Tale of Lady Ok (written by Park Ji-sook, directed by Jin Hyuk and Choi Bo-yoon), which aired on the 15th, recorded a nationwide rating of 8.49% among paid households. This marks a 0.71% increase compared to last week, once again breaking its own highest viewership record. In the Seoul metropolitan area, peak minute ratings soared to 10.0%. Despite two prior cancellations due to a state of emergency and impeachment-related coverage, the drama experienced no setbacks.

In the fourth episode, aired that day, Seong Yoon-gyeom (played by Choo Young-woo) was shown coming out as a sexual minority. Additionally, Yoon-gyeom discovered that Goo Deok-i (played by Lim Ji-yeon) was a runaway servant. Reacting to this revelation, Yoon-gyeom said, “I thought I could accept any secret, but I admit I was surprised. Still, I’m relieved that the reason you rejected the marriage wasn’t because of me,” expressing his unexpected relief about her secret.

In response, Goo Deok-i confessed the real reason for her rejection of the marriage, saying, “Even if I must do it, I fear marriage. Even if I pretend to be a noblewoman, once I marry, I would bear children. How could a servant’s child dare to carry on the lineage of a noble family?”

To this, Yoon-gyeom replied, “If you’re worried I might reveal your secret, perhaps I should tell you a secret of mine that must never be known?” He continued, “I also didn’t want to get married. I cannot be with a woman. If this secret were revealed, I too would not escape death. So please forgive me for not being honest,” suddenly confessing that he was a sexual minority.

Meanwhile, Seong Yoon-gyeom was protecting children in similar circumstances to his own through a group called AeSimDan. However, AeSimDan was accused of being a treasonous faction conducting military training. Yoon-gyeom revealed the branding on his shoulder to his father, Seong Gyu-jin (played by Sung Dong-il). Ok Tae-young defended him, saying, "My husband only helped children who are minorities," but Seong Gyu-jin rebuked him, saying, "Why did you do such things for a handful of children?"

Yoon-gyeom pleaded, "Because I am the same as those children. I did it to survive, to save them. I was just trying to find a way for us to live." However, Seong Gyu-jin responded harshly, saying, "If you found a way to live, you should have hidden it and lived with it. From now on, you will only live as my son and as the husband of this child. Tear off your skin, cut off your arm if you have to, and erase that branding."

Yoon-gyeom stood his ground, replying, "I cannot do that. Before being a son or a husband, I am the leader of AeSimDan." Enraged, Seong Gyu-jin ordered him to leave, saying, "Get out of here immediately. If I see you again, I will kill you as a traitor. Never return here again, my son." Consequently, Yoon-gyeom was stripped of his government post for aiding treason and severed ties with his father.

The unexpected plot development left many viewers shocked, with comments flooding in such as, “I can’t believe the story is going this way…,” “Coming out…,” “The male lead is a sexual minority?” “Why is this storyline here?” “Suddenly?” “A whole group of children being minorities is so unexpected,” “I never saw this coming,” “Yesterday’s episode was shocking,” “I’m genuinely bewildered,” “Bring back the romance line,” “This plot twist feels random,” “I was expecting romance, but it turned out to be fake,” “Who could’ve imagined he was a sexual minority?” “The storyline is so surprising,” “And yet it’s breaking its own ratings record…” and “He was perfect as the male lead.”

Meanwhile, The Tale of Lady Ok, starring Lim Ji-yeon and Choo Young-woo, portrays the intense survival story of Ok Tae-young (Lim Ji-yeon), a woman whose name, status, and husband are all fake, and Chun Seung-hwi (Choo Young-woo), an entertainer who risked his life to protect her. The drama airs every Saturday and Sunday at 10:30 PM KST on JTBC.

The Tale of Lady Ok Re-Air Schedule: Channel and Time Guide

JTBC, JTBC2, and JTBC4 will air reruns of the popular drama The Tale of Lady Ok at various times. Refer to the schedule below to find a suitable time for catching the reruns.

JTBC Schedule

December 16 (Mon)

11:40 AM: Episode 3

1:10 PM: Episode 4

December 17 (Tue)

2:00 PM: Episode 3

3:40 PM: Episode 4

December 18 (Wed)

8:50 PM: Episode 3

10:30 PM: Episode 4

JTBC2 Schedule

December 16 (Mon)

9:28 AM: Episode 4

2:26 PM: Episode 3

3:58 PM: Episode 4

7:18 PM: Episode 3

8:51 PM: Episode 4

December 17 (Tue)

9:40 AM: Episode 3

11:00 AM: Episode 4

5:20 PM: Episode 3

6:40 PM: Episode 4

December 18 (Wed)

9:40 AM: Episode 4

2:10 PM: Episode 3

3:30 PM: Episode 4

11:50 PM: Episode 3

JTBC4 Schedule

December 17 (Tue)

2:24 AM: Episode 2

12:40 PM: Episode 2

2:20 PM: Episode 3

December 18 (Wed)

1:20 AM: Episode 3