K-Drama Surpasses 'When Life Gives You Tangerines', Hits 14.1% Ratings to Claim No.1!

The SBS Friday-Saturday drama Buried Hearts has set a new personal best in viewership ratings, continuing to capture intense audience interest.

According to Nielsen Korea on March 16, Episode 8, which aired on March 15, recorded nationwide and metropolitan area ratings of 12.3%, marking a 1.4 percentage point increase from the previous episode and setting a new series record. The drama’s peak viewership soared to 14.1%, while its 2049 viewership (ages 20–49) jumped to 3.2%, making it the No.1 show across all channels, including mini-series airing on Fridays and Saturdays.

The latest episode delivered an intense battle of wits and power, with Seo Dong-joo (Park Hyung-sik) risking his life for revenge, Yeom Jang-seon (Huh Joon-ho) and Heo Il-do (Lee Hae-young) driven by unchecked ambition, and Yeo Eun-nam (Hong Hwa-yeon) uncovering the horrifying truth about her stepfather.

A Deadly Gamble: Seo Dong-joo’s Revenge Plan Unfolds

In Episode 7, Seo Dong-joo, despite having a severe cinnamon allergy, knowingly ate a cinnamon-filled dessert sent by Yeom Jang-seon. This reckless decision was part of his ultimate revenge against the man who ruined his life and caused his sister’s death. As expected, Dong-joo collapsed and was rushed to the hospital, barely clinging to life. Watching from the shadows, Yeom Jang-seon and Heo Il-do smirked in satisfaction.

From the beginning, Yeom Jang-seon saw Seo Dong-joo as an obstacle. He had pressured Cha Kang-cheon (Woo Hyun), the chairman of Daesan Group, to fire him, but Dong-joo had already gained Kang-cheon’s favor, strengthening his position within the company. Meanwhile, Eun-nam, the chairman’s granddaughter and Dong-joo’s lover, was forced into a political marriage with Yeom Hee-chul (Kwon Soo-hyun), Jang-seon’s nephew. To make matters worse, a massive scandal erupted when Dong-joo, suffering from amnesia, lost access to the hacked 2 trillion KRW political slush fund.

With no way to access the slush fund, Yeom Jang-seon came up with a new plan: removing Chairman Cha Kang-cheon and installing Heo Il-do as a puppet chairman, allowing him to seize even greater financial control. This would also give him the freedom to eliminate Dong-joo entirely.

A Failed Assassination and an Explosive Discovery

Determined to kill Dong-joo, Jang-seon and Il-do orchestrated the cinnamon poisoning, but their plan backfired. Dong-joo survived, and Eun-nam discovered a video from the night Dong-joo was shot on a yacht—showing Heo Il-do at the crime scene. Additionally, she realized that Jang-seon’s secretary, Chun Gu-ho (Joo Yeon-woo), was present when Dong-joo’s sister died.

For Eun-nam, this was a devastating revelation. Her stepfather had tried to kill the man she loved, and the head of the family she was forced to marry into had a hand in his sister’s death. Determined to fight back, Eun-nam demanded a divorce from Hee-chul and used the incriminating video to threaten Jang-seon. In response, Jang-seon ordered Il-do to eliminate Dong-joo once and for all.

A Tense Hospital Confrontation

Il-do made his move at the hospital where Dong-joo was recovering, but things didn’t go as planned. Just as Dong-joo was being threatened, he suddenly regained consciousness and fought back—not against Il-do, but against a mysterious enforcer who had previously tortured him on Jang-seon’s orders. After taking down his attacker, Dong-joo locked eyes with Il-do, who had been watching from the doorway, realizing that his enemies now knew he had survived.

As the episode ended, the two men exchanged an intense stare, setting the stage for the final battle.

A High-Stakes Original Revenge Thriller

Unlike many K-dramas adapted from existing works, Buried Hearts is an original revenge thriller. The story follows Seo Dong-joo, a man who hacked a 2 trillion KRW political slush fund and now fights to destroy the corrupt forces that tried to kill him.

With just one episode left, the stakes are higher than ever. Will Dong-joo take down Yeom Jang-seon and Heo Il-do, or will the villains win? Could a second season be in the works?

The final episode of Buried Hearts airs on March 22 at 10 PM KST (Friday) and 9:50 PM KST (Saturday) on SBS. Full character details and relationship charts are available on the drama’s official website.