Star of 14.6% Ratings Hit Tops This Month’s Actor Brand Rankings!

Actor Park Hyung-sik is earning critical and public acclaim for his lead role in SBS’s weekend drama 'Buried Hearts.'

It just achieved its highest nationwide viewership rating yet—14.6%, according to Nielsen Korea. The revenge-driven thriller, centered on a genius hacker who steals 2 trillion won in political slush funds to take down a powerful enemy, has held the No.1 spot in ratings every week since its premiere.

Amid the show’s rise, Park Hyung-sik also claimed the No.1 spot in April’s Drama Actor Brand Reputation Rankings, according to Korea’s Brand Reputation Research Institute. The results, based on 59.85 million pieces of big data analyzed between March 10 and April 10, reflected factors such as brand engagement, media coverage, communication, and community buzz.

Park’s scores were as follows: Participation Index: 489,317, Media Index: 562,305, Communication Index: 962,901, Community Index: 1,784,292, Total Brand Reputation Index: 3,798,815. (Ranked #1)

In keyword analysis, terms most associated with Park were “passionate acting,” “revenge,” and “emotional depth.” The most mentioned related keywords included “Buried Hearts,” “Huh Joon-ho,” and “ratings.” His positive-to-negative sentiment ratio stood at a staggering 91.84% positive, highlighting both his performance and favorable public image.

The brand index rankings included a total of 50 actors currently appearing in dramas, with Park Hyung-sik topping a list that also featured Seo Kang-joon, Park Eun-bin, Park Bo-gum, Mun Ka-young, Ju Ji-hoon, Huh Joon-ho, Kim Shin-rok, and many others.

The growing popularity of Buried Hearts is undeniable. The show, now just two episodes away from its finale, continues to break its own records, having surpassed its peak rating nine times across 14 episodes. Episode 14 recorded a nationwide average of 14.6% and a momentary peak of 16.1%. This kind of steady, week-to-week growth is rare in K-dramas and speaks to the drama’s explosive impact.

The story is now building to its climax. After the death of villain Huh Il-do (played by Lee Hae-young), protagonist Seo Dong-joo’s (Park Hyung-sik) final showdown with antagonist Yeom Jang-seon (Lee Hyun-woo) draws near. Dong-joo’s emotional journey—marked by his resilience, survival, and quest for revenge—has been brought to life through Park Hyung-sik’s nuanced, emotionally charged performance.

Producers teased, “Episodes 15 and 16 will deliver plot twists beyond imagination. The cast’s performances will reach their peak—the true climax of 'Buried Hearts' starts now.”

The final two episodes of 'Buried Hearts' will air on April 12 and 13 on SBS.