K-Drama Overtakes $15M ‘The Haunted Palace’ After Finale With 12.6% Ratings

Recording a peak nationwide viewership rating of 12.6%, the drama maintained its momentum even after its finale, topping the overall rankings for the week of April 21–27, according to OTT content search platform Kinolights.

The drama causing this major upset is none other than KBS2’s daily series Cinderella Game, which aired its finale on April 25.

Cinderella Game not only ended strong with an average viewership of 10.5%, but also overtook SBS’s highly anticipated fantasy blockbuster The Haunted Palace (귀궁), reaffirming Korean viewers’ enduring love for traditional daily dramas.

Cinderella Game tells the story of a woman used as a fake daughter by her enemies, who transforms into an agent of revenge before ultimately discovering the true meaning of forgiveness and healing.

The drama was praised for its strong performances by seasoned actors including Na Young-hee, Han Groo, Choi Sang, and Ji Soo-won.

In second place was JTBC’s romance drama Heavenly Ever After, which follows an elderly woman named Hae-sook, who arrives in heaven and reunites with her now-youthful husband.

Led by top actors like Kim Hye-ja, Son Suk-ku, Han Ji-min, and Lee Jung-eun, the drama has drawn high expectations, bolstered by singer Lim Young-woong’s popular OST.

The drama recorded a 6.4% nationwide rating and 7.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area for its fourth episode, securing the No. 1 spot among non-terrestrial networks.

In third place was the concert film Lim Young-woong: I'm Hero – The Stadium, chronicling the star’s historic first stadium concert in Seoul in front of nearly 100,000 fans.

After drawing over 350,000 moviegoers, the film became the most-watched concert documentary in Korean history and continues to dominate on Netflix Korea’s Top 10 Movies chart for an 11th consecutive week.

SBS’s big-budget fantasy romance The Haunted Palace, starring Yook Sung-jae and Kim Ji-yeon, ranked fourth.

Despite achieving a personal best 10.4% viewership rating in its third episode, it couldn’t surpass Cinderella Game’s momentum.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

5th: JTBC’s reality show Divorce Camp

6th: Political thriller film Yadang: The Snitch (야당)

7th: Channel A’s dating reality show Heart Pairing

8th: Netflix’s drama When Life Gives You Tangerines (폭싹 속았수다)

9th: Netflix’s action series Weak Hero Class 2

10th: Genie TV’s military-themed drama Recruit 3 (신병3)

Meanwhile, Han Groo, who played Goo Hana in Cinderella Game, expressed deep affection for the project, saying:

"I learned so much from senior actors like Kim Hye-ok, Na Young-hee, Choi Jong-hwan, and Ji Soo-won. They were always so sincere, rehearsing constantly even in unlit sets. Watching them every day for seven months made me realize why they’ve lasted so long in this industry. It was humbling and motivating."

Cinderella Game wrapped up with a heartwarming finale featuring touching family reunions and the triumph of justice.

In the final episode, Goo Hana (Han Groo) and Shin Yeojin (Na Young-hee) acknowledged each other as mother and daughter, moving viewers to tears.

Meanwhile, Goo Hana and Jin-goo (Choi Sang) adopted Eun-chong (Kim Gun-woo) and welcomed a second child, and Se-young (Park Ri-won) and Ji-seok (Kwon Do-hyung) also shared joyful pregnancy news.

On the other hand, the villainous Myung-ji (Ji Soo-won) faced a miserable end, sentenced to life in prison and losing her sanity.

Following Cinderella Game, KBS has launched a new daily drama, The Queen’s House, starring Ham Eun-jung.

The new series premiered with a solid 8.6% viewership rating on April 28.

Industry analysts note that traditional Korean daily dramas like Cinderella Game continue to thrive even amid competition from high-budget fantasy productions.

Familiar family-centered storytelling, blended with emotional tension and satisfying resolution, remains a winning formula for Korean audiences.

Get the latest on K-pop & K-drama here!