Traditional Korean melodrama is losing its grip on prime-time television as a slate of highly anticipated romantic dramas has failed to translate star power into ratings success, bringing into focus the genre’s long-suspected decline.
From the hit drama My dearno clear melodramatic blockbuster emerged. In 2025, romance projects led by A-list actors have also struggled, reinforcing the perception that melodrama no longer resonates with today’s viewers.
JTBC Definitely tomorrowwhich marked Park Seo-joon’s return to romance after seven years, was supposed to revive interest in classic melodrama. Instead, the drama opened on December 6 with a disappointing 2.7% ratings nationwide, the lowest rating for a JTBC drama this year. Although ratings increased slightly to 3.9% in the fourth episode, industry observers are taking notice the numbers are well below expectations given Park Seo Joon’s status.
The contrast was especially stark compared to the same-day premiere of the legal comedy Pro Bonowhich started at 4.5% and quickly rose to 8%, highlighting the growing gap between genre dramas and traditional romance.
The trend has been consistent throughout the year. The drama The good boystarring Lee Dong-wook, saw its ratings drop as low as 1%, despite the actor’s proven box office appeal. Likewise, SBS Our movieled by Namgoong Min and Jeon Yeo-been, it failed to surpass 4.2% in its first episode before quietly exiting the program.
Namgoong Min’s case has attracted particular attention. Despite previously winning three major awards at the year-end Drama Awards, he ended the year labeled as the lead actor in SBS’s lowest-rated Friday-Saturday drama and was noticeably absent from this year’s top prize nominations.
Critics point to structural problems within the genre. While genre-based series have thrived on OTT platforms by experimenting with world-building, pacing and visual language, melodramas are increasingly criticized for clinging to outdated formulas.
An industry expert noted: “When genre dramas ask ‘what story can we show,’ melodramas are still stuck on ‘who will be the protagonist.’” Another added that many romance series continue to rely “Dim lighting, excessive close-ups, outdated gender roles and predictable obstacles in love.”
Experts say that for melodrama to regain relevance, it must evolve beyond nostalgia. As one source said, “Melodrama needs modern relationship dynamics and the same level of bold direction and visual experimentation that genre dramas have embraced.”
As viewers’ tastes change and competition intensifies, melodrama’s fate now depends on its ability to reinvent itself or risk becoming a relic of a bygone era in Korean television.
Sources: Sport Donga, JTBC, SBS
