▲ This image, provided by tvN on Aug. 19, 2024, shows scenes from romantic series "Love Next Door" starring actors Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

 

SEOUL, Aug. 19 (Yonhap) -- The new romantic comedy drama "Love Next Door," starring Jung Hae-in and Jung So-min, premiered with ratings in the 4% range.

 

According to Nielsen Korea on the 18th, the first episode of tvN's drama "Love Next Door," which aired the previous day, recorded a viewership rating of 4.899%. This is higher than the 3.514% rating of "Thank You," which aired in the same time slot a week earlier.

 

The first episode begins with a scene where the mothers of the main characters, Choi Seung-hyo (played by Jung Hae-in) and Bae Seok-ryu (played by Jung So-min), are hiking together and engage in a competitive conversation, boasting about their children.

 

Choi Seung-hyo is a successful young architect, while Bae Seok-ryu works at a global corporation in the United States. The mothers’ dispute ends with Seok-ryu’s mother winning, as her daughter is the first to get engaged.

 

Meanwhile, Bae Seok-ryu returns to Korea from the United States without informing her family. While wandering around her neighborhood, she runs into Choi Seung-hyo and confides in him about her broken engagement. At that moment, Seok-ryu's mother appears and overhears the conversation, causing her to be shocked.

 

Bae Seok-ryu reveals not only her broken engagement but also that she quit her job. As Seung-hyo watches Seok-ryu get scolded by her mother, the episode ends with him reminiscing about their childhood memories.

 

"Love Next Door" tells the story of Bae Seok-ryu, who wants to start her life over, and her reunion with Choi Seung-hyo, who knows all too well about her past.

 

The first episode humorously portrayed the mothers' competitive boasting about their children, the shock of Seok-ryu's parents upon learning about her broken engagement and resignation, and featured comedic performances by Park Ji-young as Seok-ryu's mother and Jang Young-nam as Seung-hyo's mother.

 

However, the scene where Seok-ryu gets scolded by her mother lasted over five minutes, and the specific details of what happened to Seok-ryu were not revealed, leading to a slightly slow-paced and somewhat frustrating viewing experience.

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]