Hit K-drama ‘King the Land’ concludes with its highest ratings, cast thanks viewers for their support
JTBC's King the Land starring 2PM's Lee Junho and Girls Generation's Yoona aired its final episode on Aug. 6 with the highest viewership ratings of its entire run in South Korea.
According to Nielsen Korea, the series finale scored an average nationwide rating of 13.8%, which means 3.4 million people in South Korea watched the last episode, marking a new record for the drama.
The popular romantic comedy series also garnered an average rating of 14.5% in the metropolitan area, showing that Episode 16 was watched by 1.71 million people in Seoul, Gyeonggi, and Incheon alone.
The cast expressed their thanks to everyone who contributed to the show's success in a video uploaded on JTBC's social media pages on Monday, Aug. 7.
"I sincerely thank all the staff members and [fellow] actors who worked really hard for this drama for the past 9 months or so. Because of you all, we’re able to conclude the drama well and safely," said Junho, as translated by K-entertainment site Soompi.
"During the first script reading, I said that I wished we would be able to maintain a bright smile through the entire filming process of the drama. I am happy that we were able [to do so and] complete the drama well. I hope [King the Land] can receive a lot of love. I am grateful that we were able to wrap up production safely. Thank you," Yoona added, expressing her hope that the series will stay in their viewers' hearts "for a long time."
Go Won Hee, who portrayed the role of Oh Pyung Hwa, said he will miss working with the cast a lot as they have formed a tight friendship since they first met in September last year, just like their bond in the series. "Filming was always so much fun and I always wanted to come to the set as soon as possible, so I think this will be a drama that will remind me of that friendship [in the future too]."
For his part, Kim Ga Eun (Kang Da Eul) said he feels it's a "pity" that they have to let the show go at this point. "Thanks to the positive Da Eul, I received a lot of good energy and was able to enjoy filming," he continued, thanking the directors, writers, staff, and his fellow actors for their hard work as well as their fans who tuned in to the show.
Ahn Se Ha (Noh Sang Sik) echoed her fellow actors' sentiments. "I feel sad that I won’t be able to see the members again in the drama since we had grown so close. I think I’ll remember [this drama] for a long time, I was so happy while filming King the Land," she said. "The director was great and the staff was so kind to us on set, so I think I was able to film it happily. And to Junho, Yoona, Ga Eun, Jae Won, and Won Hee, the six siblings, I was very happy! Thank you."
Kim Jae Won (Lee Ro Woon) described King the Land as "a drama that contains the days and nights of hard work of many people."
"I, too, personally put a lot of love and sincerity into it, so please give it lots of love and look forward to it. Please always take care of your health and I’ll see you again with another good project. Goodbye!" he concluded. Watch the full video of their closing remarks below.
King The Land tells the story of Goo Won who meets Cheon Sa-rang in a quest to find the true meaning of happiness amid the inheritance war. Yoona portrayed Cheon Sa-rang, a newly-hired employee at the King Hotel who “makes the world brighter with her smile,” while Junho played the role of Goo Won, a chaebol who’s in the running to inherit the prestigious King Group conglomerate. Episode 16 featured their wedding—their happily ever after that viewers waited for.