Lee Jong-suk Stars in 〈Seocho-dong〉 Creating a Global Sensation in 150 Countries

Lee Jong-suk's comeback work, tvN's weekend drama 〈Seocho-dong〉, has received a warm response from viewers in over 150 countries since its premiere, showing signs of a global phenomenon. 〈Seocho-dong〉 features realistic events inspired by the vivid experiences of current lawyer Lee Seung-hyun, and charming actors such as Lee Jong-suk, Moon Ga-young, Kang Yoo-seok, Ryu Hye-young, and Lim Sung-jae, who bring laughter to viewers with their delightful chemistry as lawyers.

In particular, 〈Seocho-dong〉 has achieved overwhelming success in various Asian countries. On Japan's largest OTT platform, U-NEXT, it ranked 2nd in drama rankings and 6th in overall rankings (the highest ranking among 2025 releases). On Taiwan's top OTT platform, iQIYI, it reached 1st place in the Korean drama category and 7th place in the overall drama rankings, proving its unique presence in Asia. On tvN Asia, the largest K-drama channel in Southeast Asia, it ranked 1st in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines during the same time slot, and also caught attention by ranking 3rd in drama and 5th in overall on Friday Video and Disney+ while achieving 1st place domestically.

This popularity is spreading to the Americas and Europe. On the global OTT platform Rakuten Viki, it entered the TOP 5 based on viewer numbers in 144 countries, including the United States, Brazil, France, the United Arab Emirates, and India, achieving 1st place in the Middle East and India, and 2nd place in the Americas, Europe, and Oceania weekly. This achievement proves that the universal emotions and everyday life depicted in Korean dramas transcend borders through the legal drama genre.

Among domestic and international communities and overseas fans, there are praises such as "a highly realistic lawyer story," "freshness in dealing with lawyers as professionals," and "the outstanding acting skills of the actors are a treat for the ears." In fact, just four episodes into its airing, it achieved a viewership rating of 6.8% in the metropolitan area, ranking 1st in its time slot (based on Nielsen Korea's paid platform), showing a hot domestic response. Meanwhile, 'Seocho-dong' is being serviced under the English title 'Law and the City' on various overseas platforms. The drama is proving the strength of K-dramas in terms of its closely-knit episodes, the actors' performances, and its popularity, making a strong start in the box office.