Queen of Tears: The most popular K-drama of 2024 - everything you need to know
A new study revealed that ‘Queen of Tears’ is the most searched Korean drama of 2024.
The study, conducted by QR Code Generator, analyzed a list of all Korean dramas that were released in 2024 from AsianWiki to discover which titles generated the highest global search volumes.
Queen of Tears claims the top spot with 2,060,000 average monthly searches. The story follows an heiress of a chaebol family (owners of a large business conglomerate) and a son of farmers as they go through a marital crisis and fight to stay together against all odds. The drama aired between March and April 2024 and was highly praised, with an IMDb score of 8.2 out of 10.
Coming in second is Lovely Runner with 1,550,000 average monthly searches. This drama tells the story of a passionate fan who goes back in time to save her favorite idol from a tragic ending. Premiering in February 2024, it received a rating of 8.6 out of 10 on IMDb despite being at the center of some controversies before its release because of similarities with real events.
In third place is Marry My Husband with 1,410,000 average monthly searches. The series debuted in March 2024 and is based on a popular webtoon. Also centered around time travel, it follows the story of a woman who goes back in time to prevent her fate and uncover the truth about her husband’s betrayal. It received a rating of 7.8 out of 100 on IMDb.
Further down the list, Love Next Door comes in fourth with 574,000 average monthly searches. The series, which premiered in April 2024, follows the lives of Seung-Hyo and Seok-Ryu, who were mostly forced to spend time together as kids because of their mothers’ friendship as they meet again as adults.
Fifth place goes to Doctor Slump with 546,000 searches, a medical drama that revolves around two disgraced doctors and former high school rivals who reunite at the lowest point of each other’s lives.
Marc Porcar, CEO of QR Code Generator commented on the findings, “It’s interesting to see how curiosity towards Korean dramas doesn’t seem to be slowing down even years after the start of the infamous ‘hallyu’ (Korean wave). On the contrary, certain series have gained worldwide recognition and fame on par with Western shows, and since demand is only growing, mainstream media such as Netflix, Prime Video and Disney+ have started producing and streaming more and more of these dramas, making them accessible all over the world.”