KBS' “Gaksital” stands strong atop TV chart, MBC and SBS premiere new series

Joo Won (left) and Park Ki-woong (right) show the tension between them in a still shot of KBS' "Gaksital," aired on August 15, 2012. [KBS]

Shin Mina (left) and Lee Joon-gi (right) are shot during the shooting for MBC's "Arang and the Magistrate," aired on August 15, 2012. [MBC]

Ki Tae-young (left) gives a doubtful look to f(x)'s Sulli (right) in SBS' "For You in Full Blossom," aired on August 15, 2012. [SBS]

KBS’ “Gaksital” has kept its No. 1 status on Wednesday and Thursday primetime ratings chart, while major broadcasters MBC and SBS premiered their new TV series.

The Joo Won and Jin Se-yeon starrer “Gaksital” reigned atop the ratings chart during the third week of August after attracting an average 22.2 percent of total viewers, according to data polled by TNmS (Total National Multimedia Statistics) Friday.

While vividly depicting Japanese imperialists’ brutality, "Gaksital," the TV adaptation of famous comic book, has been gaining more popularity by showing the rising tension between Lee Gang-to [played by Joo Won] and Kimura Shunji [played by Park Ki-woong].

The runner-up on the Wednesday and Thursday primetime lineup was MBC’s brand-new series “Arang and the Magistrate” (tentative title), which kicked off on a the right foot by earning and average 14.3 percent of total viewers in the same time frame.

The historic fantasy series, starring Lee Joon-gi and Shin Mina, centers around the romance story between a female ghost named Arang [played by Shin] and a district magistrate [played by Lee] in the Joseon Dynasty .

Thanks to the special episode aired prior to the first episode on August 8, more people could enjoyed richer taste of the combination of fantasy, action, and historic drama.

Meanwhile, SBS also premiered their new teenage drama "For You In Full Blossom," starring SHINee’s Minho and f(x)’s Sulli, but sat in last place by only attracting an average 5.7 percent ratings during the same time frame.

The idol-packed drama goes around the story of Goo Jae-hee [played by Sulli] disguising herself as a guy in order to enter an all boy high school where Kang Tae-joon [played by Minho] attends, while she tries to help revive Kang's pole vaulting career.

Meanwhile, AGB Nielson Media Research's data, showed the same order with slightly different ratings.

No. 1 on AGB's poll was KBS' "Gaksital" with an average rating of 19.5 percent, MBC's “Arang and the Magistrate” and SBS' "For You In Full Blossom" sat at No. 2 and No. 3, after posting average ratings of 13.2 and 6.5 percent, respectively.

※ Any copying, republication or redistribution of 10Asia's content is expressly prohibited without prior consent of 10Asia. Copyright infringement is subject to criminal and civil penalties.