'The World of the Married' Kim Hee-ae Cries, Han So-hee Smiles... 21% Peak Ratings in Seoul Metropolitan Area During Same Time Slot

The peace of Kim Hee-ae began to break because of Park Hae-joon's return. Photo by 'The World of the Married' capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Hyesoo] On the night of the 17th, JTBC’s Friday-Saturday drama "The World of the Married" depicted the return of Park Haejoon, who once again shakes Kim Hee-ae’s world.

Lee Tae-oh (Park Haejoon), who returned after two years, was completely changed. His comeback as the producer of a blockbuster film stirred the previously peaceful Gosan City, and although she tried to act calm, Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae) was shaken as well. The reversed circumstances between the two were even bitter. Acquaintances would point fingers at Lee Tae-oh in front of Ji Sun-woo, but when it came to Lee Tae-oh and Yeo Da-kyung’s (Han So-hee) party, they lined up to gather.

As soon as Lee Tae-oh returned to Gosan, he went to see his son Lee Jun-young (Jeon Jin-seo). Ji Sun-woo, uncomfortable with Lee Tae-oh suddenly showing up at the house while dropping off their son, drew a line by saying, "Don’t think about meeting Jun-young without my permission," but in reality, Ji Sun-woo’s relationship with her son was not smooth either.

On the day of the party, Lee Tae-oh and Yeo Da-kyung were enjoying happiness. While everyone seemed to have forgotten the events from two years ago and celebrated them, Ji Sun-woo was alone. To Kim Yoon-ki (Im Mu-saeng), who was her only drinking companion, Ji Sun-woo confidently said, "I know my son well. Jun-young hates his own father," but Jun-young was lying to her and had gone to Lee Tae-oh’s party.

Provoked by Lee Tae-oh sending photos with his son, Ji Sun-woo, enraged, rushed to the party venue. As she entered Lee Tae-oh and Yeo Da-kyung’s house, a cold silence filled the party. To Ji Sun-woo’s question, "Why did you come back when you could have just lived in Seoul? Can’t you forget me?" Lee Tae-oh firmly replied, "You are in the past, and the only woman for me now is Yeo Da-kyung."

Unlike two years ago, the most confident person was Yeo Da-kyung. With a provocative tone, she said, "Thank you for coming all the way here. You’re here to acknowledge and bless our marriage, right? Let’s stop dwelling on unpleasant memories and peacefully wish each other happiness," leaving Ji Sun-woo unable to respond easily.

Meanwhile, Lee Tae-oh began revealing his true intentions for coming to Gosan. Using a donation from local influential figure Yeo Byung-gyu (Lee Kyung-young) as leverage, he secretly met with Gong Ja-cheol (Jung Jae-sung) and Seol Myung-sook (Chae Guk-hee) of the Family Love Hospital and demanded that Ji Sun-woo be removed from her position as deputy director. Lee Tae-oh did not hide his feelings, saying, "There’s a good reason I came back to Gosan. You have to repay those who helped you."

With Lee Tae-oh’s appearance, cracks reappeared in Ji Sun-woo’s peaceful world. Although she had cut Lee Tae-oh out of her life, her relationship with her son did not improve. Hearing from her son, who lied and went to the party, "Dad knows better than Mom what I like," Ji Sun-woo breaks down. But Jun-young was also struggling. He found his mother’s attention and affection overwhelming and had a hard time seeing Lee Tae-oh happy with his daughter Jenny. After the divorce, Lee Tae-oh, who had lost everything and left as if chased away, returned like a boomerang to Ji Sun-woo.

The 7th episode of "The World of the Married," aired on the 17th, recorded nationwide ratings of 18.5% and 21.4% in the metropolitan area (Nielsen Korea, paid households), confirming once again its dominance in the same time slot. The 8th episode, which has drawn attention with Kim Hee-ae holding a shotgun in the preview, will be broadcast on the 18th at 10:50 PM.