Two very different Korean dramas made headlines in the ratings race this week — one just kicked off, the other is winding down strong. Here’s how ENA’s military comedy New Recruit 4 and tvN’s workplace rom-com My Bias, My Boss are performing as the second half of the K-drama season heats up.
New Recruit 4 Enlists With a Solid Debut
The fourth season of ENA’s beloved black comedy New Recruit has officially premiered, and according to Nielsen Korea, its opening episode pulled in an average nationwide viewership rating of 2.8 percent. That’s a respectable start for a franchise built on a very specific, cult-favorite premise: a hyper-realistic, often absurd look at life inside South Korea’s mandatory military service.
Season 4 continues the story of Park Min Seok (played by Kim Min Ho), who has now been promoted to corporal. But rank hasn’t brought peace — Min Seok finds himself facing a fresh wave of chaos and dilemmas as the series pushes into new territory.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Drama | New Recruit 4 |
| Network | ENA |
| Premiere rating | 2.8% nationwide |
| Lead actor | Kim Min Ho as Park Min Seok |
| Genre | Black comedy, military drama |
| Based on | A popular animation series |
My Bias, My Boss Opens Its Second Half Strong
Meanwhile, tvN’s runaway hit My Bias, My Boss kicked off the second half of its run with an average nationwide rating of 3.2 percent — a slight dip of 0.4 percent from its previous episode’s 3.6 percent, but still a healthy number for a drama that has spent weeks topping its timeslot.
Based on a hugely popular Naver webtoon, per its Wikipedia entry, the series follows new employee Nam Da-reum, a longtime fan of idol-actor Lee Chan, who ends up landing a job at his company — only to become the unexpected favorite of the CEO instead. The workplace romance, led by Kang Hoon, Kim Hye-jun, and Cha Woo-min, has built a loyal audience since its August debut and even peaked above 4 percent in earlier episodes.
Why These Two Numbers Matter
A slight dip for My Bias, My Boss isn’t cause for concern — dramas naturally fluctuate episode to episode, and this one has already proven its staying power by topping its timeslot multiple times since premiering. New Recruit 4, on the other hand, is just getting started, and its 2.8 percent debut sets the baseline trade watchers will track as the season progresses.
For ongoing K-drama ratings coverage, including how other shows performed this same week, TechnoSports has been tracking the latest Nielsen Korea numbers across major dramas, along with a look at how other recent finales have closed out their runs.
What to Watch Next
Both dramas continue on their Monday-Tuesday timeslots, with New Recruit 4 just four episodes into its run and My Bias, My Boss approaching its final stretch. Expect ratings to shift as both series build toward their season finales in the coming weeks.
FAQs
Q1. What rating did New Recruit 4 get for its premiere episode?
Q2. How is My Bias, My Boss performing in its second half?
The drama opened its second half with a 3.2 percent nationwide rating, a slight 0.4 percent dip from its previous episode.
