'The Perfect Lie' Premieres to Quiet Ratings as 'Doctor X' Remains No. 1
Yoo Yeon Seok and Seo Hyun Jin's new MBC psychological thriller debuted with a 1.9 percent rating, while SBS's hit drama 'Doctor X' stayed on top with 16.5 percent.
K-Dramazing News Desk · AI-assisted (Gemini), editor-reviewed ·
On October 30, 2026, MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama 'The Perfect Lie' premiered in the same time slot as SBS's rival series 'Doctor X.' According to Nielsen Korea, the premiere episode of 'The Perfect Lie' recorded an average nationwide viewership rating of 1.9 percent.
The series marks the on-screen reunion of lead actors Yoo Yeon Seok and Seo Hyun Jin, who previously starred together a decade ago in the 2016 SBS hit medical series 'Dr. Romantic.' Helmed by director Jo Young Min and written by Baek Jae Young, the psychological thriller follows two people clashing over opposing memories of a single night.
Meanwhile, SBS's medical drama 'Doctor X' retained its crown as the most-watched show of the week. The hit series kicked off the second half of its broadcast run with an average nationwide rating of 16.5 percent, dipping 3 percentage points from the 19.5 percent achieved during the previous week.
- MBC's 'The Perfect Lie' debuted on October 30 with a 1.9 percent nationwide rating according to Nielsen Korea.
- The drama marks the reunion of lead stars Yoo Yeon Seok and Seo Hyun Jin 10 years after 'Dr. Romantic.'
- SBS's competing medical drama 'Doctor X' held onto the No. 1 spot for the week with a 16.5 percent rating.