‘Face Me’ is eliciting an explosive response overseas.

KBS2‘s Wednesday-Thursday drama ‘Face Me’ (directed by Jo Rok-hwan/written by Hwang Ye-jin) deals with episodes that unfold as plastic surgeons Cha Jung-woo (played by Lee Min-ki) and Lee Min-hyung (played by Han Ji-hyun) become entangled through reconstructive plastic surgery for a crime victim. In the previous broadcast, the drama reached a climax with an exciting development related to the murder of Jung-woo’s ex-girlfriend seven years ago.

The response from overseas viewers is also extraordinary. ‘Face Me’ ranked first overall on the Japanese OTT Lemino as soon as it opened on the 27th (Wed). The viewer rating also proved the hot interest in the drama with a 4.6 (out of a maximum score of 5.0). Taiwanese OTT Friday is currently running at a frightening pace, having risen to first place in the drama category.

‘Face Me’ has garnered much attention from overseas, including the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Oceania, and India, since its planning stage, as it deals with K-plastic surgery, a global topic of interest. This has led to sales in over 170 countries around the world, and has continued to be incredibly popular since its launch.

In particular, on Rakuten Viki, a global OTT available in the US, Europe, and the Middle East, people have responded with comments such as, “It has all the elements you would want in a K-drama,” and “I like medicine and mystery, so this is really interesting. I can’t wait for the next episodes.” It is raising the international status of K-dramas beyond Asia.

‘Face Me’ is attracting the attention of fans at home and abroad with its fresh subject matter of plastic surgery and its highly polished script, as well as its fierce psychological warfare between characters and unexpected plot twists. The fact that it is receiving an unusually good response despite being a non-romance genre shows that the well-made drama ‘Face Me’, backed by planning and perfection, is properly targeting the tastes of the global market.

‘Face Me’ airs every Wednesday and Thursday at 9:50 PM.

Jeon Hyo-jin, Donga.com reporter jhj@donga.com