tvN‘s ‘You Quiz on the Block’ (abbreviated as ‘You Quiz’) broke its own highest target viewership ratings record for 2024 with the stories of actress Song Hye-kyo and the members of the Antarctic King Sejong Research Station wintering research team who achieved the world’s first research results (a unique way of expressing cast members of ‘You Quiz’).

In the ‘You Quiz on the Block’ Episode 275 ‘New Year‘s Special’ episode that aired on the 8th, Min Jun-hong, a member of South Korea’s first Antarctic King Sejong Research Station wintering research team, and actress Song Hye-kyo had a sincere talk. The broadcast that day recorded an average of 6.3% and a high of 8.1% for households in the metropolitan area, and an average of 5.6% and a high of 7.5% for households nationwide. tvN‘s target audience of men and women in their 20s and 49s recorded an average of 3.5% in the metropolitan area, a high of 4.9%, and an average of 3.0% and a high of 3.8% nationwide. This is the highest viewership rating for the 2049 target among all ‘You Quiz’ broadcast in 2024. (Nielsen Korea, based on paid platforms)


The 37th wintering research team at the King Sejong Antarctic Research Station aroused interest with stories about the unknown land of Antarctica on the other side of the Earth. The wintering research team, consisting of 18 specialists, conducted various research at the King Sejong Antarctic Research Station, which is approximately 1,700 pyeong in size, and achieved world-first results. In particular, the story of the ‘secret ecosystem’ under the Antarctic ice and the value of polar research, saying “It is estimated that more than 50% of creatures live only in Antarctica”, garnered attention. The time to commemorate the late Jeon Jae-gyu, who died while rescuing a lost teammate 20 years ago, along with the perilous moments experienced due to the strong winds and blizzards, added to the solemnity. The shocking truth about the zombie virus discovered in Antarctica due to climate change, as well as the story of the team members’ Antarctic exploration risking their lives, captured the viewers‘ attention.


Song Hye-kyo, who appeared on a talk show for the first time in 23 years, captivated viewers with her flowing, heartfelt talk, including a hilarious anecdote with Song Seung-heon, her ‘Autumn in My Heart’ co-star. Song Hye-kyo, who has been living the life of a top star for 28 years since her debut, looked back on her life in the entertainment industry, from her life in her 20s when she enjoyed everything an actress, a woman, and a human could enjoy, to the time when she always blamed herself and the secret to overcoming it. We were also able to hear about the moments when her heart was torn apart by big and small false rumors, and her concerns as an actress when she felt bored watching her own acting before meeting ‘The Glory’.

Song Hye-kyo then confessed that she has been practicing every morning and evening for the past five years, following writer Noh Hee-kyung’s recommendation. In the morning, she writes down how she will spend the day, and in the evening, she writes down 10 things she was grateful for that day. Song Hye-kyo said, “On the first evening of my practice, I had to write down 10 things I was grateful for, but I couldn‘t think of a single thing. ”I always thought only of grand things, but when I started to be grateful for the little things, there were so many,“ she said, adding that she realized how to love herself through five years of training.


Song Hye-kyo also mentioned ‘The Glory’, which was a turning point in her acting career, and said, ”I approached it with the mindset that I was in my 40s and not at an age where I could do things with my face. It was difficult acting, but it was so exciting that I wanted to go to the next filming soon.“ Yoo Jae-suk and Jo Se-ho couldn’t hold back their admiration for Song Hye-kyo‘s honest talk, saying, ”I’ve reached a state of liberation“ and ”I think I understand why they call it a swamp.“ Song Hye-kyo said, “It’s been a while since I’ve been on a variety show, and I’m so grateful to Jae-seok oppa and Se-ho for leading me well,” and added warmth to the atmosphere by sharing photos from the filming set on her SNS along with the message, “Thank you for welcoming me so warmly,” repeatedly leaving her thanks.

Meanwhile, next week’s broadcast will feature the legend of cheering for the CSAT, the Middle East High School CSAT cheering squad, Monk Beopryun, and Ive’s Jang Won-young and Ahn Yu-jin, who have dabbled in both the music industry and variety shows since their debut, raising expectations.

Hong Se-young, Donga.com reporter, projecthong@donga.com