'Reply 1988' achieves new ratings record

Scenes from "Reply 1988" Friday episode where Deok-seon (portrayed by Hyeri) and Taek (portrayed by Park Bo-gum) find each other. / Korea Times

The popular drama “Reply 1988” achieved an 18.6 percent rating Friday, as the show revealed who the female lead marries.

The drama is about a female protagonist, Seong Deok-seon, portrayed by Hyeri, and four male friends in Ssangmun-dong, Seoul, in 1988, who grow up together before she marries one of them. Singling out whom she might marry has been a central part of each of the "Reply" series, and on Friday, the romantic scene between Deok-seon and Taek, a “go” prodigy, provided the answer.

With Friday’s ratings, “Reply 1988” set a new record for cable television dramas, which tend to post single digit ratings. The emphasis on young love and in particular on family in this version is attributed to its success. Also, the props, setting and narrative take audiences back to 1988, when momentous events such as the Seoul Summer Olympics took place.

Audiences of all ages can identify with scenes of families gathered around old dial televisions to watch the historic opening ceremony of the Olympics, when the homes of neighbors were open, and children raved over such foreign stars as Joey Wang, Sophie Marceau and Tom Cruise.