This Netflix Korean Drama Has Overtaken 'Itaewon Class' As 4th Highest-Rated JTBC Series

Netflix's "Doctor Cha" has achieved its highest viewership rating to date, beating out one of the most popular South Korean dramas nationwide, "Itaewon Class."

On Saturday, the medical comedy drama's latest episode earned an average nationwide rating of nearly 18.0% and successfully maintained its No. 1 spot across all channels in the 10:30 p.m. (KST) weekend time slot, Soompi reported citing data from media research firm Nielsen Korea.

"Doctor Cha" also surpassed the Park Seo Joon-led South Korean drama, which aired in January 2020, and clinched the fourth-highest-rated spot of any drama released by entertainment giant Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company (JTBC).

Currently, it falls behind the top three best-rated dramas, including 2020's "The World of the Married," 2022's "Reborn Rich" and 2018's "SKY Castle."

"Doctor Cha" follows the story of Cha Jeong-Suk, portrayed by Uhm Jung-Hwa, as she navigates the medical world as a resident after taking a years-long hiatus to become a full-time housewife to her husband Seo In-Ho (Kim Byung-Chul), who is also the chief surgeon at the university hospital, according to the series' plot.

When the drama first premiered on May 7, it recorded an average rating of 4.937% and immediately became a hit as the viewership tripled after the episode, according to AllKpop. Some experts have also predicted that it may even surpass "Sky Castle," which has the third all-time high record of 23.8%.

"Doctor Cha" was also recently named the most buzzworthy drama as of May 15. It was recently beaten out by "Dr. Romantic 3" before reclaiming the No. 1 spot after a week.

Aside from the series, the cast has also gained immense popularity earning a spot on the list of most buzzworthy cast members. Uhm — a 53-year-old singer-actress considered one of the most influential women in the South Korean entertainment industry — earned the top spot.

She was followed by her husband on the show, Seo, at No.2 and the other cast members Min Woo Hyuk (who played Roy Kim) at No. 6 and Myung Se Bin (who played Choi Seung-Hi) at No. 7.

The medical drama is currently ongoing and has released 10 episodes thus far. It also became one of the most popular shows on Netflix, consistently remaining among the top 10 TV shows on the streaming giant.

"Doctor Cha's" finale episode is scheduled to premiere on June 4.