Doctor Slump Ep 1 premieres to lower ratings than Welcome to Samdalri – can it catch up?
Michelle Topham 
The new drama Doctor Slump, Episode 1 aired on JTBC last night to lower ratings than the first episode of Welcome to Samdalri, the previous JTBC drama that aired in the same time slot.
According to Nielsen Korea, Doctor Slump, Episode 1 earned a healthy 4.06 percent of the audience share nationwide, which is lower than the 5.19 percent the hit series Welcome to Samdalri scored for its first episode back on December 2nd, 2023.
The new romantic comedy drama also earned a lower rating in Seoul, with a 4.76 percent versus 5.28 percent.
That being said, ratings in the 4.0 percent region are very healthy for a first episode of any drama. So Doctor Slump did get off to a good start.
Especially as, with 15 more episodes to go, Doctor Slump still has plenty of time to catch up and even overtake Welcome to Samdalri as new episodes release.
Considering the first episode offered solid comedy, superb performances and interesting characters, it will be interesting to see then how it performs with its second episode later on tonight.
What is Doctor Slump and when does the new K-drama air?
Doctor Slump stars Park Hyung Sik, Park Shin Hye, Yoon Park, and Kong Seong Ha.
It tells the story of Nam Ha Neul (played by Park Shin Hye) and Yeo Jeong Woo (Park Hyung Sik) who used to hate each other in high school due to their rivalry.
Now, as adults, they have both had promising careers as doctors that they were forced to give up due to differing circumstances.
After meeting again, and due to those unfortunate circumstances, they now find themselves sharing a small rooftop apartment.
The new Korean romantic comedy/medical drama airs on JTBC every Saturday and Sunday at 22:30 (KST).
Outside Korea, Netflix is airing the K-drama for its international subscribers in select regions.
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