MBC’s daily drama 'The First Man' has cemented itself as a dominant force on Korean television, continuing its unstoppable ratings climb. With a tightly woven script, gripping direction, and powerhouse performances from its cast, the series has reached a fever pitch — and viewers are responding in kind.
According to Nielsen Korea on June 23, episode 132 of 'The First Man,' which aired on June 22, recorded 6.1% nationwide viewership, setting a new personal best for the drama. The figure not only marked the show’s highest rating to date, but also stood out among programs airing in the same time slot, surpassing the usual limitations associated with the daily drama format.
The episode’s most memorable moment — and the minute that drew the highest peak rating — featured Han Young Ja (Choi Ji Yeon) and Kang Baek Ho (Yoon Sun Woo) joining forces to uncover Chae Hwa Young’s (Oh Hyun Kyung) sinister secret agenda. After carefully carrying out their plan, the pair successfully hacked Lee Kang Hyuk’s (Lee Jae Hwang) phone, heightening the tension and bringing them one step closer to exposing the truth hidden behind a wall of evil. The dramatic breakthrough delivered both suspense and catharsis for viewers.
'The First Man' tells the story of a woman who steals another person’s life in pursuit of revenge and another woman who mercilessly tramples over others to satisfy her endless greed and ambition. At its core, the drama delivers a clear message: what goes around comes around.
The story centers on twin sisters Oh Jang Mi and Ma Se Rin, who end up living opposite lives through a cruel twist of fate. Their intertwined relationships with brothers Kang Baek Ho (Yoon Sun Woo), a warm-hearted lawyer, and Kang Jun Ho (Park Geon Il), a prickly but deeply caring chef, fuel the drama’s unpredictable romance and conflict, keeping viewers hooked every episode.
At the center of the drama’s explosive popularity is the fierce acting showdown between Ham Eun Jung and Oh Hyun Kyung.
Ham Eun Jung plays Oh Jang Mi, the older of the twin sisters. Bright, warm, and mature, Jang Mi is also a practical survivor with remarkable grit and resilience. No matter how harsh the obstacles, she never loses her courage or wisdom, making her a true steel-hearted heroine. She is especially relentless when it comes to protecting her loved ones — and if anyone dares hurt her mother, she is the kind of person who will chase them to the ends of the earth.
Jang Mi dreams of becoming one of Korea’s top chefs, having inherited her mother’s exceptional cooking talent. To save up the seed money needed to achieve that dream, she has worked countless grueling part-time jobs. Wearing thick glasses and putting her own appearance aside, she has devoted herself entirely to her family while managing every aspect of Sook Hee’s Side Dish Shop. But when the family she cherishes more than life itself becomes threatened by a powerful force of evil, her dormant instinct for revenge begins to awaken.
On the opposite end stands Chae Hwa Young, played by Oh Hyun Kyung. A former star celebrity and once an object of public admiration, Hwa Young presents herself as elegant and glamorous. Beneath that polished exterior, however, lies volcanic greed and ambition. She is a classic femme fatale who will stop at nothing to get what she wants — the very embodiment of ultimate evil.
Now living a luxurious life as the CEO of Dream Hotel, an affiliate of the powerful Dream Group, and as the daughter-in-law of Chairman Ma, Chae Hwa Young still refuses to be satisfied. Her true goal is to seize control of the entire conglomerate. In front of her father-in-law, she plays the role of the perfect, graceful daughter-in-law, but the moment his back is turned, she reveals a cold and mocking double face.
She harbors a terrifying ambition to eliminate Chairman Ma and take over the group. To Hwa Young, her only daughter, Ma Se Rin, is both her lifeline and the foundation of her power. She knows that losing Se Rin would send her own life crashing over the edge, which is why she has raised her daughter with obsessive care. But as Se Rin repeatedly refuses to follow the path her mother laid out for her, Hwa Young’s anxiety and madness only deepen.
Buoyed by overwhelming support from viewers, 'The First Man' has officially been extended, further accelerating its successful run.
Back in April, MBC announced that the series — originally planned as a 120-episode drama — would be extended by 20 additional episodes, adding four more weeks to its broadcast and bringing the total to 140 episodes.
The decision was made possible by the drama’s dominant performance throughout its run and the passionate response from audiences. Since its premiere, 'The First Man' has consistently remained at the top of IPTV VOD rankings, proving its strong buzz and commercial value. It has also posted notably high combined TV-OTT buzz scores, rivaling even major terrestrial mini-series and earning praise for its standout success both inside and outside the broadcasting industry.
As the series continues to shatter the clichés and limitations of the daily drama format, expectations are growing over just how much more intense and tightly packed the story will become during its extended run.
With the extension now confirmed, the drama has only gained more momentum. Recent episodes have continued to shake up viewers with one shocking twist after another.
In the June 22 episode, Ma Dong Seok (Kim Young Pil) — who had long been believed dead after going missing — made a miraculous return and tearfully reunited with his wife Jung Sook Hee (Jung So Young). In front of his emotional family, including Oh Jang Mi, Ma Dong Seok revealed the shocking truth he had been hiding. He confessed that he had suffered a mysterious fall while on a business trip in Morocco, which left him with severe memory loss and kept him away from his family for years. Most shocking of all, the drama revealed that Chae Hwa Young had been deeply involved in the tragic incident, sending viewers into a wave of anger and disbelief.
Meanwhile, the villains behind the series’ many evils have begun spiraling toward self-destruction. Chae Hwa Young pressured her accomplice Lee Kang Hyuk to somehow replenish the massive slush fund she had secretly amassed, only for it to vanish without a trace. Crushed by his failure to secure the money under her brutal threats, Lee Kang Hyuk drowned his frustration in alcohol — and walked straight into a carefully laid trap by Han Young Ja.
Pretending to show him childhood photos of Kang Jun Ho, Han Young Ja sent Lee Kang Hyuk a suspicious link. Drunk and off guard, he clicked it, unknowingly installing malicious spyware on his phone. As a result, all of his calls and movements were placed under real-time surveillance by Oh Jang Mi’s side, leaving him in an increasingly desperate position.
The opening act of the heroes’ counterattack against the villains has also begun in dramatic fashion. Having miraculously regained his memory, Ma Dong Seok secretly approached Chae Hwa Young under the alias “Martin Jang,” posing as a wealthy overseas investor while concealing his true identity. Completely unaware of who he really is, Chae Hwa Young comes to trust him as the only savior who can rescue her from her mounting crisis and help solve her slush fund problem.
Now, with Oh Jang Mi and the newly returned Ma Dong Seok holding the upper hand, viewers are eagerly watching to see how their carefully orchestrated revenge will bring down the greed-driven Chae Hwa Young — and what kind of satisfying downfall awaits the villains in the episodes ahead.
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