Even a first-prize lottery winner goes to work, Monday-Tuesday dramas split on popularity

A man who, despite receiving 1,300,000,000 won, went to work instead of submitting his resignation, ultimately smiled.

A drama about an office worker who won the lottery but continued to go to work until the very end achieved a record-high viewership of 6.2% in its final episode. This is the story of the Tving and tvN original series, “Even a First-Prize Lottery Winner Goes to Work.”

The final episode, which aired on October 13, 2026, achieved an average rating of 6.2% across the nation. For households in the metropolitan area, the average rating was 6.5%, with a peak of 7.7%. The production team announced that the program ranked first in its time slot, including cable and general programming channels. Based solely on the ratings, the program concluded successfully. However, in my opinion, the true measure of this program’s success lies not in the ratings, but in how realistically it captured the feeling of “having to go to work even if 1,300,000,000 won appeared.”

The protagonist, Gong Eun-tae, received 1,300,000,000 won in lottery winnings, but he did not leave the company. Rather, he was promoted to deputy manager in the sales planning department, and Yang Joon-ho became a manager. In the typical story of a life reversal, a resignation letter and a travel bag would usually appear first, but this drama presented a personnel transfer instead of a resignation letter. The fantasy of a typical office worker may not be quitting, but rather, receiving recognition through a promotion.

Actor Seo Hyun-woo said, “Although the world is changing rapidly, the conflicts and emotions arising from the fundamental relationships between people seem to be timeless.” He added, “I respect everyone heading to work today and will wholeheartedly cheer them on.” Although this work borrows the unrealistic device of a lottery, it can be interpreted as showing that what viewers ultimately encountered was the relationship between superiors and colleagues, promotion and burnout, and the reasons why they must continue working.

What was the reason that TVING’s pre-release dramas were also successful on tvN?

“Lotto 1st Prize Also Goes to Work” premiered on tvN on September 14, 2026, with a rating of 3.9%, and the second episode on September 15 recorded 5.2%, surpassing the previous drama “My Favorite Employee’s” highest viewership rating of 4.2%. The eighth episode, which aired on October 5, recorded 5.9%, and the final episode achieved another record with 6.2%.

This work was first released on TVing and then broadcast on tvN. It is noteworthy that the viewership ratings for the broadcast increased, even though some viewers may have already seen it on the OTT platform. I interpret this not simply as a result of rebroadcasting, but as a combination of word-of-mouth from those who have already seen it and the influx of viewers who have not yet seen it, tuning in for the broadcast. There are contents that people watch again even knowing the ending, and there are contents that people join late because others are talking about them. This drama, at the very least, has not closed the door to the latter.

According to Maeil Economy, “Even a First-Prize Lottery Winner Goes to Work” maintained its position as the top contributor to TVing’s weekly subscriptions for the first five weeks of its release, and also recorded its fourth consecutive week as the top contributor to weekend subscriptions. However, this figure only indicates the extent to which the program contributed to subscriptions within TVing, and does not represent the total number of OTT viewers or revenue. Combining the platform’s performance with the overall performance of Korean content results in numbers that can be misleading.

The distribution structure, which allows viewers to watch all the episodes on TVing and also watch the drama on tvN, provides viewers with options. However, for those who already subscribe to multiple OTT services, the situation changes. If you have to add TVing to watch a particular work, and then look for another platform for different works, the monthly subscription cost can become more dramatic than the drama itself. Viewers must consider not only convenience but also their viewing habits and costs.

Is “Yeonae Baksa” on the rise, or is it pausing at the 2% level?

Within the same Monday-Tuesday drama timeslot, the ENA drama “Love Doctor” is also maintaining its presence. The first episode, which aired on October 5, 2026, recorded a rating of 1.8%, and the second episode on October 6 achieved 2.4%. Subsequently, the third episode on October 12 recorded 2.1%, and the fourth episode on October 13 recorded 2.3%.

It seems appropriate to describe the trend as an upward one only when it rises from the first to the second instance. However, considering the decline in the third instance and the subsequent rebound in the fourth, it appears that the current situation is more about testing whether it can stabilize in the 2% range rather than a consistent upward trend. I personally believe that the rhythm of the numbers is more important than promotional phrases. The moment we gloss over the fact that there were fluctuations and simply label it as “continuously rising,” the viewership figures become mere decoration.

It cannot be said that “Love Doctor” can be simply evaluated based on viewership ratings. According to the Good Data Corporation Findex data, it ranked second in TV and OTT drama buzzworthiness for the week of October 2, 2026. While “Lotto 1st Prize Also Goes to Work” had a higher broadcast viewership rating, the online discussion, search activity, and reactions related to the drama showed a different trend. The concept of “popularity” encompasses viewership ratings, subscription contribution, and buzzworthiness, each representing a different aspect.

“Love Doctor” is a youth romance set in a robotics research lab. It follows the relationship between Ph.D. candidate Park Min-jae, who has lost one of his legs, and master’s student Im Yu-jin, who is searching for a new career path, with Choo Young-woo and Kim So-hyun playing the two characters, respectively. It also has the symbolic significance of being Director Ahn Pan-seok’s final work. Director Ahn directed works including “The White Tower,” “Secret Love Affair,” “Pretty Noona Who Buys Me Food,” and “One Spring Night,” and was reported to have passed away in August 2026 while undergoing treatment for a cerebral hemorrhage.

However, it has not been confirmed to what extent the fact that the work is a posthumous piece by director An Pan-seok actually influenced viewership or public attention. While mourning and anticipation may have increased interest in the work, it cannot be directly stated that this was the sole cause of the increase in viewership. It is sometimes uncomfortable to separate the merits of the work from the director’s name, but this is a necessary restraint for those who write articles.

The competition for weekday dramas is not determined by a single number.

Both dramas aired in the Monday-Tuesday time slot, but their distribution methods differed. “Lotto 1st Prize Also Goes to Work” combined a pre-release on TVing with a broadcast on tvN. “Love Doctor” added KT Genie TV and Disney+ to its ENA broadcast. One drama showed strength in TV viewership ratings and platform subscription contributions, while the other achieved the second-highest TV and OTT buzz despite a viewership rating in the mid-2% range.

This difference indicates that the criteria for judging the success of content are already divided into several categories. Viewership reflects the viewing patterns of specific target audiences and time slots, while the subscription contribution rate is an indicator closer to the payment and viewing choices of platform users. Buzz measures the intensity of online conversations, but it is not necessarily equivalent to the actual number of viewers. Therefore, it cannot be said that “Lotto 1st Prize Also Goes to Work” is more popular than “Love Doctor” in every respect, nor can it be definitively stated that “Love Doctor,” which ranks second in buzz, has more viewers.

In particular, the viewership ratings for the two programs were presented according to different survey criteria, including national households, national pay-TV households, and metropolitan-area households. Before simply comparing the 6.2% rating for “Lotto 1-deungdo Chulgeunhamnida,” along with its metropolitan-area average of 6.5% and peak of 7.7%, with “Love Doctor”’s 2.3%, the criteria must first be checked. Comparing numbers is closer to choosing a measuring stick than to lining them up in order.

Nevertheless, the overall trend is clear. “Even the Lotto First-Prize Winner Goes to Work” has broadened viewers’ sense of connection by foregrounding the weight of everyday life over a huge lottery payout, while “Love Doctor” is building buzz around its narrative backdrop of youthful romance and the fact that it is the director’s final work. The former leaves viewers with the question, “Would I keep going to work even if I won the lottery?”, while the latter leaves them wondering, “Where will this relationship go?” The competition among Monday-Tuesday dramas is ultimately likely to come down not to who gets the bigger number, but to what question each show leaves for viewers to discuss the next day.

Director Yoon Young-bin said, “I would like to express my respect to writer Seo In-ha, who has brought even the enormous luck of winning the lottery down to the level of everyday life, and who has written a fantastic yet realistic story.” Actor Lee Joon-hyeok also said, “I would like to sincerely thank all the viewers who stayed with us until the end and cheered for Eun-tae’s life in Hongseong.”

I believe these two sentences are quite accurate in describing the work’s merit. One brought good fortune into reality, and the other offered a greeting to the viewers who shared that reality. In the upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama, what we will be watching is not the elaborate setting itself, but rather how honestly and authentically that setting is integrated into people’s lives.

Frequently Asked Questions.

“Even lottery winners go to work,” what was the viewership rating for the final episode?

The average viewership rating across the country is 6.2%. For households in the metropolitan area, the average rating is 6.5%, with a peak of 7.7%.

Where can I watch “Even lottery winners go to work”?

The previous installment is available on TVing, and it was also broadcast on tvN.

Is the TV show “Love Expert” still experiencing rising viewership ratings?

The rate increased from 1.8% in the first period to 2.4% in the second, but then decreased to 2.1% in the third before rising again to 2.3% in the fourth. Rather than a consistent upward trend, it appears to be a phase of confirming the level in the 2% range.

What is the ranking of “Love Expert” in terms of popularity?

According to Good Data Corporation’s Findex, the TV and OTT drama ranked second in terms of buzz during the second week of October 2026.

Where can you watch “Love Expert”?

In addition to ENA broadcasts, it is available on KT Genie TV and Disney+. The viewing conditions and additional costs may vary depending on the subscription status of each platform.

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