From 7.8% to 17.7%: The Rise of SBS’s ‘Good Partner’ and Its Groundbreaking Take on Divorce Drama

SBS’s “Good Partner” is really catching on. It’s a drama that deals with the tough stuff—divorce, cheating, and legal fights—and it’s doing a great job at it. The show, which follows two very different divorce lawyers, is climbing up the ratings and could be the biggest hit of the second half of the year.

When it first started, it had a 7.8% rating. But it didn’t take long to go beyond 10%—just three episodes in. After a break for the Paris Olympics, it came back with a strong 13.6% rating for its sixth episode, and then jumped to 17.7% the next day.

The acting and directing are top-notch, but what really stands out is the script. Choi Yoo Na, who’s been a divorce lawyer for 13 years, wrote it. The script is based on her popular Instatoon “Marriage Red.” She uses her real-life experience to create a true-to-life picture of couples dealing with divorce.

Instead of going for melodrama, the show offers a more subtle kind of comfort through stories only someone with Choi Yoo Na’s background could tell.

The chemistry between the two main characters, rookie lawyer Han Yoo Ri (Nam Ji Hyun) and star lawyer Cha Eun Kyung, is another highlight. Cha Eun Kyung (Jang Na Ra) is sharp and cold-hearted, while Han Yoo Ri is passionate and empathetic. They clash a lot, but their interactions add a buddy-comedy feel to the drama.

“Cha Eun Kyung and Han Yoo Ri are like mirrors reflecting each other,” said Yoon Seok-jin, a drama critic and professor of Korean literature at Chungnam National University. “Through ’Han Yoo Ri,’ Cha Eun Kyung reflects on her own life, while Han Yoo Ri learns from Cha Eun Kyung about the direction she should take as a lawyer.”

With nine episodes out of 16 aired, “Good Partner” is at its halfway point. The drama is breaking new ground, especially since it’s rare for terrestrial TV dramas to hit over 20% ratings these days. Viewers are eagerly waiting to see if “Good Partner” can set a new record.