Falsify successfully premiered Monday night with a double-digit rating that beats its rival from other networks. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of the drama received a nationwide audience share of 11.6 %. The second episode, which followed the first after a short advertisement, achieved an even higher record of 12.6 %.

The success of Falsify‘s premiere caused the ratings of its rivals, School 2017 and The King Loves, to stay below 7.2 %. KBS aired yesterday a 60-minute special episode for School 2017 one hour before its third episode started but it seems like the interest in the drama has not improved significantly. Meanwhile, The King Loves continues to perform poorly despite being a completely pre-produced drama and having a star-studded cast led by Im Si-wan and Im Yoon-ah.

SBS now boasts an impressive record when it comes to nationwide first episode ratings of its prime time dramas. Data from Nielsen Korea show that in terms of the nationwide audience share obtained by a series during its premiere, Falsify ranks fourth among the 21 terrestrial network dramas that have aired to date since January 2017. It follows Whisper (13.9 %), Defendant (14.5 %), and Saimdang Light’s Diary (16.3 %), all of which are also SBS dramas and the first two airing on the same timeslot as Falsify on Mondays and Tuesdays.

Falsify tells the story of dedicated reporters who seek justice and want to uncover the truth that has been manipulated by media organizations. The main character is played by Namgoong Min whose last drama in KBS, Chief Kim, became a hit and defeated SBS’s highly anticipated historical series, Saimdang Light’s Diary. Playing opposite him is actress Uhm Ji-won who is coming back on the small screen (Woman Who Married Three Times) after a four-year hiatus. Her character is a righteous prosecutor who will help Namgoong Min’s in fighting the corrupt, powerful figures who control the media.

Falsify recently took over My Sassy Girl’s time slot on Mondays and Tuesdays at 10 pm Korean Standard Time.