Park Bo-geom Effect

[Anchor Lead]

Actor Park Bo-geom is the hottest rising star of late, simultaneously appearing in a hit drama and a variety show. He's played a vital role in boosting the ratings of the romantic historical drama "Love in the Moonlight" in which he plays the male lead, giving rise to the term, the "Park Bo-geom effect."

[Pkg]

KBS program "Love in the Moonlight" starring Park Bo-gum has risen to dominate the Monday-Tuesday dramas list. This week's broadcasts posted a nationwide rating of over 16%. That's double the ratings from just a week ago. The high ratings are more meaningful, because the show had to compete against other strong contenders in the same time slot.

[Soundbite] Kim Sung-yun(Producer, "Love in the Moonlight") : "I'm glad that the actors and staff members who worked hard during the heat wave are getting good reviews."

Each episode grows more interesting as the plot moves at a breakneck speed. In this week's episodes Park Bo-geom, who plays Crown Prince Hyomyeong, reveals his true identity to Hong Ra-on. And rises to take the throne in the name of his father, the king. Park Bo-geom aptly portrayed characters at two ends of a spectrum - a romantic guy when flirting with a girl and an astute ruler when dealing with political issues.

[Soundbite] "It's up to me to decide what kind of crown prince I'd be."

He has also appeared as a special guest on the long-running KBS variety show "Two Days & One Night" for the past two weeks. In the show he unveiled a side of himself that hadn't been seen on the dramas. He showed his thoughtful, caring personality by bringing gifts for everyone as he came onto the show.

[Soundbite] "Hello, I'm Park Bo-geom. I brought these so that you wouldn't get bitten by mosquitoes while shooting the show."

When asked who his dream girl was, Park demonstrated his wit with a clever answer.

[Soundbite] "That question is too corny."

Thanks to his participation, the show gained many more viewers, particularly women aged in their 30s through 50s. Consequently, the ratings for the latest episodes of "Two Days & One Night" rose as much as 5% points. Can the so-called "Park Bo-geom effect" leave a lasting impact on the drama as the plot thickens for the crown prince? Let's wait and see whether "Love in the Moonlight" can become a media sensation just like "Descendants of the Sun" did in the first half of the year.