How A Bona Fide Killer ratings moved: 7.4 percent to 10.2 percent

What happened

Money Today reported on 3 August 2026 that MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama A Bona Fide Killer drew 7.4 percent for its first episode and 8.0 percent for its second. The same article said the drama premiered on 31 July.

Kim Eun-hee wrote the script. Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Ji-hoon directed. Money Today, Financial News and StarNews all credited Kim Eun-hee with the script and Yoon Jong-ho and Kim Ji-hoon with the direction, and The Korea Times named Yoon Jong-ho as director in its article of 28 August.

Gong Hyo-jin plays Yoo Bo-na, a killer and a working mom. Jung Joon-won plays Kwon Tae-sung, a newspaper social affairs reporter who follows his wife’s other face, Money Today wrote. The Korea Times described Kwon Tae-sung as Yoo Bo-na’s husband and reported that he and the detective Lee Dong-jin are chasing the identity of ‘Kingfisher’. Lee Sang-yi plays that detective, Lee Dong-jin.

Financial News reported on 15 August that episode five set a new series high at 9.8 percent on Nielsen Korea’s nationwide figures. News1 reported on 16 August that the drama set another series high at 10.2 percent on Nielsen Korea figures. StarNews reported on 23 August that the previous night’s episode eight drew 8.8 percent nationwide on Nielsen Korea figures, writing that the show has been on a downward trend since episode six passed the 10 percent mark on 15 August. The Korea Times reported on 28 August that the drama passed 10 percent in nationwide ratings within six episodes and is holding number one in its time slot.

Financial News numbered the 15 August broadcast as episode five, while StarNews numbered it as episode six in its 23 August article. Because the episode numbering differs between outlets, this article attaches the reporting outlet and date to each figure.

Why is it trending?

The figure for the 22 August broadcast brought the run of numbers since the premiere into one place. StarNews used the phrase “ratings on a downward trend..10% to 9% to 8%” in its 23 August headline, and reported in the body that episode eight drew 8.8 percent nationwide on Nielsen Korea figures. The same article wrote that the show has been on a downward trend since episode six passed the 10 percent mark on 15 August.

The Korea Times reported on 28 August that the drama passed 10 percent in nationwide ratings within six episodes and is holding number one in its time slot, and carried comments from two critics on the show’s premise.

Gong Hee-jung is identified in that article as a critic. The Korea Times quoted Gong Hee-jung as saying that “no matter how righteous the cause may be made to seem, an ordinary person killing someone outside the state justice system cannot be justified”.

Kim Hern-sik is a critic also quoted in the same article. The Korea Times reported Kim Hern-sik as saying that if the drama fully shows the limits of the real justice system, it can avoid losing momentum in its later stretch.

What you need to know

• Money Today reported on 3 August 2026 that episode one drew 7.4 percent and episode two 8.0 percent, and that the drama premiered on 31 July.
• Financial News reported on 15 August 2026 that episode five set a series high at 9.8 percent on Nielsen Korea’s nationwide figures.
• News1 reported on 16 August 2026 that the drama set another series high at 10.2 percent on Nielsen Korea figures.
• StarNews reported on 23 August 2026 that the previous night’s episode eight drew 8.8 percent nationwide on Nielsen Korea figures.
• The Korea Times reported on 28 August 2026 that the drama passed 10 percent in nationwide ratings within six episodes and is holding number one in its time slot.
• The Korea Times wrote that Yoo Bo-na has returned from parental leave to work on the sales team at Durumi Electronics, and that the company is the front for a contract killing organisation whose members split poisonings, stabbings and sniper work between them.
• The same article wrote that Yoo Bo-na targets criminals who received light sentences, and that her husband Kwon Tae-sung and the detective Lee Dong-jin are chasing the identity of ‘Kingfisher’.
• Financial News numbered the 15 August broadcast as episode five and StarNews numbered it as episode six, so episode numbering differs between outlets.