'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon' writer didn't expect her new drama 'Woman of Dignity' to do even better

Baek Mi-kyung reveals true message of 'Woman of Dignity.'

Woman of Dignity
Woman of Dignity. facebook.com/jtbcdramapage

Screenwriter Baek Mi-kyung's recent drama 'The Lady of Dignity' also known as 'Woman of Dignity,' is doing incredibly well on the telly. The writer has revealed she did not expect her new drama to do so well or surpass her previous drama' Strong Woman Do Bong Soon.'

As noted by website Soompi, Baek Mi-kyung, in a recent interview has said, "I really didn't expect ['Woman of Dignity' to do so well]. I thought the audience would be limited. Rather than lots of people watching it, I thought there would be a small number of hard-core fans, but I'm thankful that so many people are watching it."

She also revealed that her target audience was much narrower, saying, "I didn't think the drama's storyline would gather a wide audience, and I tried to write a drama that people who sell or buy at the luxury goods section of the department store can easily watch."

On August 5, episode 16 of 'The Lady of Dignity' gathered a very impressive 9.986 percent viewership rating in all of South Korea, as per AGB Nielsen Korea. As per TNmS ratings, it was slightly higher, at 9.9 percent. The very recent episode that aired on August 12, dropped 0.238 percent from the august 5 episode, as per AGB Nielsen ratings agency, but it isn't a significant drop.

As regards breaking the 9.67 percent ratings record set by 'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,' Baek Mi-kyung said, "It feels strange that one of my dramas has surpassed my other drama. Someone had to break the record set by 'Strong Woman Do Bong Soon,' and I'm glad that I was the one to do it. But I don't want to have to do it again. As for setting JTBC's highest ratings record, I'm very moved by it. It's a delightful thing to set a record, but at the same time, I feel pressured about my next work."

Finally, she had a message for the viewers of 'The Lady of Dignity.' "I wanted to say that dignity doesn't come from money. Park Bok Ja (Kim Sun Ah) used to believe that money was everything and that once she had the money, she would become like Woo Ah Jin (Kim Hee Sun). But even when she gets the money, she's still jealous of Woo Ah Jin. When she finally realizes what's important in life, she dies."

Baek Mi-kyung added, "Happiness doesn't result from money, and the only thing the upper class has is money. That's why we don't have to desire wealth. Dignity is living without violating the rules. The right way to live is to live an ordinary life while knowing my place and staying true to my values. The message of this drama is that we are all living quite satisfactory lives."

The final two episodes of 'The Lady of Dignity' will air on August 18 and 19 at 23:00 KST on JTBC network.

This article was first published on August 18, 2017