New SBS K-Drama “Flops” Hard In Korea… But Only In Korea

SBS‘s new K-Drama, Spring of Youth, is three episodes in after premiering on May 6, 2025 (KST)—and struggling.

According to Nielsen, the show started off with a 1.4% viewership rating, but it has since dipped below 1% for the following two episodes. While the production team anticipated a “love triangle” to turn things around, as of now, both Episode 2 and Episode 3 have earned a minuscule 0.7%

From episode 3, the love triangle kicks into full gear, and the actors’ explosive charisma will capture viewers’ hearts. The storyline will continue to appeal to both domestic and international audiences.

— “Spring of Youth” Production Team

But outside Korea, Spring of Youth is gaining traction on streaming platforms in North America and Southeast Asia. According to FlixPatrol, it came in 5th in the “TV Show” category on the global streaming platform Rakuten Viki in the US. The show is also doing well in Indonesia, where, between May 8 and 12, it remained in the Netflix Indonesia Top 10 for TV Shows and also ranked 2nd on a local platform, Vidio.

Spring of Youth follows a former K-Pop band member who gets kicked out of his group and begins a new chapter of his life in college. The episodes, blending music, romance, friendship, and growing up, seem to have resonated with viewers overseas.

Sa Gye (Ha Yoo Joon) was on top of the world as the vocalist and guitarist of leading K-pop band The Crown… until he’s unexpectedly forced to leave the group. Seeking a fresh start, he decides to enroll in university, where he hopes to experience the normal life of a college student for the first time. There he meets Kim Bom (Park Ji Hu), a passionate and talented music student who gave up studying abroad after her mother’s passing, and Seo Tae Yang (Lee Seung Hyub), a medical student with a deep love for music. Together with other students, they form a band called Two Sa Gye, and before long Sa Gye finds himself rediscovering his passion for music. As Sa Gye and Bom grow closer, they begin to develop feelings for each other, supporting each other as they work through their difficult pasts. Will Sa Gye find the new beginning he hoped for?

— Rakuten Viki

SBS is not the only station struggling with producing captivating shows to keep the viewers watching. Read more about MBC’s biggest K-Drama failure here:

Rising Actress’s Four-Way Romance K-Drama Becomes The Biggest Flop of MBC History