In a year-end survey conducted by Joynews24, Ma Dong Seok’s drama Twelve has been voted the worst Korean drama of 2025.
The survey involved 110 entertainment industry professionals, who were asked to pick the best and worst Korean dramas of the year. Twelve topped the “worst drama” list, receiving 28 votes.
Initially, Twelve generated significant buzz due to its star-studded cast, including Ma Dong Seok and Park Hyung Sik, as well as a promising concept blending superhero action with the 12 zodiac animals. Expectations were high, especially with the involvement of top-tier production staff.
However, the final product left many viewers and critics disappointed. The drama faced heavy criticism for its poor CGI quality and shallow character development. According to Nielsen Korea, the show started with a respectable viewership rating of 8% but plummeted to just 2% by its final episode.
Adding fuel to the controversy, Dispatch reported that Ma Dong Seok was paid 500 million KRW (approximately $361,000) per episode, totaling 4 billion KRW (approx. $2.89 million) for the 8-episode series. Park Hyung Sik followed closely, receiving 400 million KRW per episode — a total of 3.2 billion KRW (approx. $2.3 million).
Ranking second on the worst drama list was When the Stars Gossip, a big-budget tvN series starring Lee Min Ho and Gong Hyo Jin. Despite its impressive production budget of 50 billion KRW (around $35 million) and a five-year production timeline, the space-themed drama ended with a dismal viewership rating of 2.6%.
Third place went to Squid Game 3, followed by Tempest in fourth, and MBC’s youth romance series Crushology 101 rounding out the top five.
The survey results highlight that star power and big budgets don’t always guarantee success, especially when execution falls short of expectations.
Sources: Znews