Lee Min Ho's Korean drama The Great Doctor is tops in Japan

A still from Korean drama The Great Doctor, starring Lee Min Ho and  Kim Hee Sun. The 2012 SBS show has been chosen as the best Korean drama in Japan. -- PHOTO: ONE
A still from Korean drama The Great Doctor, starring Lee Min Ho and  Kim Hee Sun. The 2012 SBS show has been chosen as the best Korean drama in Japan. -- PHOTO: ONE

SEOUL (The Korea Herald/Asia News Network) - The Great Doctor has been chosen as the best Korean drama in Japan. The 2012 SBS drama starring Lee Min Ho received the first prize in the Korean drama section of the GAYO Entertainment Awards 2014 on Monday.

The winner was selected based on the yearly sales of GAYO store. It is Japan's largest video streaming site, taking up about 80 per cent of the video clip service industry.

The time-travelling drama's success was mainly due to the popularity of the male lead Lee and his character, warrior general Choi Young of the Goryeo Dynasty.

"Lee's continuous popularity in Japan seems to have led to the success of his drama as well. The motif and the plot of drama are also favoured by the Japanese," said a spokesman for the drama's distributor.

"The loyalty and faith of Lee's character seemed to attract viewers of Japan. Also, the character's pure and delicate emotions expressed in the drama attracted the fans as well," he added.

The 27-year-old heart-throb has finished filming his first lead-role action film Gangnam 1970, which is scheduled to be released in January.

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