# The World of the Married (부부의 세계)
**The World of the Married** (부부의 세계) is a 2020 South Korean television series broadcast on the cable network JTBC, starring [Kim Hee-ae](https://www.edgepedia.org/kim-hee-ae), Park Hae-joon, and [Han So-hee](https://www.edgepedia.org/han-so-hee), and adapted from the [BBC One](https://www.edgepedia.org/bbc-one) drama *Doctor Foster* (2015) written by Mike Bartlett[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/). It tells the story of a married couple whose mutual betrayal leads to a spiral of revenge, grief, forgiveness, and healing[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/). The series became the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history, with its final episode reaching a 28.371% rating[2](https://journal.kci.go.kr/svn/archive/articlePdf?artiId=ART003048705).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Network and run | JTBC, March 27 to May 16, 2020; 16 episodes in a Friday/Saturday prime-time slot[2](https://journal.kci.go.kr/svn/archive/articlePdf?artiId=ART003048705) • [3](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/jtbcs-world-married-couple-busts-koreas-cable-records) |
| Original | BBC One's *Doctor Foster* (2015), written by Mike Bartlett[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/) |
| Lead cast | Kim Hee-ae as doctor Ji Sun-woo, Park Hae-joon as film director Lee Tae-oh, Han So-hee as Yeo Da-kyung[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/) • [4](https://www.news24.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-world-of-the-married-20200923) |
| Ratings record | Final episode 28.371%, series average 18.829%, the highest rating in Korean cable drama history[2](https://journal.kci.go.kr/svn/archive/articlePdf?artiId=ART003048705) |
| Age rating | 19 years and over in Korea, for tense and adult scenes[5](https://amrsjournals.com/index.php/jamrsss/article/download/271/326/1903) |
| Awards | Kim Hee-ae won Best Actress and Mo Wan-il won Best Director at the 56th Baeksang Arts Awards[6](https://play.google.com/store/tv/show/The_World_of_the_Married?hl=en-US&id=21C7BB5053CA6A3CSH) |
| IMDb rating | 7.9/10 from about 4,500 user ratings[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/ratings/) |
## Premise and characters
The story follows Ji Sun-woo (Kim Hee-ae), a successful family medicine doctor married to Lee Tae-oh (Park Hae-joon), a man who dreams of becoming a film director[4](https://www.news24.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-world-of-the-married-20200923). After studying her way into medical school in Seoul and building a family, she settled in her husband's hometown of Gosan, where she earned a respected reputation[8](https://jamjamjung.tistory.com/15). Her seemingly perfect life unravels when she comes to believe her husband is having an affair[3](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/jtbcs-world-married-couple-busts-koreas-cable-records).
The other woman, Yeo Da-kyung (Han So-hee), is written more aggressively than her counterpart in the British original: she deliberately drops her lipstick into Lee Tae-oh's pocket hoping his wife will find it, seeks out Ji Sun-woo while posing as a patient, and provokes her at a party[9](https://chasingcarefree.com/2020/04/26/jtbcs-the-world-of-the-married-vs-bbcs-doctor-foster/). As the series progresses, Lee Tae-oh's fixation shifts back toward his ex-wife; in one episode Yeo Da-kyung realizes how much attention he pays to Ji Sun-woo, and he later tries to push Ji Sun-woo out of her position as deputy director at the hospital while simultaneously obsessing over her[10](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1111343198).
## Relationship to Doctor Foster
The Korean series is a remake of *Doctor Foster: A Woman Scorned*, which aired on BBC One from 2015[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/). The adaptation is mostly faithful to the British original, retaining elements such as incriminating hair found on a scarf and the involvement of a petty criminal, while adding plot lines connected to the widening social divide and gender inequality in Korea[11](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/06/doctor-foster-remake-gets-pulses-racing-in-south-korea).
The mapping between the two series is uneven. A Thai-language comparison notes that the story of *Doctor Foster* season 1 matches *The World of the Married* up to episode 5, which closes on the intense dinner-table scene[12](https://www.playinone.com/folkplay/a-world-of-married-couple-review/). The Korean version also runs longer per installment: IMDb lists its episodes at about 1 hour 20 minutes each[1](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/).
**Tone and characterization differ.** Reviewers note that *Doctor Foster* is more sexually explicit and grim, while the Korean version, despite its 19+ rating and pre-broadcast hype about bed scenes, is comparatively tame[9](https://chasingcarefree.com/2020/04/26/jtbcs-the-world-of-the-married-vs-bbcs-doctor-foster/). Ji Sun-woo is portrayed as milder and more professional with her patients than Gemma Foster, and more controlled in her revenge, whereas Gemma at times appears emotionally unbalanced[9](https://chasingcarefree.com/2020/04/26/jtbcs-the-world-of-the-married-vs-bbcs-doctor-foster/). A Cosmopolitan Philippines review adds that the Korean show chose to show more about the people around Sun-woo than *Doctor Foster* did, reflecting that a marriage involves more than the two people in it[13](https://www.cosmo.ph/entertainment/review-of-a-world-of-married-couple-a1027-20200522-lfrm).
## Ratings and records
The series broke Korean cable ratings records week after week. By its eighth episode it had recorded 18.816% among paid households per Nielsen Korea, surpassing 15% for the first time after repeatedly setting its own best marks[14](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200412011300005). With four episodes remaining, the 16-episode series hit a nationwide rating of 24.332% (AGB Nielsen) on May 2, 2020, ending the 15-month reign of JTBC's *Sky Castle*, which had finished on February 1, 2019 with a high of 23.779%[3](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/jtbcs-world-married-couple-busts-koreas-cable-records). The final episode reached 28.371%, with a series average of 18.829%, making it the highest-rated drama in Korean cable television history[2](https://journal.kci.go.kr/svn/archive/articlePdf?artiId=ART003048705). Coupang Play, which later added the series to its catalog, cites the figure as a record 28.4% for a non-terrestrial (cable) [Korean drama](https://www.edgepedia.org/korean-drama)[15](https://news.coupang.com/archives/56973/?print=pdf).
The Guardian credited the show's fascination with infidelity and revenge for turning the remake into an unexpected hit in South Korea[11](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/06/doctor-foster-remake-gets-pulses-racing-in-south-korea).
## Reception and awards
The series drew criticism over how it depicted sex and violence, yet critics praised its screenplay, directing, and performances; at the [56th Baeksang Arts Awards](https://www.edgepedia.org/56th-baeksang-arts-awards), Mo Wan-il took Best Director and Kim Hee-ae took Best Actress[6](https://play.google.com/store/tv/show/The_World_of_the_Married?hl=en-US&id=21C7BB5053CA6A3CSH). A [South China Morning Post](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-china-morning-post) review called it one of the best Korean dramas in years, praising Kim Hee-ae's performance and the show's caustic dialogue and plot twists[16](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3085504/k-drama-review-world-married-kim-hee-ae-shines-masterfully). On IMDb the series holds a weighted rating of 7.9/10, with the most ratings coming from Indonesia, the United States, India, the United Kingdom, and Thailand[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/ratings/).
The series also entered Korean popular culture beyond its broadcast: JTBC's comedy program *Jangneuman Comedy* staged a parody collaboration built on the original's high-tension story, performed by comedians Yoo Se-yoon and Ahn Young-mi[17](https://tv.jtbc.co.kr/cast/pr10011204?site_preference=normal).
## International adaptations
The success of the Korean version fed a wider format trade. An Indonesian adaptation of *Doctor Foster* produced as *The World of the Married* ran eight episodes of 45 minutes each on an OTT platform[18](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/crawling/%5BKOCCA%5D%20%EC%9C%84%ED%81%B4%EB%A6%AC%EA%B8%80%EB%A1%9C%EB%B2%8C_272%ED%98%B8_%EB%AF%B8%EB%A6%AC%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0?atchFileId=FILE_ef343309-d0f0-43f5-97ca-aa9d25869f41&fileSn=1), and a Thai version was reported to be in preparation after the Korean series set its record cable rating[19](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/CrawlingFileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_0cdc7396-a53f-4090-935a-e80b3e92097f&fileSn=1).
## References
1. [The World of the Married (2020), IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/)
2. [Comparative analysis of The World of the Married and The Broken Marriage Vow, KCI journal article](https://journal.kci.go.kr/svn/archive/articlePdf?artiId=ART003048705)
3. [JTBC's "A World of Married Couple" busts Korea's cable records, ContentAsia (4 May 2020)](https://www.contentasia.tv/news/jtbcs-world-married-couple-busts-koreas-cable-records)
4. [The World of the Married, News24 review](https://www.news24.com/life/arts-and-entertainment/tv/reviews/the-world-of-the-married-20200923)
5. [The World of the Married (2020), AMRS Journals](https://amrsjournals.com/index.php/jamrsss/article/download/271/326/1903)
6. [The World of the Married, Google Play TV listing](https://play.google.com/store/tv/show/The_World_of_the_Married?hl=en-US&id=21C7BB5053CA6A3CSH)
7. [The World of the Married – Ratings, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt12042964/ratings/)
8. [JTBC drama The World of the Married (plot, character map, rebroadcast info), Tistory blog](https://jamjamjung.tistory.com/15)
9. [The World of the Married VS Doctor Foster, Chasing Carefree (26 April 2020)](https://chasingcarefree.com/2020/04/26/jtbcs-the-world-of-the-married-vs-bbcs-doctor-foster/)
10. ['부부의 세계' 한소희, 이태오의 '김희애 스토킹' 알고 충격, OSEN (25 April 2020)](https://www.osen.co.kr/article/G1111343198)
11. [Doctor Foster remake gets pulses racing in South Korea, The Guardian (6 May 2020)](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/06/doctor-foster-remake-gets-pulses-racing-in-south-korea)
12. [Review of A World of Married Couple, Playinone](https://www.playinone.com/folkplay/a-world-of-married-couple-review/)
13. [Review of K-Drama A World of Married Couple, Cosmopolitan Philippines](https://www.cosmo.ph/entertainment/review-of-a-world-of-married-couple-a1027-20200522-lfrm)
14. [2막 접어든 '부부의 세계' 시청률 18.8% 파죽지세, 연합뉴스 (12 April 2020)](https://www.yna.co.kr/view/AKR20200412011300005)
15. ['재벌집 막내아들', '부부의 세계' 등 JTBC 대표작 쿠팡플레이에서 시청 가능, Coupang News](https://news.coupang.com/archives/56973/?print=pdf)
16. [K-drama review: The World of the Married, South China Morning Post](https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3085504/k-drama-review-world-married-kim-hee-ae-shines-masterfully)
17. [코너 소개, 장르만 코미디, JTBC](https://tv.jtbc.co.kr/cast/pr10011204?site_preference=normal)
18. [KOCCA Weekly Global No. 272](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/crawling/%5BKOCCA%5D%20%EC%9C%84%ED%81%B4%EB%A6%AC%EA%B8%80%EB%A1%9C%EB%B2%8C_272%ED%98%B8_%EB%AF%B8%EB%A6%AC%EB%B3%B4%EA%B8%B0?atchFileId=FILE_ef343309-d0f0-43f5-97ca-aa9d25869f41&fileSn=1)
19. [KOCCA Weekly report on Voice (2019) and Thai adaptations](https://welcon.kocca.kr/cmm/fms/CrawlingFileDown.do?atchFileId=FILE_0cdc7396-a53f-4090-935a-e80b3e92097f&fileSn=1)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › International serial drama and telenovelas › East Asian drama series › Korean contemporary drama › Romance and melodrama series › Romance melodrama miniseries › Tearjerker melodrama series*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license