"Iris" ratings continue to soar

The ratings for KBS TV series "Iris" continued to soar into its fifth week of showing, according to a survey on Thursday.

According to TNS Media Korea, the spy drama topped TNS' TV chart with a viewership rating of 32.7 percent, gaining two percent from its previous episode to land comfortably above the 30 percent mark.

A poll by AGB Nielsen Media Research showed that the Wednesday and Thursday night drama did not top the 30 percent mark but gained 1.1 percent from last week to report a 28.2 percent viewership rating.

"Iris" ranked behind "Jolly Widows" which currently stands at No.1 on AGB's chart but closed on in its gap with the KBS drama by less than half of a percent.

Several of South Korea's top actors including Lee Byung-hun, Kim Tae-hee and Jung Jun-ho star in "Iris" which has been on air since mid-October.

Jessica Kim jesskim@asiae.co.kr