SBS TV's "Defendant" appears to have clinched its lead in the Monday-Tuesday late night drama race, with more than 20 percent of TV-watching households in and around Seoul tuning into the new series, data showed Wednesday.

The show's fourth episode that aired Tuesday recorded a 20.8 percent viewership among the Seoul metropolitan area households, while snatching an 18.7 percent score nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.

Its competitors, MBC TV's "Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People" and KBS 2TV's "Hwarang", trailed with 10 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively, nationwide.

In "Defendant," actor Ji Sung plays Park Jung-woo, a former prosecutor framed for the murder of his daughter and wife and now a death row prisoner.

The 16-episode series, directed by Cho Young-kwang and penned by Choi Soo-jin, made a smashing debut last week, with the first episode garnering a 14.5 percent viewership nationwide.

A follow-up series to the acclaimed medical show "Dr. Romantic," "Defendant" is drawing viewers with its fast-paced plot as Park tries to prove his innocence in the face of mounting odds.

The show also features Um Ki-joon as a psychopath killer and Yuri of idol group Girls' Generation as Park's public defender. (Yonhap)