A new TV soap opera is gaining popularity in South Korea with the tear-jerking tale of an 8-year-old girl infected by the virus that causes AIDS ¡X a disease that still invites more ostracism than sympathy here.

The MBC network show "Thank You" has been winning top ratings in its time slot with the story of a young HIV carrier ¡X a rare topic for South Korean dramas that typically focus on forbidden love or secret love affairs.

Since its premiere in March, the show's viewership across the country steadily rose to reach 18.5 percent of viewers last Thursday, according to AGB Nielsen Media Research.

In the show, the child Lee Bom becomes infected with HIV through a blood transfusion. When villagers find out she has the virus they pressure Bom and her family ¡X her single mom and great-grandfather suffering from Alzheimer's ¡X to leave the small island village. They fear, out of ignorance, that they will also get infected for just being near her.

The portrayal of the strong stigma attached to AIDS reflects low awareness of the disease in South Korea, where AIDS is becoming increasingly a social issue even though the rate of the disease's spread here is relatively low.