'Chief Kim' Hits Record 20% Viewership

SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Chief Kim" has surpassed its own highest viewership ratings in just three episodes, nearing the 20% mark. The third episode recorded an average viewership of 19.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 18.8% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea, with a peak moment reaching 23%. This is the highest viewership rating among all mini-series broadcast on any channel in 2026, demonstrating an overwhelming presence that surpassed all programs airing at the same time and throughout the week. The 2049 viewership rating also hit a high of 7.5%, proving its popularity.

"Chief Kim" is an action drama about an ordinary office worker who must confront his dangerous past to find his missing daughter. The third episode depicted the cooperation between Chief Kim (So Ji-sub) and his friends Sung Han-soo (Choi Dae-hoon) and Park Jin-chul (Yoon Kyung-ho) in their search for the vanished Min-ji (Seo Soo-min), as well as their first encounter with North Korean agent Park Kang-sung (Kim Sung-kyu). Upon learning of his daughter's kidnapping, Chief Kim escaped from the police station and, with the help of his friends, pursued her. During this pursuit, a twist was revealed: Chief Kim's bank colleague Jung Sang-ah (Son Na-eun) and the laundry shop owner (Park Jin-woo) were actually undercover agents monitoring Chief Kim.

At the end of the broadcast, Chief Kim followed Min-ji's phone signal, subdued the organization members, and retrieved the phone. However, after belatedly learning about his daughter's difficult experiences through the phone, he shed tears of deep guilt. At that moment, Park Kang-sung pointed a gun at Chief Kim's head, ending the episode on a cliffhanger that heightened anticipation for the next installment.

SBS has consistently shown strength in the Friday-Saturday drama market, producing hit shows that surpassed 20% viewership, such as "Hot Stove League," "Dr. Romantic," "The Fiery Priest," and "Taxi Driver." This year, following the success of "Taxi Driver 3," "Shin & Law Firm" and "Brave New World" have also achieved success, continuing the upward trend for Friday-Saturday dramas. "Chief Kim" has inherited this momentum, surpassing 15% viewership in just two episodes and foreshadowing a syndrome in the home theater this summer. SBS plans to continue its focus on Friday-Saturday dramas in the second half of the year, with major productions like "Flex X Cop 2," "Doctor X," and "Good Partner 2" scheduled to follow "Chief Kim," indicating that the popularity of Friday-Saturday dramas is expected to continue until the end of the year.

Following "Chief Kim," SBS plans to strengthen its drama lineup by introducing various new works such as "Flex X Cop," "Doctor X," "Good Partner 2," and "Nine to Six." They are also attempting to enhance the completeness and quality of their productions by integrating AI technology into drama creation. Studio S has planned and produced approximately 60 works over the past six years, achieving the "No. 1 viewership rating among all channels for 2049 viewers for six consecutive years." SBS intends to expand its programming beyond Friday-Saturday dramas to include weekday dramas, offering a diverse range of genres.