Kim Manager Hits 20% Viewership in 4 Episodes

The action drama "Chief Kim," starring So Ji-sub, is gaining immense popularity, surpassing 20% viewership ratings within just four episodes. According to Nielsen Korea, a viewership rating research company, the nationwide rating for the fourth episode of "Chief Kim," aired the previous day, was recorded at 21.6%. This marks the third-highest rating among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas, following "The Penthouse 2" (29.2%) and "The Fiery Priest" (22%).

"Chief Kim" began with a 9.5% viewership rating for its first episode and has shown a consistent upward trend, reaching 15.7% in the second episode and 18.8% in the third. It finally broke the 20% mark in the fourth episode, setting a new personal best viewership rating with each episode. This drama is the first to surpass 20% viewership ratings in approximately two years since 2024. The fact that it achieved this milestone in just four episodes, faster than "The Fiery Priest," "Hot Stove League," and "The Penthouse 2," is an exceptionally rapid pace of success. The 2049 viewership rating also confirmed high interest from younger demographics, averaging 7.6% and peaking at 8.81%.

The fourth episode depicted Chief Kim (played by So Ji-sub) securing crucial evidence and embarking on a pursuit with his old friends Sung Han-soo (played by Choi Dae-hoon) and Park Jin-cheol (played by Yoon Kyung-ho) to find his missing daughter, Kim Min-ji (played by Seo Soo-min). Chief Kim, despite being shot, desperately headed to Myeongpo Port based on the clues, and the sacrificial cooperation of Sung Han-soo and Park Jin-cheol during this process was deeply moving.

The drama is a revenge action story about a father, a former special agent, who searches for his missing daughter. It also revealed Chief Kim's past from 28 years ago, his harsh training, and the painful memory of losing his friend Park Young-kwang. Returning to the present, Chief Kim narrowly escaped death amidst threats and a surprise shooting from North Korean agent Park Kang-sung (played by Kim Sung-kyu).

Meanwhile, Min-ji, who had miraculously survived in the cold storage, found herself in danger again, and with the appearance of North Korean agent Park Kang-sung at Myeongpo Port, the tension reached its peak. Furthermore, the uncertain fates of Sung Han-soo, who threw himself into the river for Chief Kim, and Park Jin-cheol, who was arrested by the Special Operations Bureau, are amplifying curiosity for the next episode.