So Ji-sub as 'Manager Kim' returns from the U.S. with a top 11.3% rating in the premiere [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama "Manager Kim" achieved the highest first-episode viewership rating among all miniseries broadcast in 2026.

The first episode of SBS's new Friday-Saturday drama "Manager Kim" (script by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun, planned by Studio S, produced by Studio S, Fantagio), which premiered on the 26th, recorded 9.5% nationwide, 9.8% in the Seoul metropolitan area, and a peak instantaneous rating of 11.3% based on Nielsen Korea, securing the top spot not only in its time slot but also among all weekly miniseries. This marks the highest first-episode viewership rating among all miniseries broadcast in 2026.

Additionally, the 2049 demographic viewership averaged 3.9%, peaking at 4.93%, ranking first among all Friday programs and all programs broadcast throughout the week, making a powerful start.

In the first episode of "Manager Kim," Manager Kim (played by So Ji-sub), head of the accounting team at Sangsaeng Savings Bank, who has been raising his only daughter, Kim Min-ji (played by Seo Su-min), as a single father, reveals his true hidden identity after a school bullying incident involving his daughter unfolds.

In the drama, Manager Kim endured an unprovoked assault by thugs late at night on his way home from work, repeatedly saying, "I will apologize. I am sorry," and continued his ordinary life as a father, preparing breakfast and ironing his daughter Min-ji's school uniform as if nothing had happened. With the help of Jeong Sa-a (played by Son Na-eun), he prepared a birthday gift for his troubled daughter, revealing his deep paternal love.

However, Min-ji was subjected to persistent bullying by Ju Hye-ri (played by Yu Ji-an) and her group at school. Humiliated with insults such as "smell of a widower" and "smell of a motherless child," Min-ji finally snapped and physically fought with Ju Hye-ri. As a result, Manager Kim was summoned to the school, where he knelt and apologized in front of Principal Ju Kang-chan (played by Ju Sang-wook), but Min-ji burst into tears, shouting, "Why aren't you on my side, Dad?" She left home after saying, "I hate my birthday so much. It's the day my mom passed away," leaving viewers heartbroken.

Manager Kim's longtime friends Sung Han-soo (played by Choi Tae-hoon) and Park Jin-cheol (played by Yoon Kyung-ho) also made their presence felt from their first appearance. Sung Han-soo, a taekwondo dojang owner, and Park Jin-cheol, a volunteer member of the Marine Corps Veterans Association, demonstrated their unwavering friendship by commemorating Manager Kim's discharge anniversary once a year. At a drinking session, they sincerely worried about their friend, asking, "How long will you live only looking after your daughter?" However, when thugs mocked a T-shirt with Min-ji's face printed on it, Park Jin-cheol lost his composure and went on a rampage. Sung Han-soo tried to stop him with his whole body, leading to a commotion that even required police intervention. The combination of the humorous yet grounded interactions of real-life fathers, their heavy sense of loyalty, and thrilling action scenes highlighted another pillar of the "Dad Universe."

However, after that, Manager Kim headed to the school to find Min-ji, who had not returned home all night, and learned from Nam Hun (played by Kael) that someone had lured Min-ji to the school's back gate. At an abandoned construction site, Manager Kim discovered bloodstains and Ju Hye-ri's luxury hair tie. He interrogated Ju Hye-ri and Sung Min-ho (played by Hwang Sung-bin), and at the moment Sung Min-ho tore his shirt, his body, covered in gunshot and stab wounds, was revealed. It was then disclosed that Manager Kim was a legendary special operations agent with the codename 66 and 17 records of northern infiltration missions. In the final scene, Manager Kim, having removed his glasses, swiftly subdued Sung Min-ho and asked, "Where is my Min-ji?" in an overwhelming awakening ending.

"Manager Kim" showcased the synergy of writer Nam Dae-jung, director Lee Seung-young, and the cast, who masterfully combined thrilling action with realistic relatability. Writer Nam Dae-jung persuasively wove together the daily life and paternal love of an ordinary father, Manager Kim, along with the realities of school bullying and class divisions. Short yet weighty lines condensed the characters' emotions, while the thrilling action and realistic family story captured attention.

Director Lee Seung-young enhanced immersion through direction that skillfully balanced emotion and action pacing. He delicately captured Manager Kim's lonely silhouette in a wrinkled suit heading to work, his daily routine of setting the breakfast table from dawn for his daughter, and the humiliation of a father forced to kneel before school bullying. In the final ending, he built tension with a slow rhythm before unleashing explosive action at the moment the identity of Codename 66 was revealed, completing the first episode's climax.

So Ji-sub proved his presence by shifting between completely different faces within a single episode. From an endlessly vulnerable father in front of his daughter to a legendary special operations agent, he convincingly expressed extreme emotional shifts, demonstrating powerful control. In particular, the scene where he suppressed his emotions amid anxiety over his daughter's disappearance, only to have his shirt tear open revealing a body covered in wounds, and then instantly changed his gaze upon removing his glasses, sent shivers down viewers' spines with just a few shots, announcing the return of the awakened Manager Kim.

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*This content was translated by AI.