20% Breakthrough 'Department Manager Kim'.. The Only Bad News, 'Ilbe Controversy' of the Original Work [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

"Department Manager Kim" surpassed 20% viewership in just its fourth episode. However, alongside the work's commercial success, a controversy surrounding the original author's alleged ties to Ilbe has emerged as an unexpected setback.

The fourth episode of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama "Department Manager Kim" (script by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young), which aired on the 4th, recorded an average viewership of 22.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 21.6% nationwide according to Nielsen Korea, with a peak instantaneous rating of 25.1%, once again shattering its own record for highest viewership.

Notably, the drama became one of the few to break through the national viewership threshold of 20% in just four episodes since 2024, marking the first time in nearly two years that a drama has surpassed the "magic 20%" mark. Additionally, it achieved the third-highest viewership rating among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas, trailing only behind "The Penthouse 2" (29.2%) and "The Priest" (22%).

Viewership among the 2049 demographic also reached an average of 7.6% and a peak of 8.81%, further proving its widespread appeal. Most significantly, breaking through the 20th% viewership mark in just four episodes was faster than "The Priest," "Stove League," or "The Penthouse 2."

"Department Manager Kim" has truly achieved massive commercial success. However, as the drama's popularity grows, past allegations surrounding the original webtoon author Park Tae-jun have resurfaced, becoming an unforeseen variable in its box office performance.

Recently, a YouTube channel raised allegations that certain scenes from Park's webtoon "Beauty and Mr. Perfect" contained expressions reminiscent of the far-right online community Ilbe (Daily Best Storage), citing specific visual elements in the work.

The channel claimed that a scene where a character checks their watch and says "5 minutes 23 seconds" evokes May 23, the date of the late Roh Moo-hyun Jeon (President)'s passing. Additionally, the phrase "Rock Owling" written behind a speech bubble was interpreted as referencing the Owl Rock, the location where former President Roh Jeon (President) passed away.

This is not the first time Park has been embroiled in such controversies. In 2015, he faced criticism for allegedly mocking the late president through a dining scene in his work, and in 2021, he was involved in controversy over using the line "Hoo-hoo-hoo," which was known as an expression mocking former presidents.

At that time, Park firmly denied all allegations, stating, "No matter how flawed I may be as a person, I am neither capable nor courageous enough to do such things with the late president's photo."

However, as "Department Manager Kim" continues its successful run by surpassing 20% viewership in just four episodes, past controversies are resurfacing and spreading once again. Some online communities are calling for a boycott of the drama, raising concerns about how these allegations may impact its commercial performance.

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*This content was translated by AI.