'Minister Kim' Ji-ji-seop, Abandoned by South Korea.. Again Sets New Series Record [Comprehensive]

*This content was translated by AI.

'Minister Kim' has once again shattered its own highest viewership ratings.

According to Nielsen Korea, a TV ratings survey company, the eighth episode of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama 'Minister Kim,' which aired on the 18th, recorded 23.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area, 23.1% nationwide, and a peak instantaneous rating of 26.2%, setting yet another new series record for highest viewership. The 2049 demographic ratings also reached a high of 8.59% and an average of 7.6%.

'Minister Kim' continues its overwhelming box office run, not only achieving its own highest viewership in every episode since the premiere but also repeatedly breaking records for the highest-rated mini-series of 2026. It has once again surpassed all other channels in the same time slot and set a new benchmark as the highest-rated mini-series broadcast this year.

In the eighth episode, Minister Kim (played by Ji-ji-seop), who seemed to have been dragged away to North Korea, did not reveal the location of the Cheonsan Unit or their infiltration route despite brutal torture. Eventually, after breaking free from his restraints and escaping, Minister Kim met with Cheonsan Unit Commander Choi Beom-ho (played by Choi Beom-ho) and a man nicknamed "Jang-ga-ri" outside the door, learning that everything had been a test to confirm his loyalty. Commander Choi said, "Welcome back to South Korea," and proposed a condition: if he successfully completes the final mission, both Minister Kim and Min-ji would be granted new identities and allowed to live freely. Minister Kim immediately accepted the mission.

The mission assigned to Minister Kim was to protect a high-ranking North Korean official who had requested asylum in South Korea via China until the conclusion of the inter-Korean high-level talks. As a condition for undertaking the mission, Minister Kim demanded the release of Sung Han-soo (played by Choi Dae-hoon) and Park Jin-cheol (played by Yoon Kyung-ho), who were imprisoned in the Special Operations Bureau, before waiting late at night at the pier for the asylum seeker. However, he was shocked to discover that the identity of the asylum seeker who had disembarked from a Chinese fishing boat and boarded Minister Kim's car was Lee Jae-yong (played by Lee Jae-yong), the former Director of North Korea's Reconnaissance General Bureau. Lee Jae-yong had previously used Minister Kim and his colleagues as bait in a southern infiltration operation, leading to their annihilation, and had taken over the position of Director General in return.

Lee Jae-yong, whose betrayal within North Korea had been exposed, requested asylum in South Korea just before his arrest while holding top-secret military information about North Korea, including ballistic missiles. He personally singled out Minister Kim as the person who would ensure his safety. Facing his sworn enemy right before him, Minister Kim was filled with anger but steeled himself for a free life with Min-ji and, along with Jung Sang-a (played by Son Na-eun) and Laundry Man Im (played by Park Jin-woo), began protecting Lee Jae-yong in a secluded safe house.

Meanwhile, Ju Kang-chan (played by Ju Sang-wook), fueled by the humiliation of kneeling before Minister Kim, nursed his desire for revenge. Ju Kang-chan, who had been continuing his political entanglements by offering his resort to the North Korean delegation's accommodation, obtained top-secret information through An Bo (Vice Minister) (played by Im Cheol-hyeong) that Minister Kim was protecting a high-ranking North Korean defector. Upon arriving at his resort, Ju Kang-chan informed the representative of the North Korean delegation that the person accompanying Lee Jae-yong was 'Code Name 66' Minister Kim, then added chillingly, "Let me cut off the last breath of that man," revealing his sinister desire for revenge.

North Korean agents who received information from Ju Kang-chan raided the safe house in the middle of the night, but Minister Kim, Jung Sang-a, and Laundry Man Im, having noticed the intrusion, successfully extracted Lee Jae-yong using a pre-planned operation. However, despite the success of the operation, Minister Kim expressed suspicion that the North Korean agents had not attempted to kill Lee Jae-yong even as they fired their weapons at him. As Lee Jae-yong claimed it was due to the military information he possessed, it was revealed that he had hidden an unidentified card key inside his body, deepening the mystery.

Furthermore, suspecting that the location of the safe house had been exposed too easily, Minister Kim concluded there was a spy within the Special Operations Bureau and moved Lee Jae-yong to Seoul's city center, where North Korean agents would find it difficult to operate. He chose Park Jin-cheol's Marine Veterans Association container as the new hiding place. When Sung Han-soo and Park Jin-cheol, who had gathered there, unexpectedly saw Minister Kim arrive, they were momentarily surprised but soon brushed off their concern with a casual remark, saying, "Minister Kim doesn't need to worry," expressing their relief.

Later, when Lee Jae-yong followed Minister Kim into the container, Sung Han-soo and Park Jin-cheol were left bewildered. As playful banter typical of 'Dad Universe' unfolded between them with Lee Jae-yong in the middle, Special Operations Bureau vehicles and agents surrounded the container, heightening the tension. However, just as Minister Kim thought reinforcements had arrived, the agents suddenly pointed their guns at both Minister Kim and Lee Jae-yong. Then, Jang-ga-ri (played by Won Hyun-jun), who appeared shortly after, said, "You should go back to your hometown," causing Minister Kim to become tense.

Seeing Minister Kim's increasingly sharp demeanor, Jang-ga-ri warned, "Don't even think about pulling any tricks," then showed him a tablet screen displaying Min-ji in the Special Operations Bureau's protection room before declaring, "You need to say your final goodbye to your daughter. Your mission has failed."

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*This content was translated by AI.