'Manager Kim' So Ji-sub Gifts 'Gold' to Colleagues and Crew with 100 Million Won of His Own Money... "It Wasn't Achieved Alone" [Interview ③]

*This content was translated by AI.

• Interview with actor So Ji-sub, who plays Manager Kim in the SBS Gold Saturday-Sunday drama 'Manager Kim'

Actor So Ji-sub directly addressed the reason behind gifting gold to his colleagues on 'Manager Kim,' spending approximately 100 million won of his own money.

On the 30th, So Ji-sub held a wrap-up interview for the SBS Gold Saturday-Sunday drama 'Manager Kim' (written by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun) at a café in Samcheong-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul.

According to ratings survey company Nielsen Korea, the final episode of 'Manager Kim,' which aired on the 25th, recorded viewership ratings of 23.4% in the capital area and 23.0% nationwide. In particular, the peak rating soared to 27.1%, breaking its own record and concluding spectacularly. So Ji-sub played the role of Manager Kim, an ordinary employee at a small-to-medium savings bank who is secretly a veteran agent deployed on countless special operations, driving record-breaking box office success.

It was revealed that So Ji-sub gifted one tael of pure gold to 300 cast members and production staff of 'Manager Kim,' sparking widespread attention. It is known that he spent approximately 100 million won of his own funds for this gesture.

Regarding this, So Ji-sub stated, "After working on many projects since my debut, I realized that nothing succeeds solely because of me. When a project ends, I truly feel grateful for the hard work of many people, so I wanted to include that sense of gratitude in the gift and give something memorable for colleagues and the crew to recall later as 'we worked on such a project.' However, gold received the best reaction," he shared, bringing smiles to those present.

So Ji-sub's kind deeds continue. Upon learning that Seo Su-min is a fan of the band DAY6, he gave her a gift with his autograph. Explaining the situation, So Ji-sub said, "Early in filming, I asked (Seo Su-min) about her favorite singer and managed to track down (a signed album by DAY6) as a gift. It was truly a coincidence that the day turned out to be Seo Su-min's birthday, which was lucky for me."

His past acts of kindness are abundant. During the broadcast period of 'Manager Kim,' staff members who had previously worked with So Ji-sub shared his kind deeds on online forums such as ONLINE, generating significant attention.

Regarding the kind stories surrounding him, So Ji-sub joked, "I don't deliberately create these," before humbly adding, "I'm not sure if I'll become a good actor, but I think I'm trying to become a better person as I grow older."

He continued, "For several years now, I've been constantly praying with gratitude. No matter what happens, I come to believe that anything can happen in any way. Since I am greatly influenced by each project, it seems that concerns and gratitude within that context keep repeating. I'm not a religious person; I simply pray to someone in the heavens."

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*This content was translated by AI.