So Ji Sub is back in SBS primetime, and Korea is watching. New action thriller Agent Kim Reactivated opened its run on June 26 with a 9.5 percent nationwide rating according to Nielsen Korea, the highest first episode rating for any 2026 miniseries so far.
That explosive start was not a fluke. Episode 2 climbed into the mid teens, breaking a five year ratings record and turning Agent Kim Reactivated into the drama every Korean household and Netflix timeline seems to be talking about at once.
Record breaking Agent Kim Reactivated ratings
Premiering in SBS’s high profile Friday night slot, episode 1 of Agent Kim Reactivated scored a 9.5 percent nationwide average and 9.8 percent in Seoul, with real time peaks passing 11 percent. Nielsen Korea also logged a solid 3.9 percent in the key 20 to 49 demographic, strong for a brand new miniseries.
Episode 2, which aired June 27, blew past even that. The drama jumped to 15.7 percent nationwide and 15.9 percent in Seoul, peaking at 18.1 percent, making it the fastest Korean series in five years to cross the 15 percent line since The Penthouse 3. It is already the highest rated SBS drama of 2026 and the most watched program of the week among viewers 20 to 49, with a 5.8 percent average and 7.17 percent peak.
For context, many recent primetime K dramas have fought just to hit double digits by the finale, where this show cleared that bar in a single night. Those Agent Kim Reactivated ratings signal that dark, violent action is no longer a niche taste on broadcast television, especially when paired with a star comeback like So Ji Sub’s first SBS series in 13 years.
Why this violent dad drama is blowing up on Netflix
Based on Naver webtoon Manager Kim, the series follows Kim Do hyeon, a gentle looking single dad and ex elite agent who once ran dangerous missions between North and South Korea. When his daughter Min ji is bullied and then disappears, he drops the salaryman disguise and reactivates as a lethal operative, joined by a “dad squad” of former fighters with clashing styles.
The show leans into full on dad core revenge, echoing titles like Taken or John Wick but stretched into a 10 hour character study. Joo Sang wook plays a chilling corporate villain hiding behind an anti violence school committee, while former Apink member Son Na eun adds a K pop connection as an ambiguous junior colleague who joins the search. With brutal hallway fights, street brawls and a tight emotional focus on family, the drama has quickly pushed into Netflix’s Top 10 TV shows in many countries, including the United States.
There is also a deeper emotional layer behind the hype. Korean cinephiles have talked about streaming the drama as a way to “repay” So Ji Sub for quietly funding and importing acclaimed arthouse films into Korea over the years, turning these ratings into a kind of fandom project for an actor rather than an idol group.
Episode count, schedule, and what this hit might change
Agent Kim Reactivated is a tight 10 episode miniseries, with each chapter running about 60 to 70 minutes. SBS airs two episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays from June 26 to July 25, while Netflix, including Netflix US, adds each episode shortly after the Korean broadcast.
- Ep.1: June 26, 2026
- Ep.2: June 27, 2026
- Ep.3: July 3, 2026
- Ep.4: July 4, 2026
- Ep.5: July 10, 2026
- Ep.6: July 11, 2026
- Ep.7: July 17, 2026
- Ep.8: July 18, 2026
- Ep.9: July 24, 2026
- Ep.10 finale: July 25, 2026
The weekly drop is unusual for a Netflix action K drama, which often arrives in full for binge watching. If Agent Kim Reactivated keeps pairing big live ratings with steady Netflix Top 10 presence through its July 25 finale, it could encourage more short, hyper focused action series that live on both broadcast schedules and global streaming at the same time.