So Ji-sub's Agent Kim Reactivated becomes 2026's biggest K-drama
The newly released K-drama Agent Kim Reactivated has rapidly become 2026's highest-rated Korean show. Featuring So Ji-sub's stellar performance, the series is garnering strong viewership and global buzz.
SBS's (Seoul Broadcasting Service) Agent Kim Reactivated is proving to be 2026's breakout K-drama. Just three episodes into its run, the So Ji-sub-starrer has smashed ratings records, becoming the highest-rated miniseries of the year and overtaking 2025 hit Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.
Written by Nam Dae-jung and directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun, Episode 3 aired on Friday. According to Nielsen Korea, the episode posted an average viewership of 19.6 per cent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 18.8 per cent nationwide, while peaking at 23 per cent.
The drama also topped the coveted 2049 demographic with a rating of 7.5 per cent, making it the most-watched programme across all channels during the week. It also became the fastest Korean drama in years to cross the 15 per cent mark.
The show's rapid rise has largely been credited to So Ji-sub's commanding performance and a story that balances high-stakes action with themes of fatherhood, loss and redemption. Combined with strong word of mouth, solid Netflix viewership and growing global buzz, the series is already being tipped as a contender to rival the record-breaking finale ratings of 2024 hit Queen of Tears.
Agent Kim Reactivated can be streamed on Netflix.
Watch the trailer for the show here:
About the plot of Agent Kim Reactivated
The latest episode raised the emotional stakes as Chief Kim (So Ji-sub) intensified his search for his missing daughter, Minji (Seo Soo-min), while becoming the target of the largest manhunt in the country's history. After escaping from a police station in the hope that Minji was still alive, he reunited with his former partner Han-su Sung (Choi Dae-hoon), reigniting the duo's trademark action-packed chemistry.
Meanwhile, Jin-cheol Park (Yoon Kyung-ho) escaped from detention and engaged in a fierce showdown with North Korean operative Kang-sung Park (Kim Sung-kyu) at Chief Kim's home before delivering a chilling warning: "A North Korean operative has come down."
Beyond the explosive action, it was Chief Kim's emotional journey that resonated with viewers. After finally gaining access to Minji's phone, he discovered the painful reality of what she had been going through, breaking down in guilt as he asked, "Why didn't I notice this sooner?"
The episode also revealed that bank employee Sang-a Jung (Son Na-eun) and the neighbourhood laundry shop owner (Park Jin-woo) had secretly been undercover agents monitoring him all along.
The latest episode of Agent Kim Reactivated ended on a tense cliffhanger as Chief Kim, comforted by Han-su, was caught off guard by Kang-sung, who appeared behind him, aimed a gun at his head and whispered, "Found you... fake 66."
SBS's (Seoul Broadcasting Service) Agent Kim Reactivated is proving to be 2026's breakout K-drama. Just three episodes into its run, the So Ji-sub-starrer has smashed ratings records, becoming the highest-rated miniseries of the year and overtaking 2025 hit Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.
Written by Nam Dae-jung and directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun, Episode 3 aired on Friday. According to Nielsen Korea, the episode posted an average viewership of 19.6 per cent in the Seoul metropolitan area and 18.8 per cent nationwide, while peaking at 23 per cent.
The drama also topped the coveted 2049 demographic with a rating of 7.5 per cent, making it the most-watched programme across all channels during the week. It also became the fastest Korean drama in years to cross the 15 per cent mark.
The show's rapid rise has largely been credited to So Ji-sub's commanding performance and a story that balances high-stakes action with themes of fatherhood, loss and redemption. Combined with strong word of mouth, solid Netflix viewership and growing global buzz, the series is already being tipped as a contender to rival the record-breaking finale ratings of 2024 hit Queen of Tears.
Agent Kim Reactivated can be streamed on Netflix.
Watch the trailer for the show here:
About the plot of Agent Kim Reactivated
The latest episode raised the emotional stakes as Chief Kim (So Ji-sub) intensified his search for his missing daughter, Minji (Seo Soo-min), while becoming the target of the largest manhunt in the country's history. After escaping from a police station in the hope that Minji was still alive, he reunited with his former partner Han-su Sung (Choi Dae-hoon), reigniting the duo's trademark action-packed chemistry.
Meanwhile, Jin-cheol Park (Yoon Kyung-ho) escaped from detention and engaged in a fierce showdown with North Korean operative Kang-sung Park (Kim Sung-kyu) at Chief Kim's home before delivering a chilling warning: "A North Korean operative has come down."
Beyond the explosive action, it was Chief Kim's emotional journey that resonated with viewers. After finally gaining access to Minji's phone, he discovered the painful reality of what she had been going through, breaking down in guilt as he asked, "Why didn't I notice this sooner?"
The episode also revealed that bank employee Sang-a Jung (Son Na-eun) and the neighbourhood laundry shop owner (Park Jin-woo) had secretly been undercover agents monitoring him all along.
The latest episode of Agent Kim Reactivated ended on a tense cliffhanger as Chief Kim, comforted by Han-su, was caught off guard by Kang-sung, who appeared behind him, aimed a gun at his head and whispered, "Found you... fake 66."
