Behind the soaring success of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Agent Kim Reactivated," which surpassed 20 percent in viewership ratings and came to a spectacular close, was a passionate paternal narrative at its core. At the center of it all were actor So Jisub, who played the role of Agent Kim and risked everything to save his daughter, and rookie Seo Su-min, who played the daughter, Minji, capturing viewers' protective instincts and completing the drama's emotional immersion.
Director Lee Seung-young, who directed "Agent Kim Reactivated," opened up about the behind-the-scenes casting process and filming experience during a wrap-up interview with the press held at a cafe in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 30th, calmly sharing the exceptional presence and deep resonance the two actors brought to the project.
The entire narrative of "Agent Kim Reactivated" starts from the clear premise that a father rescues his daughter in danger. Therefore, the role of the daughter, Minji, went beyond a simple supporting character and had to be the most carefully considered casting choice, providing the driving force for the entire drama. Director Lee recalled the casting process, stating, "For this story to start off powerfully, not only the father but also the viewers needed to feel a desperate urge to save that child."
"We reviewed about 200 profiles of existing actors. They all had such wonderful acting skills, but it was difficult to find the exact right person who perfectly matched the specific image we were looking for. Eventually, we started reviewing rookies separately."
At that time, what caught Director Lee's eye was a simple video of Seo Su-min that looked like it was shot on a cell phone at a profile photo studio. In the video, where she struck free poses rather than standardized acting, the director discovered the potential for Minji.
"We asked for an acting video, but she was a complete rookie who didn't even have a prepared acting video ready. After verifying her through a free acting video practiced at an academy, we started holding auditions with candidates from then on. Countless candidates passed through the auditions, which went up to the fifth final round, but we became convinced that the actor Seo Su-min absolutely had to be in 'Agent Kim Reactivated'."
Although filming began under the heavy pressure of a debut project, the consideration on set and Seo Su-min's boldness truly shone. Director Lee expressed his gratitude, saying, "When you act for the first time, you tend to shrink in front of the camera, your fellow actors, and the gazes of numerous staff members, and I want to praise actor Seo Su-min for overcoming that and delivering her own performance. Thanks to the senior actors and staff members who warmly considered her without anyone being unfriendly on set, she was able to adapt quickly despite being a rookie."
Based on the webtoon of the same name, "Agent Kim Reactivated" is an action revenge drama about an ordinary father trying to win back his daughter, and it wrapped up its grand journey on the 25th. The final episode of "Agent Kim Reactivated" achieved its highest viewership rating yet, bringing it to a successful close with 23.0 percent nationwide and 23.4 percent in the metropolitan area, according to Nielsen Korea. It also created a massive storm in the global market, ranking first in the Netflix non-English TV show category for three consecutive weeks.
Proving both public appeal and artistic quality, "Agent Kim Reactivated" is signaling yet another beginning by embarking on positive discussions for a second season right alongside its conclusion.
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
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