"Sociopath Who Burned His Scars with a Torch"... Joo Sang Wook's Intense Presence as the Villain in 'Agent Kim Reactivated'

Actor Joo Sang Wook of 'Agent Kim Reactivated' has captivated audiences with the most unconventional transformation into a villain since his debut.

SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Agent Kim Reactivated' (written by Nam Dae-joong, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun) has triggered an explosive sensation, surpassing 15.7% in viewership ratings (nationwide, Nielsen Korea) in just two episodes. While the desperate struggle of the protagonist, So Jisub, anchors the drama, the key figure fueling the rise in ratings is undoubtedly Joo Sang Wook, who delivers his most radical villainous performance to date.

Joo Sang Wook plays 'Joo Gang-chan,' a former hired thug turned absolute power broker and construction company chairman. He exudes an overwhelming madness that instantly shifts the atmosphere in every scene he appears in.

His chilling, sociopathic nature was powerfully captured in a bathhouse sequence in the first episode. While attempting to clean up his image to enter the political sphere, Joo Gang-chan revealed the burn scars over his tattoos during a private meeting with Assemblyman Shim (played by Kim Kyung-ryong). With a calm smile, he stated, "I felt regret after I started the business. I was embarrassed in front of my daughter. So, I just burned them off with a torch." He then immediately subdued his counterpart with a bone-chilling remark: "The pain must have been much worse for the people who broke their promises to me and vanished." This scene perfectly demonstrated the dangerous nature of a man who does not hesitate to inflict violence on himself to achieve his goals.

However, the true terror of Joo Gang-chan lies in his "two faces." While he is a ruthless and cruel figure to others, he acts as a devoted "daughter-fool" father to his own daughter, Joo Hye-ri (played by Yoo Ji-an).

When Agent Kim (played by So Jisub) knelt and apologized in the teachers' office over a school violence issue, Joo Gang-chan initially appeared to accept it like a gentleman, claiming he understood the heart of a parent raising a daughter. Yet, as soon as Agent Kim left, he revealed his true colors. His low-voiced warning to the principal, "If this happens again, neither the school nor any of you will exist," was enough to send shivers down the viewers' spines.

The twisted paternal love he showed while comforting his hurt daughter further represents the extreme values of Joo Gang-chan. He brainwashed his daughter, saying, "Don't just take it from now on; pay them back several times over. You must never let them look down on you. You have to instill such fear that they can't even look you in the eye, that their legs give way just seeing you, so they never dare to challenge you again. If you face something you can't handle alone, I will protect you." He preached that the world must be ruled by power and fear.

Joo Sang Wook is crafting an all-time great villain, seamlessly oscillating between cold-blooded charisma and twisted humanity, making it hard to believe this is his first attempt at playing a villain. This is why viewers have been pouring out praise immediately after the broadcast, with comments such as, "The genre of the drama changes whenever Joo Sang Wook appears," and "He has renewed his career-defining character."

With Agent Kim, a father trying to protect his daughter, and the villain Joo Gang-chan, who teaches his daughter to become a monster, anticipation is building over how much more intense the full-scale confrontation between these two fathers will make the small screen.

'Agent Kim Reactivated' airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.

Reported by Kang Seon-ae

(Photo: SBS Entertainment News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.