Amidst the challenges currently facing terrestrial miniseries, "Agent Kim Reactivated" is rewriting K-Drama history with a phenomenal early run.

SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Agent Kim Reactivated" (written by Nam Dae-joong, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun) has effortlessly surpassed the 20% viewership mark—often considered an insurmountable barrier—in just two weeks of airing. The fourth episode, which aired on July 4, recorded an average nationwide viewership rating of 21.6% and 22.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area, according to Nielsen Korea, with peak ratings soaring to 25.1%. This marks the first miniseries across both terrestrial and cable networks to break the 20% threshold in approximately two years.

In particular, this achievement reached within just four episodes sets a new record for the shortest time to reach such figures, far outpacing the growth trajectories of previous SBS hits like "The Fiery Priest", "Hot Stove League", and "The Penthouse: War in life". By the fourth episode, it recorded the highest figures among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas to date, signaling the start of a true syndrome.

The 2049 viewership rating, a key metric for advertisers and a barometer for a show's actual buzz and trends, also soared to an average of 7.6% and a peak of 8.81%. This also set a new record as the highest figure for any program across all terrestrial and cable channels in the last two years.

Most notably, this success has sent shockwaves through the broadcasting industry by attracting a massive influx of young male viewers who had previously drifted away from television. The share of male viewers in their 30s increased nearly sixfold compared to the premiere, and the share of male viewers in their 20s surpassed 50%. By also capturing the core female demographic in their 30s to 50s and the trend-setting female demographic in their 20s, the show has established a perfect model of cross-generational success that breaks down barriers of gender and age.

Building on this momentum, "Agent Kim Reactivated" and its lead actor, So Jisub, swept the number one spots in both the drama and cast buzzworthiness rankings for the first week of July.

With this, SBS has firmly solidified its reputation as a powerhouse of drama production, following the success of the first half of the year's biggest hit, "My Royal Nemesis", with another massive jackpot in "Agent Kim Reactivated". Both works are demonstrating the power of K-content by dominating not only the domestic stage but also the top of the Netflix charts on global OTT platforms.

Hong Sung-chang, CEO of Studio S, the SBS drama production company behind these back-to-back hits, shared his pride, stating, "The formula that viewers will still gather in front of the TV if the content is entertaining has been proven." Regarding the essence of the show's success, he analyzed, "The power of a story that straightforwardly shows how far an ordinary person can go to protect their loved ones seems to have resonated with a universal consensus among viewers of all generations, and even globally, leading to such an enthusiastic response."

The home theater audience is already placing strong trust in the synergy between lead actor So Jisub and SBS. As an anecdote from the SBS Drama Media Day held last June—where So Jisub expressed his deep affection for the project by saying, "I really want to do a season two"—is being revisited, the desire for a follow-up season is growing among viewers even before the current season concludes.

The broadcasting industry is now focused on what unprecedented records "Agent Kim Reactivated", which has announced the birth of a unique IP and completely dominated the small screen, will set during the remainder of its narrative.

Meanwhile, "Agent Kim Reactivated", which continues its unstoppable run, consists of 10 episodes and airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM. 

(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)