SBS is enjoying another major success as “Agent Kim Reactivated” continues to break records at an impressive speed.
The SBS Friday Saturday drama aired its 4th episode on July 4 and recorded a peak rating of 25.1%. It also reached an average rating of 22.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 21.6% nationwide, setting a new personal best for the drama.
The achievement is especially drawing attention because “Agent Kim Reactivated” became the first miniseries in about 2 years to pass the 20% mark.
Reaching this milestone in only 4 episodes also makes it one of SBS’s fastest rising hits, surpassing the early growth of past popular dramas such as “The Fiery Priest,” “Stove League,” and “The Penthouse 2.”
Based on episode 4 ratings, “Agent Kim Reactivated” also recorded the highest viewership ever for an SBS Friday Saturday drama at the same episode point.
The drama is also performing strongly among key viewers. Its 2049 rating, which is considered an important measure for advertisers and public interest, reached an average of 7.6% and a peak of 8.81%. This marked the highest record among all terrestrial and cable programs in 2 years.
According to Nielsen Korea, “Agent Kim Reactivated” is attracting viewers across different age groups and genders.
The drama showed a sharp rise among male viewers, with the share of men in their 30s increasing nearly 6 times compared to episode 1. Male viewers in their 20s also passed a 50% share.
The drama also captured strong support from female viewers. Women aged 30 to 59 reached a peak share of 46%, while women in their 20s reached a peak share of 44%.
“Agent Kim Reactivated” and lead actor So Ji Sub also ranked No. 1 in the TV OTT drama and cast buzz rankings for the first week of July, proving the drama’s strong popularity both on TV and online.
With this, SBS has continued its winning streak after the success of “My Royal Nemesis”. Both dramas ranked No. 1 in domestic ratings and also performed strongly on Netflix’s global chart, showing their popularity beyond Korea.
Hong Sung Chang, CEO of SBS drama studio Studio S, shared his thoughts on the drama’s success. He said, “The formula has been proven that if content is fun, viewers still gather in front of the TV.”
He added that the story’s focus on how far an ordinary person can go to protect loved ones appears to have connected with viewers of all generations and global audiences.
So Ji Sub’s trust in the project is also gaining new attention. During “SBS Drama Media Day: Next Episode” on June 1, the actor expressed his affection for the drama and said, “I really want to do Season 2.”
With only 4 episodes aired, “Agent Kim Reactivated” has already become one of the biggest drama hits of the year. Viewers are now watching closely to see what new records it will set in its remaining episodes.
“Agent Kim Reactivated” airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM.
