Rookie actress Seo Soo Min revealed that she is still working part-time at a takoyaki shop despite gaining major attention through SBS’s hit drama Agent Kim Reactivated.
The action series began with a nationwide rating of 9.5 percent and ended at 23.0 percent, becoming the second-highest-rated Friday-Saturday drama in SBS history. It also reportedly ranked No. 1 among Netflix’s non-English shows for three consecutive weeks.
Seo Soo Min played Kim Min Ji, the kidnapped daughter whose disappearance drives the main story. Although she had no previous acting credits, she reportedly earned the role after competing against around 200 applicants.
Reflecting on the drama’s success, she said, “We received so much love throughout the broadcast that it still does not feel real.”
She added, “I believe it became this successful not only because of the viewers’ support, but also because every actor and staff member worked with the sincere hope that this project would do well.”
Seo Soo Min was already popular online before her acting debut. She currently has around 670,000 Instagram followers, while one short video she made with friends has gained more than 4 million views.
Despite receiving offers from influencer agencies and idol companies, she chose to pursue acting. After several auditions, she was selected for Agent Kim Reactivated while she was still a high school senior.
She recalled, “I did not pass after only one audition. I auditioned several times, and the director was reportedly concerned because I had no acting experience.”
She continued, “I thought I had failed, so I was shocked when I heard during a meeting with the director that I had been selected. It did not feel real.”
Seo Soo Min also shared a warm story about So Ji Sub, who played her father in the drama. She said he approached her before they filmed together and gave her strawberry-flavored candy.
She recalled, “He came to me first and said, ‘Daughter, please take care of me.’ He did not simply give me a snack he was already carrying. He had prepared it separately for me.”
The actress added that she still keeps the candy because she feels it is too meaningful to eat.
Seo Soo Min admitted that filming emotional scenes was one of her greatest challenges. She explained that experienced actors could quickly enter and leave an emotional state, while she struggled to control her feelings between takes.
She said, “Once I started crying, I kept tearing up whenever I looked at my father’s face. I had to go into another room, calm myself, and begin filming again.”
According to Seo Soo Min, the production team quietly waited for her to regain control of her emotions, which made her feel both thankful and apologetic.
Her realistic relationship with her own father also helped her portray Min Ji. Seo Soo Min said some moments in the drama were inspired by her own family experiences, including a scene in which the character becomes upset over a new phone and takes her food into her room.
Even after the drama’s success, Seo Soo Min applied for a part-time position at a takoyaki shop she already liked. She reportedly passed an interview with a competition rate of 16 applicants for one position.
She explained, “I did not mention my acting career. I passed the interview by presenting only myself.”
Customers reportedly do not recognize her because she dresses casually while working. Seo Soo Min even recalled hearing customers discuss Agent Kim Reactivated while she prepared their food.
However, acting remains her main goal. Naming Kim Go Eun as her role model, Seo Soo Min said she wants to become an actress who can sincerely move viewers through many different roles.
She stated, “I received many influencer offers, but I believed acting was my path.”
She added, “After watching a good film, your perspective can become wider and your thoughts can change. I want to give that kind of experience to someone else.”
Seo Soo Min concluded, “Now that I have crossed the large mountain called Agent Kim Reactivated, I want to grow into a real actress who can move people’s hearts in any genre.”
