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3 clusters · 16 sources · 31 days · First seen · Last updated

Categories: CULTURE

South Korea drama “Kim Bu Jang” popularity

Entities: Agent Kim reactivated · South Korea · So Ji Sub · So Ji-sub · Netflix

Overview

In late June 2026, the SBS weekend series “Kim Bu Jang” earned a 15.7 % nationwide rating for its second episode, the first 15‑plus rating for an SBS drama in five years, prompting strong audience reaction to the adaptation of a popular web‑toon.

By the end of July 2026 the drama had concluded. Lead actor So Ji‑sub thanked the cast, crew and viewers as the series peaked at a 27.1 % Nielsen rating, remained above 20 % throughout its run, became the top‑rated Korean mini‑series of the year and led Netflix’s non‑English TV‑show chart for three weeks.

On 26 July 2026, So Ji‑sub presented 1‑gram gold bars, funded from his own pocket at a cost of about 100 million won, to roughly 300 members of the “Kim Bu Jang” cast and staff and to the crew of his Netflix film “Agent Kim Reactivated”. Each bar was boxed with a handwritten thank‑you note, and he noted recipients could sell the gold if they ever faced financial hardship. The gesture was widely shared on Korean forums and social media, drawing coverage in Vietnam, Italy, Singapore and other markets.

Later reports on 29 July confirmed the bars were valued at about 300 000 won each and reiterated that So Ji‑sub has repeated similar gold‑gift gestures after earlier projects, such as the 2025 Netflix series “Mercy for None”. One recipient, actor Yoon Kyung Ho, said he kept his piece hidden and later his eight‑year‑old son presented it back to him as a birthday gift.

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

Timeline

  1. 3 days ago

    [CULTURE] 2 sources
    Actor So Ji Sub gifts gold to 300 crew members of ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’

    Actor So Ji Sub spent ~100 million won to give 1‑gram gold bars to 300 cast and crew of “Agent Kim Reacti​vated,” echoing a 2025 gift and prompting personal stories from recipient Yoon Kyung Ho.

  2. 6 days ago

    [CULTURE] 14 sources
    So Ji Sub gifts gold to over 300 staff of drama “Agent Kim Reactivated”

    Actor So Ji Sub spent ~100 million won on 1‑gram gold bars for about 300 cast and crew of ‘Agent Kim Reactivated’, thanking them after the drama’s 23 % rating finale.

  3. about 1 month ago

    [CULTURE] 2 sources
    South Korea's 'Kim Bu Jang' drama surpasses 15% viewership rating

    SBS drama ‘Kim Bu Jang’ hit 15.7% nationwide (18.1% peak) in its second episode, the highest SBS rating this year and first 15%+ in five years.

Sources

afamily.vn · baogiaothong.vn · biz.cafef.vn · biz.heraldcorp.com · hoahoctro.tienphong.vn · news.donga.com · news.heraldcorp.com · showbiz.liputan6.com · soha.vn · sports.donga.com · stv.seoul.co.kr · tenasia.hankyung.com · tienphong.vn · torino.gaiaitalia.com · tuoitre.vn · video.soha.vn

This summary has been updated 4 times: see revision history