![\""Agent](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/news-p.v1.20260706.3a37aa35c83344e48803d1fbf8315fd0_P1.jpg\")
“Agent Kim Reactivated,” starring So Ji-sub (right) (SBS) <\/p>\n‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ delivers blockbuster ratings but faces renewed scrutiny over alleged far-right imagery linked to its source studio<\/p>\n
“Agent Kim Reactivated,” starring So Ji-sub (right) (SBS) <\/p>\n
Following the breakout success of “My Royal Nemesis,” the next hottest K-drama may be “Agent Kim Reactivated.” The revenge thriller debuted at No. 3 on Netflix’s global non-English TV chart just three days after its premiere, though its popularity has also renewed scrutiny of the production company behind the original webtoon over allegations of far-right imagery in its works.<\/p>\n
“Agent Kim Reactivated” stars So Ji-sub as Manager Kim, an ordinary office worker forced to shed his quiet corporate life and reveal his identity as a lethal fighter after his daughter goes missing. The series adapts the hit Naver webtoon “Manager Kim” and has drawn comparisons to Liam Neeson’s “Taken” for its revenge-driven father-rescue premise. Despite the comparisons, the drama is based entirely on the webtoon and has no narrative connection to the “Taken” franchise.<\/p>\n
The series faced lofty expectations from the outset, following the global success of “My Royal Nemesis,” the romantic comedy that previously occupied SBS’ coveted Friday-Saturday prime-time slot and concluded June 20.<\/p>\n
The ratings have quickly validated the network’s confidence. Episode 4, which aired Saturday, logged a nationwide viewership rating of 21.6 percent, according to Nielsen Korea. The performance ranks “Agent Kim Reactivated” as the third highest-rated SBS Friday-Saturday drama ever, behind “The Penthouse II: War in Life,” which peaked at 29.2 percent, and “The Fiery Priest,” at 22.0 percent. “My Royal Nemesis,” the series’ immediate predecessor, reached a high of 11.8 percent for its finale.<\/p>\n
The show’s momentum has also extended beyond its domestic ratings. On Netflix, “Agent Kim Reactivated” ranked No. 3 on the streamer’s global top 10 list for non-English TV during the June 22-28 tracking period, reaching the position just three days after its debut.<\/p>\n
Its strong launch, however, has coincided with a renewed controversy surrounding the creative team behind the original webtoon.<\/p>\n
Over the weekend, criticism resurfaced online over allegations involving The Grim Entertainment, the production company behind “Manager Kim” and one of Korea’s leading webtoon studios. Critics pointed to imagery in the company’s flagship series, “Lookism,” alleging that certain visual elements referenced the death of former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun.<\/p>\n
They cited a scene in which the protagonist looks at a stopwatch and says, “Five minutes and 23 seconds,” as well as a background sign reading “Rock Owling,” arguing that the imagery alluded to Roh’s death on May 23, 2009, after he fell from Owl Rock, a cliff near his private residence in South Gyeongsang Province.<\/p>\n
“Manager Kim,” which has been serialized on Naver Webtoon since 2021, was produced and published by The Grim Entertainment. The webtoon was written by Toy and Man’s Story, with artwork by Jeong Jong-taek.<\/p>\n
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"‘Agent Kim Reactivated’ delivers blockbuster ratings but faces renewed scrutiny over alleged far-right imagery linked to its source…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":527652,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[146,85,46,411],"class_list":["post-527651","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-tv","tag-entertainment","tag-il","tag-israel","tag-tv"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527651","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=527651"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/527651\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/527652"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=527651"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=527651"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=527651"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}