[Edaily Starin Reporter Gim Ga Yeong ] SBS’s Friday-Saturday drama “Manager Kim” concluded its run to great acclaim, setting new records amid high viewership ratings and international popularity.

SBS’s “Manager Kim,” which wrapped up on the 26th, is a revenge action drama about an ordinary father who becomes a dangerous man to fight and win back his only daughter. It garnered significant attention with a star-studded cast including actors So Ji-sub, Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Joo Sang-wook. Building on the success of its predecessor, “Brave New World,” “Director Kim” started with a viewership rating of 9.5% for its first episode and continued to climb with each episode, ending on a high note. Here’s a breakdown of the show’s notable records, which garnered attention episode after episode.
No.

1 Globally

“Manager Kim” enjoyed immense popularity not only in Korea but also overseas. It soared in popularity by claiming the No. 1 spot on Netflix’s global non-English TV shows chart for three consecutive weeks. According to Netflix’s official site, Tudum, “Manager Kim” recorded 8.2 million views (viewing time divided by runtime) from the 13th to the 19th, securing the No. 1 spot among global non-English TV shows. Total viewing time was recorded at 72 million. It ranked No. 1 in 19 countries and made the Top 10 in 73 countries, including Canada, Brazil, Paraguay, Mexico, Ecuador, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.

Second-Highest Rating in SBS Friday-Saturday Drama History

“Manager Kim” kicked off with high ratings from its very first episode. According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of “Manager Kim” (national household average) recorded a 9.5% rating and went on to achieve its peak rating of 23.1% just eight episodes later. This marks the

second-highest

rating in

the history

of SBS

Friday-Saturday dramas

. The drama with the highest rating is “Penthouse 2,” which aired in 2021. That series recorded a viewership rating of 29.2%. Third place goes to “The Fiery Priest” (22%).

Peak Viewing Rating: 27.1%

“Manager Kim” set new records one after another. Following a 9.5% rating for the first episode, it surpassed 15% by the second episode, reaching 15.7%. It also broke the 20% mark by the fourth episode, recording a 21.6% rating. The highest viewership rating was 23.1% in the eighth episode. The finale, the tenth episode, recorded a peak viewership rating of 27.1%.

Cumulative Viewership: 25,638,593

According to Nielsen Korea’s nationwide cumulative reach statistics, the cumulative TV viewership for “Manager Kim”—including both live broadcasts and reruns from the first episode to the finale—totaled 25,638,593 viewers. The nationwide cumulative reach rate was 52.56%. This figure exceeds half of South Korea’s total population, demonstrating that the series was a national phenomenon that sparked the “Manager Kim Syndrome” amid widespread public interest.

Season 2

“Director Kim” achieved the highest viewership ratings among dramas aired in 2026. These figures even surpassed those of KBS weekend dramas, which are typically known for their high ratings. Given its immense popularity, expectations for Season 2 are running high. In particular, now that Director Kim has completed his mission and assumed a new identity, attention is focused on the story he will unfold next. SBS stated, “We are in positive discussions regarding the production of Season 2.”