[Edaily Starin Choi Hee-jae Reporter] “For me, the drama *Manager Kim*... If *I’m Sorry, I Love You* (Misa) wide-open the first page of my acting career, I think *Manager Kim* might become the second page.”

Actor So Ji-sub made these remarks while sharing his thoughts on wrapping up the SBS Friday-Saturday drama *Director Kim* during a wrap-up interview held at a café in Samcheong-dong, Seoul, on the 30th.
He said, “Until now, many people thought of me as ‘Misa,’ but now it’s more likely I’ll be called ‘Director Kim’ than ‘Misa,’” adding, “I think I’ve gained a new nickname.”
“Manager Kim,” which wrapped up on the 25th, is a revenge action drama about an ordinary father, Manager Kim, who becomes a dangerous man to fight and reclaim his only daughter. So Ji-sub played the lead role of Manager Kim, starring alongside actors Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, and Joo Sang-wook.

◇Series Ends on a High Note… Gold Gift Sparks Buzz
According to Netflix’s official site, Tudum, “Director Kim” captivated global fans by ranking No. 1 in the non-English TV show category for three consecutive weeks. According to Nielsen Korea, “Director Kim” began with a nationwide household viewership rating of 9.5% for its first episode and reached a peak of 23.1% by its eighth episode. This marks the second-highest rating in the history of SBS Friday-Saturday dramas.
So Ji-sub still seemed a bit dazed by the success. “Honestly, it feels like a hidden camera prank,” he said. When asked what he thought was the reason behind the success of “Director Kim,” he smiled shyly and replied, “No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know the answer. It seems like there isn’t a single thing about it that isn’t surprising.”
He added, “After filming a project, I usually have a sense of which parts viewers will like, but with ‘Director Kim,’ I had absolutely no idea.” He also revealed that he and Director Lee Seung-young even joked about retiring. “The director and I said to each other, ‘We think it’s good, but if viewers turn their backs on it, let’s consider retiring,’” So Ji-sub recalled.
He continued, “In a way, it’s a predictable story—a theme we’ve seen many times before,” adding, “But the narrative is complex and tangled; it feels simple, yet also difficult. The action scenes are thrilling, but when family and friendship themes are woven in, it gets deep, so I was curious how viewers would react.”
Although he said he didn’t know why, the drama’s popularity even overshadowed his own name. So Ji-sub drew laughter by saying, “Lately, I’ve been called ‘Manager Kim’ more often than by my own name,” adding, “People would even give me a little extra attention by calling out, ‘Manager Kim!’” He continued, “Now, I find myself turning around whenever someone calls out ‘Manager Kim.’”
It also became a hot topic when it was revealed that he had given gold gifts to the actors and staff. “I’ve been acting for quite a while now, haven’t I? It’s not something I can do well on my own,” he said. “The drama is completed when everyone comes together as one, and I was so grateful for their hard work.” He continued, “It was a gesture of gratitude, and I wanted to give them something memorable.” He then joked, “Gold seemed to get the best reaction.”

◇#Action #FatherlyLove #Friendship
Why did So Ji-sub choose “Director Kim”? The first reason was that it was an action genre. He described action as “a genre I want to do more of and continue doing.” So Ji-sub explained, “After filming ‘The Square,’ I wanted to do another action project, and that’s when the script for ‘Director Kim’ came in.” He continued, “As I read it, I found myself drawn more to Director Kim’s story than to the action scenes. I was also curious to see myself portraying a father with a grown daughter.”
The second reason was paternal love. So Ji-sub said, “I’ve played a father a few times, but this was my first time playing the father of a high school daughter. On the first day of filming, I gave Min-ji (played by Seo Su-min) a heart-shaped candy and told her, ‘Please take good care of me.’” He continued, “Actress Seo Su-min treated me just like a real daughter would treat her father, which helped me a lot.”
He also gave actress Seo Su-min, who played his daughter, a DAY6 CD. “I had to do my best,” So Ji-sub said with a laugh. He continued, “I asked her if she had a favorite singer, and after thinking about it for a while, I finally tracked them down and asked for it,” adding with a chuckle, “Coincidentally, the day I gave it to her was her birthday. The timing was perfect, and it was lucky for me.”
Finally, there’s the friendship among the three “uncles”—Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho, and himself. He didn’t forget to express his high praise and gratitude for actors Choi Dae-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho, who displayed fantastic chemistry in the drama. As the oldest among them in real life, So Ji-sub remarked, “I wonder if the show would have been this popular without those guys.” He added, “Whenever the three of us got together, we spent a lot of time figuring out how to really fill each scene to the brim. We often asked each other, ‘What are we going to do?’”
Although some have even said, “So Ji-sub winning the Grand Prize is a foregone conclusion,” he himself revealed his affection by stating, “I honestly have no desire for the award,” and added, “I’d rather the team known as ‘Manager Kim’ receive it than me.”

◇Behind-the-Scenes Insights from So Ji-sub
When asked about the reaction of his wife, former TV personality Jo Eun-jeong, he replied, “Since there were many difficult shoots, she told me, ‘You worked hard. It looks fun.’ I’ve heard people around us talk about it a lot, too.”
After pausing to think for a moment, So Ji-sub explained, “The reason I don’t talk much about my wife is that I want her to live her life under her own name,” adding, “If she gets exposed because I mention her, doesn’t she just become ‘someone’s wife’? I feel a bit sorry about that, so I tend to hold back on what I say,” which drew attention.
In *Director Kim*, Director Kim’s real name was never revealed, which sparked curiosity. So Ji-sub said he knows her real name but added, “I can’t remember it right now.” Apparently, only So Ji-sub and Director Lee Seung-young knew Director Kim’s real name. He shared a behind-the-scenes story, saying, “We deliberately decided to keep it under wraps as much as possible,” and added, “We even filmed the scene at the end where she receives a new name and is introduced without any dialogue.”
When asked about his next project, So Ji-sub said, “I’d like to do another action film, but since *Director Kim* did so well, I’m feeling a bit of pressure.” He continued, “I was watching TV recently and saw *The Sun of My Lord*. I’d like to do a romantic comedy, but I wonder if there are any romantic comedies suitable for someone my age?”
He also spoke about Season 2. So Ji-sub cautiously replied, “It seems like discussions are moving in a positive direction, but I don’t know how it will turn out.” However, he left the door open, saying, “It would be great if we did it. But I think we’ll need to think carefully about the main storyline. This time, losing his daughter was the central plot—but we can’t just have him lose his daughter again… (laughs) I think we’ll have to consider that.”