[Edaily Starin Gim Ga Yeong Reporter] MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “Married Woman Killer” premiered.

In the first episode of MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “Married Woman Killer,” which aired on the 31st of last month, the double life of Yoo Bo-na (played by Gong Hyo-jin)—who switches between being an ordinary married woman and the legendary sniper “Kingfisher”—was revealed. According to Nielsen Korea, the episode recorded a viewership rating of 7.4% nationwide and 6.8% in the Seoul metropolitan area.
The premiere depicted a confrontation between Oh Seung-ah (played by Do Young-seo) and her father Oh Man-seok (played by Kim Won-hae), who was released from prison on Christmas 15 years ago. Oh Man-seok initially appeared to offer his daughter a regretful apology, but he suddenly changed his tone, saying, “I should have killed you that day too,” and began choking Oh Seung-ah. At that moment, a bullet flying through the open window struck Oh Man-seok, and the shocking sight of Yoo Bo-na aiming a sniper rifle from the rooftop across the way was revealed. Oh Seung-ah immediately ran to the rooftop, where she discovered the message “Merry Christmas” written in the snow, and finally burst into tears, leaving a powerful impression.
Fifteen years later, we see Yoo Bo-na’s ordinary daily life as she has built a happy family with her current husband, Kwon Tae-sung (played by Jung Jun-won), and their daughter, Kwon Yul (played by Hwang Bom-i). While endlessly affectionate and gentle with her family, Yoo Bo-na displayed extraordinary skills—catching a falling cup with one hand and subduing a sexual assailant by accurately hitting him with a grocery item.
Kwon Tae-sung headed to Musan after receiving a tip about a new type of drug. Equipped with a camera hidden in his watch, he went to a nightclub and tailed the car of a man suspected of being a “dropper.” However, a shocking accident soon occurred when the dropper’s car exploded, and a mysterious man watching the scene from afar whispered, “Go in peace. I can’t say ‘be reborn,’ though,” adding a tense atmosphere to the episode. Kwon Tae-sung went to the Musan Police Station and doggedly dug into the truth behind the incident, discovering that the victim of the explosion was not just a drug dealer but a drug lord.
Meanwhile, Yoo Bo-na returned to work as the manager of Sales Team 3 at Durumi Electronics after completing three years of maternity leave. Team Leader Kim Bong-pal (played by Sung Dong-il) immediately asked Yoo Bo-na to handle a client meeting, but she surprised her team members with an unexpected reply: “Let’s do it during the day. I have to pick up my child.”
Later, heading to the rooftop of a church, Yoo Bo-na began skillfully assembling mysterious equipment, saying, “I know—and so do the kids—that we must never hurt anyone, even by accident.” The scene then took a surprising turn as she mounted a sniper rifle and aimed at a man in the hotel across the street. With the words, “Let’s begin the client meeting,” Yoo Bo-na took down her target in one shot and declared the meeting over with a nonchalant expression. The scene then shifted to Kim Bong-pal, who gazed out the office window and muttered, “Have a safe trip. I can’t say ‘be reborn,’ though,” revealing the identity of the man who had been at the scene of the failed car bombing.
Yoo Bo-na visited Bae Yoon-ok’s (played by Seo Jeong-yeon) flower shop and had a meaningful conversation about the symbolic meaning of marguerites. When told that marguerites symbolize “revealing secrets” and “true love,” Yoo Bo-na replied, “It’s also because you love someone so much that you have secrets.” Meanwhile, flashbacks of her past at the orphanage, her life as a hitwoman, and the moment she first confessed her love to Kwon Tae-sung were interwoven, heightening curiosity about Yoo Bo-na’s backstory.
Toward the end of the episode, a breaking news report speculating on the return of “Kingfisher” aired alongside news of a sniper attack. Overwhelmed by shock, Kwon Tae-sung froze in place, staring anxiously at a family photo. At the same time, Yoo Bo-na received a threatening letter from a mysterious figure—containing not only a photo of her with her husband, Kwon Tae-sung, and their daughter, Kwon Yul, but also footage of the sniper attack on the church rooftop—heightening the tension.
In this way, “Married Woman Killer” got off to a fast-paced start, weaving together Yoo Bo-na’s ordinary daily life, the killer’s dangerous mission, and Kingfisher’s story of taking down criminals as he moves between the past and present. Added to this are the ironic situations faced by Kwon Tae-sung, who pursues the truth as a reporter, and Yoo Bo-na, who must protect her family while hiding her true identity—further heightening anticipation for the narrative to come.
MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama “Married Woman Killer,” based on the popular Kakao Webtoon of the same name, depicts the struggles of a working mom with the world’s deadliest job as she fights to maintain her work-life balance. The series has garnered attention as actress Gong Hyo-jin returns to the screen as a “married woman,” just as the title suggests. Episode 2 will air on the 1st at 9:50 p.m.