So Ji-sub's "Agent Kim Reactivated" Tops 20% Ratings as Weekend K-Drama Race Heats Up

South Korea's weekend prime-time slot has turned into a three-way race between So Ji-sub's "Agent Kim Reactivated," Lee Jun-young's "Reborn Rookie," and Namkoong Min's "The Completion of Marriage." All three dramas aired head-to-head on Saturday, with "Agent Kim Reactivated" pulling ahead by a wide margin. The SBS series crossed the 20% ratings mark in only its fourth episode, a pace few Korean dramas ever match.

According to Nielsen Korea, "Agent Kim Reactivated" posted a national average rating of 21.6% and a peak of 25.1%, setting a new personal best for the show. Reaching 20% within four episodes is faster than the runs of "The Fiery Priest," "Stove League," and "The Penthouse 2: War in Life." The drama now ranks third in all-time ratings among SBS Friday-Saturday dramas, behind "The Penthouse 2: War in Life" at 29.2% and "The Fiery Priest" at 22%. Its ratings in the key 20 to 49 demographic averaged 7.6%, peaking at 8.81%.

Episode four followed So Ji-sub's Kim Bujang as he raced to find his daughter Min-ji, played by Seo Su-min, alongside Sung Han-soo, played by Choi Dae-hoon, and Park Jin-chul, played by Yoon Kyung-ho. Wounded by a gunshot, the character pushed through the chase on sheer will, in a sequence built for emotional impact.

The JTBC weekend drama "Reborn Rookie" is heading into its climax. Its 11th episode drew a national rating of 10.8%, a slight dip from the 11.1% of episode 10 but still in double digits. The peak minute hit 12.2%, and ratings in the 20 to 49 demo reached 4% nationally and 3.7% in the Seoul metro area.

In episode 11, Hwang Jun-hyun, played by Lee Jun-young and inhabited by the soul of Choisung Group chairman Kang Yong-ho, played by Son Hyun-joo, delivered a sharp comeuppance to eldest daughter Kang Jae-kyung, played by Jeon Hye-jin, and Taeha Group chairman Na Byung-mo, played by Jung Jae-sung. The episode ended with Kang Yong-ho suddenly appearing before Kang Jae-kyung inside the chairman's office, teeing up the next installment.

"The Completion of Marriage" premiered the same night and drew a 4.4% rating for its first episode, well behind the other two dramas. The premiere introduced Kang Tae-ju, a successful neurosurgeon played by Namkoong Min, who tells his wife Go Se-yoon, played by Lee Seol, that he wants a divorce. The next day, she is abducted by an unidentified kidnapper. The real culprit is someone else, but circumstances quickly frame Kang Tae-ju as the man who ordered the crime.

Namkoong Min is coming off a difficult run. His previous drama, "Our Movie," recorded the lowest ratings among SBS Friday-Saturday dramas in 2025. At the press conference for "The Completion of Marriage," he said he was confident about the new project. "I'm sure of myself," he said. "I think we'll get a good result."

MBC filled its weekend evening slot with a special rebroadcast of "A Shop for Killers" Season 1, which originally streamed on Disney+. It drew a 1.3% rating. The show stars Lee Dong-wook and Kim Hye-joon, and follows Ji-an, played by Kim Hye-joon, as she fights to survive after her uncle Jin-man, played by Lee Dong-wook, leaves behind a dangerous inheritance that puts her in the crosshairs of professional killers.