SBS's Agent Kim Reactivated has emerged as the breakout Korean drama of 2026, setting new television records just three episodes into its run. Led by So Ji-sub, the action thriller has become the highest-rated Korean miniseries of the year, surpassing 2025's hit Bon Appetit, Your Majesty.
Written by Nam Dae-jung and directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun, Episode 3 aired on Friday to impressive viewership figures. According to Nielsen Korea, it recorded an average rating of 19.6% in the Seoul metropolitan area and 18.8% nationwide, while peaking at 23%.
The drama also dominated the key 20-49 demographic with a 7.5% rating, making it the week's most-watched programme across all channels. It has also become one of the fastest Korean dramas in recent years to cross the 15% ratings mark.
Much of the show's success has been attributed to So Ji-sub's performance as former intelligence operative Chief Kim, alongside a story that blends intense action with themes of family, grief and redemption. Strong word-of-mouth, robust international streaming numbers and growing global interest have already prompted comparisons with the record-breaking 2024 drama Queen of Tears.
Agent Kim Reactivated is currently available to stream on Netflix.
Episode 3: Emotional revelations and a dramatic cliffhanger
The latest episode saw Chief Kim (So Ji-sub) intensify his desperate search for his missing daughter, Minji (Seo Soo-min), while becoming the subject of the country's largest manhunt. After escaping police custody in the hope that Minji was still alive, he reunited with former partner Han-su Sung (Choi Dae-hoon), reviving the duo's dynamic partnership.
Elsewhere, Jin-cheol Park (Yoon Kyung-ho) escaped detention and confronted North Korean operative Kang-sung Park (Kim Sung-kyu) in a violent showdown before warning Chief Kim of an imminent threat.
The episode's emotional core came when Chief Kim finally accessed Minji's phone and discovered the struggles she had been hiding. Overcome with guilt, he lamented, "Why didn't I notice this sooner?"
Viewers also learned that bank employee Sang-a Jung (Son Na-eun) and the neighbourhood laundry shop owner (Park Jin-woo) had secretly been undercover agents monitoring Chief Kim.
The episode concluded with a tense cliffhanger as Kang-sung appeared behind Chief Kim, pointed a gun at his head and whispered, "Found you... fake 66," setting up another high-stakes chapter in the series.
