[Sportschosun Kim Joon-seok Reporter] The SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Manager Kim" has surpassed an 18% viewership rating after just three episodes and has emerged as the highest-grossing drama of the year. At the same time, past allegations that original webtoon creator Taejun Pak had ties to Ilbe Storehouse (Ilbe) have resurfaced.
On the 3rd, the YouTube channel "Yeouido Yeop Munraedong" revisited scenes from webtoons that had sparked controversy while discussing the Ilbe allegations Taejun Pak had faced multiple times in the past.
The video highlighted a scene from the webtoon "Lookism." The cast pointed to a scene in which the protagonist looks at a stopwatch and says, "5 minutes and 23 seconds," arguing that it had raised suspicions because it could evoke May 23, the date of former President Roh Moo-hyun's death. They added that creators often do not include even a single number without meaning.
They also explained that the sign reading "Rock Owling" in another scene was interpreted online at the time as a reference to Owl Rock, the place where former President Roh died.
Taejun Pak has faced similar controversy before. In 2015, a scene in "Lookism" showing gang members eating was accused of mocking former President Roh's appearance in his lifetime. In 2021, he was criticized for using the expression "hweo hweo hweo" in the webtoon "Desire Diary," a phrase used in some online communities as a way to mock then-President Moon Jae-in.
In response, Taejun Pak wrote on his blog at the time, "This is absurd," and added, "No matter how uneducated or lacking I may be, I am not the kind of person who would do something like that with a photo of the deceased, and I do not have the courage to do it." He firmly denied all allegations.
However, the current SBS drama "Manager Kim" has no direct connection to the controversy.
WEBTOON's "Manager Kim" is the fifth title in the so-called "Taejun Pak Universe," which has been serialized since 2021 and was produced by The Grim Entertainment. The story was written by Toy, the art by Jeong Jong-taek, and the direction and storyboards by Gyaoo. Taejun Pak also took part in the project as executive producer.
Meanwhile, the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Manager Kim," starring So Ji-sub, recorded a nationwide rating of 18.8% after just three episodes, ranking sixth among all-time SBS Friday-Saturday dramas. It also posted the highest ratings among SBS dramas aired this year and is now close to breaking the 20% mark.
narusi@sportschosun.com
