[Sportschosun Lee Ji-hyun] Mr. Kim, led by So Ji-sub, Choi Dae-hoon and Yoon Kyung-ho, has completely taken over living rooms with its newly united "dad universe." In just four episodes, the drama shattered the long-standing 20% ratings barrier and set a new record as the biggest hit of 2026, while also climbing to No. 3 among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas in viewership history.
Episode 4 of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Mr. Kim, which aired on Saturday the 4th, posted average ratings of 22.7% in the Seoul metropolitan area, 21.6% nationwide, and a peak of 25.1%, according to Nielsen Korea, once again setting a new series high. Remarkably, it crossed the 20% nationwide mark in just four episodes, becoming the first drama since 2024 to break through the so-called "20% wall." It also ranked third among all SBS Friday-Saturday dramas in nationwide ratings, behind The Penthouse 2 (29.2%) and The Fiery Priest (22%).
Its 2049 ratings also proved the show's popularity, averaging 7.6% and peaking at 8.81%. Even more notably, reaching 20% in only four episodes was a faster pace than The Fiery Priest, Stove League and The Penthouse 2, underscoring the explosive momentum of the Mr. Kim phenomenon, which has captured both ratings and buzz.
In Episode 4, Mr. Kim, who set out with Sung Han-soo and Park Jin-cheol to find his daughter Minji (Seo Soo-min), moved viewers with a desperate run despite being shot. Sung Han-soo took down Ddanggangae (Won Hyun-jun) for his friend before throwing himself into the river, while Park Jin-cheol also drew attention by surrendering.
The episode first revealed Mr. Kim's past from 28 years ago. As a child, he volunteered after hearing there would be enough food, and trained alongside Code Name 66, Park Young-gwang (Ok Taec-yeon), to survive and grow into a legendary operative. But the story ended with a trap during a mission, leaving Park Young-gwang dead and Mr. Kim as the sole survivor.
Back in the present, Mr. Kim was threatened at gunpoint by Park Kang-seong (Kim Sung-kyu), the younger brother of Park Young-gwang, and barely survived a sudden hail of bullets. At that moment, Jung Sang-ah (Son Na-eun) and the laundromat owner (Park Jin-woo) appeared and blocked Park Kang-seong. When Mr. Kim realized who they were, he told them his daughter had been kidnapped and asked for time before leaving with Sung Han-soo. Even while wounded, he clenched his teeth, stopped the bleeding himself and kept chasing after her, showing his desperate paternal love.
Then Park Jin-cheol appeared in front of a bunker racing down the middle of the road, bringing the "dad universe" together for the first time in full. The three men tracked down a homeless man who had found Minji's phone and secured key evidence, including a white vehicle and the name Kim Sang-man (Kim Dae-han). But as they headed toward the location revealed by the tracking data, a sudden explosion flipped the bunker over. Sung Han-soo continued to provoke Ddanggangae in front of him.
Clinging to the clue "Myeongpo Port" until the very moment the car overturned, Mr. Kim was tricked by Sung Han-soo and slipped away from the scene. Sung Han-soo then shoved Ddanggangae into the river below the bridge and jumped in after him, leaving Park Jin-cheol, who was watching from inside the overturned car, with the words, "I'm going." The move stunned everyone. Park Jin-cheol then emerged from the car with a determined look, stared down the gun pointed at him, and flashed a sharp gaze as he said, "Is it my turn now?" But he soon raised both hands and shouted, "I surrender," choosing arrest on his own and leaving everyone bewildered.
Meanwhile, Minji, whom Geum-i-ppal (Jo Bok-rae) had assumed was dead and sent to the freezer, reappeared alive, sending shock waves through the story. Unaware of that, Mr. Kim kept repeating, "Minji, just stay alive. Just stay alive," and raced toward Myeongpo Port even though he had been shot, moving viewers to tears. After arriving there alone and heading to a container office to search for Minji, he was unaware that the barely surviving Minji had come face to face with Geum-i-ppal inside the freezer and was once again in a life-or-death crisis.
With Park Kang-seong also appearing at Myeongpo Port, the tension reached its peak. As Sung Han-soo, who had jumped into the river for Mr. Kim, and Park Jin-cheol, who was captured by the Special Missions Bureau, remained shrouded in uncertainty, viewers were left wondering how the life-risking alliance of the fathers would unfold.
Meanwhile, Episode 5 of SBS's Friday-Saturday drama Mr. Kim will air on Friday the 10th at 9:50 p.m.
olzllovely@sportschosun.com
