[Sportschosun Reporter Jo Ji-young] The 'father universe' craze surrounding 'Mr. Kim' has continued its unstoppable rise, with the series breaking records in every episode.
In episode 4 of the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Mr. Kim' aired on the 4th, written by Nam Dae-jung and directed by Lee Seung-young, Mr. Kim set out on a life-threatening pursuit with Sung Han-soo (Choi Dae-hoon) and Park Jin-cheol (Yoon Kyung-ho) to find his daughter Min-ji (Seo Soo-min). Despite being shot, he pushed himself through a desperate run that moved viewers. Sung Han-soo then took down Ddanggangi (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 young man who volunteered after hearing that he would be well fed, he trained harshly for survival alongside Code Name 66, Park Young-gwang (Ok Taec-yeon), and grew into a legendary operative. But during a mission, he fell into a trap, Park Young-gwang died, and he was left as the sole survivor.
Back in the present, Mr. Kim was threatened at gunpoint by Park Young-gwang's younger brother, Park Kang-seong (Kim Sung-kyu), and narrowly survived a surprise shooting. At that moment, Jung Sang-ah (Son Na-eun) and the laundromat owner (Park Jin-woo) appeared and blocked Park Kang-seong. They urged Mr. Kim to surrender, but after realizing who they were, he told them about his daughter's kidnapping, asked for time, and left with Sung Han-soo. Instead of going to the hospital, Mr. Kim clenched his teeth, stopped the bleeding, and kept chasing after his daughter, showing his desperate paternal love.
Then Park Jin-cheol appeared in front of a bunker racing down the middle of the road, and the 'father universe' finally came together as a complete unit. The three men found a homeless man who had picked up Min-ji's phone and secured crucial 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 overturned the bunker, and Sung Han-soo continued to provoke Ddanggangi in front of him.
Even as the car flipped over, Mr. Kim held onto the clue 'Myeongpo Port,' but Sung Han-soo tricked him and slipped away from the scene. After pushing Ddanggangi into the river beneath the bridge, Sung Han-soo left Park Jin-cheol, who was watching from inside the overturned car, with the words, "I'm going," before jumping into the water himself and shocking everyone. Park Jin-cheol then emerged from the car with a determined look, staring at the gun aimed at him and saying, "Is it my turn now?" But he soon raised both hands and shouted, "I surrender," choosing arrest on his own and leaving everyone stunned.
Meanwhile, Min-ji, whom Geum I-bbal (Jo Bok-rae) had assumed was dead and sent to a freezer warehouse, reappeared alive, delivering another shock. Unaware of that fact, Mr. Kim kept muttering, "Min-ji, just stay alive. Just stay alive," and raced toward Myeongpo Port without even thinking about his gunshot wound, moving viewers to tears. After arriving there alone and heading to a container office to find Min-ji's whereabouts, Mr. Kim left the freezer warehouse, where Min-ji, barely surviving, came face to face with Geum I-bbal and was once again thrown into 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 fathers' life-risking alliance would unfold.
Episode 4 of 'Mr. Kim' recorded a nationwide average rating of 21.6%, a metropolitan area average of 22.7%, and a peak of 25.1%, according to Nielsen Korea, once again setting a new series high. In particular, the drama surpassed the 20% mark nationwide in just four episodes, becoming the first series in about two years 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' at 29.2% and 'The Fiery Priest' at 22%.
Its 2049 ratings also proved its popularity once again, with a 7.6% average and an 8.81% peak. More importantly, reaching 20% in only four episodes was a faster pace than 'The Fiery Priest,' 'Stove League,' and 'The Penthouse 2,' proving that the 'Mr. Kim' phenomenon, which has captured both ratings and buzz, has truly caught fire.
Jo Ji-young, soulhn1220@sportschosun.com
