SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Manager Kim' actor So Jisub fought a desperate battle for his daughter, while the drama shattered the 'cursed 20%' barrier and is enjoying unprecedented box-office success.
On the 11th, ahead of the 9:50 p.m. broadcast of SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Manager Kim' (writer, director, etc.), the fifth episode recorded 21% in the Seoul metropolitan area, 20.5% nationwide, and a peak instantaneous rating of 23.1% based on Nielsen Korea. This was another increase compared with the previous week, marking the highest record for two consecutive weeks. With this, 'Manager Kim' not only became the highest-rated miniseries of 2026 but also topped all programs broadcast in the week, and its 2049 rating also surged to a high of 6.6%.
In that episode, Manager Kim (So Jisub) relentlessly advanced to find his daughter Min-ji (Seo Sumin), depicting his desperate actions. Manager Kim drove Kim Sang-man (Kim Daehan) to the edge in the Myeongpohang container and exploded in anger, while Seong Han-su (Choi Dae-hoon) and Park Jin-chul (Yoon Kyung-ho) cooperated in the strong 'dad universe,' securing an escort vehicle and weapons to counter the special task force's pursuit.
Then Park Kang-sung (Kim Sungkyu), the younger brother of Park Young-gwang, appeared before Manager Kim and drew a knife. Even after being shot, Manager Kim subdued Park Kang-sung after a fierce barehanded fight and cleared up the misunderstanding by revealing that the past operation had been a trap set from the start by Ri Eung-ryeong (Lee Jae-yong). In particular, Manager Kim's painful past was revealed, showing that he had lived under the code name 66 carrying Park Young-gwang's last words left in the past explosion—"no matter what happens, make sure you survive"—which moved viewers.
Meanwhile, Min-ji's exhilarating counterattack while trapped in the freezer was also depicted. Min-ji subdued the subordinates with an iron pipe and dramatically succeeded in escaping. Arriving late at the freezer, Manager Kim saw Min-ji's writing left on the frost, "Dad I'm sorry. I'm scared," confirmed his daughter's survival and threw himself into the pouring rain.
Manager Kim, who found Min-ji fleeing on top of a container, desperately called out his daughter's name, but they were separated by the heavy rain and he ultimately lost sight of her right before his eyes, adding to the regret. Manager Kim asked Jeong Sang-ah (Son Naeun) to track the CCTV movements and tightened the reins of the pursuit.
However, an unprecedented twist struck at the end of the broadcast. The owner of the car that Min-ji, wandering in the rain, climbed into asking for help was none other than 'villain of villains' Joo Gang-chan (Joo Sang-Wook). Watching the sleeping Min-ji, Joo Gang-chan smiled chillingly, saying, "This is an unexpected boon. For her to come in on her own like this," which sent chills through viewers. Some viewers lamented, calling it a 'stuffy' moment, but it appears to be a necessary development reflecting the original work. With hope turned into despair in the shocking ending, attention is focused on whether Manager Kim will be able to save his daughter in future developments.
[Photo] provided by 'Manager Kim'
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