Kim Bu-jang hits 23.2% ratings, No. 2 all-time on SBS Fri-Sat, tops Netflix non-English chart for 2 weeks

Episode 6 of SBS's Kim Bu-jang, which aired July 11, recorded 23.2% in the Seoul metropolitan area, 22.3% nationwide, and peaked at 26.4%, per Nielsen Korea. The show's highest numbers yet. Every episode in its three-week run has broken its own record.

It now sits at No. 2 in all-time SBS Friday-Saturday drama viewership. Only Penthouse 2 ranks higher. The 2049 demographic hit a peak of 9.3% and averaged 8.1%.

On Netflix, Kim Bu-jang topped the non-English TV category on the platform's global TOP10 chart for two consecutive weeks as of July 15. It ranked No. 1 in 22 countries—South Korea, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Qatar, Thailand, Singapore, Bolivia, and Peru among them—and appeared in the TOP10 across 72 countries total.

Domestically, Kim Bu-jang led TV-OTT drama buzz rankings for a second straight week in mid-July. It swept every sub-category: news, online community reactions, videos, and SNS. So Ji-seop held the No. 1 spot in cast buzz for two consecutive weeks and also ranked first in the Korean Corporate Reputation Research Institute's drama actor brand reputation index for July 2026. Seo Su-min and Yoon Kyung-ho both placed in the TOP5.

Episode 6 centered on a rescue mission. Kim Bu-jang (So Ji-seop), Sung Han-su (Choi Dae-hoon), and Park Jin-chul (Yoon Kyung-ho) launched an operation to free Min-ji (Seo Su-min) from the Special Operations Bureau. The line Kim Bu-jang delivers to Min-ji in a trembling voice—"Min-ji, let's go home"—landed as the episode's emotional anchor. (The kind of moment that clips itself.)

The production team said: "From episode 7, a different dimension of development, action, and stories where characters' emotions explode will unfold." They added they would "repay expectations with more intense action, highly immersive storytelling, and unpredictable plot twists" as the show enters its second half.

Episode 7 airs July 17 at 9:50 PM. A Kim Bu-jang special broadcast is scheduled for July 31 and August 1.