Kim Bujang Is Already Talking Season 2 — Four Episodes In

So Ji-sub's SBS Friday-Saturday drama Kim Bujang is doing something that almost never happens: the Season 2 conversation started before the show even hit its midpoint.

The show launched with a 9.6% national rating on its first episode, then climbed to 21.6% by episode four — a 10-part series that still has six episodes left to air. That puts it third all-time in SBS Friday-Saturday drama ratings history, behind Penthouse 2 (29.2%) and Fiery Priest (22%). The fact that it's still in its early run makes that ranking genuinely striking.

For context on what that climb means: MBC's 21st Century Daegunjubu-in came into 2025 as one of the most anticipated dramas of the year — high-profile cast, big production budget, pre-air buzz. Kim Bujang surpassed its peak rating of 13.8% in just two episodes. That's the kind of performance that reframes what the drama season looks like.

The reason Season 2 talk is moving faster than usual comes down to three things stacking up at once. First, the ratings trajectory — shows typically don't confirm their hit status until the second half, so this is early. Second, So Ji-sub himself: at the SBS drama media day last month, he said directly, "I really want to do Season 2." Lead actor willingness is usually the biggest variable in whether a sequel gets made, and here it's already on the table. Third, the source material reportedly has more story than the drama could fit into one season, which means a second run has something to actually build on.

SBS has done this before — Fiery Priest and Taxi Driver both became multi-season franchises on the same network. Kim Bujang fits the same action-series mold. SBS's official position right now is that Season 2 "is not officially being discussed," but the phrasing reads more like "nothing is signed yet" than a no. The door is open.

With six episodes still to go, the real question is whether the ratings hold or keep climbing. If they do, the conversation stops being hypothetical pretty fast.