SBS’s hit drama Agent Kim Reactivated, which wrapped up on July 25, recorded a nationwide peak rating of 23.1%, making it the highest-rated miniseries to air in 2026. Along with the drama’s success, Joo Sang Wook also made a lasting impression as Joo Kang Chan.
Reacting to the show’s response, which was even bigger than he expected, the actor said with a smile, “I’ve been really happy lately.”
Joo Sang Wook named the scene in Episode 7 in which his character is brutally beaten by Kim (So Ji Sub) as the most memorable moment of the series. He said he actually enjoyed knowing that the more humiliated his character looked, the more satisfying the scene was for viewers.
“I never expected so many people to enjoy watching me get beaten up that badly,” he said with a laugh. “I also liked all those humiliated expressions that came out in the moment while I was taking the hits. I’d never made faces like that while acting before. My family and the people around me felt bad for me, but I had fun.”
Agent Kim Reactivated marked Joo Sang Wook’s first time working with So Ji Sub. During the fight sequence, which took an entire day to film, So Ji Sub continually checked on his costar while taking the lead in choreographing the action.
“He was so genuine that I kept wondering how anyone could be that kindhearted,” Joo Sang Wook recalled.
“We spent the whole day filming scenes where he hit me and I took the blows, and he kept asking whether I was okay,” he continued. “He’s much better at action than I am, so he guided the overall flow really well. Even though I was the one getting beaten up, I had fun.”
“I had a lot of scenes where I acted alone, but in Episodes 9 and 10, I was constantly filming with So Ji Sub, Choi Dae Hoon and Yoon Kyung Ho. It finally felt like we were all making a drama together. I found that personally very rewarding.”
Although Joo Sang Wook is a father to a daughter in real life, he said he could not relate to Joo Kang Chan’s twisted version of paternal love. While the fathers in the drama are all willing to risk their lives for their children, Joo Kang Chan repeatedly makes the wrong choices under the pretense of protecting his daughter.
“All fathers start from the same place: the feeling that they would do anything for their children,” he explained. “What differs is the process and the way they go about it. Joo Kang Chan believes he can do absolutely anything as long as it’s for his daughter, and that makes him a bad person.”
“I didn’t agree with his methods while playing him. I simply put myself in his shoes and portrayed his perspective. In real life, I’m much closer to Jin Cheol, just an ordinary dad raising a daughter.”
After successfully taking on his first villain role, Joo Sang Wook said he would be open to playing another antagonist.
“I’d gladly play another villain as long as the character is compelling,” he said. “Next time, I’d like the role to have a little more depth and backstory. I also want to do a serious drama with more weight to it.”
“I think every actor’s dream is to try a noir genre,” he added with a laugh. “I’m still in pretty good shape.”
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