So Ji-sub plays the role of Mr. Kim, a man who throws everything on the line to find his missing daughter Min-ji (played by Seo Su-min), in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama "Mr. Kim" (written by Nam Dae-jung, directed by Lee Seung-young and Lee So-eun). Portraying everything from satisfying action sequences to heart-wrenching paternal love with high density, he leaves a powerful lingering resonance at the end of each episode, compelling viewers to tune into the next.
Here is a look back at 5 major ending scenes from "Mr. Kim" that generated massive buzz.
▲ Episode 1: Rage to Find His Missing Daughter… "Where Is My Min-ji?"
While searching for clues to find his missing daughter Min-ji, Mr. Kim encounters Joo Hye-ri (played by Yoo Ji-an) and Sung Min-ho (played by Hwang Sung-bin). This is the moment when he instantly subdues the provoking Sung Min-ho, points a weapon at his neck, and reveals his hidden abilities by demanding, "Where is my Min-ji?" So Ji-sub's sharp gaze glued viewers to their remote controls.
▲ Episode 2: A Phone Call from His Kidnapped Daughter... "Hello? Is That Min-ji?"
Refusing to give up hope for his daughter until the end, Mr. Kim spots a call from his daughter coming into the police station, instantly subdues a detective, and snatches the phone. With just a trembling single line, "Hello? Is that Min-ji?," and his shaken eyes, So Ji-sub completely conveyed his desperation, raising tension to its peak.
▲ Episode 6: The Emotional Relief of Finding His Daughter Amid Urgency... "Daddy Is Here. Let's Go Home Now"
Finally facing his daughter after a long pursuit, Mr. Kim appeared out of the darkness by subduing the Vice Minister of National Security, instantly taking control of the tense, split-second situation. He then looked at Min-ji and delivered a short remark: "Daddy is here. Let's go home now." Instead of raw, explosive emotion, So Ji-sub reassured his daughter in a calm, low voice, leaving a deep sense of heartbreaking sorrow.
▲ Episode 7: Waking Up in North Korea... 66, Gripped by Creeping Confusion and Anxiety
After safely sending his daughter back, Mr. Kim was arrested as promised. When he opened his eyes again after being administered an anesthetic injection, he found himself in a North Korean interrogation room. So Ji-sub portrayed this unexpected plot twist without a single line of dialogue, capturing confusion, wariness, and gradually creeping anxiety purely through his eyes to showcase the pinnacle of restrained acting.
▲ Episode 8: The Final Mission Accepted to Protect His Daughter, and Another Crisis
Having accepted the final mission to protect Min-ji, Mr. Kim set out on the operation harboring hope, only to be driven to the edge of a cliff once again as the guns of special task force agents turned toward him due to Joo Kang-chan's (played by Joo Sang-wook) scheme. Capturing the moment hope turns into despair with the words "Your mission has failed" using nothing more than a facial expression, he left viewers eagerly anticipating the next episode.
In this way, So Ji-sub maximized the drama's immersion by exploding the emotions he meticulously built up throughout the running time into the final 1-minute ending. Freely shifting between desperate paternal love, cathartic action, and startling plot twists, he proved why he is a "trustworthy actor" and an "ending master."
With only 2 episodes left until its conclusion, episode 9 of "Mr. Kim" will air on Friday, July 24 at 9:50 PM, and the final episode will air at 9:45 PM on July 25.
Kang Sun-ae (sakang@sbs.co.kr)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.