Comedy series "Chief Kim" continues to grow in terms of viewership, dominating the late night time slot of Wednesday-Thursday prime time. In fact, the Namgoong Min-starrer scored two high-rated episodes this week.
According to Soompi, the 11th and 12th episodes of "Chief Kim" aired on Mar. 1 and 2 recorded 18.4 percent ratings each as per Nielsen Korea. With the latest figures, the KBS series has set another record against contenders "Saimdang, Light's Diary" and "Missing 9."
A recent survey revealed that more and more Koreans are drawn to "Chief Kim" for its light story. Most of them have found relief in watching the comedy series after a hectic day at work.
"I'm stressed out from work these days and have few chances to laugh. Watching "Chief Kim" and laughing out loud really busts my work stress," a viewer said as per Korea Times.
But aside from the fun part, critics commended the KBS series for presenting real-life scenarios in the Korean workplace. Unlike previous concept of incorporating romance in workplace dramas, "Chief Kim" focuses on presenting the common issues of office workers.
"A big trend for office dramas now is that they deal with social issues up close like social class, people with power and growing wealth inequality," said Kim Hyun Sik, a culture critic.
No wonder, "Chief Kim" is considered as one of today's best Korean TV shows, alongside SBS' "Defendant" OCN's "Voice." For episode 12, Namgoong Min's character revealed his plan to take revenge against Seo Yul, played by 2PM's Junho.
Although they are going against each other in "Chief Kim," the two actors have been receiving praises for their on-screen bromance in the drama. Namgoong Min attracts the viewers with his cheeky personality, while Junho draws them for his vicious role.
The brains behind the KBS comedy series admitted their main objective is to "pick at the fundamental moral rules of our society."
