SBS ‘Manager Kim’ Choi Dae-hoon

Every project he appears in is a smash hit.

Actor Choi Dae-hoon shows no sign of slowing down. With each project turning into a smash, he has firmly established himself as a bona fide ‘K-drama hit cheat code’, and that momentum has carried into ‘Manager Kim’, shaking up global popularity.

Last year, after winning over viewers worldwide and sparking a global ‘Hak-ssi’ catchphrase craze, Choi has continued to roll out consecutive hits with his singular ability to inhabit characters, drawing hot buzz day after day as a ‘trustworthy actor to watch’ among fans not only at home but around the world. Completing entirely different faces with each role and moving freely across genres and characters with seasoned ease, he has earned the confidence of viewers both domestic and global, once again proving his true worth.

Choi Dae-hoon’s hot streak is borne out by the work itself. First, ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, which kept a Top 10 spot for nine straight weeks in Netflix’s global Non-English TV shows and made viewers around the world laugh and cry, ignited a global syndrome by topping the ‘K-Brand Index’ as 2025 Drama of the Year and being named one of Time magazine’s ‘Best K-Dramas of 2025’. As Bu Sang-gil, Choi evoked the fathers of that era and, at the center of worldwide buzz, even sparked a ‘Hak-ssi’ medley craze. He was thus honored with the Best Supporting Actor award at the 61st Baeksang Arts Awards.

Following ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’, the Netflix series ‘Wonderfuls’, in which he stars, not only entered Netflix’s Non-English TV Top 10 in its first week but climbed to No. 2 globally in its second week, with Choi’s brand of comedy hitting global viewers’ laugh button. A standout scene in which, among hypnotized cult followers, he calmly pretends to be hypnotized and performs a zombified act to hide his identity was truly a showstopper, and his deadpan comedic performance has dominated short-form (Short-form) platforms at home and abroad, propelling him into a breakout character.

SBS ‘Manager Kim’ Choi Dae-hoon. Ace Factory

SBS ‘Manager Kim’ cast. So Ji-sub, Choi Dae-hoon, Yoon Kyung-ho (from left)

In addition, in SBS’s FridaySaturday drama ‘Manager Kim’, which has recorded the highest ratings of any Korean drama this year in just two weeks on air, he unveils yet another bold transformation unlike his previous characters. Choi becomes Sung Han-su, a fully loaded ‘hexagonal complete-type character’ with action, brains, and physicality, turning the ordinary middle-aged man we knew into ‘the coolest ajusshi’. Not only does he refresh the potentially heavy tone of the drama with a spoonful of his trademark sly delivery, but his flashy actionhighlighted by a specialty 1,440-degree kickalso shines. As the man who can do it all, he is drawing enthusiastic responses from viewers. In particular, the seamless chemistry of the ‘three ajusshis’Choi Dae-hoon, So Ji-sub, and Yoon Kyung-hois cited as the primary driver of ratings. With the ensemble’s perfect synergy amplified by fervent reactions, ‘Manager Kim’ continues to write a daily hit-making legend, and episode 4 posted 21.6% (Nielsen Korea nationwide), setting the highest rating among domestic dramas aired this year.

The momentum that captivated Korean viewers carried straight over to the global charts. On the 8th, according to Tudum, Netflix’s official chart site, it recorded 10.5 million views (total viewing hours divided by runtime) from the 29th of last month to the 5th, ranking No. 1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Non-English TV shows. After premiering on the 26th of last month, it rose to No. 3 in the Non-English TV category within three days, then took the top spot in its second week, sustaining worldwide heat. ‘Manager Kim’ ranked No. 1 in 11 countries including Korea, Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan, and entered the Top 10 in 79 countries, proving its global popularity.

In this way, from deeply moving drama to globe-shaking comedy and charismatic action, Choi Dae-hoon is captivating the world with a limitless acting spectrum.

Meanwhile, ‘Manager Kim’, the drama that continues its unbridled ‘box-office momentum’ along with Choi Dae-hoon’s unstoppable run, airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m. on SBS.