'Agent Kim Reactivated' hits big — but here's why Yoon Kyung-ho fought back tears

SBS Friday-Saturday drama series "Agent Kim Reactivated" [Provided by SBS]

When actor Yoon Kyung-ho won over audiences last year as "Yulimping" in the Netflix series "Trauma Center," he thought he had reached the peak of his career. After years of drifting between minor and supporting roles, he had finally emerged from a long, dark tunnel — and told himself, "This is enough." But nearly two decades of quietly honed craft refused to keep him in the shadows. The film "My Daughter Is a Zombie" (2025) became a runaway hit, and a YouTube appearance he made to promote it turned him into a variety entertainment personality almost overnight.

Yoon's golden streak has carried into this year without missing a beat. After tvN's "Culinary Soldier: Becoming a Legend" wrapped to strong reviews, "Agent Kim Reactivated" — the SBS Friday-Saturday drama series that concluded Sunday — cemented his place as one of the driving forces behind a new ratings milestone for SBS drama. Watching someone succeed is a pleasure in itself. When that person is warm, genuine and deeply committed to their craft, the urge to cheer them on only grows stronger. Yoon Kyung-ho is exactly that kind of person.

"It might take a while to shake off the 'Agent Kim Reactivated' fever. Still, I'm trying to get back to basics — reminding myself not to get arrogant, so that this moment doesn't turn into empty foam."

'Pressure to match the source material — I used action to show the real deal'

The Korea Herald met Yoon Kyung-ho — who played Park Jin-cheol in "Agent Kim Reactivated" — at a studio in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Monday. The long-anticipated meeting unfolded exactly as expected: wall-to-wall conversation with barely a pause. "I tend to go on a bit. Cut me off if I run too long," he said at the outset — a promise neither side managed to keep. The interview ran well past its scheduled time before ending, reluctantly, with plenty left unsaid.

Actor Yoon Kyung-ho [Provided by Noon Company]

"Agent Kim Reactivated," which closed its run with a 23 percent finale rating, is an action drama following a father's desperate fight to find his missing daughter. Yoon's character, Park Jin-cheol — a former special forces soldier and the protagonist's closest ally — neutralizes enemies with overwhelming force while trading relentless banter with Seong Han-su (played by Choi Dae-hoon), injecting a streak of levity into the series.

An ajeossi who yields to no one when it comes to loyalty and a sense of duty — and who is far tougher than he looks. But bringing Park Jin-cheol to life was no easy task from the outset, given the character's devoted fanbase built up through the original webtoon. The first hurdle was the gap between the source material's towering, muscular figure and Yoon's own affable, easygoing presence. A warning from his friend's son — half encouragement, half alarm — put him on edge: "Uncle, you really have to nail Park Jin-cheol."

"When I saw how much men in their 20s to 40s loved Park Jin-cheol, I thought, 'This is serious.' But I couldn't just build that body overnight — that wasn't realistic. So I decided that if I couldn't match him physically, I'd prove his worth through action instead. I wanted to show that you shouldn't underestimate a guy in glasses, that he's stronger than he looks. I tried to make every hit land with real weight."

SBS Friday-Saturday drama series "Agent Kim Reactivated" [Provided by SBS]

A big part of why Yoon holds this project so close to his heart lies in what happened on set — a free-wheeling improv fest he shared with So Ji-sub and Choi Dae-hoon. In practice, nearly every scene was built on ad-libs. Director Lee Seung-young encouraged the actors, who understood their characters best, to play freely within each situation, while writer Nam Dae-jung laid the groundwork to let each character's personality breathe. With the full support of the creative team, the three actors roamed the set without restraint.

Beyond verbal ad-libs that cut through the audio, several scenes — including a lighter moment during an elevator action sequence — came together entirely from the actors' own suggestions.

"I go way back with So Ji-sub from 'The Battleship Island,' and Choi Dae-hoon and I got close working on 'Alienoid' and the drama series 'Confession.' We've shared the screen on a number of projects, but this was the first time we'd ever just run with improv like this — almost like a live performance, completely open. I was really excited to see what kind of synergy the three of us could create when we were given that kind of freedom."

'Being someone's Santa — that's what makes me happy'

Actor Yoon Kyung-ho [Provided by Noon Company]

The hits keep coming. Even before "Agent Kim Reactivated," Yoon had appeared in more than ten projects across film and television since "Trauma Center," moving between the big screen and the small without pause. Behind the momentum and the desire to keep succeeding lies real pressure. But the knowledge that his growing recognition lets him leave a lasting impression on people — that he can make someone smile — is what keeps him running forward without rest. In his own words, Yoon is someone who finds happiness in being "someone's Santa."

He made sure to share an episode from that very morning: he ran into a neighbor dad from the same apartment building in the elevator and drove him all the way to work before heading to the interview.

"I really love enjoying the attention I get now on my own terms. If I spot someone walking by looking worn out, I'll quietly fall in behind them, say hello first, offer to take a photo for them. Before, that kind of behavior might have come across as strange or unwelcome — but now that I'm more recognizable, I can actually be a welcome presence for someone, and that means the world to me. The small happiness I feel when I give back the love I've received — that's what keeps me going."

He has also been making his mark as an entertainment personality through the YouTube variety show "Pinggyego," where his "too much talker" side has been on full display. A 100th-episode special alongside Joo Ji-hoon and Kim Nam-gil had racked up 17.7 million views as of Tuesday, and he rode that wave onto tvN's "You Quiz on the Block." More recently, the three reunited to film a ramyun-eating segment. The common thread across every piece of content: Yoon's mouth never stops. The talkativeness he once considered a flaw has become one of the qualities audiences love most about him.

SBS Friday-Saturday drama series "Agent Kim Reactivated" [Provided by SBS]

"Of course, I do worry that this chatty image might narrow the range of characters I get offered. But recently a fan wrote in a letter, 'I loved your acting all along, so I love seeing this side of you in variety too.' If I can build on my image and keep growing through my performances, maybe that becomes its own engine for development. I really want to grow well."

His eyes welled up as he spoke about the fan letter. Gratitude for the love he has received, and a rush of emotions about the long road he has traveled, seemed to arrive all at once. Blinking back tears of joy, he is set to keep running — just as he has all along.

His upcoming slate is packed: the film "Tajja: Song of Beelzebub," confirmed for a Chuseok release; "High School Detective," a film opposite Kim Hye-yoon; the Netflix film "Cross 2"; and the Disney+ series "The Miracles of the Namiya General Store." He closed the interview with his hopes — and his resolve — for a potential second season of "Agent Kim Reactivated."

"If 'Agent Kim Reactivated' gets a Season 2, I want to come back in better shape than I am now and deliver something truly satisfying through more intense action. Having received this much love, I find myself wanting to give even more. We really did ride out something like a typhoon together. I want to let go of some of that hunger for more miraculous moments, and just give everything I have to what's in front of me." (laughs)

balme@heraldcorp.com