Lee Seo-jin and Kim Kwang-kyu’s SBS variety show ‘Secretary Jin’ is closing out its season on a high, setting a new ratings record just days before a long-awaited reunion episode with actress Ha Ji Won.
According to MHN Sports, the episode that aired on October 23 featuring actor Son Suk-ku recorded a nationwide household rating of 3.4 percent, the show’s best result to date. The same episode reached 3.6 percent in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a peak per-minute rating of 4.4 percent. Independent coverage by KStarTrend confirmed the same figures, citing Nielsen Korea, and noted that the episode marked a new personal best for the program.
The format, officially titled ‘Whatever You Want - Secretary Jin’ and known in short as ‘Biseojin,’ casts Lee and Kim as hands-on secretaries to a rotating celebrity guest, dubbed the show’s ‘my star.’ The two hosts, whose average age is 56.5, handle everything from schedules and transport to meals and personal errands, and the comedy of the show comes from how seriously - and how reluctantly - they take the job.
The current season returned after a break of about seven months, premiering on August 28. Its opening episode drew a 3.7 percent household rating in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a 1.7 percent rating among viewers aged 20 to 49 and a peak per-minute rating of 4.4 percent. SBS’s own entertainment news division reported that the 20-49 figure more than doubled the final episode of the previous season, and that the show debuted at No. 2 overall on Netflix Korea’s daily series chart and No. 1 in the variety category.
That streaming momentum held. MHN Sports reports that ‘Secretary Jin’ stayed at No. 1 among variety shows on Netflix Korea for three consecutive weeks, while clips from the show passed 7 million cumulative views within two days of the premiere, 15 million by the second episode and 30 million by the third. The show also topped Good Data Corporation’s FUNdex non-drama television buzz ranking in the first week of October, its best result including its predecessor format, with girl group RESCENE, Lee, RESCENE members Mei and Woni, and Kim filling the second through sixth spots in the cast buzz ranking.
The guest list this season has mixed singers, actors and broadcasters. Singer BIBI opened the season with a Waterbomb festival appearance, actor Cha Tae-hyun followed while battling a cold, and singer Seo In-young, actor Ji Chang-wook, RESCENE, broadcaster Seo Jang-hoon, actor Ji Ye-eun and Son Suk-ku have all taken turns as ‘my star.’ Ji Chang-wook became the show’s first returning guest.
The individual episodes have produced the season’s most-shared moments. Lee admitted he did not know BIBI’s hit song ‘Bam Yang Gang,’ explaining that he mostly listens to pop music. He adjusted the car temperature and kept drinks ready for the unwell Cha Tae-hyun, and handled contact lens removal and outfit ironing during Seo In-young’s photo shoot - before briefly declaring he was quitting after a stream of detailed instructions. He also warned RESCENE about managing money after settlement and guarding against scams, while Kim passed along Ji Chang-wook’s portable fan to actress Nana and encouraged RESCENE during their lesser-known days.
In the October 23 episode, Son Suk-ku spent the day with the two hosts and spoke about his experience related to deployment support in Iraq and about debuting as an actor at the relatively late age of 35, saying he had at one point considered giving up acting altogether. The episode’s record rating suggests viewers responded to that more reflective tone, a shift from the show’s usual bickering comedy.
That goodwill sets up the season’s most anticipated episode yet. The next ‘my star’ is Ha Ji Won, reuniting with Lee on television 23 years after they co-starred in the 2003 drama ‘Damo.’ Ha Ji Won said the reunion felt like a dream, while Lee said it was their first time appearing in the same frame since that drama. A teaser for the episode has drawn around 1 million views, and a special preview video released on October 27 passed 3 million views within a day.
The Ha Ji Won episode is also the show’s first overseas trip, with Lee, Kim and Ha Ji Won travelling to Singapore to watch a Formula 1 race. It airs on October 30 at 11:10 p.m. KST on SBS. Whether the reunion can push the show past its new 3.4 percent record is now the question hanging over the finale stretch - but on the evidence of the Son Suk-ku episode, the show’s mix of reluctant service and genuine conversation is working better than ever.
