Joo Sang-wook, as sociopath Joo Kang-chan in 'Agent Kim Reactivated', alongside So Ji-sub

Actor Joo Sang-wook played Joo Gang-chan, the chairman of 'Ju Hak Construction' and a former gang thug, in the SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Agent Kim Reactivated,' delivering his most intense villainous performance since his debut. In this series, which airs every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 PM, Joo Sang-wook built overwhelming tension with his cold, restrained gaze and calm manner of speaking.

A monster's first impression engraved with scars and twisted paternal love

Joo Gang-chan's madness was evident from his first appearance. While having a private meeting in a bathhouse with Assemblyman Shim (played by Kim Kyung-ryong), when asked about the reason for the burn scars covering his body, he nonchalantly replied, "I regretted it after starting the business. I was ashamed in front of my daughter. So, I just seared them off with a torch." The way he explained the reason for carving scars into his own body with a calm expression immediately demonstrated the character's danger. Regarding this scene, Joo Sang-wook stated, "It was an important scene that determined the first impression of the monster named Joo Gang-chan," adding, "As it was my first exposure scene, I put a lot of effort into building my physique through diet management and exercise."

His twisted paternal love for his daughter, Ju Hye-ri (played by Yoo Ji-an), adds a sociopathic dimension. Upon learning that his daughter harmed Kim Min-ji (played by Seo Su-min), Joo Gang-chan scolded her, saying, "If you wanted to kill her that badly, you should have asked your father to do it. Do you think I can't do even that much?" He then immediately embraced his daughter and whispered, "It's not like I've ever refused anything you wanted. It's no big deal. Did you confirm she's dead?" It is a dualistic appearance of justifying crime in the name of love.

His cruel past actions were also revealed. His violent nature was exposed when it was revealed that he pulled out all the teeth of Geum-i-ppal (played by Jo Bok-rae), with whom he had a bad relationship during his days as a thug. Even when he first encountered Agent Kim Reactivated (played by So Ji-sub) at school, he maintained a smile and calmly warned, "If something like this happens again, then both the school and you will disappear." Furthermore, he saw through Kim Min-ji, who was pretending to have lost her memory, saying, "Perhaps because she is still a student, her attempt to hide her emotions is clumsy. Her pretending to lose her memory is also clumsy," and then revealed a belief that allows him to sacrifice others' lives by saying, "It would be enough if only student Kim Min-ji disappears from the world."

Agent Kim Reactivated's North Korean kidnapping ending and Joo Gang-chan's hint of revenge

In the 7th episode aired on the 17th, Joo Gang-chan's attempts to secure the custody of Agent Kim Reactivated and his daughter continued. Agent Kim Reactivated infiltrated the special task force and rescued his daughter, Kim Min-ji. When Nam Sil-jang (played by Lee Dong-ha) reported that Joo Gang-chan had taken Kim Min-ji, Joo Gang-chan attempted to eliminate Agent Kim Reactivated, Sung Han-soo (played by Choi Dae-hoon), and Park Jin-cheol (played by Yoon Kyung-ho). Agent Kim Reactivated's group wiped out Nam Sil-jang's gang and headed to Joo Gang-chan's villa. Joo Gang-chan proposed to Agent Kim Reactivated, saying, "We are no different," and "If you cover up this bad relationship and work under me, I'll give you 100 million won a month." In response, Agent Kim Reactivated used violence against Joo Gang-chan, saying, "I will eliminate you for Min-ji."

The situation seemed to settle as daughter Min-ji tried to stop Agent Kim Reactivated, but Agent Kim Reactivated eventually surrendered to the military and was imprisoned in a special prison. Agent Kim Reactivated also shared a final farewell with his daughter, confessing that he came from North Korea. Meanwhile, Joo Gang-chan visited a law firm to devise a scheme, and Geum-i-ppal prepared for revenge by fitting new gold teeth. Park Kang-seong (played by Kim Seong-gyu) recovered his strength while receiving treatment at a hideout.

The ending of episode 7 was shocking. After North Korean soldiers knocked Agent Kim Reactivated unconscious with a strong anesthetic, the place where he opened his eyes was a torture chamber in North Korea. The preview for episode 8 depicted Agent Kim Reactivated being tortured in North Korea, a scene where Joo Gang-chan demands that Agent Kim Reactivated's life be ended, and Agent Kim Reactivated returning to South Korea alone from North Korea. Joo Sang-wook said, "You will be able to see a different side of him than before, showing how far Joo Gang-chan can go to break Agent Kim Reactivated."