Ahn Bo-hyun's 'Chaebol X Detective 2' hits 6.9% in premiere viewership ratings

Jin Yi-soo, the chaebol detective played by Ahn Bo-hyun, became the target of a serial bombing from the very first episode. The SBS Friday-Saturday drama 'Chaebol X Detective 2' surpassed the viewership ratings of its first season with its premiere on the 7th.

According to Nielsen Korea, the first episode of 'Chaebol X Detective 2' recorded a nationwide viewership rating of 6.1% and 6.0% in the Seoul metropolitan area, with a peak rating reaching 6.9%. This is 0.3 percentage points higher than the 5.8% nationwide rating of the Season 1 premiere. The 2049 viewership rating also hit a peak of 2.1%.

From a chase in Mexico to a department store bombing

The drama opens with Jin Yi-soo (Ahn Bo-hyun) heading to Mexico alongside Park Jun-young (Kang Sang-jun) and Choi Kyung-jin (Kim Shin-bi) to catch a multi-level marketing fraudster. Utilizing his immense wealth, Jin Yi-soo deploys a private jet and even disguises himself as a mariachi locally to apprehend the criminals. Upon returning to Korea, while filming the documentary 'Specialist,' Jin Yi-soo receives a message from an "anonymous informant" saying, "I have a gift for you." Heading to the department store indicated by the informant, Jin Yi-soo is confronted by an improvised explosive device. The situation is temporarily resolved when a counter-terrorism team arrives on the scene to defuse the bomb after Jin Yi-soo accidentally triggers the detonator, leaving him unable to move. During this process, news footage shows Jin Yi-soo falling as he hurriedly tries to escape.

Reunion with the devilish instructor Joo Hye-ra and the start of serial terror

The counter-terrorism team leader who appeared to resolve the bomb incident was Joo Hye-ra (Jung Eun-chae), who had trained Jin Yi-soo back in the police academy. Joo Hye-ra was dispatched to Ganghaseo for this investigation and began cooperating with Jin Yi-soo, with whom she shared a past connection. The crisis continued. At an event for a whiskey brand launched by Jin Yi-soo, a terrorist sent a message saying, "Did you think the game was over? ROUND 2," followed by another explosion. Jin Yi-soo, Joo Hye-ra, Park Jun-young, and Choi Kyung-jin, who were at the venue, were once again exposed to the danger of an explosion. To find the culprit, Jin Yi-soo visits his brother Jin Seung-joo (Kwak Si-yang), who is currently incarcerated, expressing his suspicion by saying, "Someone is trying to kill me. No matter how much I think about it, you're the only one who comes to mind." Jin Seung-joo apologizes for his past mistakes while maintaining his innocence. Tension escalated when a large time bomb was discovered inside the vehicle while Joo Hye-ra was moving Jin Yi-soo to a safe house. With less than five minutes left until the explosion, the first episode ended with Jin Yi-soo speeding toward a yacht pier on the Han River.