Manager Kim, the live-action adaptation of the NAVER WEBTOON title set in the same universe as Lookism and Viral Hit, premieres June 26, 2026 on SBS in South Korea. The eight-episode run leads with Ji-sub So as Kim — an ordinary-looking office worker hiding a covert-ops past.
Quick answer
Manager Kim is an eight-episode K-drama adapting Ggomyo's WEBTOON action thriller, debuting June 26, 2026 on SBS in South Korea. Ji-sub So stars as Kim, a former special agent who returns to his covert skill set when his daughter disappears. The webtoon serialized 2021-2025 and is a shared-universe spin-off of Lookism, Viral Hit, and My Life as a Loser.
The cast
- Ji-sub So as Kim (lead, former special agent / office worker)
- Dae-hoon Choi as Han-soo Sung
- Kyung-ho Yoon as Jin-cheol Park
- Sang-wook Joo as Kang-chan Joo
- Son Na-eun as Sang-ah
- Sung-kyu Kim as Sung Kang
Ji-sub So is the headline get — he's been working steadily in adult-target K-drama since 2019 (*Doctor Lawyer*, Dr. Romantic 3), and this is his first webtoon-IP starring role in an action register.
The Lookism universe context
The Manager Kim webtoon is part of a connected story-universe that includes:
- Lookism — the long-running flagship by Park Tae-jun (Netflix anime adaptation 2022)
- Viral Hit — Park Tae-jun spinoff, Crunchyroll anime in 2024
- My Life as a Loser — adjacent series
- Manager Kim — Ggomyo's action thriller, now the second universe entry to land in live-action
The shared universe approach is the most aggressive transmedia strategy in WEBTOON's catalog right now. Netflix, Disney+, and now SBS have all been picking off individual entries — Manager Kim on SBS slots into that pattern as the latest beat.
See the Best Summer 2026 anime ranking for adjacent releases on the anime side, and the what to watch this Summer 2026 primer.
Why it matters
Live-action K-drama from WEBTOON IP is becoming a structural channel — Doctor Slump, Itaewon Class, Cheese in the Trap, Moving all came from this pipeline. Manager Kim arriving on SBS confirms the network's been doubling down. The 8-episode format also matters — that's the short-form tactical run that Netflix has been pushing for prestige K-drama, and SBS picking the same length signals they're playing for the international streaming window after the broadcast cycle.
Frequently asked questions
Q: When does Manager Kim debut?
A: Manager Kim premieres June 26, 2026 on SBS in South Korea.
Q: Where can I watch Manager Kim outside Korea?
A: International streaming partners haven't been announced yet — expect a Netflix or Disney+ pickup announcement in the lead-up to premiere, based on prior SBS K-drama distribution patterns.
Q: How many episodes does Manager Kim have?
A: Eight episodes.
Q: Is Manager Kim based on a webtoon?
A: Yes — the WEBTOON by Ggomyo, serialized 2021-2025 in English on WEBTOON's platform.
Q: Is Manager Kim connected to Lookism?
A: Yes — it's a shared-universe spin-off in the same continuity as Lookism, Viral Hit, and My Life as a Loser. The crossover beats are explicit in the webtoon source.
Q: Who plays Kim in the live-action?
A: Ji-sub So leads the cast as Kim.