'Fifty Percent' lands a hit with comic action as Shin Ha-kyun, Oh Jung-se, Heo Sung-tae draw 4.4% in first episode

'Fifty Percent', it explodes from the first broadcast… 'Shin Ha-kyun'·'Oh Jung-se'·'Heo Sung-tae' deliver overwhelming synergy

The intense ensemble performance of actor 'Shin Ha-kyun', 'Oh Jung-se', and 'Heo Sung-tae' completely seized the living-room audience. MBC's new weekend drama 'Fifty Percent' kicked off smoothly amid viewers' overwhelming praise. According to Nielsen Korea's viewership survey results announced on the 23rd, 'Fifty Percent', Episode 1, which premiered on the 22nd, achieved a nationwide rating of 4.4%. From the very first episode, the drama managed to capture viewers' attention by meticulously weaving dense 'action' and upbeat 'comedy'.

That day's broadcast, built around a large-scale 'drug smuggling case' that erupted 10 years ago, unfolded at a fast pace the intertwined story of three men who gathered in the isolated space of 'Yeongseondo'. National Intelligence Service agent 'Jung Ho-myung' (played by Shin Ha-kyun) fought fiercely to stop the massive scheme of corrupt NIS deputy director 'Han Kyung-wook' (Kim Sang-kyung), who was plotting to smuggle drugs by teaming up with a North Korean officer.

In response, Han Kyung-wook put forward North Korean special operative 'Bulgai' (played by Oh Jung-se) and organized crime figure 'Kang Beom-ryong' (played by Heo Sung-tae), unleashing a tense, breathless power struggle among the three. Amid that, as BulgaI seized the 'USB' containing the case's key evidence and disappeared, the drama's suspense hit its highest point.

After that, Jung Ho-myung and Kang Beom-ryong each went into Yeongseondo—the final place where BulgaI had last been seen—infiltrating the area with clear aims to retrieve the USB. They posed as a Chinese restaurant kitchen chef and a convenience store president, respectively, and launched meticulous inquiry operations. Meanwhile, BulgaI, who was living as an ordinary company employee named 'Bong Je-seun' after losing his memories, in a life-or-death moment when he faced threats from an illegal loan shark, unconsciously unleashed the instincts of a special operative. At the end, Jung Ho-myung—who had come to the scene to collect payment for medical expenses—witnessed this overwhelming spectacle and became certain of Bong Je-seun's true identity, with that scene capping the finale and exploding anticipation for the next installment.

The combination of the three men, known as the so-called 'actors you can trust', raised the drama's immersion to another level. The comic action ensemble, completed on the strength of solid acting skills, is clearly set to act as a key driving force behind future upward momentum in 'Fifty Percent''s viewership ratings.