Shin Ha-kyun and Oh Jung-se’s Bromance Shines as ‘Fifty Percent’ Wraps With 5.0%

‘Fifty Percent’’s Brilliant Exit, the Evolution of a Well-Made Genre Series That Surpassed Rating Limits

MBC’s Friday-Saturday drama ‘Fifty Percent’, which sparked a playful revolt in living rooms, closed out its long run with a lingering aftertaste. The heavyweight ensemble of three irreplaceable actors—‘Shin Ha-kyun’, ‘Oh Jung-se’, and ‘Heo Seong-tae’—earns authoritative praise for opening a new chapter for Korea’s midlife bromance genre.

According to Nielsen Korea’s ratings report released on the 28th, the final episode (Episode 12), which aired the previous day, finished with a nationwide rating of ‘5.0%’. Although it started at 4.4% in its first episode and stayed in the 5% to 6% range throughout its run—never delivering explosive growth—it is difficult to judge the work solely by simple metrics such as ratings, given its overwhelming buzz and solid completion.

The final episode delivered the perfect catharsis through the story of three men reuniting once again to complete ‘Yeongseon-do Mission’, which had remained unfinished 10 years earlier. ‘Jung Ho-myeong’ (played by Shin Ha-kyun), a former National Intelligence Service black ops agent; ‘Bulgae’ (played by Oh Jung-se), a former North Korean special operative; and ‘Gang Beom-ryong’ (played by Heo Seong-tae), the former second-in-command of the Hwasanpa organization, cut through the tangled threads of old grudges and showed flawless coordination synergy.

In particular, the fierce performance by Inspector Kang (‘Kim Shin-rok’)—who delivers unrestrained, no-sacred-ground tough talk—and the full-throated support of the Yeongseon-do residents raised the story’s intensity even further. The process of taking down the massive cartel run by the final villain, former lawmaker Han Gyeong-uk (‘Kim Sang-kyung’), left viewers with a thrilling, intense sense of gratification that stuck in their minds.

‘Fifty Percent’ proved the essence of a well-made genre series throughout its run by alternating between an original ‘B-movie-style humor’ that repeatedly defied expectations and ‘hit-heavy action’ that sent adrenaline soaring. Even after accounting for the disappointment in the ratings, the weighty footprints and distinctive aesthetics the show left in the history of Korean genre dramas will linger in the public conversation for a long time.