K-SNAPP

So Ji Sub’s candid 'Agent Kim Reactivated' confession: "Being called Dad felt awkward"

So Ji Sub opens up about the excitement and nerves of his first 'Dad' role

So Ji Sub, Agent Kim Reactivated, Father role, YouTube Ha Ji-young, Jo Eun-jung
So Ji Sub [Photo: YouTube '유튜브하지영']

Actor So Ji Sub is taking on his first-ever father role in the SBS drama Agent Kim Reactivated — and he admits he feels both excited and anxious about it.

On July 1, So Ji Sub appeared on comedian-turned-broadcaster Ha Ji-young’s YouTube channel, where he opened up about the drama and his everyday life after marriage.

Agent Kim Reactivated, which So Ji Sub currently stars in, is a high-stakes “dad-verse” revenge action series about an ordinary family man who becomes the most dangerous guy alive to save his only daughter. In it, So Ji Sub transforms into a father to a high school–age daughter.

He didn’t hide the pressure of playing a dad for the first time. “I was personally curious how I’d come across acting that side of me. It’s a first for me,” he shared, candidly revealing the thrill and worries he felt preparing for the role. Asked whether he worried, “Will it suit me?” or “Did I do well?”, So Ji Sub replied, “I’ve been called ‘ajusshi’ (mister) since I’m Sorry, I Love You, so I’m used to that. ‘Ajusshi’ isn’t awkward, but ‘Dad’ is. In the drama, my daughter keeps calling me ‘Dad,’ and that felt a little awkward at first.”

When Ha Ji-young asked, “You do a lot of kitchen work in the show — what about in real life?”, he answered, “Whenever I have time, I do all sorts of things,” revealing his low-key but diligent daily habits. He added that he cooks for himself, too. “I can handle most basic dishes. If there’s something I don’t know, I just look it up on YouTube,” he said with ease.

Toward the end, So Ji Sub spoke frankly about honbap — dining alone — without a second thought. “I eat alone really often. Even going to a Korean BBQ place by myself and grilling meat doesn’t feel awkward to me at all,” he said, sharing a slice of his routine.

Meanwhile, So Ji Sub married former TV personality Jo Eun-jung in 2020, who is 17 years younger. The couple has no children.