Kim Sung-ryong, a certified public accountant who becomes a middle manager at TQ Group company in order to embezzle a large sum of money, ends up fighting for his employees' fundamental rights.[5]
Kim Sung-ryong used to be a small-time accountant from Gunsan, a small city in North Jeolla Province, working for a mobster. He was investigated every year for accounting fraud and tax evasion but was proven innocent every time. Then, he got accepted to TQ as the chief of their accounting department.
Despite competing against big-budget drama Saimdang, Light's Diary in the same time slot and having no big-name stars, the drama managed to top ratings during its run and enjoyed explosive popularity.[12] It received positive reviews for its punchy and satirical lines on the corrupt corporate owners and the society, which resonated with the viewers; and the multifaceted performance of lead actor Namkoong Min, whose perfect amalgamation of character creation and acting saves "Good Manager" from what could have been an average office crime comedy.[13]The Korea Times said that the drama "has the ability to tell uncomfortable stories (story of embezzlement cases, mass layoffs and other societal issues regarding fierce competition) in a witty way".[14]
Ratings
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
It was announced on March 24, 2017 that KBS Media will publish a book titled "Chief Kim's Work Book" set to be released in April related to the drama that will contain great tips for work life. The book will feature the drama's best scenes, best lines, and all of the illustrated episode endings. The illustrations will be drawn by webtoon artist Yang Kyung-soo, who partnered with the drama to create the ending scenes for each episode. This project is the first collaboration between a drama and a webtoon.[18]
^"[단독]'굿닥터' 박재범 작가 신작, KBS 11월 수목극 편성 확정" [[Exclusive] 'Good Doctor' Park Jae-beom's New Work Confirmed for KBS November Wednesday-Thursday Drama Schedule]. inews24 (in Korean). 15 July 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-06.
^'김과장' 남상미·남궁민·이준호, 출연…내년 1월 25일 첫방 (공식입장) ['Good Manager' Nam Sang-mi, Namkoong Min, Lee Jun-ho, appear... First broadcast on January 25th next year (Official statement)]. NewsPim (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-12-16.
^남궁민, KBS '김과장'에 주연 캐스팅…'남상미와 호흡 맞춘다' [Namkoong Min, cast as Lead in KBS's 'Good Manager'... 'Working well with Nam Sang-mi']. 포커스뉴스 (in Korean). Archived from the original on 2016-12-20. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
^'김과장' 남상미 "2년만의 복귀, 긴장감·설렘 공존" ['Good Manager' Nam Sang-mi "Return after 2 years, tension and excitement coexist"] (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-12-16.
^[단독] 정혜성, '김과장' 주연도 꿰찼다…남궁민과 재회 [[Exclusive] Jung Hye-sung, also cast as lead in 'Good Manager '… Reunites with Namkoong Min] (in Korean). Retrieved 2016-12-16.
^배우 이일화, KBS2 새 수목드라마 '김과장' 전격 합류! – 국제뉴스 [Actor Lee Il-hwa joins KBS2's new Wednesday-Thursday drama 'Good Manager'! - International News] (in Korean). 2016-12-15. Retrieved 2016-12-16.
^'김과장' 남궁민·남상미·이준호·정혜성, 첫 만남 어땠나 ['Good Manager' Namkoong Min, Nam Sang-mi, Lee Jun-ho, Jung Hye-sung, how was their first meeting?]. MyDaily (in Korean). 27 December 2016. Retrieved 2016-12-29.
^"Nielsen Korea". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Retrieved January 25, 2017.
^Lee, Kyung-ho (January 1, 2018). 김영철·천호진,KBS 연기대상 공동 수상..아버지의 힘!(종합) [Kim Young-chul and Chun Ho-jin are joint winners of KBS Drama Awards... The power of fathers!]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
^'김과장', 4월 책으로 출간…직장생활 꿀팁+웹툰 콜라보 ['Good Manager', published as a book in April… Workplace life tips + webtoon collaboration]. Nate News (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-03-26.
