Ji Sung-hwan Gifts 300 'Chief Detective 1958' Staff Pure Gold, Spending Nearly $75,000

Actor Ji Sung-hwan has once again demonstrated his generosity by gifting pure gold bars to all 300 staff members involved in the SBS drama 'Chief Detective 1958.' This act of appreciation, reportedly costing him nearly 100 million won from his personal funds, follows a similar gesture he made after completing the Netflix series 'The Roundup: Punishment' last year.

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I felt great emotion and happiness working on this project together. I thank you all for always shining 'Chief Detective 1958' from your respective positions. From Ji Sung-hwan of 'Chief Detective 1958.'

The news of the gold gifts, circulating online on July 26, revealed that each gold bar was accompanied by a message expressing Ji Sung-hwan's gratitude. The inscription read: "I felt great emotion and happiness working on this project together. I thank you all for always shining 'Chief Detective 1958' from your respective positions." The message concluded with, "From Ji Sung-hwan of 'Chief Detective 1958.'" The heartwarming act has garnered significant positive attention online.

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It's difficult to state the exact amount, but we gifted it to express our gratitude to the staff.

Sources in the entertainment industry estimate Ji Sung-hwan's expenditure for this gift to be around 100 million won, with each of the 300 cast and crew members receiving 1 gram of pure gold. His agency, 51K, confirmed the gift was a token of appreciation, though they declined to specify the exact amount. This isn't the first time Ji Sung-hwan has shown such remarkable generosity; he previously gifted gold to the cast and crew of 'The Roundup: Punishment,' explaining that gold is not typically a sponsored item and he wanted them to have something they could sell in difficult times.

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In the past, I used to give things away when filming ended, but everyone thought they were sponsored. I gave them as gifts with my own money.

Beyond his generosity, 'Chief Detective 1958' itself was a major success. The drama premiered with a strong 9.5% viewership rating and rapidly climbed, reaching 15.7% by its second episode and surpassing 21.6% by the fourth. It concluded its run with an impressive 23.0% rating, becoming the highest-rated drama of the year. This also marks the first time an SBS drama has exceeded 20% viewership in approximately three years, since 'Taxi Driver 2,' securing the second-highest rating in SBS Friday-Saturday drama history. Ji Sung-hwan expressed his deep gratitude to the entire team, acknowledging their passion and hard work in making the drama a success.

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Gold is not something that can be sponsored. (The meaning is) 'Sell it later when times get tough.'