On June 13, Namgoong Min appeared in a video entitled “Namgoong Min Filmography Commentary” uploaded to the “SBS” YouTube channel. In the video, he personally examined his “Hot Stove Stove” and “One Dollar Lawyer” dramas.
At the end of the video, when the staff asked him to say a word to the fans waiting for the season 2 of the “Hot Stove League”, Namgoong Min responded with a firm “renunciation”, bringing laughing.
However, he added “Well, perhaps one day, if the times are the right. Please, wait for the day when I come back like GM Baek Seung-Soo”, leaving a glimmer of hope while refraining from commenting on the actual production possibility.
The fans expressed disappointment for his observations, commenting: “We waited 5 years for season 2”, “There is still hope, right?”, “Please return to season 2” And “Is it time to give up now?”
“Hot Stove League” was a successful SBS drama that ended in February 2020. He told the story of a general manager who assumes a baseball team in the last place and leads them through a dramatic reform. The drama reached the peak at 19.1% of viewers’ assessments and received immense love.
After its conclusion, the online requests for season 2 have constantly grown. Even five years later, the discussions on the plot continue to emerge on multiple platforms.
However, the Lee Shin-Hwa screenwriter expressed caution in a press conference after the end of the series, saying: “I have some ideas, but I’m not sure to fill 16 episodes”. Lee Shin-Hwa also said “I don’t want spectators to say” you shouldn’t have returned. “I will face the challenge again when they overfrone inspiration”, recognizing the pressure of high expectations.
In 2022, Namgoong min recited in “One Dollar Lawyer” by SBS, playing the eccentric but loyal lawyer Chun Ji-Hoon, which defends impotent customers. The show is at the top of the list of the most loved TV programs in Korea and ended with a high note with impressive evaluations.
Namgoong Min is currently returning to the small screen in the new SBS drama “Our film”, where he plays a director who dreams of a return.
For now, fans may have to settle for the replicas of the “Hot Stove League”, but the hope remains that Baek Seung-Soo could once again take the field.
