On July 1, the production presentation for KBS2’s new weekend drama The husband was held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul. Director Kim Jung Hyun attended the event along with cast members Namgoong Min, Lee Seol, Kim Dae Myung, and Lee Sang Hee.
The husband is a thriller that follows Dr. Kang Tae Joo (Namgoong Min), who finds himself in a desperate battle against the ruthless criminal Noh Man Hee (Kim Dae Myung) after his wife, Go Se Yoon (Lee Seol), is kidnapped just before they are about to divorce.
The drama marks Namgoong Min’s first television project in the year following the SBS series Our movie. Despite airing in prime time, the previous drama struggled in ratings, averaging only about 4%, falling short of expectations.
Reflecting on the experience, Namgoong Min admitted, “I still think it was a good drama, but I realized that it wasn’t capable of entertaining as large an audience as I had hoped.”
He continued, “For my next project, I wanted something that could be comfortably enjoyed by more viewers. By ‘comfortable’ I don’t mean simple, I mean a story that keeps drawing you in without letting your attention drift. I felt that The husband I achieved this through the way he constructs his narrative, and that’s why I chose him.”
The actor confidently expressed his confidence in the new project, saying: “We have worked incredibly hard on this drama and I am sincerely confident. I believe it will bring great results.”
Namgoong Min explained that his instincts played an important role in choosing the series. “Every time I read a script for the first time, I trust my initial feeling The husbandI immediately had a strong feeling. I read episodes one through four without stopping because the writing was so engaging and unique. I thought audiences of all ages would find it entertaining.”
However, the new series faces stiff competition from SBS’s hit Friday-Saturday drama Agent Kim reactivatedwith So Ji Sub. The series became a huge success, surpassing 15% in national ratings after just two episodes.
Commenting on the competition, Namgoong Min said, “I really enjoyed watching Agent Kim reactivated. It’s fresh, fun, and makes the most of a uniquely Korean concept. In today’s difficult TV environment, I’m really happy whenever a drama does well, even if it’s a competition show.
However, he admitted that the scheduling is somewhat unfortunate. “The only regret is that our broadcast overlaps Agent Kim reactivated. Given that their story is reaching its most emotional point while our series is just starting, it’s a little disappointing. The opening episodes of The husband take the time to establish the story before the pace picks up.
Despite this, Namgoong Min pointed out that the two productions offer completely different viewing experiences. “The tone is very different. Agent Kim reactivated has a more imaginative style, while The husband explores a deeper and more rooted reality. I believe our drama has its own unique strengths.
He concluded by once again emphasizing his goal for the series. “More than anything, I chose this project because I wanted to give viewers an exciting and entertaining drama.”
The husband will premiere on July 4th at 9:20pm KST on KBS2.
Sources: Daum
