KBS Sat-Sun mini-series are making a comeback with the reliable Namkoong Min!
A KBS official told Newsen on May 14 that the new KBS 2TV Sat-Sun mini-series “Completion of Marriage” (written by Jung Jae-ha and directed by Kim Jung-hyun) will premiere on July 4.
This marks the return of the 9:20 PM time slot after a five-month hiatus since the popular “Dear My Thief,” starring Moon Sang-min and Nam Ji-hyun, ended in February. KBS Sat-Sun mini-series have been on a break since then.
“Completion of Marriage,” starring Namkoong Min, Lee Seol, and Kim Dae-myung, is a romance thriller about a man who fights a ruthless criminal to save his wife (Lee Seol), who was kidnapped just before their divorce. Namkoong Min leads the series as a hospital director and former doctor who risks everything to save his wife.
Known as a “guarantee of success,” Namkoong Min returns to KBS for the first time in seven years since “Doctor Prisoner” ended in 2019. While he has won acting Daesangs from both SBS and MBC and had hits like “Chief Kim” and “Doctor Prisoner” on KBS, he has yet to win a Daesang from KBS. All eyes are on whether he can lead the revival of KBS dramas and achieve the record of winning Daesangs from all three major broadcasting stations.
Following “Completion of Marriage” will be “Other Love” (directed by Hwang Seung-gi and Lee Ga-ram, written by Yoo Su-ji), starring Seo Kang-joon and Ahn Eun-jin. “Other Love” is a relatable real-life melo about a couple who have been together for 10 years and suddenly face unfamiliar emotions. It tells the story of a long-term couple struggling between breaking up and getting married, filling the void of faded passion with loyalty and trust. The pairing of Seo Kang-joon and Ahn Eun-jin as a 10-year couple is already drawing huge interest, with Lee Joo-an and Jo A-ram also joining the cast.
Next up is the epic KBS 2TV drama “Munmu” (directed by Kim Young-jo and Koo Sung-joon, written by Kim Ri-heon and Hong Jin-yi), which reportedly has a production budget of 30 billion won. Scheduled for the second half of this year, “Munmu” depicts the great narrative of unification as the small nation of Silla eventually surpasses the powerful Goguryeo, Baekje, and Tang Dynasty to unite the Three Han. Director Kim Young-jo, who helmed “Woman of 9.9 Billion,” “Hwarang,” “Jang Young-sil,” and “Jingbirok,” teams up with writer Kim Ri-heon, who won the 2021 KBS script competition for mini-series. A powerhouse cast including Lee Hyun-wook, Jang Hyuk, Kim Kang-woo, Park Sung-woong, Jung Woong-in, and Cho Sung-ha has been announced, and the production even held a rare press conference. The “Munmu” team traveled to Mongolia last month for filming.
Song Joong-ki is also joining the KBS lineup! “Love Cloud” (directed by Song Min-yeop, written by Team Mad Rabbit), starring Song Joong-ki and Park Ji-hyun, is confirmed for the first half of next year. “Love Cloud” will air after “Munmu,” and according to sources, filming recently began in Jeju.
This marks Song Joong-ki’s return to KBS after 11 long years since “Descendants of the Sun.” Song Joong-ki previously starred in KBS hits like “The Innocent Man” and “Sungkyunkwan Scandal,” and “Descendants of the Sun” achieved a phenomenal nationwide rating of 38.8% (Nielsen Korea), earning him a Daesang. His return to KBS after 11 years is garnering significant attention.
“Love Cloud” is a romantic comedy about a former flight instructor and a trainee pilot who reunite in Jeju seven years later as a controller and a pilot. Director Song Min-yeop, known for “Youth of May” and “High Cookie,” teams up with rookie writer Team Mad Rabbit. Along with Song Joong-ki and Park Ji-hyun, Lee Si-woo and Choi Hee-jin will also appear.
With a lineup full of Daesang-winning actors, KBS weekend dramas are looking stacked. From July through the first half of next year, all eyes are on whether KBS can reclaim its status as the “drama kingdom” thanks to these top-star castings.
