Nam Goong Min Returns to KBS With 'The Husband' as Weekend Ratings War Heats Up

Nam Goong Min is making his long-awaited return to KBS with the new crime thriller The Husband, which premieres on July 4 at 9:20 p.m. KST. The drama arrives as competition in the weekend K-drama lineup grows stronger, especially against SBS hit series Agent Kim Reactivated.

The new KBS2 Saturday-Sunday drama follows neurosurgeon Kang Tae Joo, played by Nam Goong Min, whose life falls apart after his wife is kidnapped shortly before their divorce.

As he searches for her, he also becomes the prime suspect in a murder-for-hire case.

The series marks Nam Goong Min's first leading KBS drama in seven years since Doctor Prisoner. It also reunites him with the network behind his 2017 hit Good Manager, which reached a peak nationwide rating of 18.4%, AllKPop reported.

Interest in the drama has grown quickly because it also signals the return of KBS2's weekend miniseries slot after a break that began earlier this year. KBS is hoping the new thriller can revive the network's weekend momentum.

Nam Goong Min Jokes About Rivalry

Still, the timing creates a direct showdown with So Ji Sub's Agent Kim Reactivated, which has already passed 15% nationwide ratings and reached a peak of 18.1%. During the production presentation in Seoul, Nam Goong Min joked about the rivalry.

"My representative KBS drama was 'Agent Kim Reactivated,' and now So Ji Sub stars in 'Agent Kim Reactivated.' It sounds like his title outranks mine, so I felt a little bittersweet," he said with a laugh.

Director Kim Jung Hyun explained that the title reflects the unpredictable nature of marriage. According to The Chosun, he shared, "Marriage brings together two completely different people, and many things can happen during that process."

"The first episode moved at an incredible pace, and I knew immediately that this was the project I wanted to do," Nam Goong Min said. He also expressed confidence in the project, saying he immediately connected with the script.

The supporting cast includes Lee Seol, Kim Dae Myung, and Lee Sang Hee. Lee Seol plays Go Se Yoon, the kidnapped wife at the center of the mystery, while Kim Dae Myung portrays the man connected to her disappearance.