[Sportschosun Kim So-hee] Expectant father Namkoong Min shared the love story with his wife, Jin Ah-reum.
On the 320th episode of KBS2's variety show "Problem Child in House Season 2" (hereinafter "Problem Child in House"), which aired on Friday, the 10th, Namkoong Min, who returned to KBS after seven years with the drama "The Completion of Marriage," appeared and joined the "attic team" — Song Eun-i, Kim Sook, Kim Jong-kook, Hong Jin-kyung, Yang Se-chan, and Joo Woo-jae — for a lively round of unusual quizzes and playful conversation.
That day, Namkoong Min was welcomed by the "attic team" for his unexpected variety-show pedigree. He revealed that he came from the legendary show "X-Man" and even said, "I had to do a dance introduction too," as he reminisced. When Kim Sook reacted in surprise, saying, "You did something intense. 'X-Man' was a show even entertainers found difficult," he laughed and explained, "At the time, my manager told me I could become famous if I went on the show, so I did." He also mentioned that he had once been an MC on "Music Bank," adding, "I was told I could become more famous if I did this," drawing more laughter.
Namkoong Min is also known for his "rubber-band weight," as he adjusts his body weight depending on the role. He said, "I usually weigh around 71 to 72 kilograms. Today was a variety-show day, and I wanted to look good, so I lost weight and came in at 67 kilograms," surprising everyone. When Hong Jin-kyung remarked that he must analyze his characters in great detail, Namkoong Min replied with a cool, "If I don't do that, I can't make money," prompting laughter.
The quiz segment featured questions such as what determines a sea turtle's sex, how to figure out your body's carbohydrate metabolism in 30 seconds, where people in their 20s and 30s go for premarital financial counseling, and why Jensen Huang does not wear a wristwatch. A heated competition for the correct answers followed. The episode also became more engaging with various stories, from Namkoong Min's acting career to his marriage.
"The attic team" also revisited Namkoong Min's signature works. They first looked back on "Remember: War of the Son," which drew major attention for his transformation into a villain. Namkoong Min explained his realistic acting approach, saying, "When I played a villain, I realized there was evil inside me too. When I tried to release the things I had been suppressing through acting, ad-libs just kept coming out." He added, "Back then, once I immersed myself in a character, it was hard to come out of it," noting that the praise for his villain role in "Remember" was not entirely comfortable. He then drew laughter by saying, "These days, I come out of it right after a project ends. Even the word 'cut' brings me back."
He also candidly shared the love story with his wife, Jin Ah-reum, drawing close attention. The two met as a director and actor on a short film directed by Namkoong Min. Now in their fourth year of marriage after eight years of dating, Namkoong Min said, "I first saw my wife at the audition site. Unlike the other staff members, I liked her the most. Looking back now, I think that was personal bias." He continued, "There was no progress during filming, and with help from a friend who had been my wife's acting teacher, we met privately. After about two months of courtship, we started dating," painting the studio pink.
He also sincerely recounted how he went from being an ordinary engineering student to living a completely different life as actor Namkoong Min. In particular, he said, "At the time, I went as a supporting model for an advertisement featuring the late Choi Jin-sil as the lead, and after the shoot, a senior introduced me to a manager, which led me to start acting," surprising the panel. He added with a warm smile, "My parents used to feel anxious watching my acting, but these days they say they can watch comfortably," bringing a cozy atmosphere to the studio.
Viewers responded enthusiastically on social media after the broadcast, praising Namkoong Min's sincere variety-show charm and the way "the attic team" drew out his honest stories with ease. Comments included, "Namkoong Min is so funny in such a calm way. I got completely absorbed in the talk," "Hong Jin-kyung trying so hard to link herself to Namkoong Min as an actor is hilarious," "I laughed so hard seeing Kim Sook and Namkoong Min become weight buddies," "Namkoong Min's variety-show style has been exactly my taste since his 'X-Man' days. It was so fun today," and "Not only his acting sense, but his talk sense is great too."
"Problem Child in House," a dopamine-filled talk-and-quiz battle in the attic room, airs every Wednesday at 10:10 p.m. on KBS 2TV.
Kim So-hee, yaqqol@sportschosun.com
