KBS President: "Regrettable Korean Politics… 'Munmu' as a Service to the Public; Politicians Must Watch It" [Star Issue]

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

KBS ambitiously unveiled its grand historical drama "Munmu," which required a massive production budget of approximately 30 billion won.

The new KBS 2TV grand historical drama "Munmu" is the first grand historical drama from KBS, renowned for its historical dramas, in three years since "War with the Goryeo and Liao" (2023), and it depicts the process of Silla's unification of the Three Kingdoms within 28 episodes.

The drama shines a light on Kim Beom-min (played by Lee Hyun-wook), a figure standing at the massive historical turning point of the unification of the Three Kingdoms, to convey lessons. The proud Kim Beom-min does not easily accept the actions of his father, Kim Chun-chu (played by Kim Kang-woo), who does not shy away from humiliation for survival. However, seeing the country and its people devastated by continuous wars, he comes to understand his father's deep intentions. Additionally, having learned command skills on the battlefield from Kim Yu-shin (played by Park Sung-woong), Kim Beom-min grows into a hero possessing both literary and martial prowess. Furthermore, he gains enlightenment even from those who could be considered enemies, becoming a true leader. Thus, "Munmu" is determined to prove its value as a drama that goes beyond a simple historical account to depict the intense human growth of an individual.

The passionate performances by trusted actors are also a highlight for viewers. Actors with deep acting skills have come together, including Lee Hyun-wook (as Kim Beom-min), Jang Hyuk (as Yeon Gae-so-mun), Kim Kang-woo (as Kim Chun-chu), Park Sung-woong (as Kim Yu-shin), Jung Woong-in (as Kim Jin-joo), Kim Do-hyun (as Seol O-yu), and Baek Seung-hyeon (as Go Yeon-mu).

Park Jang-beom, President of KBS, attended the "Munmu" production press conference held on the 12th and said, "I mentioned about a year ago that we had started producing 'Munmu,' and I am grateful and happy to be able to say that it has been successfully broadcast. While all KBS programs are meaningful, grand historical dramas hold even more special significance. It is a very large project," expressing his emotion.

President Park stated, "Last year, the bill for integrated collection of broadcasting fees was passed, leading to stability, and we promised to produce a grand historical drama as a service to the public. We have finally borne fruit. Also, grand historical dramas hold special meaning for public broadcasters. 'Munmu' is a work that conveys the message of the unification of the Three Han kingdoms, which in a way resonates with the current situation where the South and North are divided. Furthermore, isn't division also visible within our country? We live in an era where various conflicts arise over region, gender, ideology, and more. In this context, I believe it is meaningful to contemplate together with viewers how our ancestors accomplished the task of unification and defended their independent sovereignty against the Tang Dynasty through a grand historical drama. After much deliberation, we have unveiled 'Munmu.'"

President Park then added, "Public broadcasters must perform various roles well because they receive broadcasting fees. 'Munmu' is the 35th grand historical drama, and this work was also prepared very diligently by many production staff and cast members. I believe we have presented a work that is not shameful. As it is a grand historical drama being unveiled after a long time, I hope for good ratings."

In particular, President Park emphasized, "My wish is that politicians watch 'Munmu' a lot. Korea is causing global resonance and envy in many fields such as economy and culture, yet many people say our politics is 'regrettable.' Current politicians are trapped in factional logic and causing division. 'Munmu' is the story of politicians who achieved integration with leadership on the Korean Peninsula a very long time ago. I hope that through 'Munmu,' which contains the leadership of our ancestors who went through difficult processes, reconciled with each other, and ultimately built a single nation, people can gain insights."

Additionally, President Park appealed, "As you know well, the production environment is difficult. Broadcasting fees have been frozen for 45 years, and broadcast advertising is decreasing. Content that requires high costs, like dramas, always lacks funding. Our competitors are OTT platforms such as Netflix and Disney Plus, which have invested enormous capital. However, despite this, KBS continues to produce content steadily. In particular, we provide jobs to small and medium-sized production companies and many actors, creating a platform for mutual growth. I see that as an important duty that public broadcasters must fulfill. Despite the difficult production environment, I want to emphasize that we did our best to produce 'Munmu' diligently. I hope you will watch it with affectionate eyes."

CP Lee Ho said, "'Munmu' has a larger scale than other grand historical dramas because 30 billion won was invested. Since Goguryeo, Baekje, Silla, the Tang Dynasty, and Japan all appear, a large production budget was needed to depict them accurately. We made every effort to recreate the architecture of that era or sets as much as possible so that viewers would be satisfied. We also put in a lot of effort into war scenes so that tactics could be clearly seen," expressing confidence in its unprecedented scale.

In particular, CP Lee stated, "We paid attention to ensure no historical accuracy issues arose, such as always holding meetings with advisory professors. Everything was created based on historical materials. More advisory professors were involved than in any other grand historical drama. We proceeded with filming while checking important parts together. We truly did our best to prevent (historical accuracy) controversies."

The first episode of "Munmu" will be broadcast at 9:20 p.m. on the 14th.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original