“Our work is our work” - Kang Min-goo addresses speculations about his upcoming K-drama, Namib’s possible connection to Min Hee-jin X HYBE feud

The upcoming K-drama Namib is scheduled for premiere on December 23, 2024, via Genie TV and ENA Channel. On Monday, December 16, director Kang Min-goo held a press conference for Namib at D-Cube City in Sindorim, Guro District, Seoul, with actors Ryeoun, Yoon Sang-hyun, and Lee Jin-woo in attendance. Leading actress Ko Hyun-jung, originally slated to attend, had to cancel due to an unforeseen health concern.

During the interaction with the press, Namib director Kang Min-goo spoke about the drama’s storyline. Written by Eon Sung-min, Namib tells the story of Kang Soo-hyun, a terminated star producer, and Yoo Jin-woo, an ousted long-term trainee, working together to achieve their goals. He also addressed the speculations surrounding its possible connection with the long-standing feud between Min Hee-jin and HYBE, which also involves the K-pop girl group NewJeans.

Director Kang Min-goo acknowledged that public reactions to the drama’s narrative appear analogous to the Min Hee-jin and NewJeans issue. He addressed these speculations by stating,

“I was aware of those reactions, but this work was planned and produced long before that issue arose. I don’t pay much attention to it.”

Kang Min-goo reaffirmed that his drama isn’t related to Min Hee-jin’s story.

“Our work is our work, and those matters are separate. We’ve focused entirely on creating our project without being concerned about such things.”

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More about the upcoming K-drama Namib and real-life Min Hee-jin x HYBE controversy

The K-drama Namib revolves around Kang Soo-hyun (Ko Hyun-jung), a prominent producer who cultivates idols using her unique philosophy and intuition. She gets terminated from Pandora Entertainment for an unspecified reason.

Kang Soo-hyun serves as the primary financial provider for her family. Her husband, Shim Joon-seok (Yoon Sang-hyun), is a full-time caretaker for their son, Shim Jin-woo (Lee Jin-woo). Before assuming the role of homemaker, Joon-seok was employed as a music producer. However, following his son’s hearing loss due to an early-age car accident, he resigned to dedicate himself to caregiving and managing their household full-time.

Kang Soo-hyun initiates a new project to establish a star and regain her footing. She selects Yoo Jin-woo (Ryeo Un) as her trainee. Yoo Jin-woo has undergone a decade of training to become an idol, bearing various burdens such as his parents’ debt and previous career. Just as Yoo Jin-woo was on the verge of relinquishing his aspirations, Kang Soo-hyun chose him as her trainee.

Yoo Jin-woo reinstates his training with determination. As Shim Joon-seok’s aspiration to resume his role as a music producer intensifies, Kang Soo-hyun instructs him to serve as Yoo Jin-woo’s producer.

On the other hand, the dispute between Min Hee-jin and HYBE commenced in April 2024 when HYBE accused the former of attempting to take over ADOR. Min Hee-jin held a press conference, alleging that HYBE had fostered a “toxic work environment” for NewJeans and appropriated their work to establish the girl group ILLIT. She was dismissed from her role as CEO of ADOR on August 27.

Initial reports stated that Min Hee-jin was offered a position as a producer for Newjeans; however, she declared her resignation as CEO of ADOR effective November 20. After her exit from ADOR, NewJeans declared the termination of their exclusive contracts with the label as of November 28. ADOR countered by filing an injunction against NewJeans on December 3 to determine the status of the exclusive contract, which has yet to reach a conclusion.

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Namib will join the line-up of K-dramas released in December. It will be released via Genie TV and ENA Channel on December 23, 2024.