Namkoong Min, turns into a murder solicitation suspect while trying to save his wife

A Husband Trying to Save His Wife Becomes an Accomplice to Murder? Swapped Identities and a Shocking Twist

A husband who was fighting a desperate battle against a criminal to save his wife, who was on the verge of divorce, was suddenly framed as a suspect for instigating murder. In the second episode of the KBS 2TV weekend mini-series 'The Completion of Marriage,' the protagonist Kang Tae-joo (played by Namkoong Min) attempted to save his wife Ko Se-yoon (played by Lee Seol), only to be arrested by the police.

In the broadcast on the 5th, Kang Tae-joo continued dangerous negotiations with the kidnapper Noh Man-hee (played by Kim Dae-myung). Upon realizing that the 1 billion won ransom prepared by Kang Tae-joo was fake, Noh Man-hee increased the pressure by demanding 2 billion won. Kang Tae-joo requested help from his in-laws, and the negotiation seemed to reach a settlement when his mother-in-law, Choi Sook-young (played by Oh Min-ae), offered 3 billion won. However, Noh Man-hee suddenly changed his demeanor during a video call, showing madness as he strangled Ko Se-yoon. Faced with his wife's crisis, Kang Tae-joo screamed, "I will kill you! I will surely tear you to pieces!"

The twist exploded with the tip-off video Noh Man-hee sent to the police. The video contained a scene where Kang Tae-joo says, "Please completely get rid of my wife, Ko Se-yoon." Due to this video, Kang Tae-joo was arrested by the police on charges of kidnapping his wife and instigating murder. While protesting his innocence and causing a commotion, Kang Tae-joo was pushed to the limit during interrogation, even suffering a nosebleed. At the end of the broadcast, a mysterious man, Lee Soo-hyung (played by Park Byung-eun), appeared and whispered, "I am the only person who knows you didn't kidnap your wife."

Lee Seol's Terror and Namkoong Min's Explosive Emotional Acting

Actress Lee Seol portrayed the tragedy of Ko Se-yoon, whose perfect life falls apart. Showing a cold and composed side as the chairperson of Woori Hamkke Hospital, she faces extreme terror when kidnapped by an unidentified individual. The scene where she is blindfolded, her hands and feet tied, hanging upside down from the ceiling and plunged into a water tank, heightened the tension. Lee Seol expressed the character's desperation through her eyes, breathing, and trembling expressions.

Namkoong Min unraveled a complex inner self, ranging from his role as a doctor who prioritizes emergency patients to the anger stemming from his relationship with his wife. His emotional acting, crumbling in a situation where his wife's life is uncertain, anchored the drama. He depicted the crisis of being framed as a murder instigator by shifting between restrained gazes and explosive emotions.

Rising Viewership and Competition with Rival Works

The drama 'The Completion of Marriage' is on an upward curve since its premiere. The first episode, which aired on the 4th, recorded a national viewership rating of 4.4% according to Nielsen Korea, but the second episode aired on the 5th rose to 6.4%, breaking its own record. The viewership rose by 2.0 percentage points in just two episodes.

A gap remains between it and its competitors in the same time slot. On Saturday, SBS's 'Manager Kim' recorded 21.6% in the same time slot, and on Sunday, JTBC's 'New Employee Chairman Kang' recorded 13.6%. 'The Completion of Marriage' airs every Saturday and Sunday at 9:20 PM on KBS 2TV.

Character Relationship Map: Protagonists at the Center of the Crisis

Kang Tae-joo (played by Namkoong Min) is a principled doctor and the husband of the kidnapped Ko Se-yoon (played by Lee Seol). Ko Se-yoon is the chairperson of Woori Hamkke Hospital, who is kidnapped while maintaining a cold relationship with her husband.

The kidnapper Noh Man-hee (played by Kim Dae-myung) controls the tension by threatening the couple. Kang Tae-joo's mother-in-law, Choi Sook-young (played by Oh Min-ae), gets involved in the ransom negotiation process. Lee Soo-hyung (played by Park Byung-eun), who appears the moment Kang Tae-joo is arrested, emerges as the only person who knows the truth that Kang Tae-joo did not kidnap his wife.