"My Dearest" Female Lead is Ahn Eun Jin, Namkoong Min Directly Addresses Controversy

On the 2nd, MBC's Friday-Saturday drama My Dearest Part 1 ended. The drama boasted increasing popularity, with a nationwide viewership rating of 12.2%, setting a new record.

However, in the final episode of Part 1, when Lee Jang Hyun (played by Namkoong Min) and Yoo Gil Chae (played by Ahn Eun Jin) reunited, Gil Chae had already decided to marry another man, believing that Jang Hyun was dead, which left viewers feeling sympathetic.

Ultimately, for the sake of her family, Gil Chae gave up her elopement with Jang Hyun and chose to part ways. She wrote him, "It's true that I hesitated, but I don't believe in you or long for you enough to give up everything and follow you."

As the female and male leads took an unexpected turn, at the end of the broadcast, a masked woman's speech piqued viewers' curiosity as she fell, and the scene ended with Jang Hyun embracing her. The woman's identity is Lee Chung Ah, and the scene raises questions about their destined encounter.

Immediately after the broadcast, viewers expressed dissatisfaction and concern about the excessive collapse of the anticipated love line, with comments such as "Is the female lead changing?" "The direction with Lee Chung Ah has more impact than the previous Gil Chae storyline," "If it ends like this, doesn't it mean the story is going downhill?"

In response, on the 3rd, actor Namkoong Min personally explained. He posted a video montage of Jang Hyun and Gil Chae's affectionate moments from the drama, along with the dialogue, "The day you left me forever, I watched you hate me for a long time. But no matter how much I watch, I don't feel hatred." The sweet moments between Jang Hyun and Gil Chae were highlighted in the video.

Namkoong Min added, "Thank you for all the love, interest, and concern. I will repay you with a beautiful love story between Jang Hyun and Gil Chae." This reassured viewers who were worried about the love line.

Netizens reacted with comments like "I can breathe easy after the last sentence," "I was already worried, but now I have to watch Part 2," "The chemistry with Lee Chung Ah is so good, but My Dearest is only Gil Chae," and "I almost didn't watch without Gil Chae." These reactions indicate the high expectations for Part 2.

Meanwhile, My Dearest Part 2 is scheduled to air in October.

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