Is Kim Jong-min, known as a living witness to the history of '2 Days & 1 Night', going to break his 18-year perfect attendance record due to marriage and honeymoon?
Kim Jong-min is not only a living witness of KBS2's flagship entertainment program '2 Days & 1 Night' but also a symbolic member. Having started with '2 Days & 1 Night' at the age of 27, he is now 45, and despite the first digit of his age changing twice, he remains in his position, beloved by the entire nation as an 'irreplaceable' figure.
With a charming but clumsy nature that is hard to hate, Kim Jong-min has engaged with viewers alongside '2 Days & 1 Night' and won the grand award at the KBS Entertainment Awards in 2016. He was also named among the 50 people who have illuminated KBS in 2023. His consistent efforts every year have kept him on the list for the KBS Entertainment Awards' 'Entertainer of the Year' since 2021.
Though Kim Jong-min, who is receiving much love, announced on the broadcast on Jan. 12 that he will marry his girlfriend of two years on April 20, details about his fiancée have been revealed. She is a businesswoman 11 years younger than him, and the nickname Kim Jong-min revealed for her is "Hiyoung." The first part of the wedding ceremony will be hosted by Yoo Jae-suk, while the second part will be managed by Cho Sae-ho and Moon Se-yoon, with performances by Lee Jeok and Lynn. After the wedding, Kim Jong-min is reported to be heading to France for his honeymoon.
While Kim Jong-min is heading for a happy honeymoon, there is a possibility that his wedding trip could extend, which would mean breaking his record on '2 Days & 1 Night'. Starting from Season 1 in 2007 to Season 4, except for the brief hiatus due to his service as a social service worker, he has not missed a single episode. If he misses an episode due to his honeymoon, it will break his attendance record. Earlier, Cho Sae-ho also missed an episode due to his honeymoon, making speculation about Kim Jong-min's potential absence more prominent.
What choice will the 'eldest brother' Kim Jong-min make? According to OSEN's confirmation on the 19th, Kim Jong-min and the production team of '2 Days & 1 Night' are still coordinating his attendance schedule due to the remaining duration of the honeymoon. Given Kim Jong-min has preserved his place for 18 years from Season 1 to Season 4, all eyes are on what decision he will make.
Meanwhile, Kim Jong-min's show, KBS2's '2 Days & 1 Night Season 4', airs every Sunday at 6:10 p.m. The recently aired 270th episode recorded a viewership rating of 7.9% nationwide, marking it as number one in its time slot according to Nielsen Korea. Particularly, the moment when Kim Jong-min answered the last character quiz correctly, allowing Cho Sae-ho to win the exclusive sunrise viewing, peaked at a viewership rating of 12.1%, while the 2049 viewership rating was also number one in its time slot at 2.5% in the metropolitan area.
[Photo] OSEN DB, provided by broadcasting company
[OSEN]