"The drama is set against the 1970s backdrop of incipient urban development in Korea, and the love and ambition that comes with it."

Huh. Like Age of Heroes? Or maybe a Korean version of Karei naru Ichizoku?

I have STILL never seen him in anything. I really must do something about that, shame on me.

If KMM does this drama, he will lose a lot of fans which would include me. This drama is an obvious propaganda for current Korean president Lee Myung-bak who's one of the most corrupt politicians in Korea. (And this drama isn't the first one portraying him as some kind of hero) I'm pretty sure the government instructed SBS to make this drama to raise citizens support for him so he can implement his shady agenda and policies more freely. A lot of people like KMM for his role portraying Yi Soon-shin who's one of the most respected historical figure in Korean history and feelings of betrayal will be great if he decides to use his "talent" (he so often mentions when receiving awards) in promoting this corrupt president. People already started calling him Kim Myung-bak and Yoo In-chon #2. A lot of his fans will be devastated if he takes this role.

Something to look forward to. I love Kim Myung-Min, too.

I still have to watch Immortal Lee Soon-shin . I've read that it's also one of his finest works. But of course its KMM---- must be good.....really good.

I knew you'd write about this! :D

JB, I don't think Yoo In-shik directed Bad Couple as well (I miss Ryu Su Young!)

http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=128596
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Yoo_In_Shik

In any case, here's something from KMM's agency:
"Giant" is not confirmed yet - http://mmi.myungmininternational.com/node/761

I don't really see how 명가 is a propaganda show. To me it seems more along the lines of 상도 (is that right? the one merchant drama). But then again, I don't really care much for politics in general and may be missing some subtle undertones...

It would really suck if KMM loses fans because of this drama. I totally say no to all propaganda for LMB!

@ 3 Nabi, thanks for shedding light on the issue! I've been wondering about that.

Well, for us international fans who know nothing about the political issue behind this project, this is a good thing. Who wouldn't want to see a lot of KMM in the small screen?

Btw, IMO, I don't think a verbal contract is considered final. As of 8pm Korean time (15 Jan 2010), no deal has been inked between the production company and MY Entertainment.

Since I don't know squat about Korean politics I don't see how this is propaganda on the current President of S. Korea. Could someone clarify how this could be viewed as such? I'm curious. Otherwise, while I'm still slowly going through my first 50 ep show (Assorted Gem) and have no clue when I'll finish it, it looks like I'll already be adding on another one if KMM does offically sign on.

@samsooki
Thanks so much for a general timeline to give international viewers a better idea of the backdrop for this drama!

Based on many previous cases, stars' agencies always say that nothing is confirmed -- until all the details are ironed out & a written contract is signed.

According to news reports, Giant will follow Jejungwon meaning Monday/Tuesday 9:55pm -- this timeslot is pretty much dominated by MBC; Pasta & When Night Comes (both beaten by competing dramas) are small clitches for them only. SBS needs a big drama to battle MBC's upcoming Dong Yi from PD Lee Byung-Hoon whose dramas almost always get huge ratings.

Um, I'm not sold on the premise of the drama. Like at all. But Kim Myung-min!!! How can anyone turn away from any of his roles? He's SO good at acting. But still, ah, so not interested. If he really accepts this role, I may give the drama a try, but reluctantly.

Kim Myung Min didn't win the 2007 MBC Daesang for White Tower, Bae Yong Joon did for Legend (which was a real shame).

another great drama is coming!

@13

But I think he won the Daesang in the Baek Sang awards for White Tower?

Anywayz, I have no clue about the political stuff linked to this drama.
But it's KMM, and we can't miss anything KMM for nothing.

@ JB, I don't think KMM (or whoever ends up doing this) will suffer in terms of his career and, in fact, I expect this drama to do well because older people love this kind of success story. There are many LMB fans in Korea as well, so I'm pretty sure this drama will have good ratings. The fans KMM will lose are Korean liberals whose feelings of hatred toward LMB are probably much more stronger than how American liberals feel about George W. Bush.

@ Rachael, "the CEO of a construction company" -> very obvious cue.
Lee Myung-bak is known for becoming the CEO of Hyundai Construction Company at a young age (in his 30s, it was a big deal at the time apparently) and he used that in his presidential campaign to give himself an image of a successful CEO who would be able to improve Korea's economy.. but I've read articles that explain how things he did when he was CEO caused the company to go downhill and bankrupt. LMB was already portrayed as a heroic and capable business man who never compromises in two dramas (Era of Heroes and Time of Ambition) which sort of brainwashed people to think that he was actually that kind of person and helped him getting elected. So they know.. what a drama can do and that's probably why they came up with this project.

AHHHH
LOVE KIM MYUNG MIN :]
♥♥♥♥

@ ripgal

No, Jumong won the Baeksang (TV) Daesang for that year. KMM won Best Actor at both Baeksang Awards and MBC Awards (Top Excellence) for White Tower, which is certainly nothing to sniff at. I just felt he also deserved a Daesang from MBC for his White Tower performance (which I still think is his best so far). But ratings(=money) trumps all in the station awards, so.

@ nabi

Thanks, as a non-Korean I find all this political context fascinating. Do you have any idea of KMM's political leanings? I'm not going to stop worshipping his talent whatever the answer is, but I admit I'd feel a little disappointment if he was a right-wing conservative.

He would rock a Karei naru Ichizoku-type Kdrama though.

"KMM won Best Actor at both Baeksang Awards "

Which is the true "Best Actor" Emmy among all the TV awards. That's the million dollar baby.

"He would rock a Karei naru Ichizoku-type Kdrama though."

Oh he would. White Tower/Shiroi Kyoto is like a little soap opera compared to the full Karei naru Ichizoku story (the TV drama only covered one aspect of it.) Which is to say a family saga that's also a very expansive story about a particular region AND a complex survey of multiple industries would be the kind of role that Kim Myung Min ought to play.

Thanks for yr well writtten insight of SK politics.

Hmmmn, if this drama is going to be offensive to SK fans, maybe KMM should reconsider the offer.

Though I don't see how an actor acting out a drama , be can be consider to be a rightist to his fans?

I don't know how you deserve to be called someone's "fan" if you don't even surpport him/her to protray the roles whom he/she likes.

If KMM does take on this role, there's nothing wrong with him!! Please let him be himself!
Don't you even know? All KMM wants to do is acting; he wants to be the best actor that he can be.
And everyday, he is pushing himself harder and harder to keep that promise to himself and to all his fans.

If you are not giving all your trust to him, you don't "allow" him to dream a dream, you don't grand him the "right" to choose a charactor he wants to play, what kind of a fan are you?

Is that easy for KMM to loose a fan? I see!

KMM denied that there was any verbal contract and said to fans he would not play the role when he held his autograph session.

seriously, If he does this drama, the decision is just plain stupid.

I don't really care about what political leanings KMM holds.

forget all about ideology, there is no point mentioning it in the first place because LMB is no more than a crook.

hope it will be ha ji won as the lead actress =)

wow Nabi, you are really delusional.

As someone who happens to work in this part of the industry, I know for a fact that Giant doesn't have anything to do with politics.

Just because the character role details the life of a CEO of a company during the Korea's industrial rise, all of a sudden the government "probably" instructed SBS to make this drama to spread propaganda? I'm sorry but did you somehow get access and read the giant screenplay???

If you didn't read the script(which I'm sure you haven't), then you need to SHUT UP ABOUT IT. It's because of ignorant fans like you who spread lies that hordes of other fans start to believe it as well. It's because of people like you that entire productions and the years of sweat and tears that people put into it will probably go down the drain.

If you are a real Kim Myung Min fan, then think about this..You started spreading lies about the Giant production knowingly or unknowingly..Other fans start to believe and,because of this, the entire production is now in jeopardy. And now, the many months that KMM and his management must have spent in working with the production team is now totally wasted..ALL BECAUSE OF A STRAIGHT OUT LIE. If you're a real fan, would you want this for him?

@ Roscoe: If you can read Korean, follow this link http://gall.dcinside.com/list.php?page=1&id=kimmyungmin&keyword=%EC%9E%90%EC%9D%B4%EC%96%B8%ED%8A%B8&x=0&y=0&k_type=0100 and read for yourself what people are saying about Giant. What I wrote here is the majority opinion people have on this drama in Korean online communities and you pretty much called all of them delusional. You "know for a fact that Giant doesn’t have anything to do with politics"? That's what the PD of this project tried to convince KMM fans, but gloriously FAILED, okay?

"many months that KMM and his management must have spent in working with the production team is now totally wasted" Oh really? How do you know KMM has spent months working on this project? As far as I know all he did was reading the synopsis of this drama. Now who's spreading lies?

@ #21: I'm not a die-hard KMM fan, but I think he's a great actor. And I guess we all have a different opinion on what a true fan is. Let's say your favorite actor decides to play Hitler in a movie obviously intended to glorify Hitler. Would you still support him? Yes, I want him to have nothing to do with the politics and that's why I wanted him to stay away from this project. AND I'm glad that he's not doing it.

Hey Nabi.

It all boils down to this:

WHO HAS INSIDE KNOWLEDGE OF THE GIANT SCREENPLAY? THE PRODUCTION TEAM, THE DIRECTOR, KMM AND HIS MANAGEMENT.

WHO HAS NOT READ THE SCRIPT? YOU, OTHER FANS, JOURNALISTS

So who would know more about whether this screenplay is tainted with politics?

OBVIOUSLY NOT YOU OR ANY OF THE DELUSIONAL FANS WHO PUT IN THEIR TWO CENTS ON SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD NO KNOWLEDGE ABOUT.

Case closed.

I'm sorry that your country went through hard time , can i ask Koreans few questions
regarding K politic ? if you compare last 100 years under Joseon Dynasty and 50 years under Republic ,do you like which government ? which one was leading
K to prosperity ? Viet nam war ended in 1975 , since then K still prospering so
how K do it? Compare to N Korea , S Korea is richer , more democratic , am i
right ? and the last question , there are so many corruptions , bad leaders why
S Korea still prospering to one of the most richest country of the world ?
S Korea ' economy is growing dramatically since 1970 , remember after K war K was poor as
Congo and Sudan .
I'm obviously not K , knowing little about K history and politic except K dramas , hyundai and, samsung products , it would be nice
if some K can fill me in , thanks .

Ps giant drama , story during 1970 , the same time with EoE ?