Moon Sang-min Expresses Desire to Host 'Music Bank Global Festival' Again

"Though my time as a regular MC on 'Music Bank' has ended, I really want to host the 'Music Bank Global Festival' at the end of this year once more. I had such a great experience when I hosted it in Japan two years ago."

In a recent interview at a cafe in Gangnam, Seoul, Moon Sang-min, the male lead of 'Beloved Bandit', shared his thoughts. Born in 2000, Moon debuted as an actor in the 2019 web drama 'Four Reasons I Hate Christmas' and rose to fame in 2022 playing the role of Prince Seongnam, Kim Hye-soo's son, in 'Under the Queen's Umbrella'. He was later cast as the male lead in 'Wedding Impossible' and 'Cinderella at 2 AM', working alongside Jeon Jong-seo and Shin Hyun-bin, respectively. This year, he showcased a romantic chemistry with Nam Ji-hyun, who is five years his senior. Known for his 191cm height and charming visuals, Moon is receiving numerous offers in the romance genre.

KBS2's 'Beloved Bandit', which premiered on the 3rd of last month, is a dangerous yet grand romance about a woman who becomes the greatest thief and a prince of Joseon who chases her, with their souls swapping and ultimately saving each other and the people. Moon plays the role of Prince Lee Yeol, sharing a historical romance with Nam Ji-hyun's character, Hong Eun-jo. The drama, which provided a turning point for KBS, achieved a peak rating of 7.7% nationwide according to Nielsen Korea, marking a successful run.

Moon Sang-min served as a regular MC on KBS's 'Music Bank' from late May 2024 until January 2026. He expressed his joy at debuting in a terrestrial drama through KBS, reflecting on his connection with the network. During his MC tenure in December 2024, he hosted the '2024 Music Bank Global Festival in JAPAN' and expressed his desire to return to the stage this year. Last year, Lee Jun-young and Jang Won-young were selected as MCs.

When asked about the criteria for selecting 'Music Bank Global Festival' MCs, he said, "I'm not sure of the exact criteria. I hosted in Japan two years ago, but not last year. I had such a great time then, so I want to do it again this year. Sometimes the regular 'Music Bank' MC hosts, and sometimes they don't. It seems to vary each time."

"I was grateful to host 'Music Bank' for nearly two years. It was a wonderful opportunity. Besides that, I also hosted the 'KBS Drama Awards' and the 'KBS Song Festival', which made me very happy. It was meaningful to conclude the year with KBS's major events. Therefore, I hope to continue my good relationship with KBS, starting with 'Beloved Bandit', and host the 'Music Bank Global Festival' once more this year."

Moon Sang-min, who has shown diverse characters in 'Beloved Bandit' and 'Pavane', is also gaining attention for his honest and charming persona in variety shows. When asked if he feels his rising popularity, he strongly denied it, saying, "I think many people still don't know me well. However, some people seem to like the side of me shown in variety shows. So, I think it would be good to show various sides of myself, not just through acting."

He confessed to feeling somewhat lethargic when not working on projects and, when asked if he thinks he has a knack for variety shows, he replied, "I don't think I'm funny. I'm not particularly humorous and not very good at talking." However, during the interview, Moon charmingly shared that he often hears he's like a 'dating program award' or 'Heart Signal award', and expressed his hope to win an award at the year-end ceremony, drawing attention with his candidness.

Lee So-jung, Ten Asia Reporter forusojung@tenasia.co.kr