Na Honsan Posts Upbeat Cast Photo, But Kim Shin-young Is Nowhere to Be Seen

Na Honsan posted a cheerful group photo to its official social media on September 9, featuring singer Dann as a guest alongside regulars Jeon Hyun-moo, Code Kunst, Kim Dae-ho, Ryu Hye-young, and Gian84. One face was missing: Kim Shin-young, a core cast member of the MBC variety show, did not appear in the image, and viewers noticed immediately.

The caption read, "Different yet similar. House living, a yard, an old car. Dann, don't you think we're quite alike?" and highlighted a moment between Kim Dae-ho and Dann, who apparently share a similar look and were photographed touching fingertips in a playful pose. The rest of the cast watched on with exaggerated surprised expressions. The episode featuring Dann is scheduled to air on the 11th at 11:10 p.m.

Why Kim Shin-young is stepping back

Kim Shin-young's absence from filming appears connected to a broader pause she announced on August 31, during a live broadcast of her MBC FM4U program Jeong-o-eui Huimangok Kim Shin-young-imnida, where she has been the DJ for 14 years. She told listeners she would be stepping away from that role for three months to focus on restructuring her IP content company, Gojingamnae, which she founded, and managing its day-to-day operations. The company workload, she explained, had grown to the point where broadcasting commitments alone were no longer sustainable on their current schedule.

Given that context, her absence from Na Honsan recordings during this same period reads as a straightforward consequence of that decision rather than anything more complicated. That framing has not stopped fans from expressing frustration: comments on the show's post included calls to protect the pairing of Jeon Hyun-moo and Kim Shin-young, and to make her presence a non-negotiable part of the show's format.

The show's credibility problem

The timing places Na Honsan in an uncomfortable position. The show has been managing fallout since late August, when episodes aired on the 14th and 21st of that month showing Jeon Hyun-moo embarking on what was presented as a spontaneous solo trip to Almaty, Kazakhstan. Viewers questioned how a trip involving a cast member and multiple production staff could genuinely be unplanned, and the skepticism proved durable.

The production team issued three rounds of public statements. In the first, on August 25, it denied receiving any filming support or sponsorship for the Kazakhstan trip. A second statement on August 31 clarified that while no financial support came from the Almaty tourism authority, the crew had received logistical and administrative assistance for on-location shooting. A third statement on September 4 went further, acknowledging that the production had pre-checked available flights and filming conditions as a contingency, while maintaining that Jeon Hyun-moo bought his ticket at the airport himself on the day of departure. Critics found that last explanation difficult to accept given what it admitted, and at least one viewer filed a supplementary opinion with the Korea Communications Standards Commission.

The reputational cost was measurable. The Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute's September brand reputation rankings for entertainment programs, published on the 6th, placed Na Honsan tenth. The previous month it had ranked first.

Posting a light, upbeat cast photo in this climate is a recognizable damage-control move, and the choice to feature a likable guest in Dann gives the production something positive to point toward. Whether Kim Shin-young's return will coincide with a fuller reset for the show remains to be seen.