The amount of characters that have "Kim" as their surname makes me think it's plot-relevant, but no. It's just the author being uncreative and detached with the names, so he pivots to the "Koreans commonly have Kim as their surname" excuse.
Eh, i like slow paced stories as much as i like fast pace, gives me time to get emotionally invested, and the intriguing personal secrets kept during it were good enough for me, the anticipation of the perceived betrayal and the other characters theories about what's happened and about the main characters motives were fun to watch, the dread was real, the conflict felt palpable emotionally, but i get that it's not for everyone. I like introspective stories with lots of interpersonal stakes










I love how Lloyd in the novel acts milder compared to this chaotic one in the manhwa so you can read both and can still experience different narrative style.