Byeon Woo-seok of Lovely Runner to join IU in romance series

SEOUL – Global Hallyu sensation Byeon Woo-seok is set to star alongside Lee Ji-eun, better known as singer-songwriter IU, in an upcoming romance series, Kakao Entertainment announced Dec 2.

The series, tentatively titled 21st Century Grand Prince’s Wife, is a romance drama set in an alternate version of Korea ruled by a constitutional monarchy.

Lee Ji-eun will portray Seong Hee-joo, the second-oldest daughter of the nation’s leading conglomerate family, who comes from commoner roots. Byeon will play Prince I-an, the king’s second son, burdened by a life of obscurity despite his royal lineage.

The story will follow their fateful encounter and the transformative journey that ensues.

The series, set for release in the second half of 2025, will be a co-production between MBC and Kakao Entertainment.

The series marks Byeon’s first confirmed project following his breakout success in tvN’s Lovely Runner (2024), where he starred as main lead Ryu Seon-jae. The drama gained international acclaim, topping the charts in 130 countries on Rakuten Viki and making history in Korean streaming by driving Tving, its exclusive domestic platform, to surpass Netflix in daily viewing hours for the first time on the day of its finale.

Lovely Runner catapulted the model-turned-actor to a rock-star status, and anticipation for his next project had been building since the drama aired its final episode in May.

The series also marks Lee’s return to TV since the success of tvN’s Hotel Del Luna (2019). The hit drama became tvN’s most-watched series of the year in 2019, peaking at a 12 per cent viewership rating.

Lee is also gearing up for her role in the Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines, in which she stars alongside actor Park Bo-gum. The series is slated to premiere in the first half of 2025. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK