Xiumin of Exo to play time traveller in Restaurant Heo alongside fellow K-pop star Exy; Lee Young-ae looks to reprise breakout role – Korean drama casting latest
- K-pop stars Xiumin of Exo and Exy of WJSN have been confirmed for drama Restaurant Heo, while Lee Hye-ri of Girl’s Day may head Friendly Competition
- Lee Young-ae looks set to reprise her 2003 breakout role in Jewel in the Palace as a female royal doctor in Uinyeo Dae Jang-geum, set after the original series
One of the most famous Korean dramas of all time may soon return to screens, while a bevy of K-pop singers are eyeing new roles.
Read our latest round-up of Korean casting news for more details.
1. Uinyeo Dae Jang-geum
Currently titled Uinyeo Dae Jang-geum (Dae Jang-geum the Female Physician), the series will take place following the events of the original series and depict Jang-geum’s life after she became a doctor.
It is expected to commence production in October, and will then grace screens at some point in 2025.
Following Korean production company Fantagio’s announcement that it had secured a writer for the project, the company of Kim Young-hyun, the original writer of Jewel in the Palace, issued a statement explaining that she is not involved in any way, and that furthermore she owns the intellectual property rights to the original series.
While Dae Jang-geum is based on a real character, it is not clear what this means for the new series. There could be legal issues going forward – or perhaps the project will wind up being a stand-alone series with no official connection to Jewel in the Palace.