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Song Hye-kyo recently starred in the hit drama The Glory. She is in talks to appear in an as yet untitled period drama about the birth of the Korean broadcasting industry. Photo: Netflix
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The Glory star Song Hye-kyo weighs period K-drama role; Jun Ji-hyun drama Polaris shooting – Korean drama casting latest

  • The Glory actress Song Hye-kyo is discussing a role in an as-yet untitled period drama about the dawn of broadcasting in Korea
  • Flex X Cop’s Ahn Bo-hyun is also mulling a period turn, while Doctor Slump’s Park Hyung-sik will reportedly lead Treasure Island, about an amnesiac theft victim
K-drama news
Pierce Conran
Pierce Conran
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A few major team-ups are brewing as the red-hot Korean drama industry keeps plugging exciting content into its steady production pipeline.

Read our latest round-up of Korean casting news for more details.

1. Untitled Song Hye-kyo series

The Glory star Song Hye-kyo is in talks to appear in a series that would see her reunite with Our Blues writer Noh Hee-kyung. Song and Noh last collaborated 11 years ago on the series That Winter, the Wind Blows; they first worked together on Worlds Within in 2008.

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The as-yet untitled drama is reportedly a period piece that will focus on the ups and downs faced by characters involved in the birth of Korea’s broadcasting industry, which will draw on Noh’s own experiences in that industry.

Song, whose hit series also include Descendants of the Sun, will first appear in the occult horror film Dark Nuns (a spin-off of the hit film The Priests), which is currently in production.

One of the top writers in the industry, Noh’s other major shows include Dear My Friends and Live.

2. The Bead of God

After appearing in the hit show Flex X Cop, which was recently renewed for a second season, actor Ahn Bo-hyun is mulling an offer to appear in the upcoming JTBC series The Bead of God.
Also considering an offer to appear in the series is Lee Sung-min; if he does, he would reunite with Jung Dae-yoon, who directed him in Reborn Rich.
Ahn Bo-hyun in a still from Flex X Cop.

The Bead of God is a period series that will follow the friendship and exploits of a group of people who set about tracking down sacred relics in Korea. Ahn has been offered the role of the leader of the convoy, while Lee has been approached to play a military officer in the group.

Ahn is also known for My Name and Military Prosecutor Doberman.
Lee is primarily known as a film actor, with roles in titles such as The Spy Gone North, The Man Standing Next and 12.12: The Day, but has recently appeared in a number of acclaimed drama series, including Shadow Detective and A Blood Lucky Day.
Lee Sung-min in a still from Shadow Detective.

The Bead of God is being written by Jeong Hyun-min, known for the period drama Nokdu Flower.

3. Polaris

Polaris, the hotly anticipated new series from Mother and Little Women mastermind Chung Seo-kyung, began filming on March 25. The series stars My Love from the Star’s Jun Ji-hyun and movie star Gang Dong-won (Peninsula) in his first drama role in over 20 years.

The story will follow two spies who lose their identities and begin to fall in love as they attempt to figure out who they are.

Jun Ji-hyun in a still from Jirisan.
The series reunites Chung with Little Women director Kim Hee-won, who also directed the series Vincenzo. Polaris is expected to comprise eight episodes.
Jun was last seen in Jirisan and Kingdom: Ashin of the North, while Gang appeared in Dr. Cheon and The Lost Talisman and will soon be seen in the Park Chan-wook produced Netflix film Uprising.
In addition to her drama credits, Chung is one of Korea’s most celebrated film screenwriters, known for her collaborations with Park Chan-wook, including The Handmaiden and Decision to Leave.

4. Treasure Island

Park Hyung-sik (Doctor Slump) will reportedly take on the leading role in forthcoming SBS drama Treasure Island.

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The story will focus on a man who gets his hands on a political slush fund worth two trillion won (US$1.5 billion), only for a secret organisation to steal the money from under his nose and leave him for dead. The man returns, but without any memories of his past.

Park will play Seo Dong-ju, an ambitious and loyal employee of the Daesan Group, who is renowned for his photographic memory.

Park Hyung-sik in a still from Doctor Slump.
Leading up to Doctor Slump, Park has been appearing in a slew of well-regarded series, including the horror drama Happiness alongside Han Hyo-joo.

The series will be helmed by Military Prosecutor Doberman director Jin Chang-gyu and written by Money Flower scriptwriter Lee Myung-hee. Production on the series is expected to begin in June.

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