Lee Min-ho to star in Kim Eun-sook's new TV drama

Actor Lee Min-ho will star in a new TV series written by Kim Eun-sook. Courtesy of MYM Entertainment

By Dong Sun-hwa

Top actor Lee Min-ho will star in a new drama penned by star writer Kim Eun-sook, the production company said Tuesday.

The romantic fantasy drama, tentatively titled “The King: Permanent Monarch,” is set in a “parallel universe.” Lee plays imaginary Korean Emperor Lee Gon, who attempts to separate “reality” from the “parallel world.”

“This is the second time Lee has teamed with Kim,” the company said. “Viewers will discover the mature sides of the actor through the upcoming TV series.”

Lee, 32, featured in Kim's hit soap opera “The Heirs” in 2013 with Park Shin-hye and Kim Woo-bin.

The premiere date and other cast members for “The King: Permanent Monarch” are not yet known, but shooting will begin this year.

Lee shot to fame thanks to TV series “Boys Over Flowers” in 2009 and has appeared in several shows including “Personal Taste” in 2010 and “City Hunter” in 2011. He returned to civilian life in February after compulsory military service.

Kim wrote the drama “Descendants of the Sun (2016)” and “Mr. Sunshine (2018).”