Lee Gyu-lee is a business writer at The Korea Times, focusing primarily on IT & telecommunications, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and KOTRA. Prior to this, she has covered a wide range of cultural news, from film, television and K-pop to lifestyle and fashion.
Park Ji-hoon to lead new fantasy period series
Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon / Courtesy of Wavv
By Lee Gyu-lee
Singer and actor Park Ji-hoon will be taking on romance with KBS’ new fantasy period series “Love Song for Illusion.”
The network announced that Park and actor Hong Ye-ji have been confirmed to lead the upcoming series.
Based on the popular webcomic of the same name, the series will follow a love story between a man with a split personality and a woman with a dark past.
Park will play double roles as Hyun, a crown prince with a hidden identity, and his alternate personality, Ak-hee. Hyun is a multi-talented individual who lives as a fashion designer at a boutique while keeping his royal lineage a secret. He is also haunted by childhood trauma stemming from his father's abuse.
Hyun’s other persona, Ak-hee, is a charming man who can make anyone fall in love with him. But he suffers a curse and feels extreme pain whenever anyone touches him.
Hong will play Yeon Wol, who is from a prestigious clan that was fallen and decimated by the royal government. Since then, she has been raised to be an assassin. Her life takes an unexpected turn when she finally tries to infiltrate the palace and kill the king, but loses conscious and wakes up as the crown prince’s concubine.
The series, scheduled to go on air in January, is directed by Lee Jung-sub, whose previous work includes the 2021 rom-com series “Dali and Cocky Prince” and the 2017 period series “Queen For Seven Days” and is scripted by Yoon Kyung-ah, who wrote the 2019 teen series “At Eighteen.”
Park, who debuted as a child actor, rose to fame after competing in Mnet's popular audition show "Produce 101" in 2017. He made it into the top 11 finalists, debuting as a member of the now-disbanded group Wanna One.
He returned to acting with a lead role in tvN's romantic comedy series "Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency" in 2019 and has starred in various series, including Wavve’s hit original "Weak Hero Class 1.” (2022). The actor won best new actor at last year's Blue Dragon Series Awards for his role in the series.