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| From left, actors Lee Sung-min, Shin Hyun-been, and Song Joong-ki pose during a press conference for JTBC's series "Reborn Rich," held in Yeouido, Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of JTBC |
By Lee Gyu-lee
Actor Song Joong-ki is set for another series, taking on a double role in JTBC's new drama "Reborn Rich," after making a hit with the crime drama "Vincenzo" last year.
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| Jung Dae-yoon, director of the series "Reborn Rich" / Courtesy of JTBC |
The fantasy series, which premieres Friday, revolves around loyal, hard-working Yoon Hyun-woo (Song) who is born underprivileged and has dedicated his life to working for the wealthy conglomerate Soonyang Group and its owner family.
Although he has taken on all the dirty work for the family, he gets betrayed and killed after being framed for embezzlement. But upon dying, he wakes up in the 1980s and finds himself in the body of the family's youngest member, Jin Do-joon, the grandson of the company's chairman Jin Yang-chul (Lee Sung-min). Living a completely new life, he seeks to take revenge on the family while trying to discover who is behind his death.
The series, based on the web novel of the same name, is led by director Jung Dae-yoon, who helmed the hit series "W" and "She Was Pretty," and is scripted by screenwriter Kim Tae-hee, whose previous work includes "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and "Designated Survivor: 60 Days."
The actor said that reuniting with writer Kim since "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" was one of the biggest reasons for taking the role.
"I've worked with Kim before. I have faith in the writer and the plot was so well-woven, which was the first reason (for taking the part)," he said.
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| A scene from the series "Reborn Rich" / Courtesy of JTBC |
The plot of the new series ― its lead character being reincarnated and getting a second chance in life ― may seem similar to that of another recent series "Again My Life." Saying that such a concept is becoming more popular in web novels, webcomics and TV series, yet the director noted that "Reborn Rich" will be different in the way it develops the story.
"Unlike other series with this concept, which focus on the character's background and story, 'Reborn Rich' weaves in major events of Korea's history, which occurred throughout the 1980s. What makes this series interesting is that you will get to see some of the important incidents (in history)," he said, adding that the colorful characters will also entertain the viewers.
"There are relatively many characters compared to other series, but each of them has unique traits. It is interesting to see how (the lead) character changes in a span of 30 years and follow the decisions he makes."
Song added that although he plays two characters as Hyun-woo and Do-joon, he considered those two characters as one.
"I know how difficult it is to play a double role, so it came as a pressure … But (in a way) I didn't think of it as a double role. It's about this person being born again into a different person so I thought of it as one person when I was acting."
"Reborn Rich" airs Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on JTBC and streams on Disney+.
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