New stills for upcoming sageuk Haechi have been released. From the descriptions, it sounds like a coming-of-age legal drama in a historical setting, with all the delicious royal intrigue and trappings of power typical in a sageuk. Jung Il-woo (High-End Crush) stars as a troublemaking Joseon prince who eventually learns about love and true friendship.
Haechi will tackle the topic of good and evil in different groups of people amidst the background setting of the Joseon Saheonbu investigative bureau, which is the modern-day equivalent to the national prosecutorial department. Go Ara (Ms. Hammurabi) and Kwon Yul (Voice 2) can also be spotted in the stills below, and they are part of Jung Il-woo’s support on his path for justice.
This drama is based on the story of young Yeongjo (given name: Yi Geum), played by Jung Il-woo, who began his life as a princeling who could never become king because his mother was a common-born slave. Despite his fame as the tragic Crown Prince Sado’s father, this is the first time King Yeongjo is front-and-center in a mainstream drama.
The writer on this project is Kim Yi-young, who has had extensive experience with sageuks from Yi San to Dong Yi to Horse Healer. Jung Il-woo is no slouch in the sageuk department himself, having starred in The Moon That Embraces the Sun and Dramabeans favorite Return of Iljimae. Speaking of that legendary thief, Haechi PD Lee Yong-seok (Secret—Village of Achiara) also directed a different sageuk called Iljimae in 2008. It’s funny how it’s all interconnected.
Because Haechi is his first project since his military discharge, Jung Il-woo lost 14 kgs to prepare for this role, and at one point, he had weakened to a point where he was afflicted with cold sores around his mouth. He said about the first film day: “My heart is fluttering, and I am happy to return, after finishing two years in the military, to such a good project like Haechi. It feels like I’m returning home after a long journey. As I have returned to my calling as an actor, I will throw my whole body and heart into filming.”
SBS Monday-Tuesday drama Haechi will begin airing on February 11, following the end of My Strange Hero.
