Casting continues for writer Kim Eun-sook’s new drama The King: Eternal Ruler. The management for actor Woo Do-hwan (The Great Seducer) has confirmed that he’s been accepted a part alongside Lee Min-ho (Legend of the Blue Sea) and Kim Go-eun (The Lonely Shining Goblin).
The crux of the fantasy romance revolves around the chaos that is caused when a gateway opens up between two Koreas in parallel universes. In one dimension, Korea is a monarchy ruled by Emperor Lee Gon (played by Lee Min-ho), whose goal is to close the portal and stop the demons that have entered his world through the gateway. However, his motives are at odds with police officer Jung Tae-il (played by Kim Go-eun) who comes from the Korea that we are familiar with as “real.” Although closing the portal may ultimately be good for both Koreas, instinctively her first and foremost priority is to protect people and to protect the lives of the people she loves.
Similar to Kim Go-eun having parallel counterparts in both worlds, Woo Do-hwan has also been offered a dual role. In the “real” Korea, he would be playing an ordinary public service worker by the name of Jo Eun-seop. And in the parallel Korean empire, he would be taking on the role of Jo Young, who is Emperor Lee Gon’s personal bodyguard.
The King: Eternal Ruler is currently still in the planning stages and is set to air sometime in the first half of 2020. In the meantime, we will be seeing Woo Do-hwan back in dramaland this autumn when JTBC’s My Country airs in September.