After MBC’s drama “The Red Sleeve” ended successfully, the story of how the main character actors were cast is being brought up and discussed.

“The Red Sleeve” depicts the sad romance between a king, who prioritizes his country over love, and a court lady, who wants to protect the life she has chosen. Actress Lee Se Young played the role of the court lady Seong Deok Im (Uibin Seong) and Lee Jun-ho played King Jeongjo Yi San.

However, the two actors, Lee Se Young and Lee Jun Ho, were not cast from the beginning. In fact, Park Hye Soo was cast for Seong Deok Im and Kim Kyung Nam as Yi San.

However, the casting was canceled due to Park Hye Soo’s school bullying scandal that broke out last year. Later, Kim Kyung Nam also stepped back and dropped out of the cast.

After that, the roles naturally went into the hands of Lee Se Young and Lee Jun Ho. Lee Se Young, who used to appear in various historical dramas, such as “Dae Jang Geum”, “King’s Dream”, and “The Crowned Clown”, accepted the offer to play Deok Im. Known to have read the original novel himself, Lee Jun Ho also confirmed his appearance in “The Red Sleeve”.

“The Red Sleeve” ended with the 17th episode on January 1st. With an average viewership exceeding 15% (based on Nielsen Korea’s data), it surpassed other TV programs with the same broadcasting time to top the rating chart.

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Hyun Bin is finally addressing the long-standing "ddongcha" (poop car) theory surrounding his character from My Name is Kim Sam-soon—and he's not holding back!

In an interview on the 19th with Star News, the beloved actor confessed, "I was wrong," responding to the reevaluation of his iconic role as Hyun Jin-heon from the 2005 hit drama. The "ddongcha" theory has been a subject of online debate for years, with many viewers critiquing Hyun Jin-heon’s character as overly arrogant and entitled.

Hyun Bin, who first rose to fame in My Name is Kim Sam-soon, took the time to reflect on the character that made him a household name. He shared, “I was just following the script; there were no personal opinions added to the character of Hyun Jin-heon. At that time, I knew Hyun Jin-heon was portrayed as a ‘bad boy,’ and the way it was expressed was different from today’s standards.”

With My Name is Kim Sam-soon now being re-released as part of Wavve's "New Classic" project, fans are revisiting the 2005 drama, and the character of Hyun Jin-heon is under fresh scrutiny. Director Kim Yun-cheol even admitted that the "prince on a white horse" and "bad boy" tropes that once worked in 2005 don’t quite match today's sensibilities, leading to edits in the 2024 version.

Hyun Bin humbly acknowledged his gratitude for his successful career and hit works, saying, "It’s wonderful and I am grateful to have so many hit works. I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing writers, directors, and actors. Thanks to them, I’ve received a lot of attention and love." He also shared a sense of humility, noting, “But I never know when that luck will come again."

Despite the dramatic shift in perspective on his character, Hyun Bin’s charm and dedication remain strong. Fans are eager to see him in his upcoming film Harbin (directed by Woo Min-ho), set to be released on the 24th.

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