K-drama fans unite! One of the most tantalising pairings is coming through for a royal romance drama. ‘Lovely Runner’ star Byeon Woo Seok and ‘Hotel Del Luna’ star IU are teaming up for the upcoming drama ‘Wife of a 21^st Century Prince.’ The news of the pairing of South Korean’s heartthrob and K-pop songstress-actress has already set social media ablaze.

On Monday, Kakao Entertainment confirmed that the duo will star as the leads of a new K-drama titled ‘Wife of a 21st Century Prince.’ The royal romance drama is set in an alternate and modern reimaging of Korea as a constitutional monarchy. The fluttering plot will chronicle the saga of a chaebol heiress and a titled prince.

Advertisement

#ByeonWooSeok and #IU have been confirmed to star in new MBC drama.

Advertisement

It set in a modern-day constitutional monarchy. The drama follows a romance between (IU), a chaebol heiress frustrated by her “commoner” status, and BWS a royal unable to possess anything beyond his title. pic.twitter.com/PJHv6ZNEhS

— ً (@wooseokfiles) December 1, 2024

The drama will focus on Lee Ahn (Byeon Woo Seok), a prince who has little despite being a titled prince. He is the king’s second son but his power is only limited to paper. Opposite him is Sung Hee Joo (IU), a chaebol heiress who has everything but is a commoner in status. She is the second daughter of a chaebol family, which owns the largest conglomerate in Korea. Sung Hee Joo leads a seemingly perfect life until her path crosses with Prince Lee Ahn and her commoner status stirs problems money cannot solve. The teasing storyline has already stoked fans’ curiosities who can’t wait to witness the chemistry between the two stars. Fans can expect the title to release in the latter half of 2025.

Since the announcement, fans have taken to social media to express their excitement. One X user wrote, “I’m really very excited for this! BLESSSS.” Another added, “OMG!!!! Byeon Wooseok is going to play a prince.” One post also read, “I thought this was fake at first omg this is like a God-tier pairing wth!!!!!!”

Also Read: NewJeans contract termination with ADOR costs HYBE $423M

Byeon Woo Seok debuted in the K-drama industry in 2016. He ascended to fame with the release of the blockbuster show ‘Lovely Runner’ in 2024. After the show’s success, he hosted his first-ever Asian fan meeting tour titled Summer Letter. Woo Seok has previously starred in several popular K-dramas including ‘Record of Youth,’ and ‘Flower Crew: Joseon Marriage Agency.’ The actor also appeared in ‘Strong Girl Nam Soon’ and films like ‘Midnight’ and ‘20th Century Girl.’ Byeon Woo Seok’s last was a cameo appearance in ‘No Gain No Love’ starring Shin Min A and Kim Young Dae.

On the other hand, Lee Ji Eun, also known by her stage name IU, debuted as a singer in 2008. She donned the actor’s hat in 2011 for the K-drama named ‘Dream High.’ Subsequently, she started managing her singing and acting career simultaneously. IU has starred in popular dramas like ‘Bel Ami,’ ‘Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,’ ‘My Mister’ and ‘Hotel del Luna.’ On the music front, she recently released her new album ‘The Winning.’

Moving ahead, IU also has the Netflix drama ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ in the pipeline. In the drama, she will star opposite Park Bo Gum in the series.