IU and Byeon Woo Seok are set to star in a new romantic drama about love breaking through social boundaries in a modern South Korean constitutional monarchy.

On December 2, Kakao Entertainment confirmed that the two stars have been cast in the upcoming MBC drama 21st Century Prince's Wife (working title).

The drama is being planned by Kang Dae Seon, written by Yoo A In, and produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment.

21st Century Prince's Wife is set in a 21st-century South Korea where a constitutional monarchy exists.

The drama tells the story of Seong Hee Joo, a chaebol heiress who has everything but still feels frustrated by her "commoner" status, and Lee An Daegun, the son of the king, who despite his royal blood, cannot have anything and lives a sad life.

The story revolves around their romance, which challenges and breaks down the barriers between social classes. The drama won the MBC Drama Script Contest and will be produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment.

IU will play Seong Hee Joo, the second daughter of Korea's top chaebol family. She is beautiful, smart, and fiercely competitive, but she feels that being a "commoner" is holding her back in life. This frustration leads her to cross paths with Lee An Daegun.

Known for her powerful emotional performances in dramas like My Mister, Hotel Del Luna, and Broker, IU’s fans are excited to see her take on the role of Seong Hee Joo and bring a fresh transformation to her acting.

Byeon Woo Seok will play Lee An Daegun, the prince in this modern monarchy. Born as the second son of the king, he has always been destined to have nothing but his royal title.

Though he hides his pain, everything changes when he meets Seong Hee Joo. Byeon Woo Seok, who captured hearts with his sweet romance in Lovely Runner, will now step into the role of a royal prince, and fans are eager to see how he will bring his charm to this new character.

21st Century Prince's Wife is scheduled to air in the second half of 2025.

Source: [1]

When the Stars Gossip is facing a tough battle as its ratings continue to decline, leaving many to wonder if it can recover.

Despite its massive 500 billion KRW budget and a year-long production process, the drama’s viewership has been steadily dropping since its premiere.

The first two episodes of the show had relatively modest ratings, with 3.3% for episode one and 3.9% for episode two.

However, the third episode, which aired on January 11th, saw a sharp drop to just 2.2%, according to Nielsen Korea.

At this rate, the drama is on the verge of falling below 1% in viewership, which would be a serious blow for the production.

The drama’s star-studded cast, featuring Gong Hyo Jin and Lee Min Ho, hasn’t been enough to stop the slide in ratings.

As the show tries to maintain its momentum, the question remains: Can When the Stars Gossip bounce back, or will its viewership continue to sink?

With such a big budget and high expectations, viewers are still holding out hope for a recovery, but the drama’s future is uncertain unless ratings start climbing.

Source: [1]