Singer-actor Lee Jun Ho is aiming for a back-to-back success with “The Red Sleeve”, followed by “King the Land.”
JTBC’s new weekend drama “King the Land”, scheduled to air on June 17th, tells the story of Gu Won (played by Lee Jun Ho), a man who scorns laughter, and Cheon Sa Rang (played by Im Yoona), a hotelier who always have a smile on her face. They work together at VVIP lounge King the Land, a dream of hoteliers.
In “King the Land”, Lee Jun Ho and Im Yoona have teamed up as romantic comedy co-stars. The two, who have grown from second-generation idol legends (from 2PM and Girls’ Generation, respectively) into respected actors, have already garnered attention from the casting stage.
“King the Land” may have a familiar and somewhat cliché setting, but the success of the drama depends on how well it blends and presents these elements. After all, there is a reason why romantic comedies are eternally loved.
In particular, Lee Jun Ho is finally making his comeback as an actor with “King the Land” after an almost two-year hiatus. Since his remarkable success in MBC’s “The Red Sleeve”, he has received over 100 scripts and scenarios and chose to take on a light romantic comedy for his next project. Transforming from King Jeongjo (Yi San) in “The Red Sleeve” to a chaebol heir, he is promising a fresh start in his acting career.
Since 2PM’s comeback with “My House”, Lee Jun Ho has been on an unstoppable rise. He also achieved great acting success with “The Red Sleeve”, including receiving the Best Actor award at the Baeksang Arts Awards. Above all, “The Red Sleeve” provided him with a perfect opportunity as an actor with its excellent production quality, high ratings of around 20%, and praised acting skills.
Furthermore, last year, Lee Jun Ho’s close friend Song Joong Ki revived JTBC with a record-breaking 26.9% viewer rating in the drama “Reborn Rich.” With the success of “Reborn Rich”, “Agency”, and “Doctor Cha”, JTBC’s ratings have soared, and “King the Land” is expected to follow suit, continuing the success of the channel.
However, there is a variable in the equation, as “King the Land” is set to compete with a new drama written by the “master of drama genres”, writer Kim Eun Hee. In particular, SBS will air the new Friday-Saturday drama “Revenant” (also known as “The Devil”), one week after “King the Land.”
Starring Kim Tae Ri and Oh Jung Se, “Revenant” is a Korean-style occult mystery drama that unravels a mysterious death involving a woman who is possessed by a devil and a man who can see that devil. It is the latest work by Kim Eun Hee, the writer behind “Sign”, “Phantom”, “Signal”, and “Kingdom”. As a result, there is growing interest in how she will unfold the occult genre within the Korean drama paradigm.
The upcoming battle between “romantic comedy vs. occult” on the small screen is generating curiosity about what results it will bring.
Meanwhile, from Lee Jun Ho’s point of view, he must be feeling a lot of pressure since his previous work did well. However, the biggest point to watch in a romantic comedy has always been the actors’ acting and chemistry. As he has already been recognized as a “good actor”, attention is focusing on whether Lee Jun Ho will achieve yet another “career high”.
Source: Daum
