IU and Byeon Woo Seok confirm their roles in 21st Century Prince (Pic- IU and Byeon woo seok’s IG)
When Life Gives You Tangerines star IU and Lovely Runner heartthrob Byeon Woo Seok are all set to headline the upcoming K-drama 21st Century Prince.
And yes, the show is still very much happening, just in case you were among those who thought it has been axed after rumours that both leads have dropped out. Well, IU almost believed it-so much so that she had to get the misunderstanding cleared directly by the production team. In an interview with Sports Kyunghyang on April 2, the Korean soloist, who’s now stepping into a role completely different from her recent Netflix hit, opened up about the ongoing rumours surrounding her next drama. “I was shocked and completely baffled,” she said.
IU breaks silence on 21st Century Prince’s rumoured exit
“I was so shocked. I even met with the director yesterday,” IU aka Lee Ji Eun, told the K-media outlet on Thursday. She added, “and we were just about to start discussing things when I saw the news about me leaving the cast. I was completely baffled.” The casting for MBC’s upcoming drama was first announced back in December 2024. The show, reportedly set in an alternate version of Korea under a constitutional monarchy, follows the love story of Sung Hee Joo (an heiress who has everything except royal status) and Lee Ahn, a prince who has nothing to his name despite being the king’s son.
At the time, Byeon Woo Seok had just delivered one of his biggest hits with Lovely Runner, which went on to become one of the most-watched K-dramas of 2024, and IU was all set to make her K-drama comeback after wrapping up her concert tour. It was the kind of dream pairing fans had been waiting for. But when rumours of their exit started emerging, disappointment set in. As IU said, “Sometimes there’s smoke without fire in this industry.” She added, “But that article was written with such certainty that I even thought, ‘Wait, was I kicked out?’ But it was just a misunderstanding.” She also cleared the air for Byeon Woo Seok, saying, “I think it was all just a big misunderstanding. Didn’t Woo Seok also say he wasn’t dropping out? We’re both in, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
Wife of the 21st Century Prince ‘very different’ from When Life Gives You Tangerines
During the interview, IU also opened up about her new role, where she steps into the shoes of Sung Hee Joo, the second daughter of Korea’s biggest conglomerate family. Talking about her character, she said it’s “very different” from what fans saw in Park Bo Gum’s drama. “Byeon Woo Seok and I talked about working hard together. I also know that he recently met with the director to discuss the project. I feel a mix of excitement and pressure. This character is completely different from Ae Soon and Geum Myung, so my heart is racing,” she shared. The show is currently set to air in 2025, but there’s no confirmed date or OTT platform yet. Earlier, reports surfaced that MBC was debating where to stream it. Initially, Disney+ was in talks, but later, there were reports about Netflix being considered.