Lee Min-ho is taking on a different challenge.

Lee Min-ho, who has set new box office records with every work he has released, will present subjects and sides of himself that we haven‘t seen before in his comeback work, ‘Ask the Stars’.

He has entered the box office competition by playing the role of an obstetrician and gynecologist, Dinosaur, in the tvN drama ‘Ask the Stars’, which will be first aired on January 4th next year.

The drama depicts a love story that unfolds between a boss working in a zero-gravity space station and an obstetrician and gynecologist who goes into space on a secret mission.

Writer Seo Sook-hyang, who wrote ‘Jealousy Incarnate’ and ‘Pasta’, was in charge of the script.

This drama has garnered a lot of attention even before its broadcast as it is a highly anticipated tvN drama with a production cost of 40 billion won.

It is reported that more than 10 billion won was spent on post-production costs, including special visual effects, to implement the first space station in a domestic drama.

Another reason for the high expectations is that he, who reigned as a Hallyu star through ‘Boys Over Flowers’, ‘Legend of the Blue Sea’, ‘The Heirs’, etc., will be standing before viewers after a long time.

His return to acting will be two years after his previous work, the global OTT Apple TV ‘Pachinko’, and five years in TV drama terms, since ‘The King: Eternal Monarch’ in 2020.

Lee Min-ho said at the drama production conference held at The Saint in Guro-gu, Seoul on the afternoon of the 18th ahead of the first broadcast, “I said that I’ve been active a lot, but since there are many projects that require a long preparation period, such as filming, it feels like it‘s been a long time since I’ve acted.” He also revealed the reason for his appearance, saying, “It was refreshing to act in a space station and in zero gravity for the first time.”

In his previous works, he mainly showed charismatic images as the second generation of a conglomerate and a king, but this time he will show “a slightly different image.”

Director Park Shin-woo, who is in charge of directing the drama, said, “Lee Min-ho‘s usual relaxed shoulders and slightly slouched appearance are really charming.” He also said, “I wish other people could see that image. Just like his name, he’s an excellent actor who shows the charm of an extinct dinosaur.”

Regarding this, Lee Min-ho said, “She‘s a character who wants to escape the harsh life of reality,” and explained, “She’s a character who finds herself in an unknown space where there‘s nothing, finds new love, and finds new life, so I hope you’ll see her in a new light.”

Lee Min-ho will be acting with Gong Hyo-jin, who is called the “Queen of Romantic Comedy.”

He expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I wanted to work with actress Gong Hyo-jin since my 20s, but we met later than I thought. It was such a great experience to be able to look into each other‘s eyes and breathe in a place without air.”

He continued, “There were many situations where I was experiencing everything for the first time, such as having to act in zero gravity. In the midst of that, it was huge that my partner was a mental support,” and “She’s a considerate and respectful person. I felt comfortable just being with her. He expressed his gratitude, saying, ”I was happy because he was a senior who helped me do more than 100%.“

Gong Hyo-jin also said, ”I only heard (about Lee Min-ho) through rumors. I didn‘t know much about him because he’s not the type to go out much.“ ”I thought he‘d be prickly like he is in dramas, but he wasn’t when I met him. He worries and thinks a lot, but he‘s smart and very mature.“


Reporter Lee Jeong-yeon annjoy@donga.com