Actor Bae In-hyuk has been reborn as the new ‘Historical Drama King’. Following ‘Shoop’‘The Tale of the Chaste Lady Park Contract Marriage’, he has established himself as a historical drama star among viewers both domestically and internationally with his third historical drama, Channel A‘s Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Check In Hanyang’.

In the recently airing ‘Check In Hanyang’, Bae In-hyuk plays Lee Eun-ho, who hides his identity as the crown prince and enters Joseon’s best guest house (hotel), Yongcheonru. In the drama, he goes undercover in Yongcheonru to find the ‘Hwangdonggeumshi’, the key to uncovering the corruption of a force threatening the throne, and he meets Kim Ji-eun, Jung Gun-joo, and Jae-chan as squires, and they build love and friendship.

The fun part of the drama is the process of Bae In-hyeok, who lived only in the palace as the crown prince and then came out into the world, struggling as a servant. For the first time in his life, he sheds tears while peeling an onion, and he can‘t get rid of the palace dialect and often gets scolded by the instructor servant for shouting, “You’re rude!”

The process in which he, who was unfamiliar with this ordinary daily life, gradually grows with the help of his colleagues is garnering a hot response for its energetic and refreshing charm unique to youth dramas.

He has also recently started a full-fledged romance with the male character Kim Ji-eun. As he constantly hovers around Kim Ji-eun to get his hands on the ‘Brass Gold Watch’, he begins to become aware of her little by little, developing a rosy mood. Kim Ji-eun is a woman, and the successor of Yongcheonru, Jeong Gun-ju, who found out first, also forms a love triangle, further increasing the fun of the historical romance.

It gives the impression that it has captured all the elements of a traditional historical drama by using the subject of the struggle for the throne as another major framework for storytelling. Bae In-hyuk received rave reviews from viewers for displaying a presence that did not fall behind in acting competition with veteran actors, such as engaging in a showdown with Kim Eui-seong, the owner of Yongcheonru who swears in the throne.

Bae In-hyuk especially caught the attention of viewers by completing each character with a completely different personality despite releasing three consecutive historical dramas set in the Joseon Dynasty.

He received love from viewers for playing a short-lived crown prince in ‘Shroop’ in 2022, and a current heir to a conglomerate and a nobleman of Joseon in ‘The Marriage Contract of the Chaste Lady Park’ last year. Thanks to his performance, he won the Excellence Award at the ‘2024 MBC Drama Awards’ for ‘The Marriage Contract of the Chaste Lady Park’.

Regarding this, Bae In-hyuk said at a recent production conference, “‘Shroop’ appeared briefly, and ‘The Marriage Contract of the Chaste Lady Park’ only had some historical elements. That‘s why I had a strong desire to fully develop the story as a historical drama. This time, unlike before, he showed his clumsy side, and his cute and clumsy appearance will feel new.”

Reporter Yoo Ji-hye yjh0304@donga.com