SEOUL, Dec 2 — The moment K-drama fans have been eagerly awaiting is finally here!

Byeon Woo-seok, fresh off his stunning breakout success in Lovely Runner, is set to take the lead in a new romance drama series.

After months of carefully weighing his options, the South Korean star has chosen his next project — and it’s bound to captivate audiences once again.

In an announcement released today, global Korean content provider Kakao Entertainment confirmed that joining Byeon in this highly anticipated drama is none other than the multitalented IU whose last TV series was tvN’s hit Hotel Del Luna in 2019.

The two will star in the tentatively titled The 21st Grand Prince’s Wife, an alternate-reality series set in a Korea ruled by a constitutional monarchy.

IU will portray Seong Hee-ju, an ordinary woman from a wealthy chaebol family, while Byeon takes on the role of Ean, the second son of the King, whose potential is held back by his royal status.

Set against a backdrop of political intrigue and royal expectations, their romance promises to be nothing short of enchanting.

Co-produced by MBC and Kakao Entertainment, The 21st Grand Prince’s Wife is slated for release in the second half of next year.

The series marks Byeon’s first confirmed project after his breakout success in tvN’s Lovely Runner this year, where he starred as the lead, Ryu Seon-jae.

The drama earned international acclaim, topping Rakuten Viki’s charts in 130 countries. It also made history in Korean streaming, with its exclusive domestic platform, Tving, surpassing Netflix in daily viewing hours for the first time on the day of its finale.

While Byeon’s star has soared in 2024, it’s also been a standout year for IU, who charmed global audiences with her first world tour — the HEREH World Tour.

She also released her mini-album The Winning and is set for a Netflix K-drama outing in When Life Gives You Tangerines, alongside another popular K-drama star, Park Bo-gum.