He caused her heartbreak that led her to travel 1,000 years back in time in their previous series, and fans will be happy to see him redeem himself this time.
At a press conference yesterday (April 6) for their new K-drama Perfect Crown, main leads IU and Byeon Woo-seok talked about their first drama together 10 years ago.
In the 2016 hit series Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Ha-jin (played by IU) is heartbroken when she catches her boyfriend (Woo-seok) cheating on her. She drinks through her misery and falls into a lake, travelling back in time to the Goryeo era.
In the highly anticipated Perfect Crown, Woo-seok stars as dreamy Grand Prince I-an, who enters a marriage of convenience with chaebol heiress Seong Hui-ju (IU).
IU is saved from time-travel this round as the romcom drama is set in the 21st century, but with a constitutional monarchy.
“It was almost as if Woo-seok was set on making up for all that hurt… Like he had been waiting for the entire decade to repay that,” she joked.
Though they hadn’t been in touch in the last decade, the 32-year-old singer-actress said it felt like they’ve been friends all along: “It almost makes me feel like I want to do another project with him after another 10 years from now.”
Woo-seok, 34, said: “We have chemistry that stretches over a decade, and you can really see that flower in this series. IU makes you feel at ease instantly. She’s such a great scene partner and she gave me a lot of advice as well.”
‘She’s like a loose cannonball’
Hui-ju is a character who has everything – from looks to wealth and popularity – except the one thing she desires: a noble status.
Born as the illegitimate child of Castle Group, she’s pressured by her father to marry or lose her title as the CEO.
In a bid to escape an arranged marriage and secure a higher social standing, Hui-ju is determined to wed Prince I-an.
“Frustration is a key word that really describes who this girl is. You can understand why she’s so frustrated about her status. She’s very greedy. She has a lot of yearning for things, but she’s also sort of adorable. She’s a very three-dimensional character,” said IU.
Taking up the role was a “no-brainer”, she added. “As I was reading the script, I thought Hui-ju was such a fascinating character… I wanted to be in on this project.”
She explained that Hui-ju isn’t a “typical” chaebol heiress: “She’s sort of like a celebrity or an influencer. Wherever she goes, people are interested in what she does. There’s a lot of memes [about her], and people would make fun of her… So it was more fun because she is like a loose cannonball in some aspect.”
Meanwhile Prince I-an has the status Hui-ju wants but isn’t entirely happy living with the weight it comes with.
Standing in as a regent for the eight-year-old crown prince, I-an is forced to deal with power struggles within the palace.
“He has a status where he can’t outshine anyone… I could just envision all the scenes in my head, and I could really resonate with him. I wanted to try fleshing this character out,” said Woo-seok.
He described I-an as someone who is “scarred”: “He looks like he’s strong from the outside, but inside he’s very lonely.”
Woo-seok shared he was also involved in the planning process for Prince I-an’s styling: “I wanted to make sure that my style shows his character, of how firm he is about his beliefs.”
Pressure from their previous roles in popular K-dramas
IU last starred in the award-winning 2025 drama When Life Gives You Tangerines, playing the lead role Ae-sun and her daughter Geum-myeong.
During the Perfect Crown press conference, a reporter asked if she felt any pressure from audiences who may still view her as the beloved characters who are vastly different from Hui-ju.
“It was an easy decision for me to choose a character that is completely different from the previous ones, so I honestly don’t feel that kind of pressure… I actually felt more at ease because she’s so different,” she answered.
Woo-seok, who played heartthrob Ryu Sun-jae in Lovely Runner, was also faced with a similar question. Perfect Crown marks his return to the small screens since his breakout role in the 2024 hit series.
“I think the fact that so many people out there are excited to see what I do next, I don’t feel pressure. I’m just so happy about it, but of course I want to do my very best and repay that love,” he said.
Perfect Crown, which also features Noh Sang-hyun, Gong Seung-yeon, Yu Su-bin and Lee Yeon, premieres April 10 on Disney+.
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