Song Joong-ki and Ko Hyun-jung Set to Heat Up Weekend Drama Competition

Renowned actors Song Joong-ki and Ko Hyun-jung are set to intensify the weekend drama scene with their upcoming projects. Their participation is expected to heighten the competition, given their proven acting skills and star power.

Premiering on September 5th, 'My Youth' is a romantic drama that follows the story of Sunwoo Hae (played by Song Joong-ki), who starts living an ordinary life later than most, and Seong Jae-yeon (played by Chun Woo-hee), who unexpectedly disrupts his first love's tranquility.

Song Joong-ki, known for his recent roles in crime noir films like 'Hopeless', 'My Name is Loh Kiwan', and 'Bogota: City of the Lost', returns to the small screen with 'My Youth', marking his first melodramatic role in years. This comeback is highly anticipated, especially since his last TV drama, 'Reborn Rich', achieved a peak viewership rating of 26.9%.

'My Youth' is also significant as it follows JTBC's bold programming strategy, similar to 'Reborn Rich', which was the network's first Friday-Saturday-Sunday drama. Despite initial concerns, Song Joong-ki's performance turned it into a phenomenon. 'My Youth' is the second installment in JTBC's newly established Friday series, following 'The Nice Guy', which had modest ratings. Expectations are high for Song Joong-ki to carry the torch.

In 'My Youth', Song Joong-ki plays Sunwoo Hae, a former child star and novelist-florist who transitions from the limelight to the quiet life of a florist. His portrayal of Sunwoo Hae's journey from a national child actor to navigating the early morning flower markets is eagerly awaited.

Conversely, Ko Hyun-jung takes on a daring transformation as a serial killer in 'Queen Mantis'. The thriller revolves around a copycat crime occurring 20 years after the original 'Mantis' was caught, with a detective unexpectedly teaming up with his mother, the infamous 'Mantis', to solve the case.

Ko Hyun-jung plays Jeong Yi-shin, a serial killer known as 'Mantis' who brutally murdered five men and is also a mother. She embraced a physical transformation for the role, stating, "I wanted to highlight the character's dry atmosphere by minimizing external embellishments like hair and costumes. I also aimed to show the passage of time with details like age spots and wrinkles, fitting the character's death row inmate status."

The chemistry between Ko Hyun-jung and Jang Dong-yoon, who plays her son, is another point of interest. Reuniting after 23 years, director Byun Young-joo commented, "I wanted to convey the conflict and resolution between two people with different worldviews and environments, one who wants to kill for the world and another who wants to save people."

With 'My Youth' and 'Queen Mantis' set to premiere on the same day, the competition is fierce. Both dramas will hold their press conferences simultaneously on September 4th, adding to the anticipation. All eyes are on Ko Hyun-jung's follow-up to 'Try' and Song Joong-ki's return to JTBC.

Tae Yuna, TenAsia Reporter youyou@tenasia.co.kr