Latest in K-Culture: New Projects by Jinyoung, Kim Yoo-jung, Han So-hee, and More

The Korean entertainment industry is abuzz with exciting new projects and updates. From cast announcements to confirmations, remakes to new rom-coms, and thriller dramas to big-screen premieres, there’s quite a bit to look forward to. Here’s a roundup of the most important K-Culture updates that you shouldn’t miss:

Han So-hee & Choi Min-sik in The Intern’s Korean Remake

Han So-hee and Choi Min-sik will headline the Korean adaptation of the American comedy-drama movie The Intern (2015). In the original, Benjamin Whittaker, a 70-year-old man played by Robert De Niro takes on a senior internship at a fashion startup in search of a new purpose. He soon forms a close, unlikely friendship with the company’s demanding and ambitious CEO, Jules Ostin, portrayed by Anne Hathaway. In the Korean remake, Choi Min-sik will reprise the role of Robert De Niro, while Han So-hee will embody Anne Hathaway’s character. According to Soompi, the movie will go into production next month.

Director Yeon Sang-ho Brings The Ugly to TIFF 2025

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest offering, The Ugly, will premiere globally with a screening in the Special Presentations section at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival (September 4-14). A gripping mystery thriller, The Ugly is a movie rendition of Yeon’s own graphic novel of the same name, featuring Park Jeong-min and Kwon Hae-hyo, with Park playing a double role as a father and son embroiled in a decades-long mystery. The story trails the son’s quest for truth as he uncovers long-buried secrets surrounding his mother’s mysterious death.

Mun Ka-young & Choi Woo-shik Eye Lead Roles in New Drama

The webtoon Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid by Na Yoon-hee is being adapted into a live-action drama, with Mun Ka-young and Choi Woo-shik in talks for the lead roles. In the webtoon, Su-a, a handmaiden, becomes embroiled in the life of Kang Ui-hyun, a wounded independence fighter she rescues from the brink of death during the 1926 Japanese occupation of Korea. As she nurses him back to health, Su-a loses her voice in a brutal attack. In the live-action version, Ui-hyun (Choi Woo-sik), a pro-Japanese family man, gets radicalized into the independence movement, while Su-a (Mu Ka-young) works as a maid for a pro-Japanese landlord. The two begin to grow closer after she loses her voice in the fateful event. The drama will explore the complexities of their relationship amid the turmoil of Japanese colonial rule in Gyeongseong (now Seoul). Both Mun and Choi are currently reviewing offers, according to Chosun Biz.

Jinyoung & Kim Yoo-jung Consider Starring Roles in Spy Drama

Jinyoung has been approached to star in the upcoming period drama 100 Days of Lies alongside Kim Yoo-jung. The GOT7 member and actor is currently reviewing the offer, as confirmed by his agency, BH Entertainment, shares Soompi. The drama follows a resourceful thief in Gyeongseong who infiltrates the Japanese colonial administration in Korea as a spy. Kim Yoo-jung’s agency, Awesome ENT, had previously confirmed that she was being considered for the role last year, but it’s still unclear if she’s officially on board.

In other news, Kim Yoo-jung will appear in the mello-thriller Dear X, co-starring Kim Young-dae. The story revolves around the decline of celebrated actress Baek Ah-jin (Kim Yoo-jung) and the secrets she keeps hidden behind her public image. Dear X is slated for release this year, although the exact date remains under wraps. This marks Kim Yoo-jung’s return to K-drama after her appearances in My Demon and Chicken Nugget last year.

Kim Young-kwang & Chae Soo-bin’s New Rom-Com

Netflix has greenlit the fantasy rom-com drama Take Charge of My Heart, bringing together Kim Young-kwang and Chae Soo-bin in a unique love story. Kim Young-kwang plays Baek Ho-rang, a wealthy heir with a hidden secret—an artificial heart. Chae Soo-bin stars as Na Bo-bae, a screenwriter with a secret of her own: she’s been electrified by a lightning strike, making her a human live wire. In a surprising twist, when the two meet, Ho-rang is immune to Bo-bae’s electric touch. The reveal leads to Ho-rang offering her a job, and they start working together, navigating power struggles, creative deadlines, and the possibility of romance.

This series marks another notable role for Kim Young-kwang, following his most recent dystopian crime drama Trigger with Kim Nam-gil, his work in the upcoming crime thriller series Walking on Thin Ice with Lee Young-ae (releasing September 20), and the highly anticipated movie The First Ride with Kang Ha-neul and Cha Eun-woo (releasing October 2025). For Chae Soo-bin, Take Charge of My Heart follows her recent appearance in the action fantasy film Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, alongside Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop, and others.