Hwang Minhyun Reportedly Cast as Lead in ‘Lee Seop’s Romance’
Hwang Minhyun may have found his next romance drama.
The actor is reportedly set to star as the male lead in the upcoming office romance ‘이섭의 연애’ (Lee Seop’s Romance), taking over the role previously associated with Lee Jong Suk.
According to a September 15 report from YTN Star, Hwang Minhyun has been cast as Tae Yi Seop, the elite third-generation heir of TK Group, and is preparing to take on the role.
From Always Being No. 1 to Experiencing Second Place
Based on the popular web novel by Kim Eon Hee, Lee Seop’s Romance follows Tae Yi Seop, a seemingly perfect chaebol heir who excels at practically everything — except romance.
Yi Seop has followed the fastest and youngest promotion track at TK Group and has spent his life at the top.
Then comes Kang Min Kyung.
A highly capable colleague who joins the company as his secretary, Min Kyung becomes the first person to make Yi Seop experience something completely unfamiliar:
being second.
That unexpected rivalry gradually turns into something much more complicated as Yi Seop begins experiencing emotions he never anticipated.
Hwang Minhyun Takes on a New Chaebol Role
Hwang Minhyun will reportedly play Tae Yi Seop, giving the actor another opportunity to explore a romantic lead while leaning into a character who can switch between his cold, elite exterior and a more awkward, unexpectedly clumsy side.
The character's perfection becomes particularly amusing when it comes to love. Despite being an elite who has always been ahead of everyone else, Yi Seop has little idea how to deal with his feelings once Min Kyung enters his life.
For Hwang Minhyun, the role represents another step in his growing acting career.
He has previously starred in Live On, the Alchemy of Souls series, My Lovely Liar, and Study Group, among other projects. He also recently confirmed his return for Study Group Season 2 following his military service.
Lee Jong Suk’s Departure Led to a New Casting
The role of Tae Yi Seop was originally set to be played by Lee Jong Suk.
However, on September 3, Lee Jong Suk's agency Ace Factory confirmed that he would no longer participate in the drama after production and filming schedules were adjusted, making it difficult to coordinate with his other commitments. The production company subsequently announced that the role would be recast.
The female lead also went through a casting change.
Choi Yoon Ji, who had previously been attached to the role of Kang Min Kyung, ultimately left the project on September 11 because her schedule could no longer be coordinated with the drama's revised production plans.
This means Lee Seop’s Romance is currently rebuilding its central cast around the new production schedule.
An Office Romance Based on a Popular Web Novel
The drama is adapted from Kim Eon Hee's popular web novel of the same name, which was later also released as a webtoon.
The story follows the chaotic office romance between Tae Yi Seop, a third-generation chaebol heir who is perfect at everything except love, and Kang Min Kyung, an exceptionally capable employee known as TK Group's secret weapon.
The series also shares the same fictional universe as Kim Eon Hee's ‘Calm Lies’ (태연한 거짓말), another adaptation that is set to star Lee Joon Hyuk.
Both projects are being developed by Ace Factory.
For now, the focus is on rebuilding the cast of Lee Seop’s Romance following the departures of Lee Jong Suk and Choi Yoon Ji — with Hwang Minhyun now emerging as the actor stepping into the role of TK Group's seemingly perfect heir.