After putting his acting career on hold due to his compulsory military service since 2019, actor Lee Jun-ho finally returned on TV with MBC’s brand new historical romance drama “The Red Sleeve.”
The actor, who got discharged from his military duties in March, will portray the lead role in his first sageuk drama. He plays the role of King Jeongjo of the Joseon Dynasty.
In an interview during an online press conference for the drama, the actor admitted that he had a hard time portraying the role of a real-life king who was loved by many. But he did his best to portray the character based on his own interpretation. He also tried to pay attention to the minor details of the king’s traits, like how he used his chopsticks.
The drama, based on the romance novel with the same title written by Kang Mi-kang, centers on the love story between Crown Prince Yi San, who eventually becomes King Jeongjo, and a lady of the court named Sung Deok-im, played by Lee Se-young.
Yi San is known as a strict prince who earned the right to the throne from his grandfather after the death of his father. But after meeting the free-spirited Deok-im, the Crown Prince needs to make the difficult choice between his love and his duty to the crown.
Lee Jun-ho revealed that he read and enjoyed the original novel, which convinced him to sign up for the role.
Director Jung Ji-in helmed the new drama. MBC airs “The Red Sleeve” every Friday and Saturday at 9:50 p.m.
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