Days after the sageuk drama ended on a record high, the cast of The Red Sleeve is getting back together for a Lunar New Year special, much to the joy of its fans.
The Red Sleeve is an MBC drama based on a 2017 novel called Otsomae Beulgeun Kkeuddong, written by Kang Mi Gang. The show happens to be the first acting role for K-Pop idol and 2PM member Lee Junho, post his discharge from military service earlier in 2021.
The much-loved drama ended on January 1, 2022, with a record 17.4 percent viewership in South Korea. Now, giving in to popular demand, the talented cast, which includes Lee Seyoung, Kang Hoon, Park Ji Young and Lee Deok Hwa, along with Lee Junho, is coming back for a special talk show.
The Lunar New Year Special talk show featuring The Red Sleeve cast will be filmed on January 20
On January 15, the network MBC officially announced the reunion, stating that the entire cast will be present, including the eldest cast member Lee Deok Hwa. MBC said,
“The cast members of the drama The Red Sleeve will be coming back together once again for a Lunar New Year special talk show. In addition to the male and female leads Lee Junho and Lee Se Young, the rest of the main cast, including the eldest cast member Lee Deok Hwa, will be gathering in one place again to talk about a wide variety of things.”
The network went on to announce who the MCs for the event would be,
“Singer Jang Yoon Jung and her husband, former announcer Do Kyung Wan, as well as Hwang Kwanghee, will be serving as MCs [for the special]. Filming will take place on January 20, and the show is scheduled to air over the Lunar New Year holiday. The precise date and time of the broadcast have not yet been set in stone.”
Directed by Jung Ji In, The Red Sleeve is a fictional retelling of the well-known historical romance between King Jeongjo of Joseon and his royal concubine, Uibin Sung.
It follows the life of King Jeongjo (aka Yi San), who was crowned king after the death of his grandfather. The latter was responsible for the death of Jeongjo’s father. Despite being traumatized by his father’s murder, Yi San tries his best to be a compassionate king to his people but there are hurdles all around.
Opposite Yi San is Seong Deok Im, played by Lee Se Young. Full of ideas and opinions, the king falls for Deok Im and offers her the position of royal concubine. The star-crossed lovers, however, must overcome the trials and tribulations of the court and country. However, the cost for triumph often threatens to become too much to bear.
Incidentally, the unprecedented success of The Red Sleeve renewed interest in dramas relating to the historical life of King Jeongjo, with the 2007’s drama Lee San, Wind of the Palace also gaining popularity.
