After the tremendously built-up show, "Descendants of the Sun," ruled the local entertainment industry in the first half of this year, netizens are now wondering as to who will follow Song Joong-Ki as Asia's k-drama next leading heartthrob.
Much to the delight of fans, a slew of Hallyu stars is poised to take over the small screen beginning July and captivate k-drama fans both inside and outside South Korea. The A-listers who are tingling for their groundbreaking drama comebacks are as follows: Lee Min Ho, Kim Woo Bin, Lee Jong Suk, Song Seung Heon, Kim Rae Won and more.
First up is the SBS's medical drama, "Doctors," starring Kim Rae Won and Park Shin Hye. The 35-year-old "My Little Bride" star will return to the small screen as Hong Ji-Hong, a high school biology teacher haunted by his former medical internship days, during which he accidentally brought on the death of a patient. It will later premiere on SBS at 10:00 PM (KST).
While the KBS2 series, "Uncontrollably Fond," starring Kim Woo Bin and Miss A's Suzy will hit the airwaves on July 6 in South Korea and mainland China. Woo Bin, who starred as Choi Young Do in 2013's "The Heirs," is poised to play as Korea's top actor-singer, namely, Shin Joon-young.
A few days later, the MBC series "W" will then officially kick off on July 20 with actor Lee Jong-Suk, 26, as its male lead star. Jong Suk, who played as the brilliant yet simple old-fashioned country bumpkin in 2014's 'Pinocchio," will be making his comeback drama as Kang Cheol, a mysterious-shrouded young chaebol, and a former Olympic gold medalist, Soompi reported.
On Aug. 15, a coming-of-age drama called "Moonlight Drawn by Clouds" will officially take over the KBS2 Mondays-Tuesdays 10:00 PM (KST) time slot. Based on Yoon Yi-Soo's web novel, Gooreumi Geurin Dalbit, the 20-episode TV drama will star "Reply 1988" actor, Park Bo Gum, 22, who have been cast to play Crown Prince Hyomyeong.
Further, actor Song Seung Heon, 39, is up to star in "Saimdang, Light's Diary" along with actress Lee Young Ae. It will hit the airwaves sooner or later in October and follows a Korean art history lecturer (Young-Ae), who unravels the mystery of a mysterious portrait after she discovers the diary of a historical figure, Shin Saimdang.
Last but not the least is actor Lee Min Ho, who has recently been named as the most influential Asian actor in the inaugural Weibo Move Night Awards in Shanghai, China, on June 13, The Korea Herald reported. He will make his drama comeback in SBS's "The Legend of the Blue Sea," along with veteran actress Jun Ji Hyun. The fantasy-romance drama is scheduled to premiere in November.
Nonetheless, it can be recalled that Joong-Ki experienced an enormous growth in his popularity through Asia after he took on the lead role in the mega-hit drama, "Descendants of the Sun." With a 38.8 percent recorded viewership rating across South Korea, the drama established Joong-Ki as a top Hallyu star.
Check out W's trailer below: