Song Joong-ki cast in new historical drama

Song Joong-ki [Sidus HQ]

Actor Song Joong-ki has been cast in a new historical drama set to air in September, informed his agency Sidus HQ on Tuesday.

According to a press release by Sidus HQ, Song will play a young prince in an upcoming historical drama titled “A Tree With Deep Roots” (translated title), also starring actors Han Suk-kyu, Jang Hyuk and actress Sin Se-gyeong.

The drama, which is set in 15th century Korea, will deal with a case involving the serial murder of royal scholars in the palace just a week ahead of King’s Sejong’s declaration of Hunminjeongeum, an earlier form of the Korean character Hangeul.

King Sejong (1397-1450) was the fourth ruler of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910) who is best known for creating the Korean writing system.

Song will play the early years of King Sejong, a young prince who buries himself into books after getting fed up with the tyrannical ways of his father King Taejong (1367-1422), but becomes appointed the next king nonetheless in the story which will be a combination of fact and fiction based on the novel of same title by Lee Jung-myung.

Song will feature the young, radical side of the great king who, opposed to his sword-wielding king, trained himself to practice restraint throughout his life. Actor Han will then take on the older version of King Sejong.

“Song is perfect for expressing King Sejong in his youth. We had a feeling that he will do a remarkable job as soon as we got the script and given his concentration and portrayal, he would create a wonderful character from there,” a production team was quoted as saying in the statement.

The drama, to be helmed by producer Jang Tae-yu joined by scenarists Kim Young-hyun and Park Sang-hyun, will go on air on September 28.

Song, 25, kicked off his career in 2008 through the TV series "Love Racing" and has since appeared in other shows “Precious Sons,” (KBS, 2008) "Triple," (MBC, 2009) and "Will it Snow for Christmas?" (SBS, 2009) as well as hosting KBS' Friday music program "Music Bank."

He rose to stardom in 2010 after starring in one of the roles for the popular KBS' historical series "SungKyunKwan Scandal" (KBS, 2010) alongside Park Yuchun, Yu A-in and Park Min-young.

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