This Leading K-Drama Actress Nearly Had Key Roles In 2 Big 2024 Netflix Shows (But I’m Glad She Didn’t)

Summary Netflix's K-dramas go through many changes during production to ensure the best content possible.

Queen of Tears almost starred IU, but Kim Ji-won and Chun Woo-hee were just as well-cast.

Despite IU's departure, Queen of Tears and The 8 Show turned out to be huge successes in 2024.

It's hard to imagine someone else taking on iconic K-drama roles, but the female leads of two of Netflix's most anticipated K-dramas of 2024 were almost played by the same actress. It is inevitable that during the K-drama production process, upcoming TV shows go through many changes in order to produce the best content possible. This is no different for Netflix's K-drama collection, with leading actors being a big deciding factor in whether a drama will be successful or not.

Ever since the release of Squid Game (2021) and The Glory (2022), the leads of Netflix's latest K-dramas have been highly anticipated. K-drama actors have dominated Netflix's best shows, with Kim Hye-sun, Wi Ha-joon and "Son of Netflix" Song Kang being regular faces on the streaming platform. In recent weeks, Netflix has released two of their most anticipated K-dramas of the year so far, with one even being deemed Squid Game's perfect replacement. However, in the early stages of production, the leading faces of these K-dramas were very different.

Related Song Kang & Han So-hee’s Romantic K-Drama Is Perfect To Watch While Waiting For Their 2024 Shows With both Sweet Home and Gyeongseong Creature returning later this year, now is the perfect time to revisit Song Kang and Han So-hee’s 2021 K-drama.

IU Was Offered The Role Of Queen Of Tears’ Hong Hae-in Before Kim Ji-won

IU Has Connections With People Involved in Queen of Tears

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Though Kim Ji-won seemed like a perfect choice for Queen of Tears' Hong Hae-in, she was not the first choice. The role of the cold heiress was initially offered to IU (Lee Ji-eun), who was the original actress Park Ji-eun had in mind when casting for Queen of Tears. Park Ji-eun had previously worked with IU on The Producers (2015), where IU had played the celebrity "ice princess" Cindy, who, much like Hong Hae-in, had a cold exterior that slowly unraveled throughout the series. However, IU's second connection to Queen of Tears extends much further than her first.

If IU had played Hong Hae-in, Queen of Tears would have been her fourth K-drama alongside Kim Soo-hyun. IU and Kim Soo-hyun first starred together in Dream High (2011) as high school students who dreamed of careers in the K-pop industry, before reuniting as love interests in The Producers. Kim Soo-hyun then appeared in the final moments of Hotel del Luna (2019), a fantasy K-drama in which IU starred as extravagant hotel owner Jang Man-wol. Though they have maintained a good relationship, with Kim most recently attending IU’s 2024 Seoul concert, IU declined the role due to scheduling conflicts.

Queen Of Tears (2024) Cast Kim Soo-hyun , Kim Ji-won , Park Sung-hoon , Kwak Dong-yeon , Lee Joo-bin Release Date March 9, 2024 Seasons 1 Streaming Service(s) Netflix

Related Kim Ji-won’s Queen of Tears Character Makes Her 2013 Breakout Role Even Better Ten years after her break-out role, Kim Ji-won’s performance as Hong Hae-in in Queen of Tears brings her career back to its beginnings.

Chun Woo-hee Replaced IU In The 8 Show

IU Was Initially Cast In The Show in January 2022

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Before The 8 Show got its official title, IU was announced to play the female lead in The 8 Show alongside actors such as Ryu Jun-yeol (Reply 1988) and Park Jeong-min (Hellbound). Despite having been involved in several movies, including Hirokazu Koreeda's Broker (2022) and sports-comedy Dream (2023), The 8 Show would have been IU's first return to the K-drama world since her appearance in Hotel del Luna in 2019. However, as an idol and actress, scheduling issues meant that only a month before filming, IU had to step down from the project and was replaced with The Atypical Family's Chun Woo-hee.

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The 8 Show (2024) "The 8 Show" is an upcoming South Korean thriller and dark comedy television series set to release on Netflix in 2024. Written and directed by Han Jae-rim, the series stars Ryu Jun-yeol, Chun Woo-hee, Park Jeong-min, and other notable actors. It is based on the popular Naver webtoons "Money Game" and "Pie Game" by Bae Jin-soo. Cast Anzu Lawson , Rich Ting , Ryu Jun-yeol , Chun Woo-hee , Min-Jung Park , Park Hae-joon , Bae Sung-woo , Moon Jeong-hee Release Date May 17, 2024 Seasons 1

Why IU Stepping Down For Both Roles Turned Out For The Best

Kim Ji-won and Chun Woo-hee Have Different Charms To IU

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As a K-pop idols who is a great actor, IU has many projects that showcases what she is capable of. Her appearance as Jang Man-wol in Hotel del Luna is one of her most memorable, and shares many similarities with Queen of Tears' Hong Hae-in and The 8 Show's "8". All three characters have an impeccable fashion sense, a stubborn nature, and more wealth than they know what to do with. Hong Hae-in and Jang Man-wol are also much softer than they seem, with their exteriors breaking down slowly as their stories progress.

IU may be an equally impressive actress, but these great Netflix K-dramas certainly would have had a different energy if she had taken the leading roles instead.

Though their similar traits showcase what could have been possible if IU had taken on these roles, Kim Ji-won and Chun Woo-hee were just as well cast. Kim Ji-won's detailed performance and magnetic on-screen chemistry with co-star Kim Soo-hyun largely contributed to Queen of Tears' success, and her performance made the seemingly emotionless executive Hong Hae-in easy to understand from just a glance. Alternatively, Chun Woo-hee made "8"'s unpredictability seem natural, and shifts the energy of The 8 Game with ease thanks to her stubborn commitment to eccentricity.

IU leaving these projects may have been sad, but it ultimately worked out for the best. Queen of Tears is currently the biggest K-drama of 2024, and has recently overtaken Crash Landing on You as TVN's most viewed K-drama of all time. Similarly, The 8 Show's release has been largely compared to Squid Game, and Chun Woo-hee's impeccable career has proven a great foundation for her incredible performance in the Netflix dark comedy. IU may be an equally impressive actress, but these great Netflix K-dramas certainly would have had a different energy if she had taken the leading roles instead.