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Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho to Lead K Dramas

Top stars Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho are seeking a new start through dramas. Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho, who have been considered representative faces of Korean films, will star in dramas for the first time in 24 and 31 years, respectively, with "Big Bet" and "Uncle Sam-sik". As they have recently experienced a box office failure in the movie mainstream, attention is being paid to whether they will regain their reputation in the small screen.

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● A new turf with expectations and confidence

Choi Min-sik will appear in a drama 24 years after "Love and Farewell" in 1998. OTT Disney Plus original series "Big Bet" in the second half of this year, is the story of a man reigning as the 'King of Casino' after many twists and turns, but returning to the game with survival and life after losing everything due to a series of events.

He, who is entering a new drama, is raising another expectation by working with Son Sukku, who is currently through the movies "The Roundup" and the drama "My Liberation Notes". Son Sukku plays a police officer dispatched to the Philippines chasing Choi Min-sik. As if meeting expectations, the preview video of the drama, which was released on YouTube on the 15th, recorded 940,000 views in 12 days.

Song Kang-ho, who has only insisted on movies since he started acting in 1990, recently confirmed his first drama appearance as "Uncle Sam-sik", who depicts a turbulent era against the backdrop of the 1960s. In a 10-episode drama about two men's desires and bromance, he plays the main character, Sam-sik. Song Kang-ho will start filming as soon as the other roles are decided. It gives a glimpse of Song Kang-ho's confidence in that he chose the drama as a new stage at a time when the lineup of actors that he will co-star with, haven't been decided.

● A change in the movie industry

The choice of Choi Min-sik and Song Kang-ho, who have been considered screen veterans, does not stop at the buzz caused by the simple decision to appear in dramas. There is a view that their actions represent the changed drama production environment and global status.

Broadcasting and film officials cite the growing global popularity of K-dramas such as "Squid Game" as a major background. An official from a drama production company said on the 27th, "Even actors who were only looking for movies can no longer turn a blind eye to dramas", adding, "The tremendous buzz, ripple effect and global success of Korean dramas in recent years are also affecting top-star actors who have been active only on the screen".

In addition, it is analyzed that the situation in which the OTT online video service market has grown serves as a background. "Original OTT series, which is more compressed and receives less restrictions in terms of expression than 16-episode broadcast mini-series, will be attractive to screen stars", a management company official said. This is why Choi Min-sik of "Big Bet" and Kang Yoon-sung of "The Outlaws" and Song Kang-ho of "Uncle Sam-sik" joined hands with Shin Yeon-shick of the new lead film "One Win".

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