IU, Byeon Woo-seok’s chemistry powers ‘Perfect Crown’

Byeon Woo-seok and IU during the press conference for 'Perfect Crown' in Seoul, South Korea, April 6, 2026. Photos courtesy of Disney+From the moment it was announced that IU and Byeon Woo-seok would be teaming up, K-drama fans were eager to see what the project would be. 

The reaction comes as no surprise. After all, the pairing unites South Korea's beloved songstress — who has also proven her acting chops in hits like “My Mister,” “Hotel del Luna” and most recently “When Life Gives You Tangerines” — with a fast-rising heartthrob who captivated audiences in the 2024 romance series “Lovely Runner.”

The result is “Perfect Crown,” a romantic comedy set in an alternate 21st century where the country remains under a monarchy, bringing the two stars together in a story infused with a touch of royal fairytale charm.

Indeed, director Park Joon-hwa credits the cast — especially the two leads — as the show's “biggest strength.” What makes them stand out, however, is not their popularity or star power, but their convincing portrayals of the characters.

“I think the biggest strength that we can boast is our cast,” Park said through an interpreter at a press conference ahead of the series’ April 10 premiere on Disney+.

“Looking at these wonderful people, especially with [IU and Woo-seok who play] Hui-ju and I-an, at the script-read [session], I felt like, ‘This is indeed the royal couple that we're seeing here, in front of our eyes,’” added Park, who worked on other romance series like “Touch Your Heart” and “Alchemy of Souls.”

Park shared that, as he looked on the monitors during filming, “Whether it's the performance or visuals... I just loved every minute of it. And so I think that in each episode, the audience’s hearts are going to flutter for various reasons.”

In “Perfect Crown,” IU plays Seong Hui-ju, a wealthy heiress who feels frustrated by her commoner status in society. She proposes a marriage of convenience to Grand Prince I-an (Woo-seok), the royal family’s second son, who is navigating his own struggles within the palace.

“I read all four episodes in one sitting and all of the stories and characters, not just mine, each character... They were so charming,” said IU, explaining her decision to join the project.

“The people that are in the palace and also those that live outside, people of these different worlds coming together and interacting with each other, living alongside one another — that kind of a story, alongside such great comedy, I just thought it was entertaining,” the “Love Wins All” hitmaker added.

For his part, Woo-seok was drawn to the project because he was able to “envision all the scenes in my head” upon reading the script, in addition to being able to “resonate with my character's backstory.”

Apart from the two, the series also features Noh Sang-hyun as Min Jeong-woo, the prime minister who harbors feelings for Hui-ju; Gong Seung-yeon as the Queen Mother Yoon Yi-rang; Yoo Su-bin as Choi Hyun, I-an’s aide; and Lee Yeon as Do Hye-jeong, Hui-ju’s chief secretary.

(From left) Yoo Su-bin, Gong Seung-yeon, Byeon Woo-seok, IU, Noh Sang-hyun and Lee Yeon

REUNITED AFTER A DECADE

This isn’t the first time, however, that K-drama audiences have seen IU and Woo-seok onscreen together. The two previously acted alongside each other in the 2016 period drama “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo,” where Woo-seok made a special appearance as an ex-boyfriend who had cheated on IU’s character.

READ: Looking for a rewatch? These beloved K-dramas premiered a decade ago

For Woo-seok, that shared history helped build chemistry for the project. “I feel like we have a chemistry that stretches over a decade and you can really see that chemistry flower in this series,” the 34-year-old actor said.

Woo-seok

IU remarked: “Over the past decade, it's not like we have been in touch since ‘Moon Lovers’ but it almost felt like we had been friends all along that time.”

“It almost makes me feel like I wanna do another project with him after another 10 years from now,” she said.

The two are also coming off major projects: for IU, the critically acclaimed “Tangerines,” and for Woo-seok, “Lovely Runner.” Both actors said they do not feel any pressure as they move forward with “Perfect Crown.”

READ: 'When Life Gives You Tangerines' takes grand prize at 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards

“I think the fact that so many people out there are so excited to see what I do next, I don't feel pressure, I'm just so happy about it. But of course, I want to do my very best and repay that love,” Woo-seok said.

IU

IU, on the other hand, described taking on the role of Hui-ju as an “easy decision,” noting that the character is drastically different from her role in “Tangerines.”

“I honestly don't have that kind of pressure. I think I actually felt more at ease because [the character] was so different,” the 32-year-old actress said.

CONVINCING DETAILS

But “Perfect Crown” isn’t relying solely on its leads’ popularity, as the cast and crew have worked to create a world that convincingly depicts Korea under a constitutional monarchy.

“I wanted the audience to get the impression that the setting is just like today, but there's a royal family. So I tried to focus on imagining the physical space that the royal family might live in at a time like this,  what kind of things they would wear, what kind of food they would eat,” director Park said.

Park cites, for instance, the character Yi-rang, who had to wear mostly the traditional Korean clothing hanbok since she is often seen within the palace, while the conglomerate heiress Hui-ju “had to be someone obviously from the modern day.”

“I tried to focus on showing the wardrobe and space focused on each character and where they come from, their status, their story,” Park said.

(From left) Seung-yeon, Woo-seok, IU and Sang-hyun

Sang-hyun noted that another strength of the series is its “harmony between the modern and traditional” Korean elements, from the sets to the wardrobe.

The actors also faced the challenge of navigating that balance between old and new. Speaking about her role as the queen mother, for example, Seung-yeon shared, “This is the modern era but I sometimes use the old way of speech, as if it’s a period piece. So those were the difficult moments where I had to strike the right balance.”

Despite the series’ rich display of Korean elements, director Park assured that international audiences would still find its themes relatable.

“There’s a lot of Korean-ness in this drama series, obviously, but on top of that, there are also many universal elements that I think will resonate with anyone around the world,” he said.

Responding to comparisons with the hit K-drama “Princess Hours,” which, like “Perfect Crown,” aired on Korean broadcaster MBC, Park said: “Of course I understand that it’s comparable to ‘Princess Hours’ in that you see these wonderful characters in the backdrop of a palace.”

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The 2006 series was similarly set in modern-day Korea under a constitutional monarchy and followed an ordinary high school student who suddenly learns she is arranged to marry the prince.

“I dare say that this is going to be a series that’s worthy of being compared to the wonderful series ‘Princess Hours,’” he added.