IU Shuts Down ‘Wife of a 21st Century Prince’ Exit Rumors With Byeon Woo Seok
On April 2, IU sat down for an interview at the Ambassador Seoul Pullman Hotel to discuss her Netflix series “When Life Gives You Tangerines”, but a different hot topic quickly took over her rumored departure from the upcoming drama “Wife of a 21st Century Prince” alongside actor Byeon Woo Seok.
IU, who played dual roles in “When Life Gives You Tangerines” rebellious Jeju native Ae-sun and her daughter Geum-myeong has been widely praised for her nuanced and emotional performance. With the show’s 16 episodes now fully released on Netflix as of March 28, IU addressed swirling rumors about her next project.
“I was really surprised. In this industry, I realized sometimes smoke really does rise from a chimney with no fire,” IU said, referring to the sudden flood of online speculation that she and Byeon Woo Seok were both leaving “Wife of a 21st Century Prince“.
“The articles sounded so confident that I started wondering, ‘Wait, was I actually dropped from the drama?’” she joked. “I think it was all just a big misunderstanding. Didn’t Woo Seok also say he wasn’t dropping out? We’re both in, and I’m looking forward to working with him.”
IU also clarified that she’s still actively involved in the production process. “I actually met with the director just yesterday to discuss the project,” she revealed. “I heard Woo Seok is doing the same. I won’t lie — there’s definitely pressure. This role is completely different from Ae-sun or Geum-myeong, so I’m nervous, but excited.”
She wrapped up by saying, “Today marks the end of the ‘When Life Gives You Tangerines’ promotions. Starting tomorrow, I’ll become Hee-joo,” referring to her character in “Wife of a 21st Century Prince”.
