Lim Ji-yeon Transforms into a Notorious Joseon Villain: Will This Be Another Career-Defining Role?
According to industry reports on June 17, actress Lim Ji Yeon has been confirmed as the female lead, with filming scheduled for the second half of this year. The drama will be helmed by director Han Tae-seop, known for co-directing Stove League and directing Cheer Up.
Brave New World is a romance-comedy that fuses historical and contemporary settings, revolving around the fiery love-hate relationship between Shin Seori, a fearsome villainess from the Joseon dynasty, and Cha Segye, a notoriously corrupt modern-day chaebol heir. Lim will portray Shin Seori, a struggling actress in the present day who becomes possessed by the spirit of a notorious royal concubine—a femme fatale once sentenced to death by poison and feared for her seductive power.
This dual timeline and supernatural twist are expected to showcase Lim’s versatile acting range, as she shifts from modern awkwardness to historical menace with sharp charisma.
Lim Ji-yeon is no stranger to complex, layered roles. Her breakout performance as Park Yeon-jin in The Glory left a lasting impact, and earlier this year she further proved her dramatic depth in The Tale of Lady Ok, playing both a noblewoman and a tragic slave. That drama drew impressive ratings, peaking at 13.6% nationwide, according to Nielsen Korea.
Before Brave New World, fans can catch Lim in Petty Love (literal title), a tvN romantic drama set to air later this year. She stars as a political journalist reassigned to entertainment coverage, opposite Lee Jung-jae.
Having made her debut in 2011 with Disaster Movie, Lim Ji-yeon has steadily built an impressive portfolio with roles in Obsessed, The Treacherous, High Society, and The Glory. She’s also showing a lighter side through her current appearance on tvN’s variety show Fresh off the Sea Season 2.
With Brave New World, Lim Ji-yeon seems poised to deliver another career-defining role—blending romance, fantasy, and villainy in one of her most daring transformations yet.
