“Cheer Up” And “Squid Game” Star Lee Jung Joon Announced As The Late Lee Ji Han’s Successor In New MBC Drama

Nov 7, 2022

Lee Jung Joon will be taking over the late Lee Ji Han’s role in MBC’s new drama.

After the sudden passing of Lee Ji Han during the Itaewon tragedy late last month, the production team of MBC’s “Kkokdu’s Gye Jeol” (literal title, also meaning “The Season of Kkokdu”) put filming on hold and visited his wake to pay tribute.

On November 7, a source from MBC shared that the production team had resumed filming for the drama and that they were looking for a successor for Lee Ji Han’s role. Later this day, MBC announced, “Lee Jung Joon has newly joined ‘Kkokdu’s Gye Jeol’ in place of the late [Lee Ji Han].”

“Kkokdu’s Gye Jeol” is a fantasy romance which tells the story of a grim reaper named Kkokdu (Kim Jung Hyun) who comes down to this world to punish humans every 99 years. Kkokdu meets Han Gye Jeol (Im Soo Hyang), a doctor with mysterious abilities, and starts working as a visiting doctor. Lee Ji Han was filming the role of Jung Yi Deun, the ex-boyfriend of Han Gye Jeol in the drama.

Jung Yi Deun will now be portrayed by Lee Jung Joon, who graduated from the Korea National University of Arts. He made his debut in the 2017 KBS drama “Queen for Seven Days” and has since appeared in “Best Mistake 2,” “Two Cops,” “Class of Lies,” “Kairos,” “Squid Game,” and “It’s Beautiful Now.” Lee Jung Joon is currently starring in the SBS drama “Cheer Up.”

May Lee Ji Han and all the victims rest in peace.

Source: Soompi