Korean actor Lee Chae-min has been offered the leading role to star opposite K-pop idol and actress Yoona in the drama “The Tyrant’s Chef.”
The 24-year-old hunk starred in Netflix’s Korean drama “Hierarchy,” which was released last year.
Lee Chae-min will be replacing “Squid Game” star Park Sung-hoon who withdrew from “The Tyrant’s Chef” after receiving backlash for uploading a photo of a Japanese porn video on his Instagram Stories on Dec. 30.
He also starred in the dramas “Crash Course in Romance” and “See You in My 19th Life,” and became an emcee on the TV music show “Music Bank” from 2022 to 2024.
Korean actor Lee Chae-min (left) and Yoona (Instagram)
Korean actor Park Sung-hoon (right) as a transgender woman in "Squid Game" season 2 (Netflix)
"Lee Chae-min is positively considering appearing in 'The Tyrant's Chef,’” according to his agency, Gold Medalist, and Korean pay TV channel tvN.
The story of a chef who time-slips to the past just as he reaches the top and meets the king, who is evaluated as the worst tyrant but is also the best gourmet.
“The Tyrant’s Chef” is about a chef who, just as she reaches the top, experiences time slip to the past and meets the king, who is described as the worst tyrant.
Park Sung-hoon uploaded the porn photo titled “Squirt Game,” a parody of the hit Netflix series. He is currently starring as a transgender woman in “Squid Game” season 2.
Studio Dragon, the production company for “Tyrant’s Chef,” announced Park Sung-hoon’s withdrawal from the drama on Jan. 11.
“After much discussion, the production team and actor Park Sung-hoon have decided that it is difficult to continue this project together,” it said, Korean media reported.