Actors Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Sung-min are set to add tension and excitement to the small screen with a special, generation-bridging comrade chemistry.
Scheduled to premiere in December, the new JTBC Saturday-Sunday drama ‘Shinui Guseul’ (written by Jung Hyun-min, directed by Jung Dae-yoon) is set in Goryeo in 1258, a time when defeat loomed after a 30-year war with Mongolia. It depicts the heroic struggle of an escort unit that throws themselves into the battlefield to retrieve the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Beadβa sacred national treasureβand the story of a princess trying to save them.
Director Jung Dae-yoon, who gained recognition for his sensuous directing in ‘Reborn Rich’, ‘W’, and ‘She Was Pretty’, has teamed up with writer Jung Hyun-min, who showcased solid storytelling in ‘Jeong Do-jeon’, ‘The Nokdu Flower’, and ‘Assembly’. In addition, actors equipped with strong individuality and acting skills such as Ahn Bo-hyun, Lee Sung-min, Soo-hyun, Ha Yoon-kyung, and Yoon Kyun-sang have joined, drawing attention as a highly anticipated work for the second half of the year.
Amidst this, the stills released on the 2nd capture the weighty presence of Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Sung-min, drawing attention. Ahn Bo-hyun plays Baek-gyeol, a former member of the royal special guard Gyeonryonggun and the commander (special mission commander) of the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Bead escort unit, while Lee Sung-min plays Choi-gu, the commander of Yabyeolcho, Goryeo’s special unit.
The released photos capture the two carrying out the escort operation together as well as moments where they clash fiercely against each other, arousing curiosity about their relationship. Baek-gyeol and Choi-gu become a team under the common goal of safely escorting the Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva Bead, the last hope to protect the country. However, possessing different personalities and experiences, it is only natural that they do not see eye-to-eye from the beginning. Their uncompromising confrontation builds intense tension between the two, raising expectations for the story to unfold.
Baek-gyeol is a young general in love with the emperor’s daughter, possessing the ambition and strong will typical of a former Gyeonryonggun. Although filled with enthusiasm to lead the mission his own way, he faces unexpected situations as he is thrown into a life-or-threatening operation alongside Yabyeolcho, whom he usually disliked. Attention focuses on how young special mission commander Baek-gyeol will experience trial and error and grow amidst a rough battlefield and unfamiliar comrades.
Choi-gu, played by Lee Sung-min, is a veteran who has survived numerous fierce battles. Selected as the commander of the bead escort unit, he performs his mission alongside Baek-gyeol, a young commander lacking experience. A key point of observation will be how Choi-gu, equipped with the seasoned wisdom and calm judgment accumulated over long years on the battlefield, will guide Baek-gyeol, whose ambition outpaces his experience.
Above all, while constantly clashing due to different beliefs and combat styles, the two share a single goal of protecting the country. Expectations are gathering on how the two, who will come to rely on each other in moments of crisis beyond differences in generations and experience, will harmonize and what kind of synergy their relationship will create on the battlefield.
The production team shared, “Ahn Bo-hyun and Lee Sung-min perfectly portrayed Baek-gyeol and Choi-gu, who possess distinct individualities and weight, showing top-tier acting chemistry,” and added, “The process of the two individuals embarking on a perilous escort mission to protect the country, constantly clashing yet cooperating toward a single goal, will unfold in an engaging manner.”
