‘Polaris’: Actor Joo Ji-hyun in Talks to Return to K-Dramas Since ‘Jirisan’
South Korean actor Joo Ji-hyun is a star when it comes to K-dramas and their fan base. The actor gained attention for starring as the female lead in one of fantasy romance’s top storylines. But the last time fans saw her was in 2021; reports state she is in talks to make her grand return. Joo Ji-hyun is said to lead the K-drama Polaris.
‘Polaris’ K-drama has Joo Ji-hyun as a spy looking to find herself
According to Soompi, an industry representative said that Joo Ji-hyun and actor Kang Dong-won were positively reviewing starring in Polaris K-drama. The K-drama has a tentative title for now. Jun’s agency IEUM HASHTAG commented, “Jun Ji Hyun was offered a role in the drama ‘Polaris’ and is positively reviewing [the offer].”
Kang’s agency also commented similarly about the possibility of the actor joining the K-drama. Polaris is a spy romance that will focus on spies who have lost their identities during their careers. Fans will go on a journey with them as they rediscover who they are. The K-drama has some promise as Kim Hee-won will direct it with screenwriter Jung Seo-kyung. Both previously worked together on Netflix’s Little Women.
Kim has worked on fan favorites like Crash Landing On You and Netflix’s mafia comedy Vincenzo. Polaris marks a big moment in both Joo and Kang’s careers. Joo’s last small-screen project was her leading role in tvN’s Jirisan K-drama alongside Ju Ji-hoon.
‘Jirisan’ had Joo Ji-hyun as a mountain rescuer trying to solve a mysterious murder
One of the most talked-about mystery thrillers of 2021 was Jirisan. Its storyline is centered on a group of mountain rescuers who work for Jirisan National Park in the backdrop of Mount Jiri. While the characters risk their lives to keep hikers and visitors safe from the dangerous terrain and weather, there is a mystery.
Joo played the leading role of Seo Yi-kang, the top rescuer nicknamed “Devil Seo” due to her experience and willingness to put her life at risk. She becomes the confidant of newbie rescuer Kang Hyun-jo, played by Ju. As the K-drama explores the stories of mountain visitors, there is a supernatural mystery.
A series of bizarre occurrences take place throughout the mountain, leading to multiple suspicious deaths. While they are suspected accidents, Hyun-jo believes otherwise, as he has his own secret. Jirisan K-drama became a hot topic thanks to its unique spin on time travel and murder. Jirisan was Joo’s last small-screen role.
She gained infamy starring as the female lead in the coveted fantasy romance K-dramas My Love from the Star and The Legend of the Blue Sea. She also starred in Netflix’s hit historical zombie K-drama, Kingdom.
‘Polaris’ is actor Kang Dong-won’s first K-drama in almost 20 years
Starring in Polaris is not only the return of Joo Ji-hyun to the small-screen but for Kang Dong-won as well. The actor has made his career mostly in movies, starring in The Priest, A Violent Prosecutor, the horror heist movie Peninsula, and 2022’s Broker. The 2022 movie focused on the people associated with anonymous baby drop-off boxes.
Kang’s last small-screen role was in 2004 in Magic as the character Cha Gang-jae. As the leading character, Gang-jae grew up with a gangster father and lacked family love. When he meets Lee Dae-hae (Seo In-seok) and his son Sun-mo (Yang Jin-woo), he feels love and a fatherly bond.
Since Magic, Kang moved on to movies. If he accepts the leasing role in Polaris, it would be his first K-drama in 21 years.
