Kang Hoon and Chae Won Bin are approached for leading roles in the upcoming historical romance drama Secret Love Tales of Soosung Palace. Though not officially confirmed, Sports Chosun reported the casting news on January 26. If confirmed, the drama marks Kang Hoon’s return to historical dramas five years after his appearance in The Red Sleeve.
Secret Love Tales of Soosung Palace tells the story of Crown Prince Yi Hyang and court lady Yeon Ung. Their relationship begins through anonymous letters, and they only discover each other’s identities later.
Kang Hoon will play Crown Prince Yi Hyang, the legitimate eldest son of King Sejong. He is talented in both the arts and academics, as well as physical activities. His peaceful and once-boring life is disrupted after meeting Yeon Ung. Chae Won Bin will play Yeo Woonyoung, a talented yet controversial writer and court lady who dominates Suseong Palace.
Kang Hoon first became well-known through the hit 2021 drama The Red Sleeve. Since then, he has steadily built his career with roles in Little Women, Dear Hyeri, and the 2023 SBS historical drama The Secret Romantic Guesthouse, where he played the charming scholar Kim Shi Yeol. He is also now set to star in the 2026 romantic comedy My Favorite Employee.
Chae Won Bin will play Yeon Ung, a talented but controversial writer and court lady who dominated Soosung Palace. Her life changes when she learns that the anonymous reader who occasionally sent her letters is none other than Crown Prince Yi Hyang. Chae Won Bin rose to fame with the 2024 MBC drama Doubt, for which she won the Best New Actress award at the 2025 Baeksang Arts Awards.
She has also appeared in Netflix’s Sweet Home Seasons 2 and 3, and her upcoming project is the SBS romantic comedy Sold Out On You, where she will co-star with Ahn Hyo Seop in spring 2026.
The drama will be directed by Park Soo Jin, known for Why Her and The Hymm of Death, and written by Lee Eun Mi, a new writer discovered through the Korea Creative Content Agency’s New Writer Project. Production is set to begin once casting is finalized, though the exact broadcast date and network have not been announced.
