Singer and actor IU will return to the small screen with a new project.
IU plays Seong Hee-ju, the second daughter of a chaebol family and CEO of Castle Beauty, in MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama Perfect Crown (written by Yoo Ji-won / directed by Park Jun-hwa, Bae Hee-young / planned by Kang Dae-seon / produced by MBC, Kakao Entertainment), which premieres tonight (the 10th) at 9:40 p.m., marking another acting transformation for her.
Perfect Crown is a drama set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy Korea that tells a story of status-breaking romance in which a woman who has everything as a chaebol but is annoyed by her commoner status and a man who is the king's son but sad because he can have nothing forge their destinies.
Seong Hee-ju, whom IU plays, is a perfect chaebol who has beauty, talent and wealth but carries the social limitation of being a "commoner." She chooses a contract marriage with Grand Prince Iaan to obtain the one thing she lacks—status—and becomes the center of the story.
IU described Seong Hee-ju with three words: "greed, temper, cuteness," and said, "At first, uncontrollable greed and a quirky personality stand out, but as the story progresses the deficiencies are filled and many cute and cool sides also appear," foreshadowing the birth of a three-dimensional character.
At the production presentation she said, "Hee-ju gets annoyed, angry and greedy, but she is also a character with cuteness," and added, "Reading the script made the character feel attractive and I chose the project without hesitation," revealing her affection for the character. She also noted, "Thanks to the glamorous costumes and accessories she feels a bit like an influencer," raising expectations for a fresh portrayal of the character.
IU has established herself as a trusted actor, proving both box office appeal and artistic merit with every project she appears in, including Dream High, Producers, My Mister, Hotel del Luna and When Life Gives You Tangerines. In particular, through last year's global hit Netflix series When Life Gives You Tangerines she perfectly handled two roles and received great love from both the public and critics, sweeping major awards such as best actress at the 4th Blue Dragon Series Awards, best actress in K-drama at the 20th Seoul Drama Awards, and at the 2025 Asia Artist Awards she won six awards including the top prize, artist of the year.
This project is IU's first MBC drama and her return to drama after about a year, and attention is focused on the new image she will present through the character Seong Hee-ju. With a different charm and a three-dimensional character than her previous works, and IU's solid acting, she is expected to captivate viewers once again.
Meanwhile, MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama Perfect Crown, starring IU, premieres tonight (the 10th) at 9:40 p.m., and will also be available on the streaming service Disney+.
[Photo] MBC Perfect Crown
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