Actor Choi Woo-shik is currently in talks to take the male lead role in the highly anticipated drama adaptation of "Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid" and is reportedly reviewing the casting proposal in a positive light.
The webtoon-based fantasy series represents a potential major project for the acclaimed actor, who would portray an independence activist during Korea's colonial period.
Choi Woo-shik reportedly received the casting offer for the character Kang Eui Hyun, a freedom fighter who devoted everything to his country during the anti-Japanese resistance movement. The role would pair him opposite the character Soo Ah, a 17-year-old woman working as a servant for a pro-Japanese landlord who harbors a secret that drives the story's central romance.
The webtoon "Whale Star: The Gyeongseong Mermaid" gained significant recognition when it received the presidential award at the Korea Contents Awards in 2021. Created by Na Yoon Hee, the story draws inspiration from Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" but transplants the narrative to Gyeongseong during the Japanese colonial period. The story follows the developing relationship between Kang Eui Hyun and Soo Ah as she risks her life to protect the wounded independence activist and secretly nurses him back to health.
Production for the show has put together a notable creative team, with director Hur Jin-ho taking the helm. Hur Jin-ho has established a reputation as one of the industry's premier directors for historical dramas. The project also features cinematographer Choi Yoon-man, whose previous credits include "My Annoying Brother" and "A Model Family." Industry attention has focused on this collaboration as the drama enters its final stages of scheduling and casting preparation.
The original webtoon was serialized on Naver Webtoon from June 2019 to July 2021, spanning six collected volumes. Set in 1926 during Japanese colonial rule, the story explores themes of love between the main characters and love for one's homeland as the young maid's life transforms through her encounter with the injured activist.
Choi Woo-shik recently completed work on the Netflix original film "Melo Movie" and is scheduled to appear in the upcoming SBS romantic comedy series "Would You Marry Me" this fall. His potential participation in "Whale Star" would mark another significant project in his expanding portfolio of diverse roles across different genres and platforms.
