5 Things To Know About Lee Jong Suk’s New Drama ‘Hymn Of Death’

Lee Jong Suk is set to play the lover of Korea’s first soprano in his new drama “Hymn of Death.” The actor will play as Kim Woo Jin, the genius playwright who snags the heart of Yun Shim Deok, the first soprano in Korea to achieve fame. “Hymn of Death” is based on the true tragic love story of the two set in the time that Korea was under the Japanese occupation. Reports say the two-part drama is set to start filming in the middle of April. Meanwhile, here’s 5 things to know about Lee Jong Suk’s new drama.

Lee Jong Suk on Hymn Of Death, What We know

1. “Hymn of Death”: The Song That Started It All

Lee Jong Suk’s new drama is about the tragic end of Kim Woo Jin and Yun Shim Deok. Kim Woo Jin is a married man with three children. However, he falls in love with the singer Yun Shim Deok. They leave Japan together to return to Korea. However, as they grow closer and closer to home, the two realize that their parting is also getting more imminent. In a promise to be together till the end, they jumped into the ocean and drowned together. “Hymn of Death” is the title of Korea’s first pop song recorded by Yun Shim Deok in 1926.

2. Not The First Film

“Hymn of Death” is not the first film to portray this sad story. In 1991, Director Kim Ho Sun directed the movie “Death Song.” The movie earned numerous awards in the Blue Dragon Film Awards and Chunsa Film Awards in 1991 and in the Grand Bell Awards in 1992. It was also adapted into a musical. Unlike the first renditions, however, “Hymn of Death” will provide a closer look into Kim Woo Jin’s works as well.

3. Cast Reunions

In this new drama, Lee Jong Suk is reuniting with people from two of his previous dramas. One of them is producing director Park Soo Jin who worked with Lee Jong Suk in “While You Were Sleeping.” Aside from the producing director, Jong Suk’s previous co-star Lee Sang Yeob is also joining the cast of “Hymn of Death.” Lee Sang Yeob will be acting as Kim Hong Ki, the son of a wealthy family who is Yun Shim Deok’s fiance.

Lee Jong Suk is also reuniting with his castmates from “School 2013.” Shin Hye Sun will be acting as his leading lady. And Lee Ji Hoon will be joining them as Hong Nan Pa, a good friend of Kim Woo Jin and Yun Shim Deok. This is the first time in five years that the three will work on a project together again after “School 2013.”

4. Lee Jong Suk Joins Cast Without Guaranteed Pay

On March 12, AllKpop reported that SBS announced that Lee Jong Suk will not be receiving guaranteed pay for his appearance in “Hymn of Death.” The actor simply wants to express his love for short dramas and intends to show his support for producing director Park Soo Jin. In a report by Soompi, Park Soo Jin expressed his gratitude and belief towards Lee Jong Suk.  “I am confident that Lee Jong Suk will be able to perfectly portray the two sides of Kim Woo Jin as both a tormented intellectual and a young man in love. I am sincerely grateful to Lee Jong Suk for not only agreeing to appear in the drama but also decided to receive no guaranteed fee for his appearance.”

5. Lee Jong Suk and Shin Hye Sun Might Be Under The Same Company Soon

Lee Jong Suk’s contract with YG entertainment ended back in March. However, according to Allkpop’s report, the actor has decided not to renew his contract. The two parties have decided to support each other separately. Lee Jong Suk is now in talks to sign up with Shin Hye Sun’s agency, YNK Entertainment. In a report by Soompi, a source from the company confirmed that they are indeed discussing an exclusive contract with the actor.

On the other hand, Shin Hye Sun is looking forward to working with Lee Jong Suk. In a recent interview as reported by Soompi, the actress stated that she looked forward to working with him again. She said, “At any rate, he’s a senior actor that has really succeeded. People around me say that there’s a lot to learn from him, so even though [filming] will be short, I plan to learn whatever I can from him.”