Here's What The Cast Of 'Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo' Is Up To Now
It's been years since Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo took the K-drama world (and our hearts!) by storm in 2016, but a lot of us are still reeling from all the heartbreak it put us through. The story, which follows the adventures and misadventures of 21st-century woman Go Ha Jin/Hae Soo (Lee Ji Eun or IU) in the Goryeo Dynasty, gave us a rollercoaster ride of emotions and scarred us FOR LIFE that we're still screaming for a second season four years after it aired!
Curious about what the cast has been up to? Check out how they've been keeping themselves busy!
Lee Ji Eun (IU)
Ji Eun, also known by the mononym IU, has enjoyed massive success in her acting and singing career. After starring as the feisty but kind-hearted Ha Jin/Hae Soo in Scarlet Heart Ryeo in 2016, she went on to release her fourth studio album Palette in 2017. The album was a success, topping local charts in download and album sales and even breaking into the Billboard World Albums Chart, a first for her during her almost decade-long career.
In 2018, she starred in the drama My Mister as Lee Ji An, a struggling woman who falls for a middle-aged man. Her performance in the series earned her praises for her acting ability and the show went on to be one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean cable television history. The same year, she also released her viral song "Bbibbi" to celebrate 10 years of being in the industry. She flexed her acting chops again in 2019 when she played different characters for the Netflix anthology series Persona, then as a cold-hearted hotel owner in her most recent hit Hotel Del Luna with actor Yeo Jin Goo. Fun fact: Lee Joon Gi, who played her love interest in Scarlet Heart Ryeo, also made a cameo in the show!
IU released her ninth extended play, Love Poem, in November of the same year. In January 2020, it was announced that she will be starring opposite Park Seo Joon in the movie High.
Lee Joon Gi
Joon Gi consistently received awards for his acting, but his performance as Prince Wang So in Scarlet Heart Ryeo just further proved how good he is in breathing life to his characters. In 2016, he signed a deal to be one of the endorsers of Lotte Duty Free Shop and starred in the web series 7 First Kisses for the brand. It was also the year that he made his Hollywood debut by appearing in the film Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.
In 2017, he once again gained acting praises for his convincing performance as a criminal profiler in Criminal Minds, the Korean adaptation of the hit American series of the same name. In a real *kilig* move, he also made a surprise cameo in one of IU's concerts in Taiwan, where the pair re-enacted their iconic coat scene from Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
In 2018, Joon Gi starred as a gangster-tuned-lawyer in the legal thriller Lawless Lawyer opposite Seo Ye Ji. The show performed very well commercially and was named one of the highest-rated Korean dramas in cable television in Korea. He and IU then briefly reunited again in 2019 during his cameo performance in her show Hotel Del Luna. In January 2020, he was confirmed to star in the series Flower Of Evil.
Kang Ha Neul
Another talented actor that has secured a number of hit dramas is Kang Ha Neul. He's one of the most versatile stars of his generation, playing in a variety of genres like comedy, romance, and even taking on historical roles. After wearing the robes of Prince Wang Wook in Scarlet Heart Ryeo, he moved on to do movies like New Trial in 2017 where he played a man who spent years being investigated for a crime he did not commit. He then gave us so many LOLs in the action-comedy Midnight Runners in the same year, starring alongside Park Seo Joon as students in the Korean National Police University.
He enlisted later in 2017 for his mandatory military service. Being the entertainer that he is, however, he performed in the military musical Shinheung Military Academy with fellow celebrities Ji Chang Wook and Kim Sung Kyu during his service.
Ha Neul made his comeback in 2019 with the massive hit When The Camellia Blooms where he once again played a righteous police officer opposite Gong Hyo Jin. The drama enjoyed impressive viewership and was one of the best-rated miniseries of 2019. He will be starring in the theater production Fantasy Tale and in the melodrama Rain In Your Story in 2020.
Ji Soo
It's hard to imagine Ji Soo pursuing a career in music now that his acting projects are doing so well, but this star was actually a trainee under JYP! His role as the youngest prince Wang Jung in Scarlet Heart Ryeo was the show that placed him on the map—and the project where he met BFF Nam Joo Hyuk. The two hit it off so much that Ji Soo even made a v funny cameo in Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo where Joo Hyuk had his first-ever leading role!
In 2017, Ji Soo played second fiddle to Park Hyung Sik in the commercial hit Strong Woman Do Bong Soo. He followed this with Bad Guys 2, a spin-off of the OCN original Bad Guys, which is about a group of criminals tracking down villains. He then starred at Ping Pong Ball, a touching series about a student who makes an unlikely friendship with a homeless man.
In 2019, Ji Soo finally got the lead role he deserves when he starred as Yun Tae Oh in the Netflix Original My First First Love opposite Jung Chae Yeon. We're still keeping our fingers crossed for the greenlighting of its third season!
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