Lee Jong-suk exits Iseop's Romance K-Drama as filming schedule delays force casting change

Plans for Lee Jong-suk to headline the drama Iseop's Romance have fallen through, with his agency confirming the actor is no longer attached to the project.

ACE FACTORY addressed the situation in a statement to Dispatch on September 3, explaining that Lee Jong-suk had been part of the show's journey from its earliest planning stages but that circumstances ultimately led to a parting of ways. The agency noted that changes to the shooting timeline made it increasingly difficult to align the drama's schedule with other work Lee Jong-suk already had lined up, and after weighing the situation, both sides decided he would step back from the role.

The drama exists within the same fictional world as Calm Lies, another upcoming series that remains unaffected by this casting change. That companion project will move forward as planned, with Lee Joon Hyuk cast as Tae Jun Seop, a grandson on the maternal side of the powerful TK Group family, a role that follows its own distinct narrative thread even while sharing the broader story universe.

Iseop's Romance itself centers on a workplace love story, adapted from a web novel penned by Kim Eun Hee. Production on the series is expected to move ahead this year, running alongside Calm Lies.

ACE FACTORY's complete statement is below:

"Hello, this is ACE FACTORY Project.

We're sharing an official update concerning the casting for our upcoming production, 'Iseop's Romance.'

Lee Jong Suk had committed considerable time to shaping this project alongside us since its earliest development, with plans in place for him to take on a role in the drama. As the filming and production timeline shifted from what was initially planned, however, aligning it with his other professional commitments became a challenge. Following careful conversations with our production team, we've come to a mutual decision that he will not be moving forward with the project.

This is a drama we've poured considerable care and time into developing, and we remain fully committed to delivering it as a polished, high-quality piece of work.

Thank you."