"When the Stars Gossip," starring Lee Min-ho (left) and Kong Hyo-jin (tvN)
As the first Korean drama to be set primarily in space, "When the Stars Gossip" will play a significant role in "diversifying" K-dramas, according to the series' lead actor, Kong Hyo-jin, on Wednesday.
South Korean cable channel tvN is scheduled to premiere the first episode of "When the Stars Gossip," a 16-episode sci-fi romantic comedy starring Hallyu superstars Kong and Lee Min-ho on Jan. 4, 2025.
The series centers on Eve (played by Kong Hyo-jin), a commander overseeing a space station, and Gong-ryong (played by Lee Min-ho), a gynecologist who visits the station for a few days as a space tourist.
Regarded as one of tvN's most ambitious projects, the production took five years to complete -- from casting its lead actors to post-production -- at a reported budget of 50 billion won ($34 million).
With this series, Lee, celebrated for his performances in iconic K-dramas such as "The Legend of the Blue Sea," "The Heirs," and "Boys Over Flowers," marks his return to television approximately five years after "The King: Eternal Monarch." Meanwhile, Kong, beloved for hits such as "It's Okay, That's Love" and "Master's Sun," makes her comeback six years after her acclaimed performance in KBS's romantic comedy "When the Camellia Blooms."
Kong reunited with scriptwriter Seo Sook-hyang, with whom she previously collaborated on the popular 2010 MBC romantic comedy "Pasta," starring alongside the late actor Lee Sun-kyun.
Reflecting on this new project, Kong said, "The writer and I explored questions like, 'How do people working in space experience love?', 'How do they manage their work?', and 'Which of these -- love or work -- is more important?' Through this project, I experienced personal growth. Just like in the drama, I successfully balanced work and love in real life," said Kong, during a press conference held in Sindorim, Seoul, Wednesday.
During the filming, Kong also navigated a personal milestone: she and singer Kevin Oh, 10 years her junior, tied the knot.
Speaking about the experience, she said, "I only stepped away from the set for 10 days. ... At first, balancing a major event like a wedding and filming felt overwhelming, but later, I found it enjoyable to play the lead in a romance drama."
Director Park Shin-woo highlighted the scale of the project, remarking that the workload amounted to "completing about three dramas."
"Even for ordinary dialogue scenes, it required three to four times more effort than a typical drama, and post-production took about five times the usual time and effort," he said.
On the technical challenges, Park said, "We are the first in Korea to create a drama that portrays zero gravity. To achieve this, we used computer graphics and wires. However, these alone weren’t enough to perfect the portrayal, so we assigned a team of six action crew members to each actor.
"This production doesn’t rely on cutting-edge technology but instead showcases the time, effort, and sweat of everyone involved."
Kong pointed out that drama will contribute to the diversity of Korean television. "It’s something entirely new and will be full of surprises," she said.
Lee Min-ho (left) and Kong Hyo-jin pose for a photo during a press conference held in Sindorim, Seoul, Wednesday. (Yonhap)
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