They are amazing actors and that tempts me watch it. But the age gap...I cannot. With his reputation, it feels absolutely icky but I love the whole freedom fighters thing, the period, it sounds like a really epic romance...we will see. I will try out the first episode, if I believe in the romance then..if not then I am out.

Because she was in her 20s I assumed she had a longer CV pre The Handmaiden as, ditto, it was a deservedly star-making performance. Quite the cast for the new show - I hope the writing matches up (and tightens up).

OH NO. Show, why do you do this? I was so content with just skipping this one and then you go and throw Kim Tae Ri at me? Where's your humanity?!

I dont know much about the scandals involving LBH but I would like to the drama for its writer. Currently afer Chicago Typewriter I am much intrested in such plots.

Javabeans same! T_T. I was looking forward to this drama so much but I feel really weird about Lee Byung Heon. What to do sighhh

I will only watch this maybe becoz of the cinematography and drama setting, plot wise not really sure, and not becoz of the actor. Sad but they should have pick a more mass appeal lead

Ugh, no! Get her away from him.

Of course, she has to pick the current darling of Chungmuro. The one that is younger, newer and will be paid wayyyyy less than her leading man. Damnnnnnn you, writer!

It makes sense to pick her. It just hurt that a talented young lady will be in a shallow drama that will be watched by millions.

I still trust the writer about the storyline but the age gap looks very weird!

it's not only the age itself but she has such a baby face that it looks even weirder....
The plot intrigues me so i'm going to watch it .Now I'm expecting news about the other characters.

People were making such a big deal that I thought she is 18 years old but I googled and she is 27, Lee Byung Heon is 19 years older.
I would have liked if his co-sign was older but it isn't as creepy as people make it out to be.

I've been waiting for Kim Tae Ri's drama debut for so long! My emotions are all over the place right now. I'm so excited to finally see her debut on the small screen, and in a Kim Eun Sook drama about the occupation at that, but I'm still bitter about Lee Byung Hun playing the lead character. And this age difference! Like seriously, I was already put off by the difference in Goblin but this is at a whole new level.
When did it become so complicated to watch and wait for a drama?

Ugh. Here we go with the painfully obvious and icky age gaps again. Come on Kim Eunsook, wth is wrong with you?

I just had to google the scandal part...not nice at all.
Will maybe wait for the teasers/trailers to come out to make up my mind about watching it but I like the freedom fighters idea...

LOL now I can finally accepted this casting afer was surprised earlier. This is Joseon period, so at least there will be no love story between high school girl with an ahjusshi lol ? Anyway I am curious about the netizens' reaction on this casting, and also who will be the second leads. Don't keep it secret too long Kim Eun Sook writernim!

I loved Kim Tae-ri in The Handmaiden. Do I love the pairing here? I don't feel much about it, having not seen Lee Byung-hun in anything before, although I am aware of his scandals. However, KTR is 27. There may be a large age-gap between her and LBH, but she can make her own decisions as a grown woman. Now, if the pairing was with a lead actress closer to 21, I would def be a little squicked out, but KTR is almost 30 in Korean age. She may be a rookie actress but she's far from being a minor.

I see a father daughter pair, no offense.?

Totally lost all interest in this drama. She's young enough to be his Daughter !!!!

LBH is just disgusting, I will never be able to watch anything with him in it. I suppose his PR worked his ass off to be able to have him in Kim Eun-sook drama hoping it will rehabilite him, ......V.v

Huge Yes to Kim Tae Ri. Will watch the drama for her.

Oh goody. Another older man and teen (1990) young woman. This troupe with NEVER be my catnip. Will I even watch it? Nah. But I'm really excited about this other upcoming drama. I hear the story line involves a romantic triangle between Lee Deok-Hwa (The Best Hit), Lee Chae-Mi (Two Weeks), and Kim Soo-Ahn (Train to Busan.)
And I'm being sarcastic. So don't look for that drama.

She has an air of Song Hye Kyo in that picture, next to Lee Byun Heon it reminds me of All In. Age-wise it is similar to Goblin, Gong Yoo and Kim Go Eun, she looked so much younger than him, although they were cute together! But agree with some commenters, here it might look like father/daughter, Lee Byun Heon is much older!

Okay, she is 27 years old and he will be 47 in some days, the age difference is 20 years.
She is an adult, I have no problem with that, many couples have this difference in real life. My problem is the film industry that loves to put much younger women to play romantically with older actors.
It has several beautiful women who perform magnificently and are in their 40s. This age difference for women is cruel. This industry is cruel.

I liked her in the movie The Handmaiden and welcome to the world of kdrama.

I am not going to watch this because I think KES is a trash writer, but I knew she was going to cast a young 20 something with LBH. The girl's character will be stupid because KES is incapable of writing a naive character. LBH will be a jerk and the girl will fall in love anyway. The plot will be shallow and at the end probably pointless, but millions will love and watch it. Sorry for the rant KES dramas upset my equlibrium. Lol?

kew it.. so knew it.. she would be casted..

i don't know why maybe because maiden is similary era..

this should be fun.. i would be watching the lead guy for the first time when this series airs

it is already giving me love story 1942 feels.. story wise.. i doubt it would go beyond the love story.. as iin no bigger picture.

but then as long as the sets r pretty, dresses are pretty, acting to the point..shud be fun

The male lead gives a bad vibe. The type who coerces female employees to have sex with them to give promotions.

Thanking drama gods becoz it wasnt any of my fav actresses. Now i can pass it without worries.

I was hesitant to even wonder if I could stomach watching it. But now with this casting, am definitely out. Wonderful acting or not, if I can't stomach seeing his face on screen, can't watch the drama.

People might wonder why. Ugliness exist in this world that's true. People make unkind choices ( him cheating on his pregnant wife who still stayed with him, so it's her choice ) but it doesn't mean a random stranger like me need to watch him and be reminded of the ugliness around. I would rather read of some injustice happening which I can support the person or cause for. Or some dog rescue centres where I can donate to.

Then watch him.

Well. That was a fast and quick end to my interest in the writer's latest work.

Weird. That's all I can say. Is he still relevant for drama viewers to watch him falling head over heels in love and pursuing a young girl where he is old enough to become her father? The idea as a whole is totally gross. And LBH is not that young looking to convince me that he is in his 30's, and still yet to experience true love. I am never a fan of KES as I always find her writings shallow but this casting and pairing....she certainly knows how to stir up loads of attention. Acting powerhouse....definitely but let's see how the age gap and his reputation can sell the story.

1) please go read all the comments on Naver. Koreans do care about his scandals and have issues with him. They're willing to see his movies, but dramas are different. I still think this drama will do well however, because people are willing to ignore their moral compasses if it benefits them.

2) Please do not assume everyone here loves Kim Eun Sook. Most everything she's I've either hated, or thought was whatever. Not a single drama of hers has ever been a favorite for me. I personally despise how she writes. However I usually keep checking them out because she often comes up with unique plots and gets great star power, even if her dramas are poorly executed (in my opinion). Some of us genuinely do have an issue with her writing.

Unpopular opinion, the cast is solid regardless of, one of their personal choices and vice, I am interested to see how KSE handles their acting potential. I am more worried about her writing capability.

Great choice! Kim Tae ri is the best choice and I'm so happy! I don't know how to express myself I just find her so suitable! :D

Yup, i'll skip this one..

Gross, gross, gross. KES is just gonna keep finding new ways to up the creep factor of each of her dramas, huh?

I'm wondering if Kim Tae Ri chose this as her drama debut solely based on the fact that she can ride on the fame of LBH and it also being a Kim Eun Sook drama and maybe not on the script... But who wouldn't take on such an opportunity?? Plot-wise, it makes sense to cast 2 leads with such an age gap because age gaps like these were very common in real life in the early 1900s era--women married, and were married off, young in those times DX

She will probably play a young heiress so will be closer to 19/20 anyways. Meh. I guess DOTS will be the one and only drama I have watched from this writer.

I don't have a problem with Lee Byung Hun, I like him as an actor and am excited to see him return to dramas. But I'm not crazy about KES and Kim Tae-ri was great in Handmaiden, but she's still very early in her career and it's her first drama, so I don't know. I also agree with other's that it would've been nice if they cast an actress closer to LBH's age. The age difference doesn't bother me much since she is 27 and not like 18 and it's a period drama. Still there are many gorgeous and talented actresses in their 40's that would look great with LBH and unfortunately often there aren't many leading roles for actresses of that age. I get that a younger actress would be needed for the young naive aristocratic women that the female lead will be. But that sounds super boring tbh, would've loved to see what sort of female character they could come up with if the character was supposed to be late 30's-40's. If I watch this it'll be for LBH and the time period, the romance doesn't sound interesting at all so far (but sadly KES's greatest strength is the romance and I find her pretty weak in just about everything else, so I don't expect her to handle the time period well).

Interesting period. I'm looking forward to it. There's an interesting article on CIA website about this period.

https://www.cia.gov/library/center-for-the-study-of-intelligence/csi-publications/csi-studies/studies/vol49no1/html_files/first_attache_5.html

Finally we get a new actress in drama field!

These days, dramas are so lackluster. Kim Eun Sook dramas may be storyless, but at least theres something worth watching for.

Since she is not a high schooler I don't mind the age gap. She's 27 years old. I'm more curious to see if KES can create a memorable female lead this time - her male leads are always more interesting.

I don't like Gone with the Wind, but this drama sounds vaguely similar in several respects, and like her or despise her, Scarlett O'Hara was quite memorable. Here's hoping that Kim Tae Ri will play an intense aristocrat in a changing era... no demure “Aegisshi please!

Man, I was so looking forward to her drama debut and am kind of ticked it's this one as I'd love to see her in this. I am just not excited about the co-star. My interest level dropped down to zero as soon as he was cast. I just can't picture him in any type of romantic genre at all anymore and would rather not, sorry to say.

I think Kim Tae Ri is wonderful and will be fine but I agree with the sentiments of some users here that this casting highlights the "shelf-life" of women, as if they are not attractive after a certain age. To be honest, I think Kim Tae Ri's age is just right but I also also had in mind that the male lead should be closer to his early thirties so there was nothing but disappointment on my end when LBH was cast for a number of reasons.