Actor Byun Woo-seok expressed his anticipation for the character of Prince Ian in MBC's new Friday-Saturday drama "21st Century Grand Royal Consort." The drama is set in a 21st-century constitutional monarchy in South Korea and depicts the fate-defining romance between Sung Hee-joo, a chaebol but commoner, and Prince Ian, the king's son who has nothing. The drama will premiere on April 10.

Byun Woo-seok said, "I am excited and looking forward to introducing a new character after a long time," and added, "Thank you for your great interest." He emphasized the narrative of Prince Ian and the constitutional monarchy background as reasons for choosing the role. Byun revealed that when he read the script, he could clearly envision himself playing Prince Ian and felt emotionally connected to the character.

Prince Ian is the second son of the royal family, placed in a position where he must neither make noise nor shine. Byun described the character with the keywords "loneliness, pride, beloved by the people," explaining that he is someone who must maintain dignity and integrity as a royal in public. He added, "On the surface, he seems to have everything, but within the royal family, there is no one who can be at ease."

Byun mentioned that as much as Prince Ian is loved by the people, envy and jealousy also coexist. He said, "He is kind to some but cold to others," emphasizing that the character cannot show any weaknesses. He stated that he tried to express subtle emotions through deep consideration of the relationships with other characters.

Regarding the romance scenes, Byun said, "I focused on the narrative of Prince Ian contained in the script," and expressed confidence that the romance would be deeply portrayed through the script alone. He described "21st Century Grand Royal Consort" as "a work that is enjoyable to watch as each character makes choices within the special setting of a 21st-century constitutional monarchy and sees the consequences of those choices."

Byun added that the changes in relationships among the characters would also be an interesting point to watch in this drama. He asked for viewers' great interest and love, saying, "There are many visual attractions such as art, sets, and costumes."

"21st Century Grand Royal Consort" consists of 12 episodes and will premiere at 9:40 PM on April 10. This drama, highly anticipated as Byun Woo-seok's next work, is expected to showcase new charms through his role as Prince Ian.