OMONA THEY DID(N'T)!

The lead character of Kim Eun Sook's new drama "Mr. Sunshine" is Eugene Choi, played by Lee Byung Hyun. He's an American Marine captain who gets posted to Joseon. Born a slave, Eugene ran away from his master’s house when he was 9 years old and boarded an American battleship during the 1871 Shinmiyangyo incident. He considers himself an American and is uninterested in the fate of the country of his birth, even as he witnesses the violent change that Joseon is undergoing.

Go Ae-shin's (Kim Tae Ri) life has pretty much the opposite trajectory as Eugene’s. Ae-shin was born into privilege as a member of one of the most powerful aristocratic families in Joseon, but she isn’t content to let others die on the front lines for her. Unbeknownst to her grandfather, Ae-shin regularly reads newspapers and other publications calling for Joseon’s independence, and learns to shoot with a rifle.

( Character descriptions for Yoo Yeon Seok, Byun Yo Han and Kim Min Jung, plus additional teasers )

"Mr. Sunshine" will premiere on Saturday, July 7 on tvN.

Netflix has licensed the new 40 billion won Korean original drama series Mr. Sunshine, from Descendants of the Sun creators Kim Eun-sook and Lee Eung-bok, for a worldwide premiere. Running 24 episodes, “Mr Sunshine” will premiere exclusively on Netflix starting July 7, with episodes streaming on the same day of its Korean broadcast in the U.S. and most Asian territories. The series will then premiere in Japan on July 8, and the rest of the world on July 19.

Sources: Dramabeans/SBS Fun E/iMBC 1 2 3 4 5 | Variety | Netflix Asia | YeoNiverse - Yoo Yeon Seok IFC 1 2 3 | @kdrama_news 1 2 3

The male lead for Kim Eun Sook (Goblin, DotS) next work 'Mr. Sunshine' is confirmed to be Lee Byung Hunhttps://t.co/L5Do6ogAM7 pic.twitter.com/37nR8VEpWl

— mes #TeamPinky (@OH_mes) June 23, 2017

OP note: I couldn't find a good source to use with more info on the casting, so the following info is from a month ago when it was announced KES was writing a new drama

Kim Eun Sook announced her new drama, a period piece set at the turn of the twentieth century titled Mr. Sunshine. The drama is set in 1900 to 1905, and tells the story of a soldier in the righteous army falling in love with an aristocrat’s daughter. It begins in 1871 when the hero boards an American military ship as a little boy during the Shinmiyangyo, a U.S. military expedition to Korea that resulted in a battle. He lands in the U.S. and then years later returns to Korea as an American soldier, to the country that abandoned him. While stationed in Korea, he’ll meet and fall in love with a nobleman’s daughter.

The term “righteous army” refers to Korea’s long history of commoners taking up arms to protect their country against foreign invaders, dating back to Goryeo. The righteous army made a comeback in 1895 to 1905 as Japan imposed more and more control over Korea, and eventually became the backbone of the independence movement’s guerilla militia during the Japanese occupation.

Mr. Sunshine is planning to air in spring or summer of 2018.

Sources: @OH_mes/Naver | Dramabeans/IS Plus

Lol at this casting. I'm glad I don't have to suffer through another KES drama just because I like an actor in it. It's already crossed off my list.