“Queen of Tears” Kim Ji Won’s Role Was First Offered To K-Pop Megastar

The tvN weekend K-Drama Queen of Tears has been sweeping viewership ratings consistently at the 20% range for the past few episodes. The show has reached a level of cult popularity all across the globe, with its weekly online videos reaching 1.88 billion views at the time of writing.

“Queen of Tears” poster | tvN

One of the leading reasons behind the uber popularity enjoyed by Queen of Tears is its stellar cast. Kim Ji Won, in particular, has received explosive reactions from viewers for her flawless portrayal of the cold and arrogant second-generation chaebol, Hong Hae In.

Kim Ji Won as Hong Hae In

As perfect as Kim is in the role of Hae In, it might surprise many fans that she was not the first choice for this role. According to Korean media Insight’s report on April 19, K-Pop queen IU was offered the role first!

IU | Newsis

In April 2022, when screenwriter Park Ji Eun was in the early stages of developing Queen of Tears, she had initially considered IU as the chaebol female lead. This would have been the singer’s second K-Drama with Park, as well as her second time sharing the screen with Kim Soo Hyun after working with them both on The Producers. IU, however, turned down the offer at that time.

Although IU received an offer for a role in Park Ji Eun’s upcoming show, she has respectfully turned it down as she has other commitments.

— EDAM Entertainment

Eventually, Park Ji Eun moved on to Kim Ji Won to portray the character, which turned out to be an accurate choice. Thanks to Kim’s ability to embody Hong Hae In perfectly, Queen of Tears has brought her a new peak of success since her debut in 2010.