Ex-I.O.I’s Kim So-hye, Lee Sang-yeob to star in new sports K-drama ‘Pure Boxer’

Former I.O.I singer-actress Kim So-hye and Lee Sang-yeob have been cast in an upcoming sports K-drama, Pure Boxer (literal translation).

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The production team behind the new series announced the show’s lead cast on October 17 via South Korean outlet MyDaily. Based on the novel Pure Boxer Lee Kwon-sook by Choo Jong-nam, Pure Boxer follows the story of a genius boxer, Lee Kwon-sook, who crosses paths with a cold-blooded agent who feels no remorse for corruption, such as match-fixing for extra cash in order to ensure the success of his athletes.

South Korean cable network KBS announced that Lee (Eve, Shooting Stars) will star as Kim Tae-young, a sports agent who coaxes aspiring athletes and subsequently retires them after pocketing a majority of the profit for himself.

He approaches Lee Kwon-sook – played by Kim (Her Bucket List) – a prodigal boxer who emerged as one of the nation’s most promising athletes at age 17. However, she disappeared right before she was to achieve a Grand Slam (which refers tot when an athlete bags four wins). Three years after her mysterious disappearance from the scene, she was found to be living a new life until Tae-young finds her again.

According to its production team, filming for Pure Boxer is slated to begin “soon”, with a premiere for the series currently slated for sometime in the first half of 2023.

In other news, fellow former I.O.I bandmate Kang Mi-na has been cast in a lead role for an upcoming horror K-drama series Midnight Horror: 6 Nights. The new omnibus-style series will feature six episodes with different storylines, and will premiere on Korean streaming platforms Seezn and GenieTV on October 27.

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