Lee Min-ho cast in TV adaptation of critically-acclaimed novel 'Pachinko'


The epic historical series, led by Lee Min-ho, boasts a budget akin to the award-winning royal drama 'The Crown'. Photo: Filepic

South Korean actor Lee Min-ho will be playing the lead role in Pachinko, an upcoming TV series based on the critically-acclaimed novel of the same name.

Lee's involvement in Pachinko is notable as the series is American streamer Apple TV+'s very first foray into K-drama territory.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the eight-episode show is one of Apple's most expensive projects with a "budget akin to Netflix's The Crown."

The 33-year-old is no stranger to high profile projects, having just starred in the big budget K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch this year, which costs a staggering US$25.4mil (RM105.3mil) to make.

Pachinko is described as an epic historical novel which chronicles the life of a Korean family as they move to Japan. The story, set between 1910 and 1989, deals with racism and Korean-Japanese relations.

Written by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko was a 2017 National Book Award finalist besides being named one of the 10 best books of 2017 by The New York Times.

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