Lee Yi Kyung is heading to Japan for his next major role. The actor, who recently made headlines for taking legal action against the woman spreading false personal rumors, has been cast in the TBS Friday drama Dream Stage.
The series is set in the high-stakes world of K-pop and follows a disgraced producer and seven Korean trainees as they join forces—across generations and borders—to chase their dreams together. The drama stars Tomoya Nakamura, Ha Yeon Seo, Lee Yi Kyung, and Kim Jae Kyung.
Lee Yi Kyung will play Choi Ki Yong, the head of Buket Music, a major entertainment agency home to numerous K-pop stars. Known for repeating his motto, “A bouquet of music for the world,” he appears warm and gentle on the surface. But behind the smile is a strict perfectionist obsessed with flawless results and victory at any cost. As he pulls every string imaginable to launch rookie boy group “Toriner” to the top, Choi Ki Yong becomes the series’ central antagonist and a source of escalating tension.
Lee Yi Kyung is no stranger to playing dark and complex roles. He earned praise for his chilling performance as Park Min Hwan in tvN’s Marry My Husband, which was later remade in Japan, and followed it with another villainous turn as Han Woo Jin in KBS’s Face Me.
Dream Stage is slated to premiere in January 2026 in TBS’s Friday 10 PM drama slot.
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