Sung Hoon is officially returning to television dramas after a three-year break from regular drama roles.
The actor has been cast as the male lead in MBN’s upcoming romance drama “The Boss’s Blatant Taste,” marking his first TV drama appearance since 2023’s “Perfect Marriage Revenge,” excluding special appearances.
The new series, also known by the literal title “What a Boss Wants,” centers on Kwon Do Hyuk, a wealthy entertainment company CEO whose carefully controlled life changes after he becomes determined to find the mysterious woman whose voice he hears on an album.
The woman is Lee Eun Chae, the vocalist of an indie band, played by Oh Se Young.
Sung Hoon will portray Kwon Do Hyuk, the only son of a top 1 percent chaebol family.
Despite having exceptional looks and abilities, Do Hyuk has a notably cold and rational personality.
He is also described as a genius in artificial intelligence, with a personality so logical and restrained that he appears almost more robotic than the technology he creates.
The newly released stills give viewers their first detailed look at Sung Hoon in the role.
Dressed in perfectly tailored suits, the actor projects the polished appearance expected of a powerful corporate executive.
His restrained expressions and cold gaze further emphasize Do Hyuk’s preference for reason and logic over emotion.
According to the drama’s production team, Sung Hoon brings both confidence and charisma to the character while also showcasing the character’s distinctive physical presence.
The images also feature the actor in more casual styling, offering a glimpse of another side of the character.
The drama is based on a popular Naver web novel and webtoon by author Sikkeuk.
Its story combines romance with the unusual premise of a man who seemingly has everything but discovers that one mysterious voice is enough to disrupt his carefully organized world.
Sung Hoon Takes on a Cold Chaebol CEO
Kwon Do Hyuk’s life initially appears almost perfectly controlled.
As the CEO of Oyes Entertainment and the heir to a powerful family, he has wealth, intelligence and professional authority.
However, his personality is defined by strict preferences and an almost complete reliance on logic.
Music is particularly important to the character. Do Hyuk is extremely selective about what he listens to, preferring classical music and showing little interest in songs that feature vocals.
That carefully maintained preference begins to change after he encounters an album containing the voice of an unidentified woman.
Determined to discover who “Her” is, Do Hyuk begins searching for the person behind the recording.
His search eventually leads him toward Lee Eun Chae, an indie band vocalist who becomes the unexpected variable in his otherwise predictable life.
The relationship between the two characters forms the central romance of the drama.
Their personalities and lifestyles are significantly different, creating opportunities for misunderstandings, clashes and gradual changes as they become more closely connected.
Do Hyuk is also placed in a new professional situation when his father, Kwon Tae Woong, played by Park Jung Hak, asks him to take responsibility for rebuilding the entertainment company.
This adds a business storyline to the romance while giving the character another challenge outside his personal search.
For Sung Hoon, the role is also an interesting contrast to the image many viewers have encountered through his variety-show appearances.
On MBC’s “Home Alone,” he became known for showing a more relaxed and sometimes unexpectedly humorous side of his personality.
His upcoming drama role instead requires him to portray someone controlled, serious and emotionally restrained.
That difference has already become one of the talking points surrounding his return, as viewers anticipate seeing the actor move between the contrasting sides of his public and scripted personas.
A New Chapter After ‘Perfect Marriage Revenge’
Sung Hoon’s return comes three years after his most recent regular television drama role.
In 2023, he starred in MBN’s “Perfect Marriage Revenge” as Seo Do Guk, following his appearance in SBS’s “Woori the Virgin” in 2022.
He also made special appearances in projects including TVING’s “Death’s Game” and ENA’s “The Defects.”
His television activities became less frequent following a 2022 controversy surrounding his appearance on the variety program “The Must-Try Restaurants.”
The controversy involved criticism from some viewers over his behavior during the broadcast.
His agency subsequently apologized, saying that parts of the appearance had gone too far in an effort to make the program entertaining.
Since then, Sung Hoon has continued working, including appearances in other formats.
In 2026, he also took a leading role in the DramaBox series “Be Careful! I’m the Lady Boss,” meaning “The Boss’s Blatant Taste” represents another major leading role for him this year.
Sung Hoon’s acting career began long before his variety-show popularity.
After originally pursuing competitive swimming, an injury forced him to leave the sport.
He entered the entertainment industry in 2009 through an appearance in a music video before making his acting debut in SBS’s 2011 drama “New Tales of Gisaeng.”
Interestingly, his first major drama role was also that of a chaebol heir.
His upcoming character Kwon Do Hyuk therefore brings his career back to a character type that was part of his earliest acting chapter, although the new role has a very different personality and storyline.
His popularity later expanded significantly through “Home Alone,” where his everyday lifestyle and humorous personality introduced viewers to a side of him that contrasted with his polished drama image.
His appearances on the program earned him several MBC Entertainment Awards between 2018 and 2020.
Now, Sung Hoon is preparing to return to the small screen in a leading role that combines romance, business and an unusual mystery surrounding a voice on an album.
“The Boss’s Blatant Taste” is scheduled to premiere on November 11 at 10:20 p.m. KST on MBN.
With Sung Hoon taking on the role of the highly controlled Kwon Do Hyuk and Oh Se Young playing the indie vocalist who disrupts his carefully ordered life, the upcoming drama will introduce viewers to a new romantic storyline while marking Sung Hoon’s return to regular TV drama appearances.
