Lee Chae Min’s next big step

Lee Chae Min is lining up his next major career move and it comes with a beloved story at its core.

The rising actor has reportedly been cast as the lead in the Korean drama adaptation of Keigo Higashino’s bestseller The Miracles of the Namiya General Store. According to industry reports released in early February, the project is being developed as a 10-episode series, with a global OTT platform currently under discussion. With casting underway, the drama is shaping up to be one of the most talked-about literary adaptations to enter production this year.

For Lee Chae Min, the role marks another step forward in an already fast-moving trajectory. After breaking into public awareness with Crash Course in Romance, he continued to build momentum through See You in My 19th Life and Hierarchy, gradually shedding his rookie image. In 2024, he headlined tvN’s Bon Appetit, Your Majesty, which helped cement his status as a lead actor capable of anchoring a story. Most recently, he drew attention for a sharp image shift in Netflix’s Cashero, where he played the villain Jonathan, earning notice for his controlled intensity and darker edge.

His next challenge will be carrying a narrative deeply rooted in emotion and human connection. The Miracles of the Namiya General Store revolves around three young men who stumble into an abandoned shop that mysteriously links different timelines. Through letters exchanged across decades, they become entangled in the lives of strangers, offering advice that ultimately changes both the recipients’ futures and their own. The story is less about crime or mystery and more about compassion, regret and second chances.

The original novel has an exceptional track record in Korea. Since its release in 2012, it has remained a steady bestseller, eventually surpassing one million copies sold and ranking as the top-selling Japanese novel in the country for nearly 10 years. Alongside titles like Journey Under the Midnight Sun and The Devotion of Suspect X, it helped establish Keigo Higashino as one of the most trusted foreign authors among Korean readers.

The book is no stranger to adaptation, having inspired successful film versions in Japan and China, as well as a Korean stage production. Still, this marks the first time the story will be expanded into a Korean serialized drama, raising expectations about how its episodic format will deepen the emotional arcs.

With Lee Chae Min at the center, the upcoming K-drama is closely watched as a potential turning point that could redefine his screen image and cement his place among the next generation of leading Korean actors.