Im Yoon-ah and Lee Jin-uk to star in medical mystery Unnatural

Im Yoon-ah will star alongside Lee Jin-uk in the upcoming tvN medical mystery drama Unnatural, a remake of a highly acclaimed Japanese series. Scheduled for a 2027 broadcast, the drama follows forensic pathologists at the U.D.I center as they track truths hidden behind the deceased.

Im Yoon-ah is set to prove her prowess as a hit-maker once again. Following the success of tvN's 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,' which captured audiences with a peak viewership rating of 17.1%, she will transform into a forensic pathologist tracking truths hidden behind death. She will star alongside Lee Jin-uk, an actor known for his cool and heavy presence. Interest is mounting to see what kind of synergy the two actors, possessing different charms, will create in the medical mystery genre.

The new tvN drama 'Unnatural' (working title) is a mystery medical drama set in U.D.I, a fictional autopsy and forensic institution affiliated with the National Forensic Service. Rather than simply determining causes of death, the series aims for both genre tension and human emotion by following the final clues left by the deceased to track the stories and truths hidden behind each case.

The work is a remake of the Japanese drama of the same name that aired on Japan's TBS in 2018. The original was highly acclaimed for its quality, winning six awards at the 96th Television Drama Academy Awards, including Best Drama, and has secured a solid fanbase in South Korea. A key point of interest is how this story, with its proven quality and buzz, will be reinterpreted through South Korean sensibilities and production environments. The remake will be written by Min Ji-eun and directed by Park Yoo-young.

Im Yoon-ah will lead the drama as Song Do-eun, a forensic pathologist at the U.D.I center. While appearing calm and composed on the surface, she is a character with deep compassion for others and a persistent will to find the truth. Although she focuses on autopsies without being swayed by emotions regardless of the body she faces, her coolness is rooted in a warm sincerity to not ignore the final voices of the deceased. As a character where scientific analysis and human empathy coexist, attention is focused on how Im Yoon-ah will express her signature bright and delicate energy.

Above all, this work serves as a stage to gauge whether Im Yoon-ah can continue her streak of hits. Her previous work, 'Bon Appétit, Your Majesty,' achieved the highest viewership rating for a tvN drama in 2025 with a peak of 17.1%. Interest is also gathering on the breadth of her transformation, as Im Yoon-ah, who proved her box-office power with her previous work, challenges herself with a medical mystery that differs in tone from romance or comedy. With the success of her previous work raising expectations, the key will be whether she can draw viewers into this new genre.

Lee Jin-uk will play fellow forensic pathologist Koo Seung-hyeok. He is a character who maintains distance from those around him with an expressionless face, rarely revealing his emotions. He has even earned the nickname 'Jeoseung-hyeok' because he shows more interest in the dead than the living, but his autopsy skills are difficult for anyone to match. Based on experience accumulated through approximately 3,000 autopsies, he possesses the outstanding ability to complete examinations in a short time without missing a single minute trace.

For Lee Jin-uk, this work is an opportunity to approach a familiar investigative genre from a new perspective. Having previously played characters who pursue the truth, such as detectives and lawyers, he will now approach the reality of cases through clues left on the bodies of the deceased. Unlike investigative scenes where the statements and interests of living people clash, the traces left on a corpse silently reveal part of the truth. Expectations are high for how Lee Jin-uk, whose strengths include restrained emotional expression and a signature cool atmosphere, will embody the coolness and professionalism of Koo Seung-hyeok.

The production team also expects synergy created by the contrasting charms of the two actors meeting their characters. Regarding Im Yoon-ah, they stated, "Her warm and bright energy will create fantastic synergy with the character of Song Do-eun, who possesses a firm core and human charm." Regarding Lee Jin-uk, they noted, "His signature cool atmosphere and restrained emotional expression will create exquisite synergy with the character of Koo Seung-hyeok, who rarely reveals his inner thoughts."

'Unnatural' is scheduled for its first broadcast in 2027. The core competitiveness of the work lies in the narrative of the proven original, the mystery of tracking traces of death, and the acting chemistry between Im Yoon-ah and Lee Jin-uk, who possess different "temperatures." Attention is focused on whether Im Yoon-ah, who experienced a peak of success with her previous work, can continue her success in a new genre, and what kind of lingering impression the truths revealed by the two forensic pathologists will leave on viewers.

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