Uehara Takako joins TV series "Domangja s1" cast

Japanese actress and singer Uehara Takako of J-pop idol group Speed has been added to the star-studded cast of upcoming KBS2 TV series "Domangja s1," according to a press release by the show's producer on Monday.

The actress will be playing the role of Kieko, a top Japanese singer who falls in love with the character Ji-hoo, played by Korean superstar Rain.

She is the second Japanese actor to be cast in the series -- last week, producers announced that veteran Japanese actor Takenaka Naoto will be portraying a powerful figure named Hiroki, the father to Uehara's character.

So far, the A-list line-up for the romantic comedy-intelligence action drama includes multi-talented entertainer Rain and Lee Na-young in the lead roles with Daniel Henney, Lee Jung-jin and Kong Hyung-jin playing supporting characters.

Filming for "Domangja s1," about a hefty sum of money popping up sixty years after it disappeared in times of the Korean War, will take place in various Asian cities including Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Shanghai, Beijing, Macau and Hong Kong.

The series will be directed by noted television producer Kwak Jung-hwan and written by Chun Sung-il, the creative duo behind the recent hit TV series "The Slave Hunters" earlier this year.

Uehara, 27, made her debut in 1996 as a member of Okinawan female idol group Speed, which instantly became one of the hottest bands in the country.

After selling over 20 million singles and albums in less than four years, the members announced in March 2000 that the group would be disbanding and they would be pursuing individual careers. The four-member band reunited for good in 2008.

Uehara has since released ten solo singles, three solo albums and three photo collection books. She has also crossed over to acting, starring alongside Hallyu star Ryu Si-won in television drama "Koino Karasawagi - Drama Special" (Nihon TV, 2005).

"Domangja s1" will premiere in Korea around late September.

Reporter : Lynn Kim lynn2878@
Editor : Jessica Kim jesskim@