“Pieta” Lead Actor, Former S.E.S Member Eugene Pair up for New Drama

Actor Lee Jung-jin receives the cultural merit honor from South Korea Government at the 2012 Popular Culture & Art Awards in Seoul, South Korea, on November 19, 2012. [Brandon Chae/10Asia]

“Pieta” star Lee Jung-jin and former idol group S.E.S member Eugene will team up for MBC’s new weekend TV series.

The broadcast said in a statement Thursday that the pair has confirmed their roles in “Three-generation-old Noodle Restaurant” [translated title], which is scheduled to hit the airwaves next January.

The family drama will pivot around a family running a noodle factory for three generations. Lee and Eugune each will take male and female lead in the upcoming drama, officials from MBC said.

The TV series will air as a follow-up of the broadcast's ongoing weekend drama “May Queen.”

Lee, a model-turned-actor, has been taking one of the main characters in several hit films including “Mapado,” (2005) “Troubleshooter” (2010) “No Doubt” (2010) as well as TV series “9 End 2 Outs (MBC, 2007),” and “I Love You, Don’t Cry” (MBC, 2008).

Thanks to his impressive role in Venice-winning film "Pieta" (2012), the actor recently received cultural merit honor from South Korea Government alongside his opposite actress Cho Min-soo and director Kim Ki-duk.

Eugene, 30, burst into the entertainment industry in 1997 as a member of first generation idol group S.E.S. The female trio was one of the most popular girl groups in the country back then.

While pursuing her acting career after the trio disbanded in 2002, she is currently hosting MBC's singing competition program "Great Birth 3."

Eugene speaks about her drama "Bread, Love and Dreams" at the drama's press conference held in North Chungcheong Province, South Korea in August 11, 2010. [KBS]

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