The new TVN romance drama "Mean Love" is already causing a stir in the days leading up to its premiere due to the significant age disparity between its lead actors, Lee Jung-jae and Lim Ji-yeon.
The drama is slated to air sometime this year and tells the story of veteran melodrama actor Im Hyun Joon (played by Lee Jung-Jae) and former political reporter-turned-entertainment journalist Wi Jung Sook (played by Lim Ji-yeon), whose lives collide following the mysterious incident.
Their accidental encounter leads to a romance neither had ever expected.
While anticipation for the project has been high, public attention has shifted to the casting decision. Lee Jung Jae, born in 1972, is 18 years older than Lim Ji Yeon, born in 1990.
Despite the off-screen age gap, the two are expected to portray romantic leads without any reference to generational disparity in the script.
Further fueling discussion is the casting of Na Young Hee, born in 1961, as Lee Jung Jae's on-screen mother, making her only 11 years older than the actor playing her son.
Meanwhile, fellow supporting cast members Seo Ji Hye (b. 1984), Kim Hyun Jin (b. 1996), and Jin Ho Eun (b. 2000) contribute to the spread of generations, making Lee the obvious outlier of the program's age distribution.
Online forums and Korean search platforms such as Naver KnowledgeIn have been abuzz with questions like, "What do you think of Lee Jung Jae and Lim Ji Yeon's age difference in casting?"
Reactions have ranged from optimistic to skeptical. Some viewers noted, "The age gap could be a unique selling point," while others voiced concern, saying, "It's hard to focus on the plot with such a big real-life age gap."
The backlash echoes past discussions about age gaps in K-dramas, although historically, such pairings—like those in A Witch's Romance and Secret Affair—have been integral to the storyline.
Mean Love, however, does not incorporate the age difference into its narrative, prompting criticism that the casting feels jarring or mismatched.
"This isn't about age gaps in general," said a broadcasting insider, speaking on condition of anonymity. "It's about how the story doesn't acknowledge it. When age disparities are integrated into the plot, they can enrich the narrative. Here, it just feels disconnected."
Others within the industry attribute the issue to structural casting challenges. "It's tough to find a male actor in his 20s or 30s who has both strong acting skills and the star power needed to carry a project," one official said.
Another insider added, "Many female actors in the same age bracket as Lee Jung Jae are now cast in middle-aged roles, limiting the pool for romantic leads. This likely influenced the choice to pair him with a younger actress from the same agency."
Despite the criticism, tvN is moving forward with the production, banking on the experience and star power of its cast to win over audiences.
Whether the romance between the leads will resonate on screen remains to be seen.
Mean Love is expected to premiere in late 2025.
