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Choi Jin-hyuk offered medical mystery drama Beautiful Mind

Beautiful Mind, the drama formerly known as Dr. Frankenstein, has had some difficulty casting its leading man — Kim Soo-hyun, Yoo Ah-in, and Lee Jong-seok all passed on it, and it was shelved for a while. But the series finally landed a spot on KBS’s spring schedule, and now an offer is out to Choi Jin-hyuk (Pride and Prejudice, Fated To Love You) to headline in what would be his army comeback drama.

Choi Jin-hyuk was discharged from the army early due to a knee surgery back in October, 2015, after seven months of active duty. I’m a little concerned that a drama comeback this early would be more harmful for him than good, no matter how enticing the role, since there tends to be harsh blowback against celebrities who get special treatment in any way regarding military service. He was discharged for legitimate medical reasons, but going back to work before his would-be 21 months of army duty are over seems like a publicity minefield.

The drama comes from the writer of Sungkyunkwan Scandal the PD of Sirius and Dream High 2, and is a mystery about a genius psychopath surgeon with a frontal lobe lesion that prevents him from feeling any emotion. He’s a neurosurgeon who’s as beautiful as a runway model, but has never once experienced love, friendship, trust, comfort, or happiness.

The drama will set itself apart from medical procedurals and tell a suspenseful story about “someone who kills, someone who saves, someone who chases, and someone who’s chased.” Other central characters will include a female detective in the violent crimes unit, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and a researcher in the neurosurgery department. Choi Jin-hyuk has only just been offered the role and is considering for now, and agents and producers are probably waiting to see how public sentiment affects the possible comeback project for him.

Beautiful Mind is scheduled to follow Monday-Tuesday drama Neighborhood Lawyer Jo Deul-ho in May.

Via IS Plus, Sports Chosun

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So this drama finally will come true LOL
"He’s a neurosurgeon who’s as beautiful as a runway model, but has never once experienced love, friendship, trust, comfort, or happiness"

Don't worry, there will always be a bright heroine who will heal this kind of man ?

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oh Love is always about the moment right?
*start singing Love is. . .

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*tapes your mouth* DOOONNNNNNNNNNNTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT ! Please no, just... Don't. If the world never heard that song again, it'd still be too soon :(

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Lol XD

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Sounds crazy and over the top

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Just how I like 'em, and Choi Jin Hyuk in the mix, yes! I am a fan ~

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Yeah, I don't doubt his detractors will certainly criticize him for an "early" comeback when he's supposedly still enlisted. Bashers are illogical like that.

as for seeing those who passed on this drama, WHOA! but, one man's trash is another's treasure. He did good in Pride & Prejudice, no matter how dragging that drama was. (his bromance with Lee Tae Hwan was amazing to boot!)

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I'm with girlfriday on this... I know Choi Jin-hyuk would be itching to get back on the proverbial horse since his career has just started gaining a bit of momentum, but he and his agency needs to be careful.

That being said, IMO Shin Sung rok would have been perfect for the role though...#justsaying

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Shin Sung Rok.....noooo, damn it, don't make me want things I can't have! :(

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I have done nothing to hurt you please don't say things like these because I have done nothing to deserve this

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What is this guy doing now? He probably available, right

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He's currently performing in Mata Hari, plus he has The Prison to film too- along with that Song Kangho film...

Yes he's too busy. So busy. Very very busy. No free time at all.

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Poliwag, don't deny us the pleasure.

Give us Psycho-Sungrok.

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One busy man.sigh...??

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MARY NO PLS SPARE ME JUST THIS ONCE I DON'T WANT TO SUFFER

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I take it back, we need Liar Game 2 more.

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So now we are on neuro-surgeon wave... So this drama will compete with Kim Rae-Won's drama that is scheduled to come out in June...

I also agree with you, girlfriday, that he needs to be mindful so as not to tarnish his image....

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The production company for Beautiful Mind just denied any reports of Choi Jin Hyuk being considered for the role. It looks like someone is lying but to be honest it doesn't look very good for the production company. How awkward.

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Maybe the production company created this lie to stir up some controversy to get viewers' attention for the drama.

CJH? Really.. I'm pretty sure he won't consider acting yet considering that he is supposed to be serving in the army.

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Well, I just don't want to see him in a controversy later on.

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I agree that while I would like to see choi jin hyuk back in the small screen, i think it is still a little too early for him to do so since he is technically supposed to be serving in the army right now. I am not against it, but I know knetz will definitely have a lot to say about this. This drama will either make or break his acting career. I don't know, but let's hope it is not the latter.

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What is it with these medical dramas this year LOL.

I hope CJH and his agency are not serious. Serving in the army is a huge deal in Korea, and even though he has a valid reason for early discharge, doing dramas while he supposed be enlisted or recovering from his knee injury is a bad idea.

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Meh.

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Why draw fire on someone on someone? If he is legally entitled to earn a living let him be.

This may attract another useless controversy. The CITT may have also started from here in series of drama recaps criticising BIH and then boommm fans reacted negatively. I feel sorry fo SKJ after that.

I hope it will not happen to CJH this time.

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These two are absolutely a different situation and due to different reason.

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seriously, if there was anyone to feel sorry for in THAT situation, we knew who it was.

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Agree. Plus, i think some of readers unclear that the thing we criticised on CITT was not on BIH only, it is more on the injustice done by the production / tvn itself / whoever hold the power, which its consequences cause the actors suffered.

In CJH's case, rather than jeopardized his acting career, better take a break for this year. He / his agency dont have to worry so much, since there are a lot actors going to be enlisted this year and next year, so the competition might be lesser.

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Doesn't seem like they want or agree with backlash happening, but know it probably would if he's cast in something before his MS was supposed to be over.

If anything this is probably to test the waters to see if he could comeback soon.

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This article and recaps about CITT are similar. Write-ups that fuel controversy. No different from those in the tabloids.

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Woah woah woah. Calm down. I assure you, they said nothing we were not thinking. By episode 8, I was already wondering "where the hell Jung was'. Infact, the recapper received backlash in like ep 12, where her entire comment section was about Baek In Ho... proving that Jung indeed was missing from production. Do not act like there was nothing wrong with that drama... or that PJH was not treated unfairly... or the director does not need a day or two in the asylum.

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The recapper complained why there was less Jung.

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As much as i want to see him again, i really dont want him to take this role because im completely sure that he will get a lot of hate for it. About the synopsis of the drama, i want to see what will happen. Sure it sounds crazy and over-the-top and all but i want to see what they mean by the “someone who kills, someone who saves, someone who chases, and someone who’s chased.” part of it!

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I am curious how successful this drama will be in comparison to other medical dramas that are going air this summer. The plot sounds ridiculous, but I'm curious..

As for the male lead, he's a great actor but he should not act this year. While many of us are logical human beings, we know most knetz are not. He is going to receive a lot of heat for this.

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Ya know, normal people would realize how bad a drama is when 3 (now 4?) actors turn it down, but they're really determined to keep this story alive...maybe they'll prove us wrong? I doubt I'll stick around to find out.

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well, that's what they said about Kill Me Heal Me (Ji Sung was the third or fourth actor to be offered the role), and look at how that turned out.

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Yup! It was more of a case that the role was difficult and they'd have looked bad if their acting skills weren't good enough for it.

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Logically speaking, to avoid any controversy, he should not take any offer this year. For his own sake.

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A genius neurosurgeon with frontal lobe lesion who suffers from neurological symptoms.... tell me why this person became a doctor and not a psychopath like hannibal lecter?

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well, technically Hannibal Lecter was a doctor.....and a neurosurgeon, by definition, is a doctor...

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DON'T DO IT!!

Korean population are inrelentless and unforgiving when it comes to mandatory military service. They remember everything and forgive nothing. Legitimate reason or not, they are unforgiving. He should just lay low until his would be 2 years are up and then pursue his work and such.

I don't care how good a drama may be. Say no till your would be time is up!

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So Will Korean NETIEZN PAYING HIS MEDICAL BILL..BULLSHIT PEOPLE WHO CAN'T DIFFERNATE BETWEEN INTENTION MILITARY SKIP N HEALTH REASONS ,,I THINK MANDATORY SERVING ITSELF IS A ... IN THIS ERA,,WHY U NEED TO BE SERVED WHEN IT'S PURPOSE IS NOT DONE WELL ..

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I agree..

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I really miss him...

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If he does take it, it'd be kind of odd, seeing how he was so distraught at his early discharge from mandatory service.

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Yeah, he need to keep quite for a while maybe like after his supposed military services end. I forgot which actors that go out earlier due to injury and he stayed out of limelight like 2-3 years more before make his comeback.

Even singer that doing performance during his military break also got bashed.

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Won Bin, probably. He was discharged early thanks to a shoulder injury, and didn't get a new acting project out till 2009.

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I agree that he needs to stay out of the public eye for at least another year after his supposed military service ends. Making a comeback after his supposed service ends is still not good enough for knetz. No matter how innocent you are, knetz will always find some way to bash celebrities.

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i hope the drama will stay thriller and not too focus on romance. because the character has brain damage and it should hard to change. except if he use his asset to lure his victims. so its acceptable if the heroine will fall for him.
but to cast CJH, i think he should lay low for a while, at least until his 'military service time' actually over. if he is just an ordinary people it would be fine for him to ignore what people think and start working immediately. but what he is about to do is gonna need people's attention which only good if he make a good impression.

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He should pass on this. It's not worth the backlash he would get if he stars in a drama before his medical service is supposed to be over. It's a delicate balance. He should do the smart thing and refrain from acting for a while.

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Sorry, I meant "military service".

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He has been good in Fated To Love You..I'm happy that he is coming... Fighting!! :)

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Why are we assuming there will be a controversy though? Won Bin's discharged early for the same reason and he worked right away and no one said a thing. Most of the reactions to CJH getting offered the role has either been positive on Korean Internet, and if there are negative reactions it's because the drama already had a string of actors refuse it, not because of CJH military issues.

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I think Won Bin was discharged mid 2006 and his next project was the movie Mother in 2009. (Filming started 2008). I think he took a good break there before he went back to work.

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I believe that he was going to need something like 6-9 months of therapy for his injured knee anyway so going back to work would be pushing it (unless he was broke and needed to pay bills; imagine him doing the drama with a knee brace on the whole time though).

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Would love to see him in this, but like others, fear this would draw negative reactions. The minute he did anything in the drama beyond regular walking, negative netizens would freak out..."so he's fit enough to work and not serve?!"

Maybe he should do a few small projects like photo shoots and such first and ease back in.

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Just curious - would he get bashed if he did ads/commercials or is it just dramas that might raise people's ire? I wonder because if he was in the army I assume he gets a paycheck. If he is legitimately out (for whatever reason), is he just supposed to not earn any money until his military time is up? Seems unreasonable to me not to work once he's healed unless the army is still paying him.

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I don't think doing light weight commercials etc is considered back to work in full force.

Won Bin did some charity works for his country and his fans while he was recuperating.

I don't think money is an issue for these stars. It's a great opportunity to work on one's image or connect with fans if you ask me.

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He is working too early and too busy for someone discharged earlier. If he was this capable of working he could have been transferred to some other form of public work

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