"All good except the writer" – Fans react as Queen of Tears' Park Ji-eun joins Kim Go-eun & Gang Dong-won’s period drama 'Soul' amid plagiarism claims

On July 21, 2025, K-media Xports News reported that Kim Go-eun has joined forces with Gang Dong-won for a new historical-romance series titled Soul (working title).

The series will be written by Park Ji-eun and directed by Kim Won-seok (best known for Signal, My Mister, and The Good Bad Mother). Soul is expected to mix a past-era setting with a romantic plot. Information regarding the plot remains concealed.

However, the followers voiced dismay over the Soul's screenwriter.

"All good except the writer 😪 i have no trust in her," an X user commented.

For those unversed, Park, the screenwriter of hit K-dramas like Crash Landing on You and Queen of Tears, has encountered repeated plagiarism charges over her career. These claims often cite that her plots or character ideas were lifted from other creators’ original or unreleased material.

"Goeun in Historical Romance i came to cheer up until I saw the writer's name & went back door 😌," a fan remarked. "Seated, though I’m unsure how I feel about the writer after QoT," a user mentioned. "Everything is pretty except for the writer.. hmmm.," a person shared.

Though there are doubts surrounding the screenwriter, numerous viewers are excited about the selection of Kim Go-eun and Gang Dong-won.

"TALENTED AND PRETTY PEOPLE TOGETHER!!!!," a netizen said. "What a duo 🤩," a viewer noted. "Kang Dongwon???!!! And Kim Goeun???!! I'm seated," another fan added.

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Park Ji-eun's ongoing plagiarism claims explained

Top K-drama writer Park Ji-eun, known for My Love From The Star and Crash Landing On You, has faced repeated accusations of plagiarism — none legally confirmed so far. According to Donga Ilbo, in 2013, My Love From The Star was pointed out for opening scenes that closely echoed the U.S. show New Amsterdam (2008).

That same show got another hit when Sul Hee, author Kang Kyung-ok filed a suit, saying Park lifted elements from her web novel, first drafted in 2003. Kang dropped the case later in 2014 after both parties reached a private understanding.

Fast forward to 2019, Crash Landing On You was also pulled into controversy. A new writer, through an online post, claimed Park used their original idea. The post said the plot of a South Korean woman crash-landing into North Korea mirrored a concept they had submitted earlier to a script contest. Before this, The Legend of the Blue Sea faced similar accusations (reported by KPop Post).

Park denied the claim and filed a defamation case. The legal matter was eventually dismissed. The writer later shared that the dispute led to a suicide attempt, which stirred public attention. So far, no court has found Park guilty of plagiarism. But the repeated allegations have kept her name tied to controversy within drama circles.

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Gang Dong-won & Kim Go-eun to enter TV Sageuk arena with Soul

Soul (tentative title) marks Gang Dong-won’s first official jump into a full-length period drama for TV. Though the actor hasn’t done one for the small screen, he’s no stranger to the era. In Duelist (2005), he played a mute swordsman. In Kundo (2014), he portrayed a noble’s illegitimate son who rises against corruption.

Most recently, he led Netflix’s Uprising (2024) as Cheon-young, a servant joining a rebellion during the Japanese occupation. Until now, his historical works were strictly film-based.

On the other front, Kim Go-eun, too, hasn’t starred in a full-scale traditional Sageuk on TV yet. It's a Korean term that refers to historical dramas or films set in dynasties like Joseon, Goryeo, or Three Kingdoms. However, she appeared in Memories of the Sword (2015), playing a warrior stuck between vengeance and obligation.

Her drama experience is mostly rooted in present-day or fantasy plots, like her roles in Goblin (2016–17) as Ji Eun-tak, and The King: Eternal Monarch (2020), where she portrayed two characters across parallel timelines.

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Meanwhile, Kim Go-eun’s lineup remains tight. She stars in Netflix’s You and Everything Else and The Price of Confession, both expected later this year. She’s also returning for Yumi’s Cells 3, slated for a 2025 release via TVING. With Soul added to her list, she continues an uninterrupted string of projects. No release date has been confirmed for Soul yet.

Edited by Bharath S