Actor Jung Il-woo is set to play the lead role in a Thai drama series, public relations company Shall We Talk announced Tuesday.

Jung is the first Korean actor to be cast as the main character in a Thai drama series.

Jung left for Thailand on Sunday for filming of the TV drama tentatively titled “Love and Lies (Gon rak game ma ya),” in which he will play the male protagonist Tim, the public relations manager of a giant entertainment agency, said the PR company.

The actor “decided to be on the show since Southeast Asia is a highly viable market for hallyu, after China,” said the PR firm.

Jung debuted in 2006 with the thriller film “The World of Silence” and rose to stardom with MBC’s sitcom “Unstoppable High Kick,” which aired from 2006-2007, in which he played a rebellious teen with a crush on a teacher. The actor has since starred in numerous TV drama series including MBC’s historical dramas “The Return of Iljimae” (2009) and “Moon Embracing the Sun” (2012). Jung has also starred in Chinese variety shows and the Chinese film “The Rise of a Tomboy,” which was released in March 2016.

Meanwhile, he recently completed shooting for tvN’s upcoming drama series “Cinderella and Four Knights,” which is fully preproduced.

By Jung Eun-jin (jej2403@heraldcorp.com)