Woodz / Captured from his Instagram

Woodz, widely recognized for his hit song “Drowning,” is set to join the cast of a historical action film scheduled to begin shooting in the second half of the year.

The singer’s participation was announced Thursday by Hive Media Corp., the production company behind the tentatively titled film “Nambeol,” or “The Southern Campaign” in English.

Set in Korea during the 1392-1910 Joseon Dynasty era, the film is billed as a hard-boiled, wuxia-style action feature. Its story follows nine warriors of disparate social backgrounds and talents who embark on a campaign to Japan’s Tsushima Island to rescue Korean captives held by local pirate lords.

Woodz will play Cheonnom, whose name literally means “firstborn,” a skilled archer who never misses his mark. He joins the perilous campaign to support his family. Devoted both to his family and his fellow warriors, Cheonnom is determined to bring every member of the expedition home alive.

The film is directed by Lee Mo-gae, who previously oversaw the cinematography for “12.12: The Day,” “Exhuma,” “Hunt,” “Yadang: The Snitch” and “Emergency Declaration.” “Nambeol” will mark his directorial debut. The cast also includes Lee Byung-hun, Go Youn-jung and Lee Do-hyun, whose casting generated considerable buzz when the lineup was revealed. The film is reportedly in preproduction, with filming scheduled to begin in the second half of this year.

For Woodz, the historical action film will be his second acting project following his debut in “Slide Strum Mute,” in which he played the lead role. Before branching out into acting, the singer debuted as a member of the K-pop group UNIQ and competed on the audition program “Produce X 101.” He rose to nationwide prominence when his self-written song “Drowning” staged a dramatic resurgence on the charts and became one of the Korean music industry’s biggest recent hits.

Fans and industry watchers are now eager to see how the singer-turned-actor will fare in the action-heavy historical film.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.