A new period drama series “Love in the Moonlight” staring Park Bo-gum and Kim Yoo-jung will kick off next week.

The series follows the unlikely romance between a crown prince, played by Park, and an 18-year-old girl masquerading as a eunuch, played by Kim. 

“As soon as I read the script, I really wanted to get on board,” Park said at a press conference for the show Thursday in eastern Seoul. Park, 23, returns to the small screen for the first time since the tvN drama series “Reply 1988,” which wrapped in January and shot the young actor to stardom. His new role as Lee Yeong, a crown prince and heir to the throne of the Joseon dynasty, could not be further from the shy, wholesome teenage boy he played in “Reply 1988.”

“It was hard at first to find a balance, but I talked a lot with the writers,” he said. 

According to press releases, Lee Yeong, also called Prince Hyomyeong, is a bright, mischievous young man who is secretly burdened with the pressures of the crown, concerns for his people and opposition at court.

Kim, 16, portrays his love interest, a street-savvy girl who dresses up like a boy to make a living for herself and smuggles into the Joseon court as a eunuch. Kim said she focused on making her character as “cute and endearing” as possible and described the show as a “cheery, young period piece.”

The show is based on a web novel of the same title. The characters have been tweaked to be “more three dimensional,” said director Kim Sung-yoon, who helmed “Dream High” in 2011.

Starting on Aug. 22, “Love in the Moonlight” will air every Monday and Tuesday on KBS2 at 10 p.m. and run for 18 episodes.

By Rumy Doo (doo@heraldcorp.com)