Shin Hyun-jun reveals the behind-the-scenes of Lee Wan's casting in 'Stairway to Heaven': "Kim Tae-hee brought him along" [Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 3][★Night TV]

*This content was translated by AI.

Actor Shin Hyun-jun shared the behind-the-scenes story of Lee Wan playing the child role in 'Stairway to Heaven'.

On the 29th, the MBN and Channel S variety program 'Jeon Hyun-moo Plan 3' featured Shin Hyun-jun, known as 'Meok-chin-gu', along with Jeon Hyun-moo and Kwak Tube (Kwak Jun-bin), as they set out from Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, to find the 'Gemi-jin taste'.

That day, Shin Hyun-jun headed to a restaurant in Gwangju to try one of the city's seven famous dishes, yukjeon (pan-fried pork cutlet). During the trip, Kwak Tube brought up one of Shin Hyun-jun's hit dramas, 'Stairway to Heaven', saying, "I recently watched it on Shorts. It had three major plot twists. I watched 'Stairway to Heaven' live on TV."

In response, Shin Hyun-jun joked, "My mom still doesn't understand. She says, 'My son is more handsome than this. What is this all about?'" eliciting laughter.

Shin Hyun-jun played Han Tae-hwa in the SBS drama 'Stairway to Heaven', which aired in 2003. At that time, Lee Wan portrayed the child version of his character. 'Stairway to Heaven' also starred Choi Ji-woo, Kwon Sang-woo, and Kim Tae-hee alongside Shin Hyun-jun. The series became immensely popular, with its final episode achieving a record-breaking viewership rating of 42.4%.

Regarding Lee Wan's casting as the child actor, Shin Hyun-jun revealed, "After I was cast, the director jokingly asked if we should go to Pakistan or the Middle East for auditions. (Kim) Tae-hee brought her younger brother to the set, and that's how he was cast."

Continuing on the show's enduring popularity, Shin Hyun-jun explained, "What's truly amazing is that it's still airing in South America, causing a huge stir. People can't even walk five steps without talking about it." In fact, Shin Hyun-jun demonstrated his lasting popularity by holding a fan meeting in Peru in November 2025.

Kwak Tube remarked, "It's amazing that a 20-year-old work still looks exactly the same as it did back then (in terms of Shin Hyun-jun's appearance)." Jeon Hyun-moo added with a laugh, "It's actually a plus that he already looks older."

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*This content was translated by AI.