Ong Seong-wu takes his first villain role in tvN's 'Osinghan Yeonae', premiering July 18

Ong Seong-wu is going villain for the first time.

The actor takes on Kang Min-hwan in Osinghan Yeonae (오싹한 연애), a tvN Saturday-Sunday drama premiering July 18 at 9:10 PM. Director Lee Min-soo and writer Choi Jung-mi adapted the material from a film of the same name, adding new characters and settings.

The story follows Cheon Yeo-ri (Park Eun-bin), a chaebol heiress who sees ghosts, and Ma Kang-wook (Yang Se-jong), a prosecutor terrified of them. Their occult romance anchors the plot. Kang Min-hwan is original to the drama—a man with a gentle exterior who masks deep ambition. He craves recognition from his parents and company, and he'll manipulate anyone's heart to get it.

"I often hear that I look upright," Ong said. "Through this character, I want to show a chilling side."

He chose the role partly because of the source material's popularity. Kang Min-hwan felt like the right vessel to inject new tension into the story. His preparation centered on motivation. Every action the character takes stems from clear goals—and for a villain, that justification runs deep.

Ong urged viewers to focus on how Cheon Yeo-ri and Ma Kang-wook solve the eerie incidents together.