EXCLUSIVE: A+E Global Media is backing Lifetime Korea series Oh! My Guard starring K-pop performer Jung Yong-hwa and rising star Hong Seung-hee.

With A+E prioritizing Korea, the studio is investing in and globally distributing Oh! My Guard, which has been licensed for release in 83 countries including to Asian streamer Viu.

Launching next month on Lifetime Korea, Oh! My Guard follows Um Tae-bong, a melodramatic star with a devastating secret, and a woman who, after an accident, comes to believe she is the heroine of his drama, setting the stage for an unpredictable romance.

A+E said it “recognized the series’ potential to bring together the nuanced emotional storytelling associated with Korean dramas, the buoyant pace of romantic comedy and the international fandom surrounding Korean actors and K-pop stars.”

Jung Yong-hwa has amassed a big following as a member of K-pop band CNBLUE, while Hong Seung-hee has appeared in the likes of Just Dance, Navillera and Move to Heaven.

Produced by Syn & Studio and People Story Company, Oh! My Guard is penned by Byun Sang-soon and directed by Yoon Jong-ho and Lee Seung-hoon. Yoon Jong-ho recently made hit K-drama Lovely Runner.

A+E Korea MD Youngsun Soh said: “We are thrilled to bring Oh! My Guard to audiences around the world. From the outset, we were drawn to its inventive premise, the fresh pairing of Jung Yong-hwa and Hong Seung-hee, and director Yoon Jong-ho’s sophisticated direction.”

A+E will be selling the show at MIPCOM Cannes. Last year it rebranded from A+E Networks.