In his next drama Shin Sung Rok is a mastermind of deception. He doesn't just lie and encourage people to lie. He makes them an offer they can't resist. His character Kang Do Young is the planner and emcee of a reality show named the Liar Game Tournament, in which contestants have to lie and cheat to win.

Shin Sung Rok shows the two faces of his character in the recently released stills for "Liar Game. In one photograph he looks like a conventional businessman and in the other he wears a mysterious golden mask. He is a businessman in that his business is using people's greed and fear to help them act in an unethical way.

According to the drama's producers, he's good at his role. The actor's focus in this drama is impressive. For such a nice guy, he easily slips into his villain character and delivers some chilling lines. That's not surprising considering how well he managed to transition into the role of a nice guy in "Trot Lovers" after playing a coldhearted villain and murderer in "You Who Came From The Stars."

Shin Sung Rok is so good at portraying evil that it often surprises fans to discover that he played the romantic lead in several stage musicals.

The "Liar Game" is based on the popular Japanese manga written by Kaitani Shinobu. It's the story of an honest college student receives a large sum of money and a note saying she is a contestant in the Liar Game Tournament. Contestants are encouraged to cheat and tell lies to get money from the other contestants. Losers don't just lose their stake but they also acquire an enormous crippling debt.

The college student Nam Da Jung, played by Kim So Eun, has her money stolen by her former teacher. She teams up with a psychology professor/con artist, played by Lee Sang Yoon, to get her money back and win at the Liar Game. She becomes ruthless to beat the system.

"Liar Game" is not the first adaptation of the Japanese manga, which was first serialized in 2005. It was adapted into a Japanese TV series that earned high ratings. A sequel to the manga ran from 2009 to 2010 and was adapted into two live action films.

Kim Hong Sun, who directed "Warrior Baek Dong Soo" and OCN's "Hero," will direct "Liar Game." Yoo Yong Jae, who wrote "Time Between Wolf and Dog," is the screenwriter.

The first episode of "Liar Game" airs on Oct. 20.