[Drama 2020] The King: Eternal Monarch, 더 킹: 영원의 군주

[syntyche]

 

 

"The King" and "Born Again," TV dramas carry two roles per person
 

There is something in common among the newly introduced dramas recently. It is the fact that a large number of the main characters are one-man, two-characters in SBS' "The King" and KBS2's "Born Again". In the past, there were many dramas featuring two characters, but it is refreshing that a number of one-person two-player characters appear and play an important role in the narrative of the play.

 

SBS's "The King-Eternal Monarch," which first aired on Friday, tells the story of the parallel world between the Korean Empire and the Republic of Korea. The romance between Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho), the emperor of the Korean Empire, and Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), the Korean police, is expected to unfold in it. Because it is a parallel world, characters coexist in both worlds. Kim Go-eun will play both Jeong Tae-eul, a violent crime detective, and Luna, a wanted suspect. Until the second episode, only Jung Tae-eul appeared, and Luna only showed her back, further raising expectations for Kim Go-eun's acting transformation.

 

Woo Do-hwan, who plays the role of Cho Young-hwa, who is playing the role of the commander of the Korean Empire's Guard, also played the role of Cho Eun-seop, a social service worker in South Korea. He is a 180-degree different person, from visual to styling to speech and personality. Earlier, Woo Do-hwan said in a production presentation that he was "good but burdened to play a double role," but he is receiving favorable reviews for successfully portraying two completely different characters in one drama.

 

In addition, Kim Yong-ji challenged the two-player role as Myeongnari, the owner of the building, and Myeong Seung-ah, an employee of the imperial press office. "The King" is using the concept of a parallel world, which can be somewhat esoteric and difficult, as a device to help understand, and raising the mystery of the connection between the two worlds.

 

http://www.sportsseoul.com/news/read/907721?ref=naver

 

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"The King: Eternal Monarch" topped the weekly wavve drama VOD (video on demand) at the same time as its premiere on the 17th.

"The King" is a new work by Kim Eun-sook, who wrote a series of hit films such as "Descendants of the Sun" and "The Heirs," and is a romance fantasy depicting a fateful encounter between South Korea and the Korean Empire.

It was the third Kim Eun-sook fantasy film following "Secret Garden" and "Guardian: The Lonely and Great God," which first aired amid keen interest. TV ratings also surpassed double-digit ratings at 11.6 percent, with the number of viewers topping the same time slot for all channels.

Kim Eun-sook's past works were also re-visited under the influence of "The King." Just like "The King," "The Heirs (2013)" starring Lee Min-ho suddenly rose to 17th place, while "Descendants of the Sun" (2016)" also ranked 29th.

 

https://www.ajunews.com/view/20200421080740078

 

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Hello @Geolyvseven, welcome back! 

 

Edited April 20, 2020 by syntyche

[leeminhosny]

 

[Deepakmahajan]

I think they couldve left korea out on netflix ,considering the appeal of drama to youth who will watch whenever they are in mood. 

 

But at same time it might work, if they like it on netflix,  that means next week they might watch it on tv at the time of airing , if they get interested, which most probably  they will.

It is huge success on netflix worldwide.  Can't wait for weekly or monthly update whenever it comes.

 

And same time i am happy that production is measuring pros and cons of the future episodes. And they are shooting some scenes to make show better. The hardwork even after filming for months and still actors ready to reschedule  their dates and time makes it even more impressive to me. They all pouring their hearts in project. So i hope it does magic on ratings soon. Like it is doing internationally!

 

@Joséphine.arjenia knetz are salty people. They complain  that idols ruin everything  and talented actors don't  get work. When they do, they mock them for looks and visuals.

Kim go eun is natural beauty. Let them attack her. They are jealous that she  doesn't need to get work done to look beautiful  and land roles on her talent. It won't take away anything from her or lee min ho

 

[leeminhosny]

If we look Netflix and Wavve views , our theory is correct, now era is web era, young people watch everything on web, not tv , so There are so many web channel and web dramas in Korea, so only criteria isn't rating, Youtube view , Netfllix, Wavve etc. everything is important , I said same thing for Extraordinary You, this drama became hit in Korea last year but it just had 3% rating but its Youtube views so high and it is hot topic . or look at Moon Lovers is big hit but had just average 7% rating

[syntyche]

“The King: Eternal Monarch” Producers Apologize After Controversy Over Building Designs Resembling Japanese Architecture

The production team behind “The King: Eternal Monarch” has apologized and will be making changes to the drama following criticism over the show including architecture seemingly influenced by Japanese temples.

The much-anticipated SBS fantasy romance drama premiered on April 17 with record-breaking ratings for its timeslot on the network and has now aired two episodes. Its story features two parallel universes: one with a democracy that is similar to modern-day Korea and one that is an alternative universe in which Korea is an empire ruled by a monarch. Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min Ho) and detective Jung Tae Eul (Kim Go Eun) work together to protect the ones they love and close the portal between the two worlds.

A controversy erupted online following its initial episodes as people noted that the fictional world of the Korean Empire depicted in the title video for the show appeared to use images of buildings that are similar to Japanese temples. One of these is a building in the Japanese temple complex Tōdai-ji, which many people speculated was an influence for the design of the drama’s royal palace. Another building that was suspected to have inspired a building in the title video is a five-story pagoda in Japan’s temple of Kōfuku-ji.

 

 

“The King: Eternal Monarch” opening title video.

 

Spoiler

A building in the Tōdai-ji temple complex, Japan. 

 

Some viewers also saw similarities between the Imperial Seal for the fictional Korean Empire and the real Imperial Seal of Japan.

 

“The King: Eternal Monarch” Imperial Seal. 

 

Spoiler

The Imperial Seal of Japan. 

 

This matter goes beyond concerns of plagiarism as Korea and Japan have a long history of historical conflict, going back to at least the seventh century. Modern-day negative sentiments about the country are often tied to Japan making Korea its imperial colony in 1910, which led to further issues such as Japan’s use of Koreans as forced laborers and “comfort women” (sexual slaves) during World War II. A recent trade dispute between the two countries has also heightened animosity between the nations. Apparent depictions of even a fictional Korean history that appears to have been influenced by Japanese tradition has therefore become a controversy.

On April 20, “The King: Eternal Monarch” issued the following statement:

 

"We are conveying Hwa & Dam Pictures’s statement regarding the current controversial issue.

First, we will address the imperial seal of the Korean Empire. In order to represent a constitutional monarchy in which the National Assembly or Executive Branch is centered around the imperial family, we created the Korean Empire’s imperial seal with a ‘double plum flower’ design in which a flower is enfolded by another flower. It’s completely unrelated to the Imperial Seal of Japan.

We will address the production of the title video. First, in the case of the wooden pagoda, we used the Baekje five-story wooden pagoda, which is on display the Baekje History Reproduction Complex, as a base. We hoped that we would not cause misunderstandings through designing a fictional wooden building by recreating a wooden pagoda that is seen in historical records.

However, in the case of the two-story wooden pagoda, we used features of Korean Buddhist temples and Chinese royal palaces as the base to make a fictional wooden pagoda, and we have verified that some features of a Japanese temple were used in the process. It was clearly our mistake, no matter the reason for it, for us to have not paid close attention to every detail in the process of designing the fictional world of the Korean Empire, and we sincerely apologize.

The production team will immediately correct this, and we will make sure that you feel no discomfort when watching the show from episode 3 onwards. We will also correct this in the reruns and video-on-demand services for episodes that have already aired.

We once again apologize, and we will try our best to make a high-quality drama."

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1395596wpp/the-king-eternal-monarch-producers-apologize-after-controversy-over-building-designs-resembling-japanese-architecture

[leeminhosny]

Fortunately they aren't Nate comments

 

 

[syntyche]

"The King: Eternal Monarch" Worldview. Differences between the Korean Empire and the Republic of Korea

 

For the majority of drama viewers in Korea, fantasy is a low-key genre. Kim Eun-sook's new work, "The King," deals with the parallel world that is known for its difficulties among its fantasies. Since it is a very interesting drama, I would like to organize my worldview. 

 

Parallel world

 

Spoiler

 

 

There are two worlds. On one side is the Republic of Korea, and on the other is the Korean Empire. The two worlds are in a parallel relationship, similar but different. You can go back and forth between two worlds through the door of the dimension. According to the purpose of the project, God and the devil are mentioned, and in the second half of the drama, it will be a fantasy as to why the door of the dimension opens. I've only seen this setting in dramas like Doctor Who, and it's nice to see it in Korean dramas. 

 

Republic of Korea

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

The world where the Republic of Korea is located is the same as ours. It's literally our world. The political system, the country, the president, the way we live are all the same. The world we live in is the world of Korea. But the world of the Korean Empire, which is parallel to our world, is completely different. 

 

The Korean Empire

 

Spoiler

 

The Korean Empire exists in the parallel world. With the setting of a monarchy maintained to modern times, it is a typical constitutional monarchy ruled by the emperor and ruled by the prime minister. 

 

In the past, the Korean Empire, which appeared in "The Dignity of the Empress," was fun to infer historical facts because the actual Korean Empire, founded by King Gojong in 1897, lasted until 2019, but the Korean Empire in this drama is a country of parallel worlds that is completely different from our world. In other words, only the name is the Korean Empire, which is completely different from the Korean Empire in real history. 

 

The Korean people in the parallel world did not suffer from the division of the two Koreas and the Korean War. Originally, the history of the parallel world was the same as ours, but it changed from the era of the Manchu invasion. In our world, Joseon was defeated as widely known, but in the parallel world, Prince Sohyun won the Manchu war and became King Yeongjong. The parallel world and our world began to change that way, and it is assumed that the Korean Empire of the parallel world was established over time. 

 

Spoiler

 

the coronation of Yi Gon, the emperor of the Korean Empire

Lee Gon, who became the third emperor of the Korean Empire in 1994.

 

The Korean Empire of our world was founded by King Gojong in 1897, but the Korean Empire of the parallel world is believed to have been established much later. This is because Emperor Lee Gon, played by actor Lee Min-ho, is only the third emperor. The Korean Empire, which was founded in 1897, must have more than 100 years of history, so it is normal to have at least three emperors. I don't know when and by whom the Korean Empire in the parallel world was founded, but one thing is for sure that it is completely different from the fallen Korean Empire in our world. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

the parallel world of the Korean Empire in the drama

 

Spoiler

 

"Ihwamun," a symbol of the Korean Empire used by the royal family of the Korean Empire in actual history.

 

The Korean Empire in the parallel world uses the "Ihwamun" symbol as its director, similar to the Korean Empire in our history. But it looks a little different. The imperial pattern of the drama Daehan Empire has a double shape with two flowers interspersed with each other. Strangely, it felt like the Japanese imperial family, causing controversy over Japanese colors after the show. 

 

Spoiler

 

the street trams of the Korean Empire in the drama

 

Spoiler

 

a streetcar of the Korean Empire in actual history

 

In the parallel world of the Korean Empire, street trams on the ground emerge as an important means of transportation. In our world, most of the street trams have disappeared in 1968 since they were first opened in 1899, but in the parallel Korean Empire, there are road trams in 2019. 

 

One of the most confusing things for those who watched the drama is, "Is the scene I'm watching now the Korean Empire or the Republic of Korea?" If there is a streetcar and you see the pattern of the Imperial Palace, it is 100% the Korean Empire. You can tell whether this scene is the Korean Empire or the Republic of Korea by using the tram and the imperial design. 

 

Spoiler

 

The royal family of the Korean Empire in the parallel world has various armed forces under its command, including the Geumgun and the Imperial Guard. The Imperial Guard wears a suit, but those believed to be Geumgun wear clothes that are very similar to those of the modern period of enlightenment 100 years ago. 

 

Spoiler

Main Palace in Busan, the Korean Empire. The palace is located on Dongbaek Island in Haeundae-gu, Busan. 

 

Spoiler

 

The night view of the palace. It looks just right to be swept away if there is a tidal wave or typhoon. 

 

Spoiler

 

It feels completely different from the traditional Joseon palace. It also feels like China and Japan, and the huge statue of Yi Sun-sin overlooking modern architecture and imperial palaces is unique. 

 

Spoiler

 

Scenes taken at Baekje Cultural Complex in Buyeo, Chungcheongnam-do

 

The Korean Empire in the parallel world is located in Busan, leaving Seoul intact. Of course, there is no direct line that the capital city is Busan, but the fact that the palace where the emperor resides in Busan is no different from the fact that Busan is the capital. Maybe because Busan is the capital, there is Busan International Airport in the world of the Korean Empire. 

 

High-rise buildings such as Marine City are lined up next to the palace located on Dongbaek Island, Haeundae-gu, Busan. After the show, it was criticized for being too unrealistic. It is pointed out that not only is it the palace of a country, but it is also completely defenseless against natural disasters such as typhoons and tsunamis, but it is not realistic to overlook the palace because there are high-rise buildings right next to the palace. I agree with this. Not only is the palace very vulnerable to natural disasters because it is right next to the sea, but there are so many high-rise buildings around it that it is exposed to civilians. I don't know what the CG team thought about designing the palace, but rather, the palace of the Korean Empire in "The Last Empress" is much more realistic. 

 

Small differences between the Korean Empire and Korea.

 

Spoiler

 

 

There is no Kim Yuna in the Korean Empire. Therefore, Lee Gon, who first came to Korea, mistook Kim Yu-na as a queen. It is only later that we know that our world is a presidential system. 

 

Spoiler

 

 

There is no seasoned chicken in the Korean Empire. Emperor Lee Gon first ate seasoned chicken and experienced the new world. No matter how good the Korean Empire is, I don't want to live in a place without seasoned chicken. 

 

 

There are 100,000 won bills in the Korean Empire. Like a monarchy, the face of Emperor Igon is depicted in the currency. If you look closely at the currency, it says "Imperial Bank," not "Korea Bank." 

 

Spoiler

 

 

There is no budae-jjigae in the Korean Empire. Since budae jjigae itself is a food created by the Korean War, it is natural that there is no budae jjigae in the Korean Empire, which has not experienced division and war. 

 

Spoiler

 

In the Korean Empire, water sports called rowing are very popular. It is so popular that the emperor himself participates in this game. Water sports such as rowing are not enjoying this popularity in Korea. 

 

 

The Korean Empire is believed to be richer than the Republic of Korea. It can be inferred from the line that there are 63 tall buildings like the 63 Building in Haeundae. A country that has not experienced division and war but lives better than Korea. It simply shows the prestige of the Korean Empire in developed countries. 

 

Besides this, the Korean Empire is a recruiting country.

 

https://m.blog.naver.com/jurassicgump/221919512307

[Heretorant]

1 hour ago, scrawford said:

I have read every single post, and all the theories are intriguing. I love that we are trying to figure out a puzzle with this Drama. So thankful i found this group

 

Also, am the only who already having Lee Gon/Ta Eul withdrawal??? i miss them and i just finished watching both episode back to back :), in total i have watch them 3 times each.

 

Somebody mentioned about the kiss. Well..... I can't wait for their kiss. Im hoping it will be genuine/organic in the non drama way. Just two people who are cray about each other and wanting that physical contact. im not sure in what episode does the kiss usually occurs on 16 episode Drama. maybe 6-7? boy that 2 weeks away. but in Mr. Sunshine there were no Kiss at all and in Faith there is only 1. So maybe non or 1-2 in later episode? i hope not.

 

 

 

And if writer Kim somehow wants to pull a Mr. Sunshine or even just 1-2 kisses in the later episodes, this is going to be me: 

 

I’m watching you, writer nim!

 

But nope, you’re not the only one having withdrawals. I’ve been listening to Zion’s ost on repeat and it’s making me feel so sad for our couple. I don’t know why, it’s barely going to be episode 3 and nothing tragic can possibly happen but the lyrics make me think they’ll have to eventually endure a lot to be together. Will they have a happy ending? I’m scared because writer Kim has gotten more risky with her endings lately. 

[leeminhosny]

BBQ 'Hot Golden Olive Chicken' series, sold over 40,000 in 4 days 

https://view.asiae.co.kr/article/2020042109150454156

[CallieP]

5 hours ago, Geolyvseven said:

Whats up folks long time no see.. I just got caught up in life but I am back home after 3-4 years absence. How are you all doing. 

Shout to @gtLmh0622 @pixie0622 @CarolynH @Kris Silva @leeminhosny @CallieP and others that I know but if I mention you all we will be here all night forgive me.. 

 

I just watched both episode after long absence from anything TV or movies. It was great watch. I am loving it so far. I will give a long review later but all in all good to see you guys again.

 

My virtual hug

 

 

 

Welcome back . I remember you

[Chellsee]

Lee Minho was Spotted Filming for 'The King: Eternal Monarch' in the Crowd of Busan's Haeundae Street

 

Lee Minho shows his charisma when the camera rolls.

On April 20th, Lee Minho was spotted in Haeundae, Busan, filming for the ongoing drama 'The King: Eternal Monarch.' He filmed his scene with his white horse Maximus. Not to mention, hundreds of passers-by quickly flocked to see the actor closer. However, as you can see in the clip below, Lee Minho can be seen all focused on his work despite the crowd taking photos and cheering for him. 

 

'The King: Eternal Monarch' tells the story about a Korean emperor Lee Gon (played by Lee Minho) who tries to close the doors to a parallel world which was opened by demons who were unleashed by a deity into the human world and a detective Jung Taeeul (played by Kim Goeun) who tries to protect the people and the one she loves.

The drama airs every Friday and Saturday at 10 P.M KST on SBS.

 

https://www.kstarlive.com/news/2020/04/21/lee-minho-was-spotted-filming-for-the-king-eternal-monarch-in-the-crowd-of-busan-s-haeundae-street-345090

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Me today while waiting for Friday!

Credit as shown.

[CallieP]

2 hours ago, leeminhosny said:

 

 

Is King, # 1 in S. Korea today?  Yay! It is #1 or 2 in most places

[syntyche]

"The King-Eternal Monarch" stimulated viewers' emotions by capturing different chemistry between Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

 

 

 

https://www.newsen.com/news_view.php?uid=202004211037528010

[Chellsee]

I saw this in IG and made me laugh so loud...

We are only in episode 2 but this man can't stand with our King. 

 

 

[CallieP]

1 hour ago, syntyche said:

"The King: Eternal Monarch" Worldview. Differences between the Korean Empire and the Republic of Korea

 

For the majority of drama viewers in Korea, fantasy is a low-key genre. Kim Eun-sook's new work, "The King," deals with the parallel world that is known for its difficulties among its fantasies. Since it is a very interesting drama, I would like to organize my worldview. 

 

Parallel world

 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

 

There are two worlds. On one side is the Republic of Korea, and on the other is the Korean Empire. The two worlds are in a parallel relationship, similar but different. You can go back and forth between two worlds through the door of the dimension. According to the purpose of the project, God and the devil are mentioned, and in the second half of the drama, it will be a fantasy as to why the door of the dimension opens. I've only seen this setting in dramas like Doctor Who, and it's nice to see it in Korean dramas. 

 

Republic of Korea

 

  Hide contents

 

 

 

 

 

The world where the Republic of Korea is located is the same as ours. It's literally our world. The political system, the country, the president, the way we live are all the same. The world we live in is the world of Korea. But the world of the Korean Empire, which is parallel to our world, is completely different. 

 

The Korean Empire

 

The Korean Empire exists in the parallel world. With the setting of a monarchy maintained to modern times, it is a typical constitutional monarchy ruled by the emperor and ruled by the prime minister. 

 

In the past, the Korean Empire, which appeared in "The Dignity of the Empress," was fun to infer historical facts because the actual Korean Empire, founded by King Gojong in 1897, lasted until 2019, but the Korean Empire in this drama is a country of parallel worlds that is completely different from our world. In other words, only the name is the Korean Empire, which is completely different from the Korean Empire in real history. 

 

The Korean people in the parallel world did not suffer from the division of the two Koreas and the Korean War. Originally, the history of the parallel world was the same as ours, but it changed from the era of the Manchu invasion. In our world, Joseon was defeated as widely known, but in the parallel world, Prince Sohyun won the Manchu war and became King Yeongjong. The parallel world and our world began to change that way, and it is assumed that the Korean Empire of the parallel world was established over time. 

 

 

Wow, the level of detail for the parallel Korean Empire is amazing. Kudos to KES or director or whoever. Daebak!

[gtLmh0622]

Gooddata weekly chart :
 

The King TOP 2 :

 

The King Lee Min Ho TOP 2 and Kim Go Eun TOP 6.

 

 

[syntyche]

"We shot SBS 'The King-Eternal Monarch' in Busan, the city that guarantees the success of movies and dramas."

 

Jungang-dong, Dadaepo Beach...Show off Busan's colorful charm through drama

 

The Busan Film Commission is actively supporting the filming of the popular weekend drama SBS "The King" (directed by Baek Sang-hoon and Jung Ji-hyun) in Busan.

 

"The King" is a new work by Kim Eun-sook, who makes so-called "great hits" in every work she writes, including "Goblin," "Descendants of the Sun" and "Mr. Sunshine."

 

          
"The King" still cut at the filming site of the Nine Mountain Forest/(Source: SBS 'The King-The Lord of Eternity' website)

 

Actors Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun were cast as the main characters, raising expectations even before the show aired, and in their first episode last week, they have already garnered more than 11.6 percent of viewers.

 

In particular, the two worlds - the Korean Empire and the Republic of Korea - have been set up as parallel worlds, drawing attention to the unique world view that has never been seen in dramas, while "Busan" as the cultural capital of the Korean Empire appeared as the actual city's name, drawing welcome from Busan citizens.

 

Not only that. "Dongbaek Island" is the background of the Korean Empire's royal palace, and the "Ahopsan Forest" located in Gijang was treated as a mysterious forest with doors to the dimension, and the designation of "Haeundae" was directly mentioned as a city center with many tall buildings.

 

In addition, filming will take place in Busan, including "The Street of Marine City Cinema," "Vexco," "Suyeongman Yacht Stadium," "Central-dong Cafe B4," "Central-dong Hwaguk Banjeom," "Dadaepo Beach," "Busan University of Foreign Studies' Namsan-dong Campus," "National Busan Gugak Center," "Lee Ki-dae-dong Da-dong Dawn Market" and "Busan Transportation Information Service Center."

 

Busan, reflected in the drama, is not just the background of the play. It is also expected to contribute greatly to enhancing Busan's urban status, as it serves as a cultural capital, sometimes a space and a device for conveying themes.

Kim In-soo, chairman of the Busan Film Commission's steering committee, said, "The King" is also provided by Netflix streaming worldwide, including in Asia, English-speaking countries, and Latin America, so it will be watched a lot overseas. After the Corona virus (Corona 19) situation improves, dramas are expected to have a positive impact on the sluggish Busan tourism industry, including the influx of tourists."

 

Since October last year, the Busan Film Commission has been providing various support, including support for filming incentives, location administration support, and cinema house Busan, a lodging for filmmakers, for the smooth filming of "The King."

The Busan Film Commission said the reason why the production team of "The King" decided Busan as its main filming location is because of the Busan citizens who cooperate in the close cooperation system and filming between the Busan Metropolitan Government, the Busan Film Commission, and each administrative agency.

 

"The King" has been organized into 16 episodes, and more of Busan will be shown in the upcoming drama. Filming continues until June.

 

Meanwhile, the Busan Metropolitan Government and the Busan Film Commission are striving to find various projects in response to changes in the media industry by actively attracting works that are broadcast on OTT (Online Video) platforms such as The King and by compiling a separate budget to support the production of Busan-based web dramas.

 

http://www.gukjenews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1276165

[Ameera Ali]

 looking at all filming spoiler on the IG 

I think oppa listen to her advice Very well  

he spending lot of quality time with Maximus 

 

 

 

 

[scrawford]

10 minutes ago, syntyche said:

 

 

"The King" has been organized into 16 episodes, and more of Busan will be shown in the upcoming drama. Filming continues until June.

 

 

http://www.gukjenews.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1276165

They are filming until June??? I guess the July 31st date was a correct released date and then got pushed to April. 

Im not complaining, but i wonder why??? looking at the competition, would July 31st Air time be better?

[serendipity...]

When you're dreading for Friday but you're still trapped on Tuesday