Fantasy Romance Drama The King : Eternal Monarch Sets Out to Enchant Fans
The comeback of the year from famous writer Kim Eun-suk, Lee Min-ho with his first post-military project, and award winning actress Kim Go-eun
Netflix’s upcoming Korean series The King: Eternal Monarch held a press conference to discuss the drama ahead of its first broadcast. The fantasy romance tells the story of two parallel universes, one in which Korea is a constitutional monarchy, and one similar to present-day Korea. Lee Min-ho will play Emperor Lee Gon and Kim Go-eun will take on the role of detective Jung Tae-eul.
The actors discussed the unique concept of parallel worlds in The King: Eternal Monarch. Lee Min-ho said, “When I read the script in the beginning, there were times I was confused about which parallel world events were taking place in. However, viewing it on screen made it much easier to understand. I also read mathematician books and listened to physicist lectures.”
Woo Do-hwan described how he acted with the belief that parallel worlds exist, and Lee Jung-jin shared that The King: Eternal Monarch will be easy to understand as you watch the story unfold.
Lee Min-ho and Kim Go-eun also spared no compliments for each other. “Kim Go-eun’s strength is how her expression in her eyes change in a moment. It can be intense at times and innocent at other times. Her spectrum with other projects such as Chinatown and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God has been broad, and I could understand why when I saw her expressions.” shared Lee Min-ho.
Kim Go-eun also praised Lee Min-ho, “He is my senior, but he has a very good personality. In the beginning of a project there’s usually an awkward period, but I couldn’t really feel an awkward period for us and I think we got close quickly. I think I received a lot of assistance and consideration.” Lee Min-ho showed proof of their camaraderie by teasing Kim Go-eun and Woo Do-Hwan for calling him a senior despite their closeness.
The actors wrapped up the press conference by giving fans a glimpse of what’s to come. Jung Eun-chae said, “The first episode is important as a prologue, so I hope you stay with us from the beginning.” Kim Go-eun added, “This drama is one that gets more fun with each episode, so it’s important to watch from the beginning. There are many dual roles, so looking out for those will be fun too.” Lastly, Lee Min-ho concluded, “This drama has a lot of different traits and is sometimes like an epic, a romance, and a melodrama. I think you’ll be able to enjoy watching the dual roles and different transformations. I hope you enjoy The King: Eternal Monarch tomorrow while maintaining social distancing.”
The King: Eternal Monarch premieres on Netflix on 17 April at 10.30pm MYT, with weekly episodes every Friday and Saturday.
Quotes from the cast introducing their characters:
Emperor Lee Gon, played by Lee Min-ho
“He’s the third generation emperor of the Kingdom of Corea which is a fictional empire created for the purposes of the drama. He’s also a rowing athlete and a mathematician. He’s described as a perfect monarch who excels at literary and martial arts.”
Detective Jung Tae-eul and Luna, played by Kim Go-eun
“Jung Tae-eul is a police detective in the Republic of Korea. Her father runs a taekwondo studio, so she started teaching children as a taekwondo instructor in high school. Luna is an orphan who had to do everything on her own from a young age. She did whatever she had to in order to survive. She named herself after a stray cat and she’s a very troubled character.”
Chief Royal Guard Jo Young and Public service worker Jo Eun-seob, played by Woo Do-hwan
“Jo Young is like the shadow of Emperor Lee Gon as the chief imperial bodyguard. Jo Young only focuses on the emperor and nothing else matters to him. They grew up together so they share a special bond like one between friends or siblings. Jo Eun-seob is serving his military service by working as a public service worker. He’s very optimistic, never serious, and always lively. He grew up being like a younger sibling to Jung Tae-eul, so I have roles of being like a younger sibling to both Lee Gon and Jung Tae-eul.”
Kang Shin-jae, played by Kim Kyung-nam
“He is a police detective who has dreamt mysterious nightmares since he was young, so he had many questions. He met Tae-eul in high school and grew up together as sibling-like friends who relied on each other.”
Gu Seo-ryeong, played by Jung Eun-chae
“She is the youngest-ever and first female Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Corea. She never hesitates when it comes to her convictions and she’s very straightforward. She’s a very ambitious person. As for her relationship to Emperor Lee Gon, she sometimes uses him but sometimes reveals her sincerity. She’s a very complex and delicate character.”
Prince Geunyang Lee Lim, played by Lee Jung-jin
“He is Lee Gon’s uncle. The King is set in present-day 2020 and my character is 69 years old. He messes around with human nature and is very skilled at swordsmanship. While you can see romance from other characters, the moment Lee Lim enters the scene, dark clouds gather.”
