The King: Eternal Monarch

The King: Eternal Monarch (Korean: 더 킹：영원의 군주; Hanja: 더 킹：永遠의 君主; RR: Deo King: Yeongwonui gunju) is a 2020 science-fiction historical time-travel South Korean television series, starring Lee Min-ho, Kim Go-eun and Woo Do-hwan. Produced by Hwa&Dam Pictures and its parent company Studio Dragon, it premiered on SBS TV on April 17, 2020. It is aired on Netflix for global audiences.

Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho), King of the Kingdom of Corea, attempts to cross the barrier into a parallel universe where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom's stead. He comes across detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), whom he seems to already recognise from the most tragic day in his childhood. Lee Gon's step-uncle, who assassinated the previous king (Lee Gon's dad), is in hiding and assembling armies while traversing back and forth the two parallel worlds.

Main Characters:

Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon

The present king of the Kingdom of Corea, whose father, the Emperor, was killed by his uncle. He was saved by an unknown person with Jung Tae-eul's warrant card.

Kim Go-eun as Jung Tae-eul / Luna

A police officer ranked Inspector (equivalent to Lieutenant in the Korean Armed Forces) in the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea who meets Lee Gon when he crosses over to the parallel world.

Woo Do-hwan as Jo Eun-seob / Jo Young

Jo Young: A Captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Corea, and childhood friend of Lee Gon.

Jo Eun-seob: A member of the National Police Agency of the Republic of Korea, and the parallel universe version of Jo Young.

Kim Kyung-nam as Kang Shin-jae

A detective of the Republic of Korea who has a crush on Jung Tae-eul since their high school days.

Jung Eun-chae as Goo Seo-ryung

The youngest and first female prime minister of the Kingdom of Corea.

Lee Jung-jin as Lee Rim

Illegitimate brother and murderer of Lee Gon's father, who escaped to the parallel universe and killed both his and Lee Gon's counterparts there.

Supporting characters:

Kim Young-ok as Noh Ok-nam

Jeon Bae-soo as Jung Do-in

Seo Jeong-yeon as Song Jung-hye

Park Won-sang as Park Moon-sik

Kim Yong-ji as Myeong Na-ri / Myeong Seung-ah

Kang Hong-seok as Jang Michael / Jangmi

Jeon Moo-song as Lee Jong-in

Lee Hae-young as Yoo Kyung-moo

Hwang Young-hee as Min Hwa-yeon

Park Ji-yeon as Park Ji-young

National Police Agency, Republic of Korea Edit

Heo Dong-won as Detective Shim

Ahn Si-ha as Kim Hee-joo

Song Sang-eun as Kyung Ran

Imperial Household, Kingdom of Corea Edit

Baek Hyun-joo as Secretary Mo

Lee Hong-nae as Seok Ho-pil

Others:

Park So-jin as Jo Hae-in

Choi Woo-sung as Kim Ki-won

Kim Hyung-woo as Yoon heon-soo

Lee Ho-cheol as Dalgoo

Special appearances:

Jeon No-min as Captain Choe Gi-tae

Lee Kyung-young

Kwon Yul as Lee Ho, Lee Gon's father

The series reunited actress Kim Go-eun and writer Kim Eun-sook, who had collaborated 4 years ago on Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016), as well as actor Lee Min-ho with writer Kim Eun-sook, who had collaborated before on The Heirs (2013).

The first script reading took place on September 17, 2019. Filming for the drama began on October 23, 2019 and ended on February 2020.

Controversy

Following its premiere, an online controversy erupted as Korean viewers noticed that the architecture of the fictional world of the Corean Empire resembled that of Japanese temples, in particular, the Japanese temple complex Tōdai-ji and the temple of Kōfuku-ji. As the drama was aired during a time when Korean-Japanese relations were uneasy, the production team issued an apology and stated that buildings in question would be corrected.

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Defector BJ Han Song Yi says she decided to leave North Korea after falling in love with Lee Min Ho

 

North Korean defector, BJ Han So Yi talked about her love for Lee Min Ho.

On the July 19 airing of MBC FM4U's 'Ji Suk Jin's 2 O'Clock Date', Han Song Yi shared, "My mother's generation loved Kwon Sang Woo. He was extremely popular. I feel like the female defectors probably left (the North) after watching 'Stairway to Heaven'."

 

She then revealed, "I immediately left North Korea a day after watching 'The Heirs'. I fell in love with Lee Min Ho. I wondered how nice it would be to succeed like Girls' Generation's YoonA and marry Lee Min Ho. But the reality was different."

Han Song Yi also named Kim Soo Hyun and Song Joong Ki as the currently popular stars in North Korea. She explained, "'You Who Came From the Stars' and 'Descendants of the Sun' were very popular. I talked on the phone with my cousin through a broker, and he said he made a bet on rather or not Song Joong Ki dies in 'DOTS'."

Lee Min Ho | Officially Begins His Mandatory Military Service May 12, 2017

Lee Min-ho began his mandatory military service on May 12, 2017, serving as a public service officer at the Suseo Social Welfare Center in Gangnam District Office. He was unable to serve as a regular active duty soldier due to previous injuries. By April 2019, he will be released from the service.

Earlier in the year, officials from the agency denied media reports that said Lee was planning to start his service in March or April. 

In South Korea, mandatory military service for male citizens is commonly referred to as conscription or the draft. The term "병역" (byŏngyŏk), which translates to "military service obligation," is also used. Additionally, the concept is sometimes referred to as "national service". 

Military enlistment is required for every South Korean male, the reason being the continuous threat of war with North Korea. Hallyu Wave star Lee Min Ho will be serving his mandatory two years.

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Lee Min Ho for Innisfree Vietnam Facebook Updates

Lee Min Ho for Innisfree featuring Jeju Green Tea

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Lee Min Ho for Eider Blog Naver Updates

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Lee Min Ho greetings for Innisfree China 5th Anniversary

Innisfree China celebrating its 5th year Anniversary and posted a photo of their Ambassador Actor Lee Min Ho in weibo account.

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Lee Min Ho: An Actor Who Expresses Himself In The Visceral (Esquire Singapore)

Whilst finding his true self.

You are awaiting for the release of a new single, “Always”. Even though you are not a singer, we believe that the reason you continue to release music is for your fans. What are your musical ambitions?

[Laughs] I do not have grand resolutions or aspirations for this single. I continue to release albums as there are more people who don’t know about my albums than those who do. This is one of the ways I communicate with my fans. That is why I continue to release albums. To me, “Always”—as in the topic of the single—means that we will continue to be together.

We discovered that you are operating a donation platform called Promise and have been making contributions and doing volunteer work. Is there a specific reason behind this?

The start of Promise also came from my fans. Even from the beginning, my fan club has always taken the initiative to do good deeds. After many years of making donations in my name, I came to see the people who are marginalised from society and those who are in difficult situations. And I thought more and more about donations, especially when there are huge social issues and accidents. I came to the conclusion that continuous support is better than a one-time cash donation. This was how Promise began.

Your acting in The Legend of the Blue Sea is very popular among fans. You used to play quiet and serious characters; this is completely new. Would you say that you are closer to that specific character?

I think it is correct to say that I am a collection of various characters. When I think about it, sometimes I am childish and other times I act more mature than my age. Because of my childish and playful side, I was able to act naturally and convincingly.

How do you concentrate when you have to say cheesy lines? It might be simple for actors but there are lines that may come off as odd if viewers say it. We are curious as to how you deal with these cringe-worthy lines? 

First, you have to take a deep breath. If you start laughing, it makes the acting more difficult. You would think that I am completely used to saying these lines but I still feel uneasy with cheesy lines and situations. Whenever I have to act in those scenes, I try to focus more on the feelings rather than the lines.

No one can say that your acting spectrum is narrow but it seems like you are missing out because of the lasting impression of your strong characters in romantic comedies. 

It is something I must work on and improve. If an actor starred in many romantic comedies in their 20s, they should be able to show their skills in another genre in their 30s. That is why, nowadays, I am trying to find my actual self. I have been living a very restrained and controlled life until now. Trying to find my true self is an important part of improving myself as an actor.

Then, how will you describe a normal day for the real Lee Min-ho? 

A man-about-town? I think this describes me well. [Laughs]

What does love mean to you? 

To me, ideal love is a relationship that has a positive influence on both sides. A love that creates positive energy in all aspects of their lives through the stability that love provides. But it does not mean that lovers must change or accomplish something through love. It is important to maintain things as they are. I try to accept her as she is, without adding or taking away anything, and I try to show my true self.

If you have to sacrifice yourself for love, as the mermaid did in The Legend of the Blue Sea, what will you do? Will you sacrifice yourself? 

Love in TV dramas all have the same context. They consist of protecting values including purity, passion, and sacrifice. In real life, it could be very difficult, but if I was in a similar situation, I think I will try my best to protect my love. 

What kind of person would you like to be? 

I want to be an attractive person in every sense of the word—as an actor and as a person. I want myself and many people to be happy and joyful.

Are you happy now? What is “now” for Lee Min-ho? 

I think a huge blessing just came and passed by at this time of my life. It made me stronger and allowed me to relax. I am happy now but I am going to try to look for many different kinds of happiness that will make me grow.

If you were given the ability to change just one thing in this world, what would that be? 

I want to create a universal language. I think that would make the world a more connected place.

This article was first published in the print edition of Esquire Singapore, April 2017.

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