A story of intertwining devotion, The King’s Affection makes its grand premiere on October 13!
Prior to its launch, Director Song Hyun Wook and its vibrant young cast: Park Eun Bin, Kim Rowoon, Nam Yoon Su, Choi Byungchan, Bae Yoon Kyung and Jung Chaeyeon pleasantly introduced their characters. They also shared filming stories and drama insights.
Introducing The King’s Affection, Director Song Hyun Wook assured viewers of its excellent make and invited people to support it.
He conveyed the series as a story about a hidden figure – a king that is not written in historical records. He is an unfortunate king who had to conceal his identity as a female. It is a sad story about a king and the characters that fell in love with her.
“It is a romance series set in the palace which is a fierce place mired with political conflicts. It covers dynamic history. It could make your heart flutter and ache. It is a series of myriad genres. It is a mix of romance, action politics and humor.”
ms. sunshine watched The King’s Affection on Netflix
Episode Recaps: 01 & 02 | 03 | 04 | 05 | 06 | 07 | 08 | 09 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | Finale + Review |
When asked about their reasons for joining the series, the talented young cast shared their insights.
“I was hooked on the story of a female ascending to the throne. I felt that urge to work on this project. It is a unique role that would not come often. It is a challenge, but I want to give it a try. We’re still filming and I have never regretted the fact that I decided to come on board.”
– Park Eun Bin
“I think the series has a significant message not only for Ji-un but for the other characters as well. I didn’t hesitate to join the project. I joined in a heartbeat. There was a particular line that really moved by heart. I can’t reveal that line, but the feeling of romance really sunk in and I really wanted to join this historical series. The cast was so great, and I really wanted to work beside them, especially Eun-bin.”
– Kim Rowoon
Nam Yoon Su relayed how he perceived the project to be something he could take on. Asserting how historical dramas actually help him learn new things. Thus, pushing him to take the project.
Speaking of challenge, Choi Byungchan likewise felt intrigued about the female king in disguise. For his role that does not speak much, it was a hard task for the budding actor.
With her previous collaboration with Director Song, Bae Yoon Kyung affirms the interesting script. She also remarked how her character is appealing and attractive. Gushing about her being a fan of Park Eun Bin, she expressed wanting to work with her.
Lastly, Jung Chaeyeon also admired the engrossing plot. Admitting her role was not that much detailed, she was given elaborated information about her character by Director Song which made her decide to join.
On How The Cast Prepared For Their Roles
Conveying her desire to make the audience believe her character as a king, Park Eun Bin has to work on portraying a male Hwi and a female Hwi. Albeit having different emotions, the character should be assessed as a single character.
Rowoon details his character as the opposite of Hwi in terms of not being afraid to do things.
“He’s a character who is really different from Yi Hwi. Ji-un doesn’t need to hide his character, so that’s why he’s so appealing to Hwi. I think we are drawn to each other because the other person has something that they themselves don’t have.”
Assimilating to his character Yi-hyun, Nam Yoon Su ensured playing it as naturally as possible.
“Even when I was off the set, I tried to think with Yi Hyun’s mindset when interacting with people and going about my daily life. Yi Hyun excels at literature and archery, so I tried to practice for that.”
Choi Byungchan also expounded on his secretive character.
“Ga-on is a character who never reveals his feelings. He’s really quiet and he has a mysterious background. He has a scar in his heart which he does not reveal.”
Defining her character as someone who’s not afraid to voice her opinions, Bae Yoon Kyung also hints at her one-sided love with Ji-un.
Jung Chaeyeon outlined her character Ha-gyeong as someone who was doted. Everyone likes her because she’s very innocent and naive. Interestingly, she will find true love with the king.
Director Song Endearingly Described The Cast Members
The director also acknowledged that when he met Rowoon for the first time, he was funny and confident. It felt like Ji-un come to life since they pictured the male lead as humorous, witty and fearless.
Director Song funnily shared that when he realized Rowoon’s tall stature, it led them to cast actors of similar height. That is to make sure the rivalry on-screen will be reflected accordingly.
Admitting he was impressed with Nam Yoon Su after seeing him in Extracurricular, he also confessed to finding his smile attractive.
“I told him he should smile a lot on set because he’s so attractive and his smile would blow the audience away.”
Finding a charming side of the actor playing the role of Ga-on, a first-class swordsman, Director Song adorably quipped about his discovery.
“I didn’t realize Choi Byung-chan was so eloquent, because he doesn’t talk much on set since his character is quiet. He must have been wanting to speak.”
She also elaborated So-eun’s enthusiastic character especially after falling in love with Ji-un. Later in the narrative, she becomes heartbroken because she cannot understand why Ji-un cannot fall in love with her.
As for Chaeyeon, the script didn’t reveal much about her character so I had to tell her more details in order to convince her to join. Ga-yeong is very endearing in the webtoon. It’s very sad that her character falls in love with the king who is actually female.
The Charming Points That Viewers Should Look Forward To
Flowing to a poignant story, the cast also particularized the drawing points of the characters they played and how it blends in the narrative.
Park Eun Bin expressed the relationships between each and every character are very multidimensional and interesting. She added how she’s lucky to be paired with Rowoon.
“As for me and Ji-un, we should not have feelings for each other because it would be a risk and threat to her secret. However, they inevitably fall in love. It’ll be interesting to see their feelings grow. There are some moments that will feel familiar but at the same time there are scenes that will feel new and different.”
Concurring to Park’s thoughts, Rowoon remarked how their characters adapted to their respective situations. Thus, reflected distinctly in their portrayals. Admiring the female lead who described him as reliable and confident, Rowoon agrees that their chemistry is palpable.
“I think this synergy was possible because I had such a great partner on set. I think Eun-bin’s a very great actor and I’m very lucky to work beside her.”
Meanwhile, Nam Yoon Su assessed his character’s affections and romance to be fearful. But he is firm about what he wants.
“He has to be by Hwi’s side, so he needs to be reliable. I think the audience will feel sorry for him since he has to hide his true feelings. He smiles because he cannot show his true emotions in front of Ji-un who is his friend.”
Both Bae Yoon Kyung and Jung Chaeyeon harbor one-sided feelings. An irony to how their roles are women who are beloved but can’t get the love they wanted.
Notable Cast Synergy and Story
Marked as the mood maker, Choi Byungchan shared enjoying every moment of the filming.
“Whether the camera was on or off, we had a lot of fun and memorable moments. We gave each other advice and would help each other out. I loved that part the most.”
In his closing words, Director Song asserted how they made sure the plot and the characters would make sense. They also incorporated the beautiful Korean historical architecture as well.
Promising amazing episode cliffhangers, stunning screenplay and the closely related affection of the six characters, the cast presented convincing pitches to make viewers anticipate the series.
The King’s Affection premieres on October 13 on KBS2. It will be available worldwide on Netflix.
kdramadiary thanks Netflix for the press conference invite
*All photos and video courtesy of Netflix
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