The long wait for fans of Lee Min Ho is over. His latest Korean drama, The King: Eternal Monarch, is slated to be released this week. Here are some details to take into before its premiere on April 17.
The King: Eternal Monarch tells the story of two parallel universes. One resembles the modern-day Republic of Korea while the other is an empire ruled by a single monarch. Legends of the Blue Sea actor Lee Min Ho and Goblin actress Kim Go Eun play the main characters in the series.
Min Ho plays the role of Emperor Lee Gon, the third generation emperor of Korea. To his people, he is a perfect ruler. He rules with sophistication, charm, and a calm demeanor. However, Lee Gon is also sensitive and compulsive. In the story, he would try to close a portal between the two worlds which was opened by demons who were unleashed by a deity into the human world.
Kim Go Eun, on the other hand, portrays detective Jung Tae Eul in present-day Korea and Luna in the alternative universe. Tae Eul's dream, when she was a little girl, was to become a detective. Now as a detective for six years, she will work together with Emperor Lee Gon to save people's lives.
Tae Eul is not the only one who has a doppelganger in the alternate world. Tempted actor Woo Do Hwan will also portray dual roles in the series: Jo Young the chief imperial bodyguard and Emperor Lee Gon's best friend, and Jo Eun Seob, a public service worker at the National Police Agency's civil service office. Woo admitted that it was difficult to portray two different characters but he had fun in filming it.
It looks like there is also a love triangle in the upcoming SBS fantasy romance series. It could be between Lee Gon, Tae Eul, and detective Kang Shin Jae (Kim Kyung Nam). Shin Jae is one of Jung's fellow police officers. The two have also been close friends since high school.
Another cast member is Jung Eun Chae, who plays the role of ill-tempered Goo Seo Ryung, the kingdom's youngest and first female Prime Minister. She was once a news anchor. Through her marriage, she navigated the world of politics. After her divorce, she became the Prime Minister.
In the earlier still promo photos for the series, Lee Gon and Goo Seo Ryung seem to be having a tense conversation. She leans close to the emperor as she tells something to him. He also leans close to her ear to respond but as he pulls back, the prime minister shoots him a smirk.
Another character is Lee Rim (Lee Jung Jin), who takes the role of Emperor Lee Gon's uncle. Lee Rim is the older half-brother of Lee Gon's father. Although he is older, Lee Rim was removed from the line of succession at age 13 because he was the son of a concubine.
Apparently, he carries resentment about his position in the monarchy. It looks like he could be the villain in the story aside from the demons that Lee Gon tries to block from entering the alternative universe.
The King: Eternal Monarch is Lee Min Ho's K-drama comeback after he completed his mandatory military service last year. The actor was last seen in Legend of the Blue Sea in 2016.
It is also the reunion project for the 31-year-old heartthrob and writer Kim Eun Sook. The two worked together in The Heirs in 2013. This is also the second project of Kim Eun Sook and Kim Go Eun together. Eun Sook also penned the script of the hit fantasy series Goblin in which Go Eun rose to fame.
The King: Eternal Monarch is set to premiere on April 17 at 10 p.m. KST on SBS. Netflix will also release the series on the same day.
