The King: Eternal Monarch () is a 2020 romantic-fantasy South Korean television series starring Lee Min-ho, Kim Go-eun, Woo Do-hwan, Kim Kyung-nam, Jung Eun-chae, and Lee Jung-jin. Written by Kim Eun-sook and produced by Hwa&Dam Pictures and its parent company Studio Dragon, the series premiered on SBS TV and Netflix for the global audience on April 17, 2020.
Set in two parallel worlds, the series follows Emperor Lee Gon of the Kingdom of Corea, who discovers access to an alternate reality after crossing a mythical door opened by his half-uncle, Lee Lim, where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom's stead and sets out to put an end to Lee Lim's atrocities and retrieve the other half of Manpasikjeok used as a portal between two worlds.
Hailed as one of the most anticipated series in the first half of 2020 due to its ensemble cast, screenwriter, extensive publicity and production budget, the series set a record for SBS's highest 2020 Friday-Saturday drama premiere ratings. It also maintained the No.1 spot on the weekly Wavve drama chart for eight consecutive weeks, and was listed as the most popular Korean drama series on Netflix in India, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore and one of the top two in the U.S. The series received mixed reviews and lower-than-expected domestic TV viewership ratings on later episodes, with news media attributing it to competition from streaming platforms and criticism of its screenplay, production and various controversies.
Synopsis Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho), a modern-day Emperor of the Kingdom of Corea, attempts to cross the barrier into an alternate reality where the Republic of Korea exists in the Kingdom's stead. He comes across detective Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun), whom he recognizes from an identity card he obtained during the turning point of his childhood: his father's assassination. Lee Gon's half-uncle, Lee Lim (Lee Jung-jin), who assassinated the previous king, Lee Ho (Lee Gon's father), is in hiding and assembling armies whilst traversing back and forth between the two parallel worlds.
Cast Main Lee Min-ho as Lee Gon / Lee Ji-hun Jung Hyeon-jun as young Lee Gon and young Lee Ji-hun Lee Gon: The third king of the Kingdom of Corea. He is a mathematician and a rower. He is a compulsive and reticent person. He is sensitive when touched by others and does not easily let go of his skepticism towards someone. He often leaves the palace grounds to wander around, either to tend to his curious mind or to escape the palace life. For him, the Royal Palace represents the safety of home, but it is also his most deadly battleground. When he was eight years old, he witnessed the assassination of his father by his half-uncle, Lee Lim. While he was being choked to death, he was saved by an unknown person with Jeong Tae-eul's identity card. Lee Ji-hun: Lee Gon's counterpart in South Korea. He was killed by Lee Lim when he was a child after Lee Lim escapes to Republic of Korea following Lee Ho's assassination. Kim Go-eun as Jeong Tae-eul / Luna Kim Si-woo as young Jeong Tae-eul Lee Ye-won as young Luna (Ep. 16) Jeong Tae-eul: A police officer ranked Inspector (equivalent to a lieutenant in the South Korean armed forces) in the Violent Crimes Squad Three of the National Police Agency of South Korea. She has a strong will and concrete personality. As a child, she was interested in crime TV shows which led her to become a detective. Luna: Jeong Tae-eul's counterpart who is a criminal in the Kingdom of Corea. Shortly after her birth, she was abandoned in a slum in Busan. With no parents and no identification, no official records document her existence. As she grew older, her arrest record expanded to include burglary, breaking and entering, assault and forgery. Her imprisonment led to her being legally-documented as Luna, a name she gave herself after a stray cat that had survived in the slum. Moreover, she suffers from terminal cancer resulting in organ failure and has only few months left to live. Woo Do-hwan as Jo Yeong / Jo Eun-sup Jung Si-yul as young Jo Yeong Jo Yeong: Captain of the Royal Guard of the Kingdom of Corea, and childhood friend of Lee Gon. He exudes a sharp image and stoic professionalism. Jo Yeong first met Lee Gon at his coronation ceremony, when he was four years old. They share a bond of friendship and brotherhood. Jo Yeong treats Lee Gon as his country and his law, whom he must always protect. Jo Eun-sup: Jo Yeong's counterpart who is currently serving his mandatory military duties as a guard for the National Police Agency of South Korea. He is humorous, free-willed and joyous. His wish is to get discharged soon. He deeply cares for his younger twin siblings, Eun-bi and Kka-bi, and often helps his parents in looking after them. He also has a crush on his childhood friend, Myeong Na-ri. Kim Kyung-nam as Kang Shin-jae / Kang Hyeon-min Moon Woo-jin as young Kang Shin-jae and young Kang Hyeon-min Kang Shin-jae: A detective in the Violent Crimes Squad Three of the National Police Agency of South Korea. Although he had an ideal childhood at first, his father was imprisoned for embezzlement and his mother soon fell prey to gambling, leading to a tense relationship between them. He has had a crush on Jeong Tae-eul since their high school days. Kang Hyeon-min: Kang Shin-jae's counterpart in Kingdom of Corea. Jung Eun-chae as Koo Seo-ryeong / Koo Eun-ah Shin Soo-yeon as young Koo Seo-ryeong Koo Seo-ryeong: The youngest and first female prime minister of the Kingdom of Corea. Despite being born into a broken family, having a drunkard father and a hardworking mother who runs a fish cake shop, she went on to study hard and became an announcer. Although elegant, confident and independent, she is also extremely ambitious and greedy. She married Chairman Choe of KU Group, before divorcing him for alimony. She became a diplomat and then Prime Minister. Her ambition knows no bounds even after making the Prime Minister and she now wants to become the Queen of the Kingdom of Corea. Koo Eun-ah: Koo Seo-ryeong's counterpart in Republic of Korea. Lee Jung-jin as Prince Imperial Geum, Lee Lim / Lee Seong-jae Lee Lim: The Illegitimate half-brother of King Lee Ho and half-uncle of Lee Gon. He wishes to obtain the Manpasikjeok, a mythical flute which he believes would allow him to attain a life of eternity. He assassinates the King Lee Ho and takes hold of the flute before young Lee Gon breaks the flute into two halves with the Four Tiger Sword. With one half of the flute, he escapes to the parallel universe and kills his counterpart in the alternate reality. He aims to retrieve the second half of the flute, which is now in Lee Gon's possession, to utilise it to its full potential after realising it allows him to access multiple realities and travel through time.
Supporting Kim Young-ok as Noh Ok-nam Head Court Lady of the Imperial Household. Since the assassination of King Lee Ho, she has the presence of a parental figure in Lee Gon's life. Jeon Bae-soo as Jeong Do-in Jeong Tae-eul's father. He owns and runs the Hero Academy for taekwondo as the head instructor.
Kim Jung-young as Kim Seong-ae
Koo Seo-ryeong's mother. She works in a fish
Kim Yong-ji as Myeong Na-ri / Myeong Seung-ah Myeong Na-ri: Jeong Tae-eul's landlady and friend. She runs a cafe near the taekwondo centre. Myeong Seung-ah: New staff at the Royal Public Affairs Office. Kang Hong-seok as Jang Michael (Jangmi) / Jang Mi-reuk Jang Michael: New recruit of the Violent Crimes Squad Three. Jang Mi-reuk: Trainee at the Royal Guard. Hwang Young-hee as Min Hwa-yeon / Park Sook-jin Min Hwa-yeon: Kang Shin-jae's mother. After her husband is jailed for embezzlement, she falls prey to gambling. This leads to a tense relationship between her and Shin-jae. Park Sook-jin: Worker at the Imperial Household.
Imperial Household, Kingdom of Corea Jeon Moo-song as Prince Buyeong, Lee Jong-in Lee Gon's uncle who is second-in-line to the throne after Lee Gon. He is a professor and doctor by profession. Baek Hyun-joo as Secretary Mo Lee Gon's secretary. Lee Hong-nae as Seok Ho-pil Vice-captain of the Royal Guard
Jongno Police Station, South Korea Park Won-sang as Park Moon-sik Chief detective of Violent Crimes Squad Three. as Detective Shim A detective of Violent Crimes Squad Three Ahn Si-ha as Kim Hee-joo as Kyung-ran Lee Hae-young as Yoo Kyung-moo Lee Lim's assistant. He runs the Eosu bookstore in Kingdom of Corea.
Others Kingdom of Corea Kwon Yul as Lee Ho, Lee Gon's father (Ep. 1, 4 & 14) Son Kyung-won as Lee Seung-heon, Prince Buyeong's son (Ep. 1, 11 & 15) Lee Seung-heon: The traitor who let Lee Lim escape the Royal Palace. Bae Sung-il as Kim Gi-hwan (Ep. 1, 7–9, 11) Park Hoon as Jo Yeong's father (Ep. 1) Bae Sung-il as Kim Gi-hwan (Ep. 1, 7–9, 11) Kim Ki-moo as a gangster (Ep. 1–2, 6) Joo Ye-rim as Min-ji (Ep. 1) Kim Bo-min as Yoyo Boy Yoon Jung-hyuk as adult Yoyo Boy The mysterious boy with a yo-yo who controls the parallel universes (Ep. 3,4,8–11, 14, 16) Jeon No-min as Captain Choi Gi-taek (Ep. 4 & 6) Ha Seung-youn as the train booking clerk (Ep. 5) Shin Hyun-jong as Lee Jung-hoon, the horse doctor (Ep. 5, 7 & 9) Lee Yoon-sang as a government official (Ep. 6) Sung Chan-ho as the Deputy Prime Minister (Ep. 6 & 13) Park Yong as the military official (Ep. 6) Ha Seung-ri as Jang Yeon-ji (Ep. 7–11, 16) An Seok-hyun as the ice cream shop boy (Ep. 8) Tae In-ho as Chairman Choe Min-heon (Ep. 9–10) Bae Bo-ram as a reporter (Ep. 10) Min Eung-sik as a government official (Ep. 10 & 12) Kim Seung-tae as a government official (Ep. 10 & 12) Kang Moon-kyung as a government official (Ep. 10 & 12) Park Jung-eon as a restaurant manager (Ep. 12) Lee Se-rang as a masseuse (Ep. 13) Seo Woo-jin as Secretary Mo's son (Ep. 16) as Detective Kang Jun-hyuk from the Kingdom of Corea Kang Ki-doong as Secretary Kim, Koo Seo-ryeong's secretary as Koo Seo-ryeong's lobbyist Park Ji-yeon as Park Ji-young, Koo Seo-ryeong's friend Tae In-ho as Choe Min-hwan Chairman of KU Group and Koo Seo-ryeong's ex-husband. Kim Wook as Choi Nam-jin / bully Choi Nam-jin: Lee Gon's colleague (Ep. 1, 4 & 16) Bully: A high-school bully and Shin-jae's classmate. (Ep. 6 & 16)
South Korea Seo Jeong-yeon as Song Jung-hye Ko Eun-min as young Song Jung-hye (Ep. 1–2, 16) Lee Ji-hun's mother. Baek Seung-chul as a security guard (Ep. 1) as Kim Bok-man, a murder suspect (Ep. 1–2) Park So-jin as Jo Hae-in, Kang Shin-jae's therapist Seol Woo-hyung as Jo Eun-woo / Kka-bi, Eun-sup's younger brother (Ep. 2, 6, 10, 13 & 15) Jung Ye-na as Jo Eun-bi, Eun-sup's younger sister (Ep. 2, 6, 10, 13 & 15) Yoon Sung-woo as Myung-ho, a physically disabled boy (Ep. 2) Yang Jo-ah as Ms. Baek, Myung-ho's mother (Ep. 2, 12, 14–15) Cha Sung-je as the boy at the birthday party (Ep. 2) Seo Jang-hyun as the boy at the birthday party (Ep. 2) Lee Hye-ra as Park Soo-yeon (Ep. 2) Kim Jong-tae as Lee Sang-do (Ep. 2, 7, 9, 11–12) Ahn Jung-ho as the arrested criminal mistaken to be a new recruit (Ep. 3) Hong Ye-ji as Yoon Bo-young from the police station (Ep. 3) Yang Hyun-min as a gambling boss (Ep. 3–4 & 9) Lee Ho-cheol as Dalgoo, a gang boss (Ep. 3 & 8) Jo Jae-yoon as an arcade worker in charge of the shooting game (Ep. 5 & 7) Lee Ji-hyun as Jo Eun-sup's mother (Ep. 10) Kim Dong-gyun as Kang Shin-jae's father (Ep. 14) Woo Ji-hyun as a rookie in the police station (Ep. 16)
Production
Development On May 7, 2019, Hwa&Dam Pictures officially announced the production of the series. Along with the series' announcement, it was also confirmed that Kim Eun-sook and will write and direct the series respectively. Later, it was reported that Jung Ji-hyun will also participate in the direction of the series. On May 8, 2020, while the series was airing, it was revealed that Yoo Je-won will join the production as a director.