The King: Eternal Monarch: Get to know the stars of the upcoming K-drama series – Lee Min-ho, Kim Go-eun and Woo Do-hwan
The Korean period drama – which premieres in mid-April on Netflix – is full of regal court intrigue and love triangles. Here’s what we know about the star-studded cast
The King: Eternal Monarch features two parallel universes that unite when evil forces and love triangles threaten to destroy them both. The drama introduces a star-studded cast – including established Lee Min-ho, multitalented actress Kim Go Eun and rising star Woo Do-hwan.
Let’s get to know the cast of this highly-anticipated drama which premieres mid-April on Netflix.
Lee Min-ho
The King: Eternal Monarch celebrates Lee Min-ho’s return to acting after his military enlistment ended. He plays Lee Gon, the third generation emperor of Korea who is kind, sophisticated and handsome, which makes him the perfect ruler. As a child, Lee Gon witnessed his father killed in the palace. While the palace may seem to be the safest place in Korea, to the emperor it is also the most dangerous.
Lee’s most memorable role is as the immensely rich and curly-haired Gu Jun-pyo in Boys Over Flowers (2009). The actor also starred in The Heirs (2013) and City Hunter (2011).
Kim Go-eun
Kim Go-eun reunites with Guardian: The Lonely and Great God writer Kim Eun-sook to portray two different roles. In the modern world, she plays Jung Tae-eul, an ambitious detective who believes all criminals would be caught, preferably by her. Lee Gon seeks her help when he crosses over to her world. In the emperor’s world, Kim’s character is entirely different – she’s a wanted criminal.
The actress previously held leading roles in dramas including Cheese in a Trap (2016) and the award-winning Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016). Her acting debut was in the controversial film, A Muse (2012). Kim went go on to win many best new actress awards for this role.
Woo Do-hwan
The up-and-coming actor also takes on two roles, in two different dimensions for this drama. His first role is as Jo Eun-seob, a public service worker for the police in the modern realm. In Lee Gon’s world, he’s Jo Young the emperor’s agile and faithful bodyguard.
Although he’s only 27, Woo Do-hwan proves that he’s the new actor to watch out for. He won best new actor at the 31st KBS Drama Awards for his role as a prodigy and former swindler in Mad Dog (2017).
Kim Kyung-nam
Kim Kyung-nam takes on the supporting role of Kang Shin-jae, a detective who works closely with Jung Tae-eul. To Kang, the police force feels more like a family than his biological one. In the midst of his career, Kang wonders if he and Jung could be more than just co-workers. Perhaps a love triangle is on the way?
The actor previously had supporting roles in various Korean dramas, including romance-thriller Come and Hug Me (2018) and Special Labor Inspector, Mr. Jo (2019).
Jung Eun-chae
The actress plays the role of Gu Seo-ryung, the youngest and first female prime minister of South Korea. She wasn’t afraid to use her wits and divorce to win votes. Now, she has her eyes set on Lee Gon. She used him to rally her supporters, and it seemed to work fine until she developed feelings for the emperor. However, she finds out that his heart belongs to someone else and so pursues a path of revenge.
Jung Eun-chae, whose real name is Jung Sol-mi, made her acting debut when she was cast as the lead character in Nobody’s Daughter Haewon (2013). The actress received many accolades for her performance, including best new actress at the 14th Busan Film Critics Awards.