Kim Dong-joon, Choi Su-jong and the war that must be won
by stroopwafel
Kim Dong-joon (More Than Friends) is making his post-army dramaland return with none other than the reigning king of sageuk, Choi Su-jong (My Only One) for KBS’s The Goryeo-Khitan War.
To celebrate their 50th anniversary, KBS is pulling out all the stops for this drama, which will dramatize a well-known period of Korean history: the final invasion of the Khitan empire into Goryeo. The story will focus on our two leads: a young king who is in search of a political victory and the survival of his nation, and a veteran general who is determined to keep his country safe from an enemy invasion.
Kim Dong-joon will play the young king Hyeonjeong. His reign took place when Goryeo was still establishing itself as a nation-state and he was only the eighth king to ever rule. Choi Su-jong will take on the role of famed general and scholar, Gang Gam-chan who (historical spoiler alert!) led Goryeo to victory against a long and brutal invasion by the Khitan empire.
Ji Seung-hyun (Curtain Call) will join them as Yang Kyu, another famous historical figure who led an elite unit of soldiers during this time period. He led numerous missions against the Khitan and also made a priority of rescuing Goryeo civilians who’d been taken prisoner by the enemy.
Lee Won-jong (Bait) has also been announced as another member of the cast. He will play the part of Gang Jo, a military official who led the coup against Hyeonjong’s predecessor and placed Hyeonjong on the throne. Lee Shi-ah (365: Repeat The Year) will play Queen Wonjeong, the first wife of Hyeonjong (you read that correctly — the man had a lot of wives).
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The first teaser drops us straight into the thick of things, with the drums of war beating steadily as soldiers prepare to march. There’s a chase on horseback between the opposing sides, and several battles flash across the screen. Then we finally get a glimpse of the two men at the heart of the drama, Gang Gam-chan and King Hyeonjong. The general looks every inch the statesman-warrior. In contrast, Hyeonjeong looks uncertain and lost. The teaser ends with a shot of the king, looking pensive, and in voiceover we hear the general vow, “I will be victorious.”
I will always welcome a non-Joseon sageuk addition to dramaland, especially when we’re getting to see figures who haven’t really been featured in film and TV before. Choi Su-jong always knocks it out of the park when he’s in a sageuk so I’m most curious about how Kim Dong-joon will handle his role. He’s really only been in one other sageuk (not including the doomed Joseon Exorcist in his filmography here) and it’s hard to judge his skills based on his previous projects as sageuk can be such a different beast. Time will tell!
Co-directed by Jeon Woo-sung (Bargain, Your House Helper) and Kim Han-sol (Imjin War 1592), with Lee Jung-woo (The King of Tears Lee Bang-won) writing the scripts, The Goryeo-Khitan War will air on KBS in the Saturday-Sunday timeslot beginning November 4.
Via Sports Donga, Star News
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