The King and the Queen

The King and the Queen
Also known asKing and Queen
Hangul
왕과 비
Hanja
王과 妃
Revised RomanizationWanggwa Bi
McCune–ReischauerWangkwa Pi
Genre
Created byKBS Drama Production (드라마 제작국)
Written byJung Ha-yeon[1]
Directed by
  • Kim Jong-sun
  • Kim Yong-sun → Yoon Yong-hoon
  • Yoon Chang-bum
StarringSee below
Narrated byLee Kang-sik
Theme music composerIm Taek-soo
Opening theme"Tears Of The Dragon"
by Im Taek-soo[2]
ComposerIm Taek-soo
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes186
Production
Executive producerYoon Heung-sik[3]
ProducerYoon Yong-hoon
CinematographyChoi Yong-kyun
EditorMin Byung-ho
Camera setupSong Jae-gi
Running time45–65 minutes
Original release
NetworkKBS1
ReleaseJune 6, 1998 (1998-06-06)[4] –
March 26, 2000 (2000-03-26)
Related
Insu, the Queen Mother

The King and the Queen (Korean왕과 비; Hanja王과 妃; RRWanggwa Bi; MRWangkwa Pi) is a South Korean television series starring Im Dong-jin and Chae Shi-ra, along with Han Hye-sook, Lee Jin-woo and Ahn Jae-mo. It aired on KBS1 from June 6, 1998, to March 26, 2000, on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:45 (KST) for 186 episodes. The series begins with the death of King Munjong and ends with the Jungjong coup.

Cast

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Main

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Supporting

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Kings and Queens

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Princes and Princesses

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  • Kim Jung-eun as Princess Gyeonghye, Munjong's oldest daughter.
  • Shin Goo as Grand Prince Yangnyung, Taejong's oldest son.
  • Kim In-tae as Grand Prince Hyoryung, Taejong's second son.
  • Jung Sung-mo as Grand Prince Anpyung, Sejong's third son.
  • Jeon Byung-wook as Grand Prince Imyung, Sejong's fourth son.
  • Lee Jae-shik as Prince Gwisung, Grand Prince Imyung's second son.
  • Won Suk-yun as Grand Prince Geumsung, Sejong's sixth son.
  • Kim Sung-soo as Grand Prince Yungeung, Sejong's 15th son.
  • Lee Sung-yong as Prince Gyeyang, Sejong's eighth son.
  • Kim Kyung-eung as Prince Yungpung, Sejong's 16th son.
  • Song Ho-seop as Grand Prince Wolsan, Deokjong's oldest son.
    • Lee-in as young Grand Prince Wolsan
  • Park Chan-hwan as Grand Prince Jeahn, Yejong's oldest son.

Production

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The initial title was Life of the Wind (바람의 생애), but was later changed into The King and the Queen (왕과 비) to reflect the conflict between the main historical figures of the series – King Sejo, Queen Junghee and Queen Insoo, and later Yeonsangun and his mother.[9] As a follow-up to Tears of the Dragon (용의 눈물),[10] the theme song was the same.[2]

It was originally scheduled to end by December 1999 to make way for the follow-up drama Taejo Wang Geon; however, as Taejo Wang Geon was postponed to March 2000 due to the withdrawal of director Kim Jae-hyung after bribery allegations, The King and the Queen was extended to cover not only Queen Insoo's successful seizure of power, but also Yeonsangun, the second literati purge of 1504 and Queen Insoo's death.[10] The directing team also changed to Yoon Yong-hoon and Yoon Chang-beom as PD Kim Jong-sun, who had been co-directing, left to direct Taejo Wang Geon.[10]

Reception

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The King and the Queen was criticized for glorifying Sejo's usurpation of power and giving it historical legitimacy,[10] as well as depicting immorality excessively.[11] Chae Shi-ra's acting as Queen Insoo was deemed "flat" and "pitiful to watch".[11] Towards the end of the series, reporter Kang Chan-ho wrote "The King and the Queen is not highlighting great figures, but rather relegating almost all of its characters to the status of vengeance incarnations or animals struggling for survival."[11]

For The Dong-A Ilbo, the series was unable to receive the support typical of historical dramas due to the IMF crisis that hit the broadcasting industry at the time; however, its ratings began to rise rapidly after King Sejo's death and the more prominent role taken by Queen Insoo, although it received criticism for becoming a palace struggle among women.[12] Nonetheless, ratings rose over 35%.[12]

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Recipient Result
1998 KBS Drama Awards Top Excellence Award, Actor Im Dong-jin Won
Excellence Award, Actor Jo Kyung-hwan Nominated
Excellence Award, Actress Kim Hye-ri Nominated
Best Young Actor Jung Tae-woo Won
Best Young Actress Kim Min-jung Won
1999 Grand Prize (Daesang) Chae Shi-ra Won
Excellence Award, Actress Kim Sung-ryung Won
Best Supporting Actor Choi Jong-won Won
Best Writer Jung Ha-yeon Won

References

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  1. ^ "'왕과 비' 폄하 .. 작가 정하연씨, 월간 신동아 제소". Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). January 22, 1999. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  2. ^ a b "용의눈물 인기잇는다; 새로시작될 KBS 역사드라마 "왕과비" 제작현장". KBS News (in Korean). June 5, 1998. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  3. ^ "[인터뷰]KBS 「왕과 비」책임PD 윤흥식 주간". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). March 16, 1999. Archived from the original on August 20, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  4. ^ "[방송가] KBS '용의 눈물' 후속 '왕과 비' 6월6일 첫 전파". Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). May 26, 1998. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  5. ^ "KBS「왕과 비」세조역 임동진 『세조 죽는다니 허탈…』". The Dong-a Ilbo. June 30, 1999. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  6. ^ "[연예] KBS '왕과 비' 수양대군역 임동진". Busan Mobile. February 19, 1999. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  7. ^ Sook-kyung, Kim (May 15, 2020). "[그 스타가 궁금하다②] 임동진 "인생 캐릭터? '왕과 비' 세조"". OBS. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  8. ^ "'왕과비' 안재모, "오래 기억되는 '국민배우' 되고 싶다"". M-News (in Korean). March 28, 2000. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  9. ^ "[방송가] KBS '용의 눈물' 후속 '왕과 비' 6월6일 첫 전파". 한국경제 (in Korean). 1998-05-26. Retrieved 2024-12-20.
  10. ^ a b c d Jae-yun, Jung (August 25, 1999). "KBS 드라마 '왕과 비' 연장 방송". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c "[리뷰] KBS. '왕과 비' 지나친 패륜 부각 눈쌀". M-News (in Korean). March 13, 2000. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
  12. ^ a b "K1대하사극 '왕과 비' 연산군 축출로 대단원". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). March 4, 2000. Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2021.
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