Zombies clad in traditional dress descended on a Seoul hotel that had been transformed into a medieval Joseon-era mansion on Monday, as Netflix introduced local press to its latest Korean original series,Kingdom.
Premiering in 190 countries Friday, Kingdom is for all intents and purposes a zombie mystery-thriller, but director Kim Seong-hun (2016’s blockbuster film Tunnel) said that the undead in this series were different in that they are plague victims. “Whether these plague victims ran or moved slowly — which is a trait that could be very important to zombie fanatics — is really only so important in terms of narrative significance. For example, I really thought about how, if they ran, whether such a dynamic athleticism could be utilized to crank up the horror factor,” said Kim.
The late 19th century Joseon Kingdom that lasted from 1392 to 1910 was devastated by a series of wars and famine. The Netflix original series presents a doomed crown prince caught in political intrigue, played by popular actor Ju Ji-hoon (The Spy Gone North, Along With the Gods 1 &2). He must prove his innocence against accusations of betraying his king father and embarks on a suicide mission to investigate a mysterious outbreak.
Actor Ryu Seung-ryong (Masquerade), who plays a corrupt, power-hungry politician, emphasized that the mix of East and West was what makes Kingdom stand apart from other zombie features and series. “Our piece fuses together a local tale with a Western genre in a way that could resonate with a lot of people in different ways. It seems Korean content has been quite largely exposed to non-local viewers but I think [Kingdom] will also promote many other hitherto unknown aspects of Korean beauty.”
The premise of the series was inspired by a true 19th century record found of a plague in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty (the kingdom): “In the fall, a mysterious disease began to spread from the west, and in 10 days, tens of thousands of people died in Hanyang [present-day Seoul].” Considered the world’s longest continual documentation of a single dynasty, the annals are also considered veritable and “objective” as not even the king was allowed to read it.
The story of Kingdom was conceived back in 2011 by South Korea’s distinguished writer Kim Eun-hee. A self-professed fan of zombie fare, Kim said she ultimately wanted “to tell a story about hunger.” “I wanted to portray people who were mistreated by those in power struggling with starvation and poverty through the monsters,” she said. “Hunger is the most universal human instinct,” she added, explaining that cravings extend beyond the physical realm into an emotional and intellectual abyss, as it “portrays a void in the heart, or hunger for power.” Kim emphasized that she was struck by a sense of sorrow in the zombies in other franchises since “they have been castrated of all other desires other than hunger.”
“I was astonished by the incredible acting skills of the 40 or so zombie actors, who actually were truly scary,” said Bae Doona, who may be recognized from such Hollywood flicks as Jupiter 8 and TV series including Matrimonial Chaos and Netflix’s Sense8.
Netflix has also announced plans for the second season of Kingdom. “The first season will end at a very opportune, climactic moment,” said the director, who explained that he conceived the project like a three-part serial film. “I am looking forward to the next season [to be helmed by another filmmaker] as well.”
FAQs
The Netflix Original series Kingdom is a fictional story set hundreds of years ago, in Joseon-era Korea. In the series, a plague of the undead ravages the land, creating political turmoil within a rich historical context.
Is Kingdom Korean based on a true story? ›
Set at the start of the 17th century, three years after the end of the Imjin War, Kingdom takes place in a fictional, medieval-inspired Joseon (modern-day Korea) and blends political thriller and elements from zombie horror.
What caused the zombies in Kingdom? ›
The source of the infection comes from the parasitic worm inside the resurrection plant. Any corpse that is injected by the concoction made from it will be reanimated into the monster, but the prototype or first generation infected monster cannot turn a human who has been bitten as shown with the King of Joseon.
Will there be a season 3 of Kingdom kdrama? ›
This journey may lead them to Ashin and her secret involving the resurrection plant. With the plot thickening, Season 3 is poised to continue the quest to uncover the truth behind the plague's origin.
Is there any historical truth to The Last Kingdom? ›
Summary. The Last Kingdom season 5 diverges from real history but maintains key historical events and figures of the Viking Age. Uhtred of Bebbanburg draws inspiration from Uhtred the Bold and Ealdred I of Bamburgh, creating a unique character arc.
How historically accurate is Kingdom Come? ›
Historical accuracy. Although historians commended the game for aiming for historical accuracy, some commentators and scholars have criticised the developers' overwhelmingly White portrayal of 15th-century Central Europe, and of Cumans and Hungarians as cruel invaders.
Why was Kingdom cancelled? ›
Filming on the third series ran from July to September 2008 for broadcast from 7 June 2009. Stephen Fry announced in October 2009 that ITV was cancelling the series, a fact later confirmed by the channel, which said that given tighter budgets, more expensive productions were being cut.
What happened to Kingdom of Korea? ›
By 1910, however, most resistance forces had been killed or had fled to Manchuria and Siberia, and Japan had sufficiently consolidated its position to formally annex Korea on August 29, 1910. Korea, unified and independent since the seventh century, was now a Japanese colony.
Are the costumes on Kingdom historically accurate? ›
Mostly historically-accurate. The clothing of the royal family still has mistakes, however, but this is a mistake in every Korean historical drama.
Why do the zombies hide in Kingdom? ›
At the end, when it's revealed that the zombies hide because of the temperature and not the sun, a few things didn't add up for me... First, there have been several scenes of zombies on fire still chasing humans.
Lord Cho and the Queen therefore called upon a physician, Lee Seung-hui, whose attempts to revive the king led to a strange and unnatural sickness violently spreading through the country. After the monsters invaded the palace, she committed suicide by letting the infected devour her.
Where was Kingdom filmed in Korea? ›
Kingdom was shot in Seoul, South Korea. Seoul, South Korea. Photo by Yohan Cho on Unsplash.
What is the ending of Kingdom Korean drama? ›
Cho died in the zombie infestation she herself unleashed in the palace, but Seo Bi rescued the baby last minute and bathed him in water, thereby saving him from the infectious worms which had entered his body.
Is Kingdom kdrama worth watching? ›
This show is so worth watching, a zombie story with depth! That is something you never get, it has an interesting storyline running all the way through, not about zombies. They are more like a secondary storyline.
Who is the mole in Kingdom? ›
Chang is torn as he's now paranoid everyone's after his head, but his suspicions turn out to be right when we see a secretly-convened meeting, revealing Moo-Young as the mole.
Is Netflix the Kingdom based on a true story? ›
The Kingdom is loosely based on the Khobar Towers bombing in 1996. But the writer, director, and producers took many creative liberties when crafting the story.
How historically accurate is the kingdom? ›
The Kingdom Manga While the Kingdom manga takes inspiration from real events and historical figures, it does take some liberties for storytelling purposes. It presents a dramatized version of the Warring States period, embellishing certain aspects of the narrative to captivate readers.
Is Kingdom based on real events? ›
The story of Kingdom is a fictional adaptation of the Chinese history period known as the Warring States period, which ended in 221 BC when Ying Zheng, king of Qin, succeeded in conquering the other states and unifying China. Several of the characters are based on historical figures.
