Kingdom will be Netflix’s second Korean original series. It is adapted from the webcomic series “신의 나라 / Land of the Gods”, which was authored Writer Kim Eun Hee, her first venture into the webcomic industry, and drawn by Yang Kyung Il which was first published on 2015-July-23 by RHK. It’s planned for three seasons.
Set in Korea’s medieval Joseon period, it tells the story of a crown prince Lee Chang (Joo Ji Hoon) who is sent on a suicide mission to investigate a mysterious plague that’s spreading across his country. The truth threatens the kingdom, when he discovers that it is an atrocious epidemic in the form of zombies.
- Drama: Kingdom
- Revised romanization: Kingdeom
- Hangul: 킹덤
- Director: Kim Sung-Hoon
- Writer: Kim Eun-Hee (webcomic & screenplay), Yang Kyung-Il (cartoon)
- Network: Netflix
- Episodes: 6
- Release Date: January 25, 2019
- Runtime:
Synopsis
10 days have passed since the King collapsed from an illness. Queen Jo (Kim Hye-Jun) and her father Chief State Councilor Jo Hak-Joo (Ryoo Seung-Ryong) have forbidden anyone else to see the King. Even his own son Crown Prince Lee Chang (Ju Ji-Hoon) is forbidden to see his father. In the meantime, Chief State Councilor Jo Hak-Joo rules Joseon with an iron fist, but rumors spread that the King is dead.
Crown Prince Lee Chang senses something sinister and sneaks into the King’s palace. He sees a shadowy monster through a door and smells its foul stench, but he is discovered and escorted out of the palace. His guard Moo-Young (Kim Sang-Ho) steals the medical journal for the King. The journal is nearly empty, but lists the name of Physician Lee Seung-Hui (Kwon Bum-Taek).
To find out what happened to the King, Crown Prince Lee Chang and Moo-Young travel to the Jiyulheon clinic in faraway Dongnae to see the physician. When they arrive, they discover that the clinic is in ruins and dead bodies are found under a building. Crown Prince Lee Chang and Moo-Young later learn that the only person to have survived the clinic is medical staff member Seo-Bi (Bae Doo-Na). When they finally find Seo-Bi, she tells the them that the dead they saw at the clinic are not dead and they will rise up soon to kill.
Notes
- Kingdom Torrent Files is based on the webcomic “Burning Hell Shinui Nara” by Kim Eun-Hee (writer) & Yang Kyung-Il (illustrator) (first published July 23, 2015 by RHK).
- Song Joong-Ki was first offered the lead role, but declined.
- Related titles (drama series):
- Kingdom (Netflix / 2019)
- Kingdom2 (Netflix / 2020)