''Love in the Moonlight'' () is a South Korean television series starring

Park Bo-gum Park Bo-gum (; born June 16, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He gained recognition for his diverse range of roles in film and television, notably, a psychopathic lawyer in '' Hello Monster'' (2015), a genius Go player in ''Reply 1988'' (2015– ...

Kim Yoo-jung Kim Yoo-jung (; born September 22, 1999) is a South Korean actress. She debuted as a model for a confectionery brand at the age of four. After her acting debut in 2003, she became one of the best known child actresses in Korea since then, aft ...

, Jung Jinyoung,

Chae Soo-bin Chae Soo-bin (born Bae Soo-bin on July 10, 1994) is a South Korean actress. She gained recognition for her role in the television series ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016), and transitioned into leading roles with '' The Rebel'' (2017), ''Stronge ...

, and

Kwak Dong-yeon Kwak Dong-yeon (; born 19 March 1997), is a South Korean actor and musician. He made his acting debut in the television series ''My Husband Got a Family'' in 2012 for which he received Best Young Actor Award at the Korea Drama Awards. He then st ...

. It is a coming-of-age story and youth romance set during 19th-century

Joseon Dynasty Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

based on the

web novel Web fiction is written works of literature available primarily or solely on the Internet. A common type of web fiction is the web serial. The term comes from old serial stories that were once published regularly in newspapers and magazines. Unlike ...

'' Moonlight Drawn by Clouds'' which was first serialized on

Naver Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. It was launched in 1999 as the first web portal in South Korea to develop and use its own search engine. It was also the world's first operator to in ...

in 2013 and consequently published as a five-part series of books in 2015. It aired on

KBS2 The Korean Broadcasting System (KBS) () is the national broadcaster of South Korea. Founded in February 1927, it is one of the leading South Korean television and radio broadcasters. KBS operates seven radio networks, ten television channels, a ...

at 22:00 ( KST) every Monday and Tuesday for 18 episodes from August 22, 2016, until October 18, 2016. A domestic hit, ''Moonlight'' achieved a peak audience rating of 23.3% in South Korea and was praised for its production, performances and music. It won Best Drama Series at the 22nd

Asian Television Awards The Asian Television Awards (launched in 1996), is an appreciation to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Held every December, the Awards comprises 56 categories across news, documentarie ...

, and received six nominations at the 53rd

Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, are awards for excellence in film, television and theatre in South Korea. The awards were first introduced in 1965 by Chang Key-young, the founder of the Hankook Ilbo newspap ...

where it won Popularity Awards for leads Park and Kim. The press referred to its influence as " ''Moonlight'' Syndrome" as it topped topicality, content and brand reputation charts in and beyond its run. The series aired worldwide, with English subtitles, starting August 23, 2016 every Tuesday and Wednesday at 21:50 ( KST) on

KBS World KBS World is the Korean Broadcasting System's international broadcasting service. It consists of KBS World Radio, KBS World television channel and KBS Korea. History The foreign-language radio broadcast from KBS (before its restructure into a ...

. It also streams internationally, on Viki.

Synopsis

The series is a coming of age story about Crown Prince Lee Yeong's (

) growth from a boy into revered monarch and his unlikely relationship with

eunuch A eunuch ( ) is a male who has been castrated. Throughout history, castration often served a specific social function. The earliest records for intentional castration to produce eunuchs are from the Sumerian city of Lagash in the 2nd millennium ...

Hong Ra-on (

Cast

Main

as Lee Yeong **

Jung Yoon-seok Jung Yoon-seok (born April 30, 2003) is a South Korean actor. He won Best Young Actor award in 2009 SBS Drama Awards for his role in '' Temptation of Wife''. Early life and education Born to Korean-Chinese parents, Jung began his acting c ...

as young Yeong : He is the only son of the King and heir to the throne. Smart, bright, and mischievous, he is disliked by his servants for being unpredictable. He has an affinity for arts and music. He initially disliked his father blaming him for his mother's death. He is close to consort Park and dislikes Kim Heon and Queen Kim. He falls for Ra-on. *

as Hong Ra-on/Hong Sam-nom ** Kim Ji-young as young Ra-on :Popular and street-smart, she was raised as a boy by her mother and makes a living by disguising herself as a male relationship counselor and romance novel author under the name Sam-nom. She eventually became a

of Yeong. Looking for her mother, she hides immense pain behind her cheerful attitude. She falls in love with Lee Yeong. * Jung Jinyoung as Kim Yoon-sung **Lee Hyo-je as young Yoon-sung :Charismatic and poised, he is a

scholar A scholar is a person who pursues academic and intellectual activities, particularly academics who apply their intellectualism into expertise in an area of study. A scholar can also be an academic, who works as a professor, teacher, or researche ...

born to a powerful family. He grew up alongside Yeong and used to be best friends with him. He knew Ra-on's secret since their first meeting but pretends to not know it. *

as Jo Ha-yeon :A lady ahead of her generation, she is proud, worldly and straightforward. As the daughter of the influential Minister of Rites, she was chosen as crown princess of Yeong. *

as Kim Byung-yeon **Noh Kang-min as young Byung-yeon :A skilled

swordsman Swordsmanship or sword fighting refers to the skills and techniques used in combat and training with any type of sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to a ...

and scholar, he is also the Head of the Royal Guard of the Crown Prince's palace. Not only is he Yeong's childhood friend, he is also his trusted confidant. However he hides a secret that he cannot tell Lee-yeong, for fear of losing his trust.

Supporting

;Royals *

Kim Seung-soo Kim Seung-Soo (born July 25, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Television series * '' Hur Jun'' (1999) * ''Bad Boys'' (2000) * ''Rookie'' (2000) * ''Cool'' (2001) * '' Mina'' (2001) * ''Fox and Cotton Candy'' (2001) * ''Remember' ...

as the

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

Seo Jeong-yeon Seo Jeong-yeon (born September 23, 1975) is a South Korean actress. She has starred in television series such as '' Righteous Love'' (2014) and '' Descendants of the Sun'' (2016), and had supporting roles in dramas including '' Something in the ...

as Queen Yoon *

Jeon Mi-seon Jeon Mi-seon (December 7, 1970 – June 29, 2019) was a South Korean actress. Though best known as a supporting actress in films and television series such as ''Memories of Murder'' (2003), ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012), and ''Hide and Seek ...

as Park Suk-ui *

Jung Hye-sung Jung Hye-sung (born Jung Eun-joo on April 29, 1991) is a South Korean actress and model. Career Jung began her acting career in ''To the Beautiful You'' (2012) and gained recognition through supporting roles in ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016) a ...

as Princess Myeong-eun *

Heo Jung-eun Heo Jung-eun (; born September 14, 2007) is a South Korean actress. She first drew public attention with her performances in hit dramas, '' My Lawyer, Mr. Jo'' (2016) and ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016). At age nine, she took on her first leadin ...

as Princess Yeongeun, Lady Park's daughter * Kim Jin-yi as Pregnant court lady ;Eunuchs and maids *

Jang Gwang Jang Gwang (born January 5, 1952) is a South Korean actor in film and television. Filmography Film * ''Taste of Horror – Gym for Residents'' (TBA) * '' Air Murder'' (2022) * '' Sinkhole (2021) * ''White Day: Broken Barrier'' (2021) * ...

as Eunuch Han * Lee Jun-hyeok as Eunuch Jang *

Jo Hee-bong Jo Hee-bong (born August 23, 1971) is a South Korean actor. Hee-bong began his acting career in 1997 as part of the theatre troupe Bipa (비파). He later became known as a supporting actor onscreen, in films such as '' Blind'' (2011) and ''Inc ...

as Eunuch Sung *

Choi Dae-chul Choi Dae-chul (born Choi Won-chul on October 16, 1978) is a South Korean actor. He has been active in musical theatre since 2002, but has also played supporting roles in television dramas such as ''Wang's Family'' (2013), ''Jang Bo-ri Is Here!'' ...

as Eunuch Ma *Tae Hang-ho as Do Gi *

Oh Eui-shik Oh Eui-shik (오의식, born November 1, 1983) is a South Korean actor. Oh made his musical debut in 2006 and has since built up his acting skills in a number of plays and television drama. He is known for roles in television dramas such as '' O ...

as Park Seong Yeol *

Cha Joo-young Cha Joo-young (born 5 June 1990) is a South Korean actress. She is known for her roles in dramas such as ''Cheese in the Trap'', ''Wok of Love'', ''Jugglers'', ''The Spies Who Loved Me ''The Spies Who Loved Me'' () is a South Korean televisi ...

as Ae Sim-i *Jung Yoo-min as Wol-hee ;Kim clan *

Chun Ho-jin Chun Ho-jin (born September 9, 1960) is a South Korean actor. Early life Chun studied chemistry at Inha University but dropped out to pursue acting. His father Chun Gyu-deok was among the first generation of professional wrestlers in the countr ...

as Kim Heon, Prime Minister *

Han Soo-yeon Han Soo-yeon ( born April 24, 1983) is a South Korean actress best known for her roles in Korean dramas, '' Pure Love'' (2013) and ''Love in the Moonlight'' (2016). Early life and education Han was born in South Korea, and moved with her mother ...

as Queen Kim *

Park Chul-min Park Chul-min (born January 18, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Career Park Chul-min began acting in his high school drama club at Chosun University High School, and though he majored in Business Administration at Chung-Ang University, he spent ...

as Kim Eui-gyo, Minister of Personnel *Bang Joong-hyun as Kim Geun-gyo, Minister of Taxation ;Hong clan *

Jung Hae-kyun Jung Hae-kyun (; born August 16, 1968) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in '' The Villainess'', '' Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds'' and ''Confession of Murder ''Confession of Murder'' (; lit. "I Am the Murderer") is a 2 ...

Hong Gyeong-nae Hong Gyeong-Rae (1780–1812) was a rebel leader in the Joseon province of Pyeongan, in present-day Democratic People's Republic of Korea, during the early 19th century. He was born in Yonggang to a family of the Namyang Hong lineage. His back ...

Kim Yeo-jin Kim Yeo-jin (born June 24, 1972) is a South Korean actress and activist. Kim made her acting debut in the stage play ''What Do Women Live For'' in 1995, and has since remained active in film and television, drawing praise for her supporting role ...

as Kim So-sa ;Jo clan and advisors *

Lee Dae-yeon Lee Dae-yeon (born November 13, 1964) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television series Theater Awards and nominations References External links Lee Dae-yeonat JR Entertainment * * * 1964 births Living ...

as Jo Man-hyeong, Minister of Rites *

Ahn Nae-sang Ahn Nae-sang (born December 25, 1964) is a South Korean actor. He began his career on the stage, and in 1994 made his film debut in the Bong Joon-ho short film ''Baeksekin'' ("White Man" or "White-collar worker"), followed by Jang Sun-woo's ''B ...

Jeong Yak-yong Jeong Yak-yong (August 5, 1762 – April 7, 1836) or Chong Yagyong, often simply known as ‘Dasan’ (茶山, one of his ‘ho’ / pen-names meaning ‘the mountain of tea’), was a Korean agronomist, philosopher, and poet. He was one of the ...

Ahn Se-ha Ahn Se-ha (born Ahn Jae-wook on January 29, 1986) is a South Korean actor. Personal life On April 6, 2017, JUST Entertainment revealed that Ahn was set to marry his girlfriend of over a year. The prospective bride is his fellow college and an ...

as Master Jung Deok-ho

Special appearances

* Kim Byung-chul as Yeong's teacher *

Cha Tae-hyun Cha Tae-hyun (; born March 25, 1976) is a South Korean actor, singer, television personality, radio DJ and director. He is best known for his lead roles in the box-office hit comedies ''My Sassy Girl'' (2001), ''Scandal Makers'' (2008), ''Hello ...

as a farm servant *

Cho Yeo-jeong Cho Yeo-jeong (born February 10, 1981) is a South Korean actress. She is best known internationally for her role in the film ''Parasite'' (2019), which won four Academy Awards and became the first non-English language film to win the award for Be ...

as a noble lady * Jung Yi-rang as gukbap lady *

Lee Sung-jae Lee Sung-jae (born August 23, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Among his notable works include the films ''Art Museum by the Zoo'', ''Attack the Gas Station'', ''Barking Dogs Never Bite'', and ''Kick the Moon'', as well as the television series ' ...

as master Jeong (Ep.4) *

Lee Moon-sik Lee Moon-sik (born November 13, 1967) is a South Korean actor. Lee Moon-sik debuted in Jang Jin films of the late 1990s after an illustrious career in Daehak-ro (considered the "Korean Broadway"), where he learned great comic timing, ad-lib pr ...

as a man who castrates *

Kim Seul-gi Kim Seul-ki also known as Kim Seul-gi (born October 10, 1991) is a South Korean actress who starred in many critically acclaimed dramas including '' Oh My Ghost'' (2015), '' Splash Love'' (2015), and '' The Guardians'' (2017). She is also a form ...

as a eunuch trainee

Production

Development and casting

In December 2015, KBS Media announced that they will be adapting and producing the popular novel '' Moonlight Drawn by Clouds'' written by Yoon Yi-soo.

joined the project in February 2016 and

boarded in April. The first script reading was held in Yeoido, Seoul on May 26, 2016 and filming began in early June.''Love in the Moonlight'' is the second collaboration between director Kim Seong-yoon and writers Kim Min-jung and Im Ye-jin after working on '' Who Are You: School 2015'' and director Baek Sang-hoon, cinematographer Kim Si-hyeong and music director Gaemi after working on ''

Descendants of the Sun ''Descendants of the Sun'' () is a 2016 South Korean television series starring Song Joong-ki, Song Hye-kyo, Jin Goo, and Kim Ji-won. It aired on KBS2 from February 24 to April 14, 2016 for 16 episodes. KBS then aired three additional specia ...

'' (2016). Due to high audience ratings, KBS negotiated for the production to extend its original 18 episodes to 20. Chief producer Kang Byung-taek declined saying that the framework of the story had already been laid out and it would only yield complications with the cast and crew's respective schedules.

Promotion

The drama's first teaser, with lead actor Park dressed in

dragon robe A dragon is a reptilian legendary creature that appears in the folklore of many cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but dragons in western cultures since the High Middle Ages have often been depicted as ...

dancing to

Jessy Matador Jessy Kimbangi (), better known by his stage name Jessy Matador, is a France, French-Democratic Republic of the Congo, Congolese singer. Biography Matador began his career as a dancer in 2001. He later joined the group "Les cœurs brisés" (Th ...

's French pop-song "Bomba" in front of

Gwanghwamun Gwanghwamun () is the main and largest gate of Gyeongbok Palace, in Jongno-gu, Seoul, South Korea. It is located at a three-way intersection at the northern end of Sejongno. As a landmark and symbol of Seoul's long history as the capital city dur ...

, was released in July 2016 and became a viral hit. In a press conference held on August 18, 2016, director Kim Seong-yoon indicated that despite the series being set in the 19th century, the production aimed to show a more contemporary message adding: "Our focus was on creating a romance that's pretty and charming but also sad. We'd like viewers to be able to identify with the emotions displayed. There's no grand metaphor. Rather than unveiling a political message, we focused on telling a story that's easy to identify with."

Original soundtrack

In August 2016, OU Entertainment's Gaemi, real name Kang Dong-yoon, joined the project as music director. Jinyoung, who plays Yoon-sung, composed and produced "Misty Road" sung by

Ben Ben is frequently used as a shortened version of the given names Benjamin, Benedict, Bennett or Benson, and is also a given name in its own right. Ben (in he, בֶּן, ''son of'') forms part of Hebrew surnames, e.g. Abraham ben Abraham ( he, � ...

. "My Person", which lead actor Park finished recording in October 2016 was co-written by composer Kim Se-jin. It topped

Melon A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. The word "melon" can refer to either the plant or specifically to the fruit. Botanically, a melon is a kind of berry, specifically a "pepo". The ...

Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...

, Bugs, olleh,

Soribada Soribada ( ko, 소리바다) was the first Korean peer-to-peer file-sharing service, launched in 2000 by Sean Yang. The name 'Soribada' means "Ocean of Sound" or "Receiving (downloading) Sound". It was closed in 2002 by court order but continued t ...

Genie Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources) – are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic mytho ...

and

Monkey3 Monkey3 is a psychedelic stoner rock band from Switzerland. History Native to Lausanne, Monkey3 was created in 2001, initially as a gathering of musicians in jam sessions of stoner rock influence. In 2003 they became a permanent group featuring ...

charts upon its release. The two-disc soundtrack album was released on October 27, 2016 and consists of 13 tracks including a humming version of "Because I Miss You", 13 instrumentals and three special background music created by folk-fusion band Second Moon. The drama marked the comeback of acclaimed balladeers

Sung Si-kyung Sung Si-kyung (; born April 17, 1979) is a South Korean singer, entertainer and television host. He debuted in 2001 and has released eight studio albums in Korean and two studio albums in Japanese. He has also hosted and appeared on numerous So ...

and

Baek Ji-young Baek Ji-young (; born March 25, 1976), also known as Baek Z Young, is a South Korean singer. She made her debut in 1999, with the release of her album ''Sorrow''. Over her career she has released eight studio albums and won awards for Best Fem ...

after two years.

Track list

Chart performance

Press

Reception

Cast of Love in the Moonlight, August 2016

The series was met with praise by critics and audiences for its production, performances and music. It doubled its premiere ratings on its third episode and remained the undisputed #1 against 3 public broadcasting dramas in the same timeslot. In addition, it became KBS's highest-rated Monday/Tuesday drama since 2010. It also dominated topicality, content and brand reputation charts in and beyond its run which led the media to call its popularity "''Moonlight'' Syndrome". Costume designer Lee Jin-hee was also commended for her work on the production's

Joseon Joseon (; ; Middle Korean: 됴ᇢ〯션〮 Dyǒw syéon or 됴ᇢ〯션〯 Dyǒw syěon), officially the Great Joseon (; ), was the last dynastic kingdom of Korea, lasting just over 500 years. It was founded by Yi Seong-gye in July 1392 and re ...

-era clothes. Lead actor Park's

hanbok The (; term used in South Korean standard language, South Korea), also called () n North Korean standard language, North Korea and China, is an Hyponymy and hypernymy, umbrella term which is used to refer to traditional ethnic Koreans, Korean ...

were put on

exhibit Exhibit may refer to: *Exhibit (legal), evidence in physical form brought before the court **Demonstrative evidence, exhibits and other physical forms of evidence used in court to demonstrate, show, depict, inform or teach relevant information to ...

Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, Japan. The complex is generally considered to be in the Yūrakuchō business district, being adjacent to Yūrakuchō Station, but it is administratively in the Marunouchi district. Tokyo Int ...

during his Japan fan meeting the following year. Sales of the novel experienced a 56% increase upon the drama's airing. The overseas demand consequently led to its translation in

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

and plans on

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

and

Thai Thai or THAI may refer to: * Of or from Thailand, a country in Southeast Asia ** Thai people, the dominant ethnic group of Thailand ** Thai language, a Tai-Kadai language spoken mainly in and around Thailand *** Thai script *** Thai (Unicode block ...

translations, among others. Both

KakaoTalk KakaoTalk (Hangul: 카카오톡), commonly referred to as KaTalk (Hangul: 카톡) in South Korea, is a mobile messaging app for smartphones operated by Kakao Corporation. It was launched on March 18, 2010, and it is available on mobile and deskto ...

and

LINE Line most often refers to: * Line (geometry), object with zero thickness and curvature that stretches to infinity * Telephone line, a single-user circuit on a telephone communication system Line, lines, The Line, or LINE may also refer to: Arts ...

released ''Moonlight''

digital stickers A sticker is a detailed illustration of a character that represents an emotion or action that is a mix of cartoons and Japanese smiley-like "emojis" sent through instant messaging platforms. They have more variety than emoticons and have a basis f ...

and three of Raon's outfits were made available for purchase in mobile game "I Love Nicky". The eternal bracelets of Yeong and Raon went on sale as official merchandise and the drama's 336-page official photo essay book became a best-seller. ''Moonlight'' has also been parodied in shows like ''

Saturday Night Live Korea ''Saturday Night Live Korea'' (; abbreviated as ''SNL Korea'' () or simply as ''SNLK'') is a South Korean late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show. It is adapted from the long-running American TV show ''Saturday Night Live'' by ...

'' and '' The Return of Superman'', among others. In September 2016, KBS Media acquired the rights to adapt ''Moonlight'' into a musical production. On October 19, 2016, Park, Kim, Jinyoung and Kwak held a fan-signing event, wearing their drama costumes, at the historic Gyeongbokgung Palace where scenes of the drama were filmed. More than 5,000 fans gathered to see the cast and the event was also live-streamed on

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin M ...

. A gesture of gratitude for the drama's success, it was a collaborative effort between KBS and the

Korea Creative Content Agency The Korea Creative Content Agency (KOCCA) is a South Korean government agency which is affiliated with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and is charged with governing cultural content. As part of its partnership the Export-Import Bank ...

. In partnership with Viki, the series screened at

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

in October 2016 as a joint project of the campus' Korea-centric organizations, KUNA and K-Popular.

Ratings

In this table, represent the lowest ratings and represent the highest ratings. * * * *

Awards and nominations

References

External links

* * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Love in the Moonlight Korean-language television shows 2016 South Korean television series debuts 2016 South Korean television series endings Korean Broadcasting System television dramas South Korean historical television series Television series set in the Joseon dynasty Television shows based on South Korean novels Cross-dressing in television Television series by KBS Media