''Rooftop Prince'' () is a 2012

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

n fantasy romantic comedy television drama, starring

Park Yoo-chun Park Yoo-chun (born June 4, 1986), formerly known as Micky Yoochun and better known by the mononym Yoochun, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is a former member of the South Korean boy bands JYJ and TVXQ. He has starred in drama ...

, Han Ji-min, Jeong Yu-mi,

Lee Tae-sung Lee Tae-sung (born Lee Sung-deok on April 21, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He is known for his roles in ''26 Years Diary'', ''Playful Kiss'', ''Rooftop Prince'' and ''My Golden Life'' and is currently a cast member of the reality show ''My Li ...

Lee Tae-ri Lee Tae-ri () (born Lee Min-ho; June 28, 1993) is a South Korean actor. He is well-known for his role as young Yang Myung in ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012), Song Man-bo in ''Rooftop Prince'' (2012), Jung Joo-hwan in '' The Beauty Inside'' (20 ...

Jung Suk-won Jung Suk-won (; born May 16, 1985) is a South Korean actor. He began his entertainment career as a stuntman with the Seoul Action School after being discharged from the Marines, then turned to modeling and acting, notably in the television serie ...

, and

Choi Woo-shik Choi Woo-shik (; born March 26, 1990) is an South Korean-Canadian actor based in South Korea. He first gained widespread recognition for his leading role in the film '' Set Me Free'' (2014). He then co-starred in the films ''Train to Busan'' (201 ...

. It is about a

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 ...

crown prince who, after his wife dies mysteriously, time travels to the future where he encounters familiar faces, modern-day devices, and corporate intrigue. The series aired on SBS from March 21 to May 24, 2012 on Wednesdays and Thursdays at 21:55 for 20 episodes. It is available on

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

Synopsis

Yong Tae-mu (

), after killing his lost cousin in the United States, returns to Korea, claiming that his

cousin Most generally, in the lineal kinship system used in the English-speaking world, a cousin is a type of familial relationship in which two relatives are two or more familial generations away from their most recent common ancestor. Commonly, " ...

, Yong Tae-yong (

Park Yoochun Park Yoo-chun (born June 4, 1986), formerly known as Micky Yoochun and better known by the mononym Yoochun, is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actor. He is a former member of the South Korean boy bands JYJ and TVXQ. He has starred in drama ...

), could not be found in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. Meanwhile, Tae-mu has been having a secret

affair An affair is a sexual relationship, romantic friendship, or passionate attachment in which at least one of its participants has a formal or informal commitment to a third person who may neither agree to such relationship nor even be aware of i ...

with Hong Se-na ( Jeong Yu-mi), his secretary, who, in turn, runs into her long-lost

stepsister Step-siblings are children born of two different families who have been joined by marriage, A male step-sibling is a stepbrother and a female is a stepsister. The step-siblings relationship is connected through law and is not a blood relation. ...

Park-ha ( Han Ji-min). Park-ha has been missing for a prolonged period of time and it is revealed that she was in the US after Se-na abandoned her in a truck driving away when she was nine. Two years after Tae-yong's disappearance, four men dressed in

-era garments fall onto Park-ha's rooftop house. Hungry, homeless and having nowhere to go, the four men decide to stick with Park-ha. Their leader, Lee-gak claims to be the

Crown Prince A crown prince or hereditary prince is the heir apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The female form of the title is crown princess, which may refer either to an heiress apparent or, especially in earlier times, to the wif ...

of Joseon (

), along with his entourage – scholar Song Man-bo (

), personal bodyguard Woo Yong-sool (

), and palace eunuch Do Chi-san (

). One day, Crown Prince Lee Gak sees Se-na who is the spitting image of his beloved wife, who was found drowned in the 18th century. He is convinced she is his wife's

reincarnation Reincarnation, also known as rebirth or transmigration, is the philosophical or religious concept that the non-physical essence of a living being begins a new life in a different physical form or body after biological death. Resurrection is a ...

. Meanwhile, Yeo (Ban Hyo-jung), a wealthy president of a large company, mistakes Lee Gak for her grandson, Yong Tae-yong, because of their exact same appearance, and believes that her long lost grandson has finally returned. Lee Gak realizes that he has

time travel Time travel is the concept of movement between certain points in time, analogous to movement between different points in space by an object or a person, typically with the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine. Time travel is a w ...

ed 300 years to 2012,

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 ...

, to search for the truth behind the mysterious death of the late Crown Princess. In order to approach Se-na, who is also President Yeo's personal assistant, Lee Gak pretends that he is Tae-yong. Tae-mu, believing that he already killed his cousin in New York, lives in constant fear of his devious act being discovered by the family and "Tae-yong" (aka Lee Gak) who claims not to have remembered the event. Tae-mu has always been jealous of Tae-yong's favored position in the family. On the other hand, Park-ha is shocked by the news that her new friend who calls himself the Crown Prince is, in fact, the grandson of the

CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

. But before long, her feelings for Lee Gak blossom and she is hurt when she finds out that Lee Gak, who still holds very tender memories of his dead wife, is courting Se-na. Lee Gak also believes that marrying Se-na in Seoul in the year 2012 would bring him closer to solving the mystery of the Crown Princess' murder in the Joseon era.

Cast

Main

as Crown Prince Lee Gak / Yong Tae-yong **

Choi Won-hong Choi Won-hong (born December 14, 2000) is a South Korean actor. After discharged from the military in 2022, he signed a contract with Jung Man-sik Jung Man-sik (; born December 11, 1974) is a South Korean actor. His name is also romanized as ...

as Young Lee Gak :He is the Crown Prince in the Joseon era. Intelligent, kind, wise, cautious and exercises good judgment though a little pompous and prone to think highly of himself (as expected of being part of the Royal Family), the Crown Prince finds himself

ling 300 years into the future and confronts considerable challenges as he adapts to 21st-century

and Park-ha. His modern era counterpart, Tae-yong, was left for dead by his cousin Tae-mu, after the latter pushed the former at the sea at the start of the episode. Lee Gak starts to impersonate as Tae-yong as he realizes that the Joseon era and the modern era holds similarities that will bring him closer to solve his wife's death. (Lee Gak in initial episodes wears a red tracksuit.) * Han Ji-min as Park-ha / Hong Bu-yong **

Jeon Min-seo Jeon Min-seo (born 20 May 2003) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child actress, notably in the television dramas ''Good Job, Good Job'' and ''Prime Minister & I ''Prime Minister & I'' () is a 2013 South Korean televisio ...

as Young Bu-yong / Young Park-ha :Strong, resilient and having an optimistic personality, Park-ha has endured many hardships and trials since she was separated from her family at age 9. She has been looking out for herself ever since. She helps Lee Gak and his entourage to live in the modern era after they appeared at her home. Her Joseon era counterpart, Bu-yong, is shy, elegant and smart younger sister of the Crown Princess Hwa-yong who harbors strong feelings towards the Crown Prince. She was to be the supposed betrothed of Lee Gak, until her face was burned by Hwa-yong and thus the prospect of being the Crown Princess was passed to her older sister and forced herself to wear a face mask to hide the scar on her cheek. * Jeong Yu-mi as Hong Se-na / Hong Hwa-yong **

Kim So-hyun Kim So-hyun (; born June 4, 1999) is a South Korean actress who began her career as a child in 2006, initially gaining public attention for playing pivotal roles in ''Moon Embracing the Sun'' (2012) and '' Missing You'' (2013). She took on he ...

as Young Hwa-yong / Young Se-na :Se-na is Park-ha's older stepsister. She works as the secretary at the company owned by Tae-yong and Tae-mu's grandmother. Ambitious, Evil, scheming, and hateful of Park-Ha, she has relied on Tae-mu in the past to advance herself. She is resentful of Park-ha and has made her sister's life difficult. As Hwa-yong, she is Lee Gak's wife, the Crown Princess, and Bu-yong's older sister. *

as Yong Tae-mu / Prince Muchang :Tae-yong's cousin and Se-na's secret lover. He holds a high position in the company and is not lacking in skills nor industry. Tae-yong's and Tae-mu's grandfather had a transgression with another woman, which resulted in the birth of Tae-mu's father (an illegitimate child). Because there is no blood relation between Tae-yong's grandmother, who is also the CEO of the company, Tae-mu has always been sidestepped in favor of Tae-yong. Smart and ruthless, he resorts to whatever means necessary to get what he wants. His Joseon era counterpart (as revealed in the last episode), Prince Muchang, is Lee Gak's half-brother. *

as Song Man-bo :One of Lee Gak's entourage. A child prodigy, he has become proficient in all fields of study by age 22. However, because he is an illegitimate child, he cannot sit for any government exams and thus, cannot take a position as officer. Because of the hopelessness of his future prospects, he has abandoned the study of the classics for an immoral lifestyle until Crown Prince Lee Gak enlisted his help to solve the Crown Princess' murder. (In the initial episodes, he wears the green tracksuit.) *

as Woo Yong-sool :One of Lee Gak's entourage. He murdered the nobleman who killed his mother and raped his sister, as well as the nobleman's guard of about 15 others. He is very skilled with the sword. When later questioned by Lee Gak, he said that he learned to fight in order to protect the innocent, his nation and his king. His intentions are true and the Crown Prince saved him from the executioner's axe and appointed him as his personal bodyguard. (In the initial episodes, he wears the blue tracksuit.) *

as Do Chi-san :One of Lee Gak's entourage. Smooth with the ladies and skilled with men, Chi-san works at the largest brothel in Joseon. From the palace to the bedroom, Chi-san is wise in the ways of the world. Lee Gak appointed him as palace

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 ...

to discover what the people are saying about the Crown Princess' murder. (In the initial episodes, he wears the yellow tracksuit.)

Supporting

Kim Yu-seok Kim Yu-seok (born 22 September 1966) is a South Korean actor. He starred in the films ''The Power of Kangwon Province'' (1998), ''The Isle'' (2000), ''Possible Changes'' (2005), ''Long and Winding Road'' (2006), and ''Family Matters'' (2006), a ...

as the King, Lee Gak's father *

Kil Yong-woo Kil Yong-woo (born December 17, 1955) is a South Korean actor. In 2010, he played one of the main characters in the stage adaptation of the bestselling novel '' Please Look After Mom''. Filmography Film Television series Web series Var ...

as Lord Hong Man-pil, Bu-yong and Hwa-yong's father and Left State Minister of Joseon. *

Kyeon Mi-ri Kyeon Mi-ri (born January 27, 1965) is a South Korean actress and singer. She is best known for her role as the antagonist Lady Choi in the hit period drama ''Dae Jang Geum'' (2003). Career Kyeon Mi-ri graduated from Seoul Traditional Arts H ...

as Lady Jeong, Bu-yong and Hwa-yong's mother. *

Song Ok-sook Song Ok-sook (born August 14, 1960) is a South Korean actress. She has appeared in supporting roles in numerous television dramas, including ''Winter Sonata'', ''Beethoven Virus'', ''More Charming by the Day'', and '' Missing You''. Song is al ...

as Gong Man-ok, Se-na's mother and Park-ha's stepmother. *

Maeng Sang-hoon Maeng Sang-hoon (born October 29, 1960) is a South Korean actor from the Sinchang Maeng clan Sinchang Maeng clan () is one of the Korean clans. Their Bon-gwan was in Asan, South Chungcheong Province. According to the research held in 2000, th ...

as Park In-cheol, Park-ha's father *

Na Young-hee Na Young-hee (, born September 20, 1961), born Bang Suk-hui, is a South Korean actress. Na was born in Boeun, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Filmography Film *Note: the whole list is referenced. Television series Awards * 2021 2 ...

as President Jang Seon-joo, Park-ha's mother *Kim Hyung-bum as Officer Hong Nak-hyeon, Bu-yong and Hwa-yong's brother and head of the royal police *

Kang Byul Kang Byul (Korean: 강별, born August 9, 1990) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 2008 and was cast in her first leading role in the television drama ''Miss Mamma Mia'' (2015). Personal life Her maternal uncle is actor Kan ...

as Lady Mimi *Guzal Tursunova as Becky *

Ban Hyo-jung Ban Hyo-jung (born Ban Man-hee on November 27, 1942) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1964 with a bit part in Shin Sang-ok's film ''Rice'', and went on to a prolific career in television drama In film and television ...

as Chairman Yeo, chairman of the Home & Shopping Network, and Tae-yong's grandmother *

Ahn Suk-hwan Ahn Suk-hwan (Hangul: 안석환; real name: Ahn Jin-hyeong (Hangul: 안진형); November 1, 1959) is a South Korean actor. Ahn has been active in theater, film and television since 1986. His onscreen roles include both comedic and villainous sup ...

as Yong Dong-man, Tae-mu's father *

Park Joon-geum Park Joon Geum (born 29 July 1962) is a South Korean actress. An alumnus of Kyung Hee University, Department of Dance, she is also a visiting professor in College of Culture and Arts Engineering, Kangwon National University. She made her actin ...

as Yong Seol-hee, Dong-man's aunt *

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 Pyo Taek-soo

Production

Prior to the script reading, the main actors were required to undertake a camera test dressed in traditional costumes. The first script reading occurred at the SBS Ilsan Production Center on February 1, 2012. Filming for ''Rooftop Prince'' began on February 4, 2012. On February 7, 2012, a traditional wedding scene was filmed at Gyeonghui Palace in Seoul, involving the young Crown Prince Lee Gak and Hwa Yong. Filming was temporarily rescheduled due to the passing of Park Yoochun's father on March 13, however Park resumed work on March 17 as the pilot episode was scheduled to air on the 21st.

Original soundtrack

To date, three EPs and one album have been released.

Rooftop Prince OST Part 1

Rooftop Prince OST Part 2

Rooftop Prince OST Vol. 1

Rooftop Prince OST Part 3

Ratings

Despite average ratings in South Korea, the drama was popular overseas, especially in China and Japan. Fans from 35 countries have visited the filming set.

Awards and nominations

Notes

References

External links

''Rooftop Prince'' official SBS website
* * {{Hancinema film, The_Rooftop_Prince 2012 South Korean television series debuts 2012 South Korean television series endings Seoul Broadcasting System television dramas Korean-language television shows South Korean time travel television series Television series set in the Joseon dynasty Television shows set in South Korea Television shows set in New York City South Korean romantic comedy television series South Korean fantasy television series