The King's Affection
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''The King's Affection'' (), is a 2021
South Korean television series Korean drama (), also known as K-drama or Koreanovela, refers to Korean-language television shows made in South Korea. These shows began to be produced around the early 1960s, but were mostly consumed domestically until the rise of the Korean Wa ...
starring
Park Eun-bin Park Eun-bin (; born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child model in 1996, and made her small screen debut as a child actor, child actress in 1998's ''White Nights 3.98''. Park received international recog ...
,
Rowoon Kim Seok-woo (; born August 7, 1996), better known by his stage name Rowoon, is a South Korean actor and singer. He is a former member of the South Korean boy band SF9. He is best known for his acting roles in Korean drama, television series '' ...
, Nam Yoon-su,
Choi Byung-chan Choi Byung-chan (, born November 12, 1997), also known as Byungchan, is a South Korean singer and actor. He debuted as a member of South Korean group Victon in 2016. In 2020, he made his acting debut in the drama '' Live On''. Career 2016– ...
,
Bae Yoon-kyung Bae Yoon-kyung (; born January 22, 1993) is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her lead roles in ''Joseon Beauty Pageant'' (2018) and '' The King's Affection'' (2021). She also appeared in dramas '' The Miracle We Met'' (2018), ' ...
, and
Jung Chae-yeon Jung Chae-yeon (; born December 1, 1997), known mononymously as Chaeyeon, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is a member of the girl group DIA (group), DIA and former member of a project girl group I.O.I, having finished 7th in the survi ...
. The story is based on Lee So-young's
manhwa Manhwa () is the general Korean term for comics and print cartoons. Outside Korea, the term usually refers to Korean comics. Modern Manhwa has extended its reach to many other countries. These comics have branched outside of Korea by acce ...
''Yeonmo''. It aired on
KBS2 KBS 2TV is a South Korean free-to-air Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen ...
from October 11 to December 14, 2021, every Monday and Tuesday at 21:30 ( KST) for 20 episodes. It also premiered worldwide on
Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
on the same day. ''The King's Affection'' is the first South Korean television series to win an
International Emmy Award The International Emmy Awards, or International Emmys, are part of the extensive range of Emmy Awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. Bestowed by the New York City, New York–based International Academy of Televisi ...
.


Synopsis

The story is set during the
Joseon dynasty Joseon ( ; ; also romanized as ''Chosun''), officially Great Joseon (), was a dynastic kingdom of Korea that existed for 505 years. It was founded by Taejo of Joseon in July 1392 and replaced by the Korean Empire in October 1897. The kingdom w ...
, at a time when twins were considered an ominous sign. As a result, when the Crown Princess gives birth to twins, an order is sent to kill the daughter. To save her, she is secretly sent out of the palace. A few years later, the twin daughter, Dam-yi, returns to the palace to work as a
maid A maid, housemaid, or maidservant is a female domestic worker. In the Victorian era, domestic service was the second-largest category of employment in England and Wales, after agricultural work. In developed Western nations, full-time maids a ...
. When the male twin, Crown Prince Lee Hwi, discovers her, he convinces her to switch places with him from time to time but suddenly loses his life through a case of mistaken identity. Their mother realizes the court maid Dam-yi is her daughter and persuades her to take Lee Hwi's place. Although she distances herself from everybody over the years, Lee Hwi (Dam-yi) starts developing feelings again for her original first love, Jung Ji-woon, who is from a
noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...
family. Her court life becomes complicated when Jung Ji-Woon becomes her royal tutor and later a court scribe, while he himself also gets confused feelings about Lee Hwi, not knowing it's actually his first love, Dam-yi.


Cast


Main

*
Park Eun-bin Park Eun-bin (; born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child model in 1996, and made her small screen debut as a child actor, child actress in 1998's ''White Nights 3.98''. Park received international recog ...
as Crown Prince Lee Hwi / Dam-yi / Yeon-seon **
Choi Myung-bin Choi Myung-bin (; born on 15 April 2008) is a South Korean teenaged actress. She made her acting debut in 2016, since then, she has appeared in number of films and television series. She is best known for her roles in historical drama '' The Ki ...
as young Crown Prince Lee Hwi / Dam-yi / Yeon-seon : Lee Hwi is a young prince who dies due to a case of mistaken identity. Dam-yi is Lee Hwi's twin sister, who was hidden after birth; she is forced to take the title and responsibility of the Crown Prince due to her brother's death. *
Rowoon Kim Seok-woo (; born August 7, 1996), better known by his stage name Rowoon, is a South Korean actor and singer. He is a former member of the South Korean boy band SF9. He is best known for his acting roles in Korean drama, television series '' ...
as Jung Ji-woon ** Go Woo-rim as young Jung Ji-woon : Inspector Jung's son. He is a physician at Samgaebang, but is later hired as a Royal Tutor for Crown Prince Lee Hwi. * Nam Yoon-su as Lee Hyun, Prince Jaeun **
Choi Ro-woon Choi Ro-woon (; born February 16, 2007) is a South Korean actor. He has appeared in television series A television show, TV program (), or simply a TV show, is the general reference to any content produced for viewing on a television set ...
as young Lee Hyun :Lee Hwi's paternal cousin who is soft-hearted and loyal to her. *
Choi Byung-chan Choi Byung-chan (, born November 12, 1997), also known as Byungchan, is a South Korean singer and actor. He debuted as a member of South Korean group Victon in 2016. In 2020, he made his acting debut in the drama '' Live On''. Career 2016– ...
as Kim Ga-on / Kang Eun-seo ** Ok Chan-yu as young Kim Ga-on / Kang Eun-seo : Lee Hwi's personal bodyguard. *
Bae Yoon-kyung Bae Yoon-kyung (; born January 22, 1993) is a South Korean actress and model. She is known for her lead roles in ''Joseon Beauty Pageant'' (2018) and '' The King's Affection'' (2021). She also appeared in dramas '' The Miracle We Met'' (2018), ' ...
as Shin So-eun : Only child of the Minister of Personnel. *
Jung Chae-yeon Jung Chae-yeon (; born December 1, 1997), known mononymously as Chaeyeon, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is a member of the girl group DIA (group), DIA and former member of a project girl group I.O.I, having finished 7th in the survi ...
as Noh Ha-kyung : Youngest daughter of the Minister of Military Affairs.


Supporting

*
Yoon Je-moon Yoon Je-moon (born March 9, 1970) is a South Korean actor. He appears in theater, film and television, notably in the movies ''The Man Next Door'' (2010) and '' Dangerously Excited'' (2012), and the TV series '' The End of the World'' (2013). ...
as Han Ki-jae, Lord Sangheon : Left State Councillor and Lee Hwi's powerful maternal grandfather. *
Bae Soo-bin Bae Soo-bin (; born Yoon Tae-wook on December 9, 1976), is a South Korean actor. He is best known for his roles in the television dramas ''Brilliant Legacy'', ''Temptation of an Angel ''Temptation of an Angel'' () (also known as Angel's Temp ...
as Inspector Jung Seok-jo : Jung Ji-woon's father and right-hand man of Lord Sangheon. * Lee Pil-mo as King Hyejong : Father of Dam-yi and Lee Hwi.


People around Lee Hwi

*
Baek Hyun-joo Baek Hyun-joo (; born on 22 May 1970) is a South Korean actress. She is alumni of Sogang University, Department of Sociology. She made her acting debut in 2006, since then, she has appeared in number of plays, films and television series. She ...
as
Court Lady A lady-in-waiting (alternatively written lady in waiting) or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but o ...
Kim : Lee Hwi's mother figure who knows about her secret. *
Ko Kyu-pil Ko Kyu-pil (born May 2, 1982) is a South Korean actor. He debuted in the 1993 South Korean children's film '' Kid Cop'' and has thus appeared in notable television series and films in a supporting role. Personal life On June 16, 2023, it was ...
as
Eunuch A eunuch ( , ) is a male who has been castration, 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 2 ...
Hong ** Kim Gun as young Eunuch Hong : Close aide of Dam-yi after she took over her brother's identity, and the late Lee Hwi's childhood playmate. * Kim Jae-cheol as Commander Yoon Hyeong-seol : King Hyejong's bodyguard who saved Dam-yi after her birth.


People around Jung Ji-woon

*
Park Eun-hye Park Eun-hye (; born February 21, 1977) is a South Korean actress. She is best known for starring in ''Jewel in the Palace'', which led to her popularity in China. She also played the lead role in the Taiwanese drama, ''Silence'', starring Vic ...
as Madam Kim : Jung Ji-woon's mother. * Jang Se-hyun as Bang Jil-geum : Worker at Samgaebang. * Lee Soo-min as Bang Young-ji : Worker at Samgaebang. *
Heo Jung-min Heo Jung-min (; born November 11, 1982) is a South Korean actor and musician. He was a member of the rock band Moon Child (now known as MC the Max) from 2000 to 2001. As an actor, he had a lead role in the 2014 South Korean television series '' ...
as Palace Guard Gu


Royal Family

* Kim Taek as Lee Jeong, Prince Wonsan ** Kim Joon-ho as young Prince Wonsan : Lee Hyun's older brother and Lee Hwi's paternal cousin. * Kim Seo-ha as Prince Changwoon : Lee Hwi's paternal uncle who is always causing trouble. *
Lee Il-hwa Lee Il-hwa (; born January 29, 1972) is a South Korean actress. She made her acting debut in 1991, and has since appeared in numerous television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fict ...
as Queen Dowager : Lee Hwi's paternal grandmother. *
Son Yeo-eun Son Yeo-eun (; born August 4, 1983), birth name Byeon Na-yeon, is a South Korean actress. Son was nominated for Best New Actress for Television at the Baeksang Arts Awards The Baeksang Arts Awards (), also known as the Paeksang Arts Awards, ...
as Queen : King Hyejong's second wife, the mother of Grand Prince Jehyeon and Lee Hwi's step-mother. * Cha Sung-jae as Lee Gyeom, Grand Prince Jehyeon : Lee Hwi's half-brother.


Royal Court

* Jung Jae-seong as Noh Hak-su : Noh Ha-kyung's father and the Minister of Military Affairs. *
Park Won-sang Park Won-sang (; born January 20, 1970) is a South Korean actor. Filmography Film Television Web series Theater Ambassadorship *Ambassador for 1st Democratization Movement Memorial Park Joint Memorial Cultural Festival (2022) Refe ...
as Shin Young-soo : Shin So-eun's father and the Minister of Personnel who is a loyal subject of the King. * Son Jong-hak as Lord Changchun : Chief State Councillor and the Queen's father.


Royal Institute

*
Kim In-kwon Kim In-kwon (; born January 20, 1978) is a South Korean actor. Known for playing memorable supporting characters, he starred in his first leading role in the sleeper hit '' He's on Duty'' (2010), followed by '' Almost Che'' (2012), '' Born to Sin ...
as Yang Moon-soo * Noh Sang-bo as Park Beom-du * Kim Min-seok as Choi Man-dal


Others

*
Han Chae-ah Han Chae-ah (; born March 24, 1982), birth name Kim Seo-hyun (), is a South Korean actress. She is best known for her 2012 television drama In film and television show, television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or do ...
as Crown Princess Han : Lord Sangheon's daughter and the mother of Dam-yi and Lee Hwi. * Park Ki-woong as Chief Eunuch and envoy from the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
** Kim Do-won as young Chief Eunuch * Lee Seo-hwan as Vice Minister of Rites from the
Ming dynasty The Ming dynasty, officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming was the last imperial dynasty of ...
*
Han Sung-yun Han Sung-yun (; born 12 July 1997) is a South Korean actress and model. She is best known for her roles in dramas such as '' Who Are You: School 2015'', '' Second 20s'' and ''Cheo Yong ''Cheo Yong'' (; lit. Ghost-Seeing Detective Cheo-yong) i ...
as Yu-gon : A palace maid. * Gong Jin-seo as Jan-yi : Shin So-eun's maid. * Kim Eun-min as Joseon-born
concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal relationship, interpersonal and Intimate relationship, sexual relationship between two people in which the couple does not want to, or cannot, enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarde ...
of the Ming Emperor ** Yoon Seo-yeon as young concubine * Jo Sung-kyu as Prince Changwoon's steward * Kim Ki-doo as Head of the Bureau of Astrology


Production

The manhwa hypothesized the existence of a fictional king between Seongjong and Yejong, but the production decided to remove any reference to real people, setting the series during the reign of a fictional king and changing the background of the male lead.


Casting

On December 17, 2020, ''Ilgan Sports'' reported that
Park Eun-bin Park Eun-bin (; born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child model in 1996, and made her small screen debut as a child actor, child actress in 1998's ''White Nights 3.98''. Park received international recog ...
would play the female lead in KBS's new drama ''The King's Affection''. Earlier in the day, the actress' agency, Namoo Actors, declared that she was still considering the offer. On January 15, 2021, ''Ilgan Sports'' identified
Rowoon Kim Seok-woo (; born August 7, 1996), better known by his stage name Rowoon, is a South Korean actor and singer. He is a former member of the South Korean boy band SF9. He is best known for his acting roles in Korean drama, television series '' ...
as the male lead, but
FNC Entertainment FNC Entertainment (; stands for "fish and cake") is a South Korean entertainment company established in 2006 by South Korean singer and record producer Han Seong-ho. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, ...
stated that for the moment he was focusing on filming '' She Would Never Know'' and nothing had been decided. In the following months, Nam Yoon-su,
Choi Byung-chan Choi Byung-chan (, born November 12, 1997), also known as Byungchan, is a South Korean singer and actor. He debuted as a member of South Korean group Victon in 2016. In 2020, he made his acting debut in the drama '' Live On''. Career 2016– ...
and
Jung Chae-yeon Jung Chae-yeon (; born December 1, 1997), known mononymously as Chaeyeon, is a South Korean actress and singer. She is a member of the girl group DIA (group), DIA and former member of a project girl group I.O.I, having finished 7th in the survi ...
joined the cast; meanwhile Park Eun-bin and Rowoon were confirmed on March 19, 2021. Nam decided to participate in the series to gain new experiences and because he had found the character of Lee Hyun unpredictable, while Rowoon because of the love story told and because he wanted to try his hand in a historical drama. Park Eun-bin received the script for ''The King's Affection'' at a time when she was thinking about acting in a historical drama again, as the last one she filmed was '' Secret Door'' in 2014. While aware that there would be other opportunities in the future to fulfill her wish, she decided to take the role because the premise of the series was very attractive and she doubted she would have another chance to play a king. At the press conference before broadcast, Park commented that despite her taking on the role of Lee Hwi with confidence, she had had a hard time making it convincing because it was the first time a woman played a king. Instead of trying to simply disguise herself as a man, she attempted to focus on showing why Hwi had to pretend to be a male and on the moments in which she faced doubts and dangers, as her real side slips out, declaring that she wanted Hwi to be seen as a person regardless of gender. She also took riding lessons and paid attention to adjusting the tone of her voice according to the people around Hwi.


Filming

Filming began in April 2021 and ended on November 15. It was halted on July 26, 2021, as one of the production staff who participated in the July 24 filming was tested positive for
COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. In January 2020, the disease spread worldwide, resulting in the COVID-19 pandemic. The symptoms of COVID‑19 can vary but often include fever ...
. All of the cast members and production staff were subsequently tested and went into self-quarantine on the same day. On July 27, it was announced that Park Eun-bin, Lee Pil-mo and Bae Soo-bin tested negative for COVID-19. On July 28, it was reported that Nam Yoon-su's test result was also negative, and filming resumed on the same day. On August 6, it was revealed that filming was cancelled due to a fire that broke out a day earlier, at 21:10 KST, when the crew was filming at the
Korean Folk Village Korean Folk Village () is a living museum type of tourist attraction in the city of Yongin, a satellite city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area in the province of Gyeonggi in South Korea. It was first opened on October 3, 1974 (ground breaking in 19 ...
in
Yongin Yongin (; ) is a city in the Seoul Metropolitan Area, the largest in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. With a population over 1 million, the city has developed rapidly since the 21st century, recording the highest population growth of any city in th ...
,
Gyeonggi Province Gyeonggi Province (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Seoul, the nation's largest city and capital, is in the heart of the area but has been separately administered as a provincial-level ''special city'' since 1946. Incheon, ...
. The fire was extinguished by firefighters within 20 minutes. Filming locations also include Hangae Village in
Seongju County Seongju County (''Seongju-gun'') is a county in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. This largely agricultural area is located immediately west of the metropolitan city of Daegu. The capital of the county is the town of Seongju. Lotte Skyhill ...
and Hanjujeongsa Temple on its summit; Gyeonggijeon Temple, its
hyanggyo () were government-run provincial Confucian schools established during the Goryeo (918–1392), and Joseon (July 1392 – August 1910) periods in Korea. They were established to educate and train officials in Confucian ideals and the ethics of g ...
(provincial school) and
hanok A (; name in South Korea) or ''chosŏnjip'' (; name in North Korea and for Koreans in Yanbian, China), is a traditional Korean house. were first designed and built in the 14th century during the Joseon dynasty. Korean architecture conside ...
village in
Jeonju Jeonju (, , ) is the capital and List of cities in South Korea, largest city of North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of Wanju County which almost entirely surrounds Jeonju (Wanju County has many resi ...
, Munheon Confucian school in
Seocheon County Seocheon County () is a county in Chungcheongnam-do, South Korea. It is famous for its seafood and location near the mouth of the Geum River. Administrative divisions Seocheon county has two major centers, Janghang-eup and Seocheon-eup. Seocheo ...
,
Mungyeong Saejae Mungyeong Saejae () is a mountain pass in central South Korea. It lies on Joryeong Mountain between the main peak (1017 m) and Sinseon Peak (967 m). The pass itself rises to above sea level. Mungyeong Saejae connects Mungyeong City ...
provincial park in
Mungyeong Mungyeong (; ) is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in North Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. The local government, economy, and transportation networks are all centered in Jeomchon, the principal town. Mungyeong has a lengthy his ...
, Buan Cinema Theme Park, Itaesarang rock in Geochang, Manhyujeong pavilion in
Andong Andong () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in South Korea, and the capital of North Gyeongsang Province. It is the largest city in the northern part of the province with a population of 167,821 as of October 2010. The Nakdong Ri ...
, Gwanghalluwon garden in
Namwon Namwon (, ) is a city in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. Namwon is about 50 minutes from the provincial capital of Jeonju, which is almost three hours away from Seoul. The official city flower is Royal Azalea () while the city tree is the ...
, and two fortresses, namely Jukjusanseong in Anseong and Sangdangsanseong in Cheongju.


Original soundtrack

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7


Reception


Critical reception

Overall, ''The King's Affection'' was well received by critics, both in South Korea and abroad. Several outlets felt that it opened a new horizon in the stories of women disguised as men, and that Hwi's independence and how she repeatedly saved Ji-woon constituted a 180° shift in the gender roles of a typical romantic series, appreciating "the rare attempt" to make the female lead occupy a higher social position, instead of recounting the sad love between a high-ranking man and a woman of humble origins, and observing that the concept of the woman who pretends to be a man transcends the dimension of melodrama, extending towards the dimension of battles for values and self-affirmation, and comparing it to the struggles against prejudice fought by minorities excluded for their diversity. Calling the drama "interesting and different" from previous series in which the female lead wore male clothes, such as '' Coffee Prince'', '' Sungkyungwan Scandal'' or ''
Love in the Moonlight ''Love in the Moonlight'' () is a South Korean television series starring Park Bo-gum, Kim Yoo-jung, Jung Jin-young, Chae Soo-bin, and Kwak Dong-yeon. It is a coming-of-age story and youth romance set during 19th-century Joseon Dynasty base ...
'', the Thai news agency Workpoint Today noted that the fact that the hero fell in love regardless of the other person's gender could be considered an attempt to help normalize boundless love, blurring the lines between femininity and masculinity still deeply rooted in South Korean society, and appreciated the absence of the classic scene in which the male lead wonders why he likes a person of the same sex. Through the revival of stereotypical scenes, but in which Ji-woon adopts behaviors usually attributed to female characters, and through the debates on
Confucius Confucius (; pinyin: ; ; ), born Kong Qiu (), was a Chinese philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period who is traditionally considered the paragon of Chinese sages. Much of the shared cultural heritage of the Sinosphere originates in the phil ...
' teachings, it also identified the desire to shatter the distinction between male and female roles particularly clear in historical series, and the conviction that traditional beliefs should no longer define sexuality.
AlloCiné AlloCiné is an entertainment website founded by Jean-David Blanc in 1988, then joined by Patrick Holzman. It has belonged to the company since 2013 Webedia. which specializes in providing information on French cinema, mostly centering on nove ...
found that the intonation is evocative of
Mulan Hua Mulan () is a legendary Chinese folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century Common Era, CE) of Chinese history. Scholar, Scholars generally consider Mulan to be a fictional character. Hua Mulan is depicte ...
, but observed that the series stood out for its very light plot, and narrated the sentimental wanderings of a young woman in a fundamentally patriarchal environment, calling it "feminist in more than one way". In general, critics appreciated the more open vision of love presented by the series, considering it more daring than previous historical dramas with the same concept given the greater presence of
queer ''Queer'' is an umbrella term for people who are non-heterosexual or non- cisgender. Originally meaning or , ''queer'' came to be used pejoratively against LGBTQ people in the late 19th century. From the late 1980s, queer activists began to ...
elements, not only in the BL relationship between Hwi and Ji-woon, but also in the GL one between Hwi and Ha-kyung. Compliments were also directed to the aesthetics of the sets and costumes, and to the interpretations of the protagonists, especially to the performances of
Choi Myung-bin Choi Myung-bin (; born on 15 April 2008) is a South Korean teenaged actress. She made her acting debut in 2016, since then, she has appeared in number of films and television series. She is best known for her roles in historical drama '' The Ki ...
in the roles of both Dam-yi and her brother Hwi as children, and to the more nuanced one by
Park Eun-bin Park Eun-bin (; born September 4, 1992) is a South Korean actress. She began her career as a child model in 1996, and made her small screen debut as a child actor, child actress in 1998's ''White Nights 3.98''. Park received international recog ...
, whose complete identification with the character was considered one of the main reasons for the popularity of the series. Moreover, the drama attracted positive comments for the portrayal of youth fighting against the
status quo is a Latin phrase meaning the existing state of affairs, particularly with regard to social, economic, legal, environmental, political, religious, scientific or military issues. In the sociological sense, the ''status quo'' refers to the curren ...
in order to protect their rights and happiness, freely expressing, in an imaginary world, metaphors of reality and social taboos that are difficult to manage in a series set in modern times, for example the older generation's attempt to arbitrarily define and classify young people according to its own desires: in particular, Han Ki-jae's ambition to wield power by maneuvering Hwi like a puppet evoked the election campaign for the new
President of South Korea The president of the Republic of Korea (), also known as the president of South Korea (), is the head of state and head of government of South Korea. The president directs the executive branch of the Government of South Korea, government and is ...
and the way in which the political community incited young people to vote. Popular culture critic Jung Deok-hyun noted, however, that while it might have been possible for a crown prince to fall in love with a eunuch, seeing Ji-woon courting Hwi was disconcerting, as, taking into account Joseon's power structure and discrimination between men and women at the time, it would have been more common to witness the opposite, considering Hwi's position of greater power; consequently, he found the dynamics between the two characters implausible, also due to the fact that Ji-woon ignored Hwi's true gender, and observed that, if the relationship had been treated with greater seriousness and foresight, it could have become a true queer drama, especially if the production decided to opt for the story of a true homosexual love. However, he noted that it was a "strangely exciting" drama, probably because of the love story that transcends hierarchy and gender, and that, despite the ridiculous situations and the low plausibility, it had managed to capture the audience by making them believe that such a story could actually take place. On the other side, Tae Yoo-na of ''
Hankyung Han Geng (born February 9, 1984) is a Chinese Mandopop singer and actor. He started his career in 2001, when he was chosen by S.M. Entertainment to become a member of South Korean boy band Super Junior, which debuted in 2005. He later became ...
'' found the development sloppy, characters awkward, and casting wrong, arguing that Park Eun-bin's physique and height were too small compared to Rowoon's, preventing her from expressing the dignity of a crown prince. Stephen McCarty of the ''
South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...
'' noted that the series could have cut some bloodshed without losing narrative strength. ''The King's Affection'' placed sixth on ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'''s best Korean dramas of 2021 list.


Viewership

According to Nielsen Korea, ''The King's Affection'' debuted in South Korea with a national average share of 6.2%. Episode 6 scored the lowest ratings for the series, with a national average share of 5.5% and 4.8% in the
Seoul metropolitan area The Seoul Metropolitan Area (Sudogwon; , ) or Gyeonggi (region), Gyeonggi region (), is the metropolitan area of Seoul, Incheon, and Gyeonggi Province, located in north-western South Korea. Its population of 26 million (as of 2024) is ranked ...
, but after the conclusion of ''
Lovers of the Red Sky ''Lovers of the Red Sky'' () is a 2021 South Korean television series starring Kim Yoo-jung, Ahn Hyo-seop, Gong Myung, and Kwak Si-yang. It is directed by Jang Tae-yoo and written by Ha Eun. The series adapted from the novel of the same name wr ...
'', one of the competing programs of the evening, episode 7 recorded the best ratings for the drama, which reached a share of 10% with episode 13 and ended with 12,1%. In the span of two weeks, ''The King's Affection'' entered the top 10 of Netflix's most viewed programs globally and the top 5 in
Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...
,
Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...
,
Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
,
Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...
,
Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...
,
Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...
,
Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...
and
Vietnam Vietnam, officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (SRV), is a country at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of about and a population of over 100 million, making it the world's List of countries and depende ...
. Following the release of episodes 9 and 10 on November 10, it ranked eighth globally, and first among the most viewed Korean programs for three consecutive days, while on November 23 it was fourth in Netflix's Global Top 10 (Non-English), with 15.64 million hours watched.


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Listicle


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* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:King's Affection, The Korean Broadcasting System television dramas Korean-language television shows South Korean historical television series South Korean romance television series Television series set in Joseon Television series by Monster Union Television series by Story Hunter Production 2021 South Korean television series debuts 2021 South Korean television series endings Korean-language Netflix exclusive international distribution programming