Across the universe

Riding a white horse, the emperor of a modern kingdom passes through a portal into present-day Korea.

Parallel universes collide in the new fantasy K-drama The King: Eternal Monarch, with the much-anticipated comeback of actor Lee Min-ho following his military service. The series is now streaming on Netflix, with new episodes airing every Friday and Saturday at 9.30pm.

In the 1990s, the young crown prince Lee Gon witnessed his uncle Lee Lim murdering his father the king and stealing the kingdom's national treasure -- a magic flute. As Lee Lim turned to attack his nephew, a mysterious figure entered the palace and saved the boy, forcing the treacherous Lee Lim to run. Before falling into unconsciousness, Lee Gon grabbed onto an ID badge on his saviour, which bore the name and photo of Jeong Tae-eul, a police detective.

Many years later, the grown-up Lee Gon (Lee Min-ho), now a refined emperor, chases after a figure into a bamboo forest and is transported to Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where he meets Jeong Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) in person. The crossover sets different events in motion as mysteries surrounding the two worlds begin to unravel.

The 16-episode series is penned by well-known writer Kim Eun-sook, who has introduced numerous hits over the years, including Secret Garden, The Heirs, Descendants Of The Sun, Guardian: The Lonely And Great God, and Mr. Sunshine. It is directed by Baek Sang-hoon (Love In The Moonlight).

On his return to the small screen, Lee Min-ho said he'd been considering how he should make his comeback when he was approached by writer Kim, who he'd worked with on The Heirs (also known as The Inheritors).

"When I heard about the overall story, I was really drawn to it. The character is an emperor, which is a role I had always wanted to play. I was also immediately intrigued by the question, 'If another version of you existed in a parallel universe, would you change lives?'.

"More than anything, I wanted to express a more mature and stronger character as a 30-something actor moving away from my 20s, and this was just right," the actor said. He rose to stardom playing the hot-headed leader of F4 in Boys Over Flowers in 2009, and continued to have several notable roles on TV since then. He's considered one of the top Korean stars and has fans across Asia.

For this series, Lee Min-ho had to learn rowing and horse riding, and researched more into the British royal family and Korean history, as well as mathematics, in order to portray Lee Gon. Being back on set for the first time in a few years didn't feel much different to him, although he said he was constantly pushing himself while also enjoying the experience. He admitted to feeling anxious about how viewers would react to the series.

This is Lee Min-ho's second collaboration with writer Kim Eun-sook. During the filming of The Heirs, Lee Min-ho said he was pretty young and would mostly talk with the writer about work.

"Now, I think our relationship has developed further and we're able to share more about life. And I think that the script for this drama series is even more intricate and captivating than her previous works. So, I feel more responsibility, and I want to make her happy as a more seasoned and grown actor," he added.

Similarly, this is also actress Kim Go-eun's second time working with Kim Eun-sook following the 2016 drama Guardian. When she was offered a role in The King: Eternal Monarch, the actress said she happily accepted it, adding that she was excited by its parallel-universe storyline and was glad for another opportunity to work with the writer.

She also believed that, while it's unlikely, it's possible that parallel worlds may exist.

"I don't think that just because we humans can't see something, or something hasn't been discovered yet, that it means it cannot exist," said Kim Go-eun.

"So, because this is so unlikely, that is why we added our imagination to create details of the parallel universe in the drama. How amazing is that? I also wish there was a parallel universe. I am dying to know what the people I love would be like, what their personalities would be, and what they would do for a living in such a world."

In addition to the two leading cast members, The King: Eternal Monarch also sees other talented actors on both sides of the universe. Staying by ­Lee Gon's side is his best friend and captain of the royal guards, Jo Yeong (played by Woo Do-hwan), who is always uptight even in funny situations.

"He is serious at every single moment," said Woo. "But I think it's that kind of attitude that makes him loveable even when he is so quiet and serious."

In many of Kim Eun-sook's works, there's an ongoing trend that continues, which is the bromance between the leading man and his best buddy. The King: Eternal Monarch is no different, as fans happily note the close bond between Lee Gon and Jo Yeong.

"It's a bromance between two guys who have spent pretty much their entire lives side by side," noted Woo. "The two characters have known each other since they were young, making them more like friends or brothers than king and subject."

With Jo Yeong guarding the king, one iron lady is running his constitutional-monarchy kingdom, and that is Koo Seo-ryeong (played by Jung Eun-chae), who is the youngest and first female prime minister in the country. Poised and sophisticated with red lips to match, PM Koo is fierce and straightforward in her actions and thoughts. Her relationship and one-sided attraction to the handsome king is also complicated.

"How she feels about Lee Gon is mixed with her ambition and personal feelings. So, the change in her heart will be very interesting to watch. I'm also excited to find out how she'll spiral, how she'll change her mind, and what it can bring to my character," said Jung.

On the other side of the universe, there is Kang Sin-jae (played by Kim Kyung-nam), a detective working with Jeong Tae-eul. The actor described his character as someone awkward at expressing himself and quite rough around the edges. One challenge he found during filming was action sequences, which he said were difficult to film.

"My character, in particular, isn't formally trained in martial arts, but he grew up getting involved in street fights, so his style of fighting is very rough and unsophisticated. When I discussed fight sequences with the action director, he wanted to create rough and realistic fight scenes where my character would also get beaten as he fought, which is why I focused on the emotional elements as well as the rough movements and gestures while filming the action scenes, rather than just the technical aspect of fights," said Kim Kyung-nam.