Hey, everyone! How’s it going? Today I’m here to review the K-drama The King’s Affection, which stands as one of the most groundbreaking and internationally acclaimed Korean historical dramas, earning the distinction of being Korea’s first International Emmy Award winner.
The King’s Affection premiered on October 11, 2021, and ran for one season with 20 episodes until December 14, 2021. Created by Lee So-young and aired on KBS2, this historical drama stars Park Eun-bin and Rowoon in a gender-bending romance set during the Joseon Dynasty. Each episode runs approximately 70 minutes, with the series based on Lee So-young’s manhwa of the same name and simultaneously released worldwide on Netflix.
Set during the Joseon period when twins were considered an ominous sign, the series follows Lee Hwi, who was born as the twin sister of the crown prince but forced to live disguised as a man after her brother’s death. The King’s Affection doesn’t just present a typical historical romance; it explores themes of gender identity, royal duty, and the impossible burden of living someone else’s life. With its innovative premise, exceptional performances, and meticulous historical detail, the show created television that challenged traditional storytelling while delivering emotionally compelling drama.
The Joseon Palace: Where Identity Becomes Performance
The King’s Affection presents the royal court as a place where every gesture, word, and relationship is scrutinized for political meaning. The series explores how Lee Hwi must not only perform masculinity convincingly but also navigate the complex world of palace politics while hiding her true identity. Set against the backdrop of succession disputes, court intrigue, and the constant threat of discovery, the show demonstrates how survival in the palace requires constant performance and emotional suppression.
The show’s genius lies in using the gender disguise not just as plot device but as examination of how identity is constructed and performed. Whether following court ceremonies, military training, or private moments where Hwi can briefly be herself, The King’s Affection shows how exhausting it becomes to live as someone else while yearning for authentic connection and self-expression.
Lee Hwi: The Crown Prince with a Secret
Park Eun-bin delivers a masterful performance as Lee Hwi, the twin sister forced to live as the crown prince after her brother’s death. Hwi represents the ultimate performance of identity, someone who must embody masculinity and royal authority while suppressing her true self entirely. Her character explores themes of sacrifice, duty, and the psychological cost of living a completely fabricated existence for the sake of political stability.
Throughout The King’s Affection, Hwi’s struggle to maintain her disguise while developing feelings for her tutor creates the series’ central tension. Park Eun-bin’s portrayal captures both Hwi’s convincing performance as a male ruler and her vulnerability as a woman yearning for authentic love and self-expression. Her journey becomes a study of how identity can become both protection and prison when survival depends on constant deception.
Jung Ji Woon: The Teacher Who Sees Through Masks
Rowoon delivers a nuanced performance as Jung Ji Woon, the crown prince’s tutor whose growing attraction to Hwi creates confusion about his own feelings and assumptions. Ji Woon represents the observant outsider who begins to recognize inconsistencies in Hwi’s performance without initially understanding their significance. His character arc explores themes of love transcending social expectations and gender assumptions.
Ji Woon’s relationship with Hwi becomes the series’ romantic and emotional core, showing how genuine connection can develop even when one person’s entire identity is fabricated. Rowoon’s portrayal captures Ji Woon’s intelligence and emotional depth while showing his struggle to understand feelings that challenge his assumptions about both love and gender. His journey examines how authentic love recognizes the person beneath social roles and expectations.
When Truth Threatens Everything
The series reaches its most powerful moments during episodes where Hwi’s secret faces potential exposure, threatening not only her life but the stability of the entire kingdom. The revelation of her true identity becomes a political crisis that could destabilize the monarchy while also representing her only chance for authentic existence. These climactic episodes reveal how personal truth and political necessity can become irreconcilably opposed.
The final episodes demonstrate how Hwi must choose between maintaining the deception that preserves the kingdom’s stability and revealing her truth to claim authentic love and identity. This impossible choice transforms The King’s Affection from romance into meditation on the price of duty and the courage required to live authentically when that authenticity threatens everything others depend upon.
Success on KBS2, Netflix, and International Recognition
The King’s Affection became a global phenomenon and critical triumph, becoming the first South Korean television series to win an International Emmy Award for Best Telenovela. The series proved that innovative storytelling combined with exceptional production values could achieve both commercial success and international recognition. The King’s Affection remains available exclusively on Netflix worldwide, with its groundbreaking premise and Emmy recognition establishing Korean content as a major force in global television. The show’s format of gender-bending historical romance became influential for subsequent K-dramas exploring themes of identity and social convention. The King’s Affection continues to attract international audiences who appreciate its combination of innovative storytelling and traditional Korean historical drama elements.
Television’s Most Innovative Historical Romance
If you love historical dramas, gender-bending storylines, or K-dramas that challenge traditional narratives, The King’s Affection is the perfect series to binge on Netflix. The show’s groundbreaking premise combined with exceptional performances creates viewing that’s both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Why This Series Made Emmy History
The King’s Affection transcends typical historical romance by serving as both entertainment and exploration of gender, identity, and the performance of social roles. Park Eun-bin and the creative team crafted a series that challenges viewers’ assumptions while delivering compelling romantic drama within an authentic historical setting. The show’s Emmy recognition combined with its innovative approach to familiar themes makes it essential viewing for anyone seeking K-dramas that push boundaries while maintaining emotional authenticity. Whether you’re drawn to its historical setting, romantic elements, or groundbreaking premise, The King’s Affection delivers a viewing experience that feels both revolutionary and deeply human.
Series Details
Number of Episodes: 20 episodes (completed series)
Platform: Netflix (worldwide exclusive)
Release/End Year: 2021
IMDb Rating: 8.0/10
Genre: Historical Romance, Gender-Bending Drama, Palace Drama
Production Type: K-drama (South Korean Television Series)
Status: Completed series
Protagonists: Park Eun-bin (Lee Hwi), Rowoon (Jung Ji Woon)
Main Supporting Cast: Nam Yoon-su (Kim Ga-on), Choi Byung-chan (Jung Seok-jo), Bae Yoon-kyung (Shin So-eun), Jung Chae-yeon (No Ha-kyung)