K Drama Chat Weekly

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 6 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryon as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss: How Season 2 of Kingdom dropped at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic - crazy! The power struggle between Chief State Councilor Cho Hak ju and the Queen Consort. How Lord Ahn put himself squarely in the Crown Prince’s camp when his archers shot the palace guards. How the Crown Prince seems like a new person. He’s determined and confident when he strikes down the chief palace guard. Who might be the traitor among the Crown Prince’s companions? The thousands of people amassing at the southern gates of Sangju. The magistrate doesn’t want to let them in, but the Crown Prince decides that the magistrate is NOT the person to make that decision. The Crown Prince’s plan to protect Sangju by taking advantag...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 5 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring  Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss: K Drama Chat is featured in this month’s episode of Asian American Life from CUNY-TV! The Korean concept of Han, which is uniquely Korean. The geography of Joseon so that we can understand the context of this episode. The Crown Prince starts in Dongnae, which was in the southeast corner of Gyeongsang Province. He was traveling to Sangju, which was in the northwestern corner of Gyeongsang. Dongnae is located in what is now Busan. How the Five Armies closed the gates of the mountain garrison of Mungyeong Saejae, aka Joryeong. How the Crown Prince wanted to be different from those who abandoned the weak. He blames himself for the deaths of the villagers, but Seo bi and Mu Young see a brave and n...

Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 4 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss: Recent comments from our listeners, including Shine, who has attended many K Drama star meet and greets in Manila. Shine says it’s common for fans to walk up on stage to say hello to stars at the end of these events. The Hero’s Journey framework, which was researched and popularized by writer Joseph Campbell, who researched thousands of myths, stories and legends from around the world. He came up with what he called the monomyth or the Hero’s Journey, which he says is basically the template for so many of our myths and legends. How exciting it is to map Kingdom to the Hero’s Journey.  We think the Call to Adventure has happened The Crown Prince at first tried to refuse the call Mu Young is cle...

Listeners, we need your help! If you are enjoying K Drama Chat, please encourage a friend to listen! And would you please give us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify? Thank you! Today, we’ll be discussing Episode 3 of Season 1 of Kingdom, the hit K Drama on Netflix starring Ju Ji-hoon as Crown Prince Yi Chang, Bae Doona as Seo-bi, Ryu Seung-ryong as Cho Hak ju, Kim Sang-ho as Mou Young, Kim Sung-kyu as Yeong shin, and Kim Hye-jun as the Queen Consort. We discuss: The Seo In Guk Meet and Greet in Washington, DC that Joanna attended! It was amazing! The enduring appeal of zombies! How the opening sequence of the show describes exactly how the king was revived using the resurrection plant, as described in Lee Seung Hui’s medical journal. Although this scene is quite horrific, it is beautifully filmed! How Cho Hak Ju and the Queen Consort keep the king chained and how they feed him unwitting court ladies. Who are the real monsters in the palace? The head scholar and Minist...