The King's Face (South Korean Television Series)

The King's Face (Korean: 왕의 얼굴; RR: Wangui Eolgool) is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS2 from November 19, 2014, to February 5, 2015. The historical drama consists of 23 episodes and was broadcast on Wednesday and Thursday nights at 21:55.

Promotional poster for The King's Face — Promotional poster for the historical drama series The King's Face.

Plot

The series follows the life of Prince Gwanghae, the son of a concubine who eventually ascends to the throne. The narrative spans 16 years, depicting the prince's struggle against death threats and political schemes aimed at his dethronement. A central theme of the drama is the use of physiognomy—the practice of assessing character or future fortune from physical appearance—as a strategic tool in the prince's quest to become King.

Production

The drama was directed by Yun Seong-Sik and written by Lee Hyang-Hee. The first script reading for the series took place in September 2014 at the KBS Annex Building in Yeouido, Seoul. Actress Son Ye-Jin was initially offered the lead female role of Kim Ga-Hee but declined the offer to focus on film projects. The series occupied the KBS2 Wednesday and Thursday 21:55 time slot, succeeding Blade Man and preceding Thank You, My Son.

Cast

The main cast includes:

Seo In-Guk as Prince Gwanghae
Jo Yoon-Hee as Kim Ga-Hee
Lee Sung-Jae as King Seonjo
Shin Sung-Rok as Kim Do-Chi
Kim Gyu-Ri as Gwiin Kim