Kingdom (South Korean TV series)

Kingdom
Hangul
킹덤
RRKingdeom
MRK'ingdŏm
Genre
Created byKim Eun-hee
Based onThe Kingdom of the Gods
by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il
Written byKim Eun-hee
Directed by
Starring
Music by
  • Mok Young-jin (season 1)
  • Dalpalan (season 2)
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes12 + 1 special
Production
Executive producerLee Sang-baek
ProducerLee Sung-joon
EditorKim Chang-ju
Camera setupSingle-camera
Running time36–56 minutes
Production companyAStory
Budget₩35 billion
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseJanuary 25, 2019 (2019-01-25) –
July 23, 2021 (2021-07-23)
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Kingdom (Korean킹덤) is a South Korean zombie sageuk action horror thriller series, created and written by Kim Eun-hee, based on the webtoon series The Kingdom of the Gods (Korean신의나라:버닝헬) by Kim Eun-hee and Yang Kyung-il. As Netflix's first original Korean series, it premiered on January 25, 2019. It stars Ju Ji-hoon, Bae Doona, Ryu Seung-ryong, Kim Sang-ho, Kim Sung-kyu, and Kim Hye-jun.

Set in 1601, three years after the end of the Imjin War, Kingdom takes place in a fictional Joseon (now Korea) and blends political thriller with zombie horror. The story follows Lee Chang, the crown prince of the House of Yi, who attempts to investigate the mysterious illness recently afflicting the King, only to find himself caught in the middle of a deadly epidemic ravaging the kingdom. While trying to save the Kingdom from the plague, he must also stop his political opponents from seizing the throne.

The series was positively reviewed and renewed for a second season, which premiered March 13, 2020.

A special feature-length episode of the series, titled "Ashin of the North", was released on July 23, 2021, presenting a focus on the supporting character played by Jun Ji-hyun. The episode acts as a sidequel to the second season of Kingdom. It explores the backstory of Ashin, the mysterious character Lee Chang's group encountered on their journey north to discover the origins of the infected.