KBS has unveiled its first grand historical drama in nearly three years, holding a star-studded press conference for “Sword & Silence” (also known as “Munmu”) just two days before the series premieres on Saturday, November 14, at 9:20 p.m. KST on KBS2.
The production presentation took place on November 12 at The Link Hotel in Guro District, Seoul, with chief producer Lee Ho joined by cast members Lee Hyun-wook, Jang Hyuk, Kim Kang-woo, Jung Woong-in, Kim Do-hyun, Baek Sung-hyun and Choi Ye-bin. Park Sung-woong, who plays the legendary general Kim Yu-shin, was unavoidably absent because of a filming schedule in Japan, according to Maeil Business Newspaper.
The 28-episode series will air on weekends and stream globally on Netflix, giving KBS’s biggest historical production in years an immediate international audience. According to Kookmin Ilbo, roughly 30 billion won (about $20 million) has been spent on the production, described as the largest scale in the broadcaster’s history, with filming stretching over about a year and a half.
Lee Hyun-wook plays Kim Beop-min, the future King Munmu of Silla, opposite Kim Kang-woo as his father Kim Chun-chu and Jang Hyuk as the Goguryeo military strongman Yeon Gaesomun. The story covers 600 years of war and upheaval among the Three Kingdoms, following Silla as it unifies the peninsula and then turns against its former ally, the Tang dynasty, to defend its sovereignty in the Silla-Tang War.
The production’s most talked-about feature is its use of artificial intelligence in the large-scale battle scenes. Lee Ho said the AI technology advanced considerably over the year and a half of production and was used continuously throughout filming, especially for dangerous scenes and sequences requiring realistic combat. Jang Hyuk said the cast had discussed how to work with the approach, explaining that the actors lead the emotion at the center of a scene while AI and visual effects fill in the surroundings. The Korea JoongAng Daily reported that Jang Hyuk described acting against an AI-enhanced backdrop as challenging, if necessary.
“We will use AI technology as much as possible,” Lee said at the press conference, according to Sports Chosun, adding that the team wanted to make full use of the new tools available to them. The comments come as Korean broadcasters experiment with AI-assisted production, and the “Sword & Silence” team framed the technology as a way to stage battles on a scale that would have been difficult or unsafe to shoot entirely with live performers.
The production team also addressed the question of historical accuracy head-on. KBS’s previous historical epic, “Goryeo-Khitan War,” which ran from November 2023 to March 2024 and peaked at a 13.8 percent rating, drew criticism over alleged historical distortions. Lee said the “Sword & Silence” team worked from historical records and kept advisory professors involved in meetings throughout production to avoid similar controversy.
“There will be no issues with historical accuracy,” the team said, according to Maeil Business Newspaper, which also reported that the series is KBS’s 35th historical drama.
Lee explained the thinking behind the project, saying that while the unification of the Three Kingdoms is well-known history, “there is much people don’t know about how Silla drove out the Tang dynasty.” Lee Hyun-wook described his character as a man who initially disliked war and lived a free-spirited life, saying he focused on portraying the process of deciding to defend his country and embrace his people. Kim Kang-woo said Kim Chun-chu was a man who had to persuade his enemies with words rather than swords, adding that it was genuinely difficult to work out how to perform that persuasiveness and sincerity.
KBS president Park Jang-beom also appeared at the event, saying the drama delivers on a promise made when the broadcaster’s license-fee collection system was restored. He noted that their ancestors unified the Three Kingdoms and defended their independence against the Tang, and said the story’s message of unity and reconciliation remains relevant in a time of division and social conflict. “I hope politicians watch this drama a lot too,” he said, according to Kookmin Ilbo.
The series is written by Kim Ri-heon and Hong Jin-yi, directed by Kim Young-jo and Gu Sung-joon, and produced by KeyEast and Monster Union. KBS aired two special preview episodes on November 7 and 8 to introduce the planning and characters ahead of the premiere.
“Sword & Silence” premieres on KBS2 on Saturday, November 14, at 9:20 p.m. KST, with new episodes airing on Saturdays and Sundays.
