Actor Lee Hyun Wook is taking on his first epic historical drama, playing King Munmu in KBS2’s new sageuk “Munmu,” which premieres on November 14 at 9:20 p.m.
According to Sports Kyunghyang, anticipation is building in the broadcast industry over Lee’s acting transformation as he challenges the genre for the first time. Lee plays Kim Beop-min, who becomes Munmu, the 30th king of Silla and the leader who achieved the unification of the Three Kingdoms through exceptional strategy and combat skill.
The drama, produced by KeyEast and Monster Union with executive producer Lee Ho, is written by Kim Ri-heon and Hong Jin-yi and directed by Kim Young-jo and Gu Seong-jun. It depicts a grand, lonely saga of leaders who stake everything on a single victory amid 600 years of war and upheaval within the Three Kingdoms.
The proud Kim Beop-min clashes with his father Kim Choon-chu (played by Kim Kang Woo) over the elder’s submissive diplomacy toward rival states, but grows into a complete monarch who carries his father’s vision for Silla’s future.
On choosing the project, Lee said: “While doing historical dramas, I fully felt the charm of period pieces,” adding, “I wanted to take on the epic historical drama genre, which I had never experienced before.” On his character, he explained: “Kim Beop-min is cold on the outside but carries many whirlpools inside; he is a person who gains much realization through that.” No official agency statement was available.
Lee defined “Munmu” as a “hot war,” pointing to tangled power, greed, human relationships, and inter-kingdom intrigue as the drama’s key viewing points. The drama premieres on KBS2 on November 14.
