KO
EN
JA
TW
Actor Lee Min Ho's SBS drama 'The King: Eternal Monarch' has garnered contrasting reviews domestically and internationally, becoming a hot topic. The drama, marking writer Kim Eun-sook's return and Lee Min Ho's first project after military discharge, generated high expectations before its broadcast but experienced a decline in viewership ratings in Korea. In contrast, it topped charts in several countries overseas via Netflix, proving its global popularity.
'The King: Eternal Monarch' is a 16-episode fantasy drama aired from April to June 2020, depicting a romance between Emperor Lee Gon (Lee Min Ho) of the Korean Empire and detective Jung Tae-eul (Kim Go-eun) in a parallel world setting. The first episode recorded a 12.9% viewership rating in the Seoul metropolitan area, ranking first in its time slot, but subsequently declined, concluding with an 8% rating for the final episode. While domestic audiences found the parallel world concept challenging, it received positive responses abroad, topping charts in Hong Kong, Thailand, and the Philippines. Lee Min Ho gained public recognition through his role as Gu Jun-pyo in 'Boys Over Flowers' and has appeared in various dramas, including 'City Hunter'.
Recently, Lee Min Ho returned to the big screen with the film 'Assassins', which surpassed 1 million viewers within four days of its release. The film, co-starring Yoo Hae-jin and Park Hae-il, explores the suspicions surrounding the 1974 first lady assassination attempt. Lee Min Ho has also drawn attention for past rumors of marriage with Song Hye Kyo and his public relationship with Suzy, with fans anticipating his next romantic comedy project.
